The first issue this month highlights how in-house toolrooms, those that remain, are the most difficult places for machine tool salesmen to get their modern wares into, although a shining example of a modern in-house toolroom is Isleworth-based Gillette. And we run a report on in-house toolrooms and technology in the same issue that goes into more detail.
Our next issue is worrying over how, if they are not going to merge (which experts say they won’t), Europe’s machine tool builders will survive post-1992 and the European single market that will see business/trade barriers fall. Collaborative R&D may be the answer. Japan is suggesting a global effort, but there’s no rush to join. We say a reasoned response to the Japanese suggestion is required and that any European programme should benefit both producers and consumers, not merely protect the former.
In news, UK machine tool industry research operation AMTRI gets the go-ahead for a collaborative effort in the UK, backed by £1.3 million of government funds. Elsewhere, UK machine tool agent Kyal Machine Tools has moved to new premises in Stamford, Lincs, where it remains to this day. Swiss machine tool maker Agie (now subsumed within GF Machining Solutions) has entered the wire EDM speed race with a new range of faster machines called Sprint – 300 mm2/min is the claim (50 mm cut at 6 mm/min). But the UK’s BNF Metals Technology Centre is setting to work on investigating waterjet rather than EDM production of extrusion dies.
As for UK machine tool demand, this will see a drop of 10% in 1991, says Oxford Economic Forecasting. Growth should be back to 8% by 1994, however. The outlook for manufacturing more generally is bleak, though: government minister John Butcher believes that through the ‘90s company growth will come from increasing market share rather than organic growth, leading to an “alley fight”.
On more mundane, practical matters, Kennametal is making cutting tool selection easier by publishing 12 pocket guides; no web (see panel below) or apps (see p25) for the moment.
In features, there’s that in-house toolroom report, which spans four separate features: general in-house toolrooms; mould tool making toolrooms within plastics moulding specialists; a forging die production cell at Rolls-Royce; and a mould tool making specialist.
CNC milling, grinding and EDM, plus CADCAM software are boosting efficiency in our examples.
Elsewhere, textile machinery maker Bonas Machine Company (now part of Belgian Van de Wiele) has invested £300,000 (circa £600,000 today) in a pallet-fed Mazak vertical machining centre, fixturing and multi-spindle toolchanged head unit, running the system 108 hours/week producing Jacquard parts.
The company is slashing inventory, reducing subcontract costs and boosting turnover.
We report on the rejigged and updated manufacturing activities at 600 Group company The 600 Colchester Lathe Company. A £4.2 million investment, taking in Mitsui Seiki FMS and the creation of six component-focused cells, is key on this occasion. Continuing that theme, we publish three articles on cell manufacturing: the benefits of multi-machine cells at various companies; the positives of pallet systems for machining centres; and cell scheduling software.
Machinery pays a visit to Italy’s 80-employee machine tool maker Mecof to hear about its five-year strategy, which is based around technological advantage and flexibility, together with customer support and shared research. Today, the firm is still in Italy but is now Emco Mecof, making both large horizontal and vertical machining centres.
In other features this month, we cover management strategies for success in the ‘90s, these including: concurrent engineering (design and production running in parallel); short lines of communication; and reducing design-to-production time. Finally, coolant management and a review of the Scottish Engineering show also get space.
Events this month
- Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigns. Left: John Major elected Tory leader and PM
- Major job cuts loom at Rover Group as the recession affects demand
- ‘Home Alone’ film premières in Chicago
- Tim Berners-Lee publishes a formal proposal for the World Wide Web
- France and Britain perform nuclear tests
- Malcolm Muggeridge, journalist, author, media personality and satirist, also WW II spy for Britain, dies, 87
