Lower spec Tornos does the business at the right price for Restormel Machine

A chance visit to the Tornos stand at MACH 2010 enabled managing director Jim Underwood to find the solution. "We were familiar with the Tornos brand, as we considered Tornos machines some time ago, but the capabilities were beyond our needs. At the MACH exhibition, we spoke to the Swiss company and they offered us a machine less than half the price of their competitors, justified with a reduced specification that proved ideal for our component range. "The Delta turning centre is a perfect fit for our business. It has three driven tool positions, sub- spindle operation, simultaneous front and back end machining and eleven fixed tool posts, all at a cost up to 50 per cent less than anything Tornos' competitors offer. In times of austerity, there is no doubt that companies are acquiring machine tools that are over loaded with features beyond the needs of the components and subcontractors are paying for features they do not require. With the Tornos Delta 20/4, we have found a very capable and productive machine in the price band that suits our business." The capacity issue that led to the Tornos acquisition was created by a new customer with a job that saw the company immediately being issued an order for 30,000 turned parts from 303 stainless steel. As soon as the Delta 20/4 arrived in July, it was running 15 hours a day for three weeks producing the parts – immediately releasing capacity from alternate machine tools. If the swarf was compact as opposed to stringy or if Restormel acquired an integrated swarf conveyor, Mr Underwood is confident the Delta would have been running 24/7 unattended for over a week.