The staggering number of enquiries was down to several factors, and the new V-Series end mill promotion that saw 300 tools get rushed back to machine shops around the UK was just one reason that interest levels were so high. The FREE tool giveaway may have been a great ‘hook’ to attract visitors to the stand, but once there, the realisation that Rainford Precision is the outright expert in micro-machining piqued the interest of manufacturers in this segment.
Furthermore, with the announcement just before MACH that two new brands have been added to the portfolio – there was a frenzy for more information with enquiry levels going through the roof and Rainford engineers being booked to visit end-users immediately after the show.
The relentless level of enquiries encompassed products throughout the portfolio, from the micro end mills and the new Union Tool V-Series through to the new SwissCeraMill end mills and the 6C Tools AG. The 6C Tools AG are completely manufactured by laser ablation to deliver a mouth-watering 5 to 10 times tool life increase. Offering such staggering benefits always generates interest from engineers, but when they are informed the 6C Tools encompass everything from drilling, milling and threading tools as well as tailored tools that are manufactured from PCD and PCBN – manufacturers immediately identify the potential benefits with their applications.
However, Rainford took cutting tools beyond the realms of convention with the show debut of the BSQ Tech GmbH range of SwissCeraMill end mills. New to the UK, the SwissCeraMill end mills are manufactured from high-tech ceramic zirconium oxide with a micro-grain structure of 0.3 microns. This composition can increase tool life from 5 to 30 times and improve productivity by 400% compared to conventional carbide cutting tools – this certainly got visitors twitching in the aisles to find out more.
Rainford Precision managing director, Miles Evans said: “Our new SwissCeraMill ceramic tools have certainly caused a stir at MACH. During our pre-show marketing activities, we noted an exceptional level of interest in the SwissCeraMill ceramic tools and this came to fruition at MACH.
"Furthermore, as UK partners for Kern high-precision machining centres, Lasea laser cutting, engraving, drilling and texturing machines and the Finepart high-accuracy micro waterjet technologies, we had an extremely positive response and enquiry levels for all three brands. The requirement for micro-precision solutions is growing rapidly with segments like electronics, medical, aerospace and research leading the way. With our diverse machine solutions and micro cutting tools, nobody is better placed to serve this niche than Rainford Precision and this was evident at MACH.”
Providing an overview of MACH, he added: “Most importantly, I would like to thank every MACH attendee that visited our stand – the quality of visitors and enquiry was excellent. There were a lot of OEM manufacturers at the show that showed some serious interest and this is likely to lead to some great opportunities for us. It was also great to see so many new young engineers come to the stand with so much interest and enthusiasm in our technology. This enthusiasm and intent to find new solutions has been somewhat subdued in the past.”
With a stand also crammed with technology from world-renowned brands such as Louis Bélet, HOBE, DTS, Delmeco, Gloor, Osawa, Iwata and ATOM, Rainford Precision Representatives certainly had an extremely busy MACH exhibition.
