Ronco likes CMZ turning centre power

Available in the UK from CMZ UK, the machines are principally used by Ronco for the one-hit production of various hitch and suspension pins for articulated dump-body trucks. The superior power of their spindle and driven tooling gives them a clear edge over competitors' machines, it is claimed. The parts produced on the CMZ machines range from 50 to 250 mm in diameter and are machined from heat-treatable steel in typical batch sizes of 800-off. Ronco production director Paul Cottrell says: "The hitch pins are quite complex and all require live tooling. Our customers are very cost-conscious and our processes have to be as efficient as possible. The CMZ machines fit the bill, as they can finish the components in one operation. "The CMZ machines have wrap-around spindle motors with no drive belts or pulleys and so they deliver the full power to the workpiece. You can see it in the way they cut metal. We have moved away from our previous supplier, because their machines were totally lacking in power, compared to the equivalent specification from CMZ," explains Mr Cottrell. The first two CMZ machines acquired by Ronco were twin-spindle, gantry-loaded units – one for primarily bar-type components and the other primarily for disk-type components. These have now been complemented by a further three machines to cope with heavier components that do not suit gantry loading. The most recent is fitted with a 12" chuck and Y-axis for the largest components and all but one are fitted with automatic bar feeders. "The build quality of the CMZ machines is excellent. They have proved to be very reliable and we have had good back-up from CMZ, so we have just ordered our sixth machine: a twin-spindle TL25AMS turning centre with gantry loading. And with order volumes on the up, we are looking to move forward and think about additional machines. We will continue to buy CMZ because for the price there isn't anything better on the market."