Sub-contractors spend with Hurco

The sales haul was partly due to the success of the company’s Open House at its High Wycombe showroom during the second week, which was attended by nearly 100 visitors. Three of the machines sold were lathes from the company’s recently introduced CNC turning machine range, which now includes models with driven tooling. Eighteen machining centres were also ordered, including three VMX60s with over 1.5 m in X. The company says that there was much interest in the new Hurco fixed rail, twin column DXC22 machining centre (pictured), offering X, Y, Z travels of 2,200 by 1,750 by 250 mm, 24 m/min rapids and a 40-taper spindle with 18 kW of peak power. Launched at IMTS in Chicago at the end of last year, the machine will be available for delivery in the UK from April 2009. “Our December orders came from across the board, rather than from specific industries, and were mainly in the sub-contract sector,” said Dave Waghorn, managing director. “Speaking with contract machinists at our show, over half are as busy as ever and the others have seen only modest declines in business. There is no doubt that customers are cautious at the moment, bt many are following the reality of what is going on in manufacturing - automotive apart - rather than what they hear on the news, and are still investing in plant. “I am therefore optimistic that the manufacturing sector will continue to perform strongly through 2009, especially as the full benefits of the recent interest rate cuts have still to come through. Also, the exchange rate is beginning to make our customers’ prices very competitive overseas.”