Ward Hi-Tech wins CNC turning-centre orders

In spite of the current difficult market conditions, Ward Hi-Tech reported an increase in orders towards the end of June.

Mike Burke, UK sales manager for Ward Hi-Tech, said: 'In the past two weeks our sales team brought in more than GBP1m worth of business.

'We were helped by the sale of a large HNK vertical lathe, with driven tooling, to a major oil and gas sub-contractor, but we also clinched a number of orders for mid-to-large capacity Hwacheon CNC turning centres and a Kiheung Universal Milling Centre with a 3m X-axis travel.' At the end of March, Ward Hi-Tech introduced its 'Confidence Package', a purchasing scheme available on all Hwacheon and Dah Lih machine-tool products that allows the buyer to quickly install a machine but gives the option to send the machine back after a minimum of 12 months if business circumstances change.

Several new customers have already taken advantage of the scheme, which allows the customer to remain in control of its finances even if business turns down in future.

Once a machine has been returned, the monthly finance payments are cancelled and the customer has no further financial commitment.

Dah Lih Vertical Machining Centres are available with X-axis travels from 510-2600mm, including high speed and heavy-duty variations with a variety of options.

Hwacheon CNC Turning Centres range from 6in chuck to 32in chuck, single or twin-spindle, single or twin-turret and include multi-axis variations.

Citizen to exhibit Miyano turning centres

Joining Citizen Machinery's latest Citizen CNC sliding-head lathe presentations at EMO 2009 in Milan will be five turning centres from Miyano.

The company said that visitors to its stand will be able to appreciate one-hit mill-turn technology from both brands of fixed and sliding-head machines that range from micro-machining processing at 4mm up to normal turn-mill cycles on material up to 64mm bar size.

Machine variants will also be shown that can be used for chucking applications including automated handling.

The common theme from both Citizen and Miyano will be the achievement of productivity gains by combining operations.

This follows the acquisition of 65 per cent of Miyano Machinery shares by Citizen Machinery Company, a division of Citizen Holdings.

Citizen will be exhibiting Streamline control technology in the Citizen K16 and L20 machines; the 80-tool Citizen M32-V will be showing three tool simultaneous cutting; and two versions of the A-Series in 20mm and 32mm capacities will also be demonstrated.

Citizen will showcase its Adaptive Guide Bush arrangement for 20mm and 32mm capacity machines that will automatically compensate for size variation in barstock and allow cheaper bright bar to be used in place of the normal ground material.

Hwacheon to display T2-YSMC at EMO 2009

Hwacheon, of South Korea, will showcase new machine tools at this year's EMO exhibition.

The company will exhibit its eight-axis T2-YSMC turning centre, complete with full-length magazine bar loader and lights-out automatic running package.

The T2-YSMC features twin 8in-diameter hydraulic chucks, upper and lower twin-turret arrangements with Y-axis and driven-tool facility.

The machine is equipped with automatic tool setting/breakage detect probing, automatic parts catcher and full parts un-loader conveyor.

The machine has 20kW direct-drive main-drive motors to both spindles and super-fast indexing and servo turrets with 7.5kW driven-tool drive motor.

This particular model forms part of the multi-axis six-model T2 series range, which will soon be joined by a large-capacity T3 and T4 series portfolio.

A further new model, the Hi-Tech 70/26 heavy-duty oil-country slant bed lathe will also be on show for the first time in Europe during the EMO exhibition.

This machine is based on the Hi-Tech 700 heavy-duty slant bed lathe but features a large through-bore headstock and chucking arrangement suitable for oil-country work.

It has a 300mm spindle bore, 24in three-jaw hydraulic chuck, 2m between-centre bed arrangement with heavy-duty tailstock and is equipped with powerful 12-station high clamping force turret.

The Hi-Tech 70/26 features a Fanuc 18iTB CNC system complete with on-board manual-guide CAP system with colour graphics.

At EMO, the Hi-Tech 70/26 will produce a typical large-diameter aerospace component.

The VT1150MC Vertical Lathe is equipped with C-axis-to-main-spindle and powerful driven-tool turret arrangement.

The machine is equipped with a 40in hydraulic three-jaw chuck with a compensating jaw feature and a turning length of 950mm and main drive of 60HP.

One of Hwacheon's most popular sub spindle/driven tool turning centres, the Cutex 240BSMC will be exhibited at EMO complete with short magazine bar loader, automatic parts conveyor and 'lights out' turning package.

The Cutex 240BSMC is equipped with an 8in diameter three-jaw chuck, has a turning length of 565mm and features a fast indexing servo turret with BMT-style heavy-duty driven-tool holders.

The CNC system is the Fanuc 18iTB and features Hwacheon's novel machine diagnostic software.

Also on display at EMO on the Hwacheon booth will be an example of the Sirius UL double-column high-power vertical machining centres, which will be demonstrated machining an automotive die component.

The Sirius UL has an axis travel of X=1050mm, Y=600mm and Z=550mm.

It features a 25kW direct-driven high-power spindle with 20,000 rev/min maximum spindle-speeds and is controlled by a Fanuc 18iMB CNC system.

Dah Lih Machinery, a vertical machining centre manufacturer from Taiwan, will exhibit three models from its 'C' frame machining centre product portfolio.

Shown for the first time in Europe will be the model MCV-860 vertical machining centre, which was launched last year on the home market and is now available in Europe.

The MCV-860 model is a rigid high-performance 'C' frame vertical machining centre with axes travels of X=860mm, Y=550mm and Z=550mm.

The machine is equipped as standard with high-power through-spindle coolant, a tool-setting probe/tool breakage detect system, bed wash and chip auger conveyor system.

It is controlled by the latest Fanuc 0iMD system complete with manual guide and colour graphics.

Also on display will be the heavy-duty MCV-1450 BT50 spindle vertical machining centre, which has axes travels of X=1450mm, Y=750mm and Z=750mm and features a heavy-duty box guideways structure, ideal for powerful machining performance.

The machine is equipped with the same standard equipment as the MCV-860 and complete with 30HP main-drive motor (twin range gearbox), 6,000 rev/min maximum spindle speeds and 32-tool ATC.

Completing the line-up of machines available from Dah Lih will be the MCV-1200 high performance, high-speed spindle vertical machining centre.

This model has axes travels of X=1200mm, Y=600mm and Z=500mm; 15000 rev/min maximum spindle-speed arrangement; 32 tool ATC and high rapid traverse of 30m/min.