Lanarkshire-based Gilmour Tools — a manufacturer of specialised carbide cutting tools for the oil and gas, automotive and aerospace sectors — has invested in the latest Fanuc technology (www.fanuc.eu).

Company director Gary Gilmour said: “We started buying Fanuc machine tools over 20 years ago to replace creep-feed grinders and currently have 11; the latest arrival is a Robocut C400-iB wire EDM, and all of the machines are running round the clock, seven days a week.

"The easy-to-use universal CNC system means that our staff can move from one machine to the next, regardless of the machine’s model or its age.”

Producing indexable inserts and rotary tools from materials such as carbide, ceramic, PCD, PCBN and CBN, Gilmour Tools also manufactures tool-holders at its factory in Larkhall.

With all products designed in-house to customer specifications, the company has an output in the region of 250,000 tools per annum, with upwards of 70% of production destined for export.

“Our customers supply a drawing or sample and we have to design a tool on these parameters; once our designs are signed off by the customer, we will order the raw materials, manufacture the tools and get them coated where necessary.

“This process has a turnround time of up to three weeks. Processing times are critical, and this is why we buy from Fanuc.”