Lathe is still going strong after 26 years
Posted on 27 Sep 2014 and read 1319 times
A Mazak Quick Turn 15 lathe that was the 1,000th machine to be manufactured by Mazak at its European manufacturing plant in Worcester is still going strong after 26 years at Seco Tools in Alcester, Warwickshire.
The machine was installed in 1988 and has been making custom tools — such as turned shanks — ever since. Seco Tools’ manufacturing manager Richard Smith said: “Mazak machines are an important element of our machining capability.
“Our Quick Turn 15 has been in continuous production now for over a quarter of a century and shows no sign of nearing the end of its operational life. We can still get parts for the machine from Mazak, and it’s as accurate as it ever was.”
Visitors to the ‘Inspiration through Innovation’ manufacturing best-practice event at Seco Tools were able to see the lathe in action alongside a new Integrex i-100 multi-tasking machine complete with a Bartac S bar feed system. Yamazaki Mazak was one of 17 exhibitors at the event.