MACH 2016While at
MACH, the Scottish company Bridgeforth Engineering placed a two-machine order with Sheffield-based TW Ward CNC Machinery Ltd (
www.wardcnc.com).
These new machines represent a key part of Bridgeforth’s £4 million investment plan — started prior to the oil and gas downturn — to re-align its business into a single-source operation involving materials supply, heat treatment, welding, machining and coating.
The company is planning to move to a new facility by the end of this month, when the Hyundai-Wia KBN 135CL and Hartford PBM 115A horizontal boring and milling machines will be installed.
Company chairman Sandy Seymour said: “We are countering the effects of the oil and gas industry downturn by providing an added-value service for sectors that include nuclear, defence and rail.”
The Hyundai-Wia machine has a work envelope of 4,000 x 2,000 x 2,000mm, a 700mm W axis, a spindle diameter of 135mm and a 40-tool ATC. The Hartford has a 1,600 x 1,400mm table, a work envelope of 2,000 x 1,600 x 1,500mm, a 500mm W axis and a 60-tool ATC. Linear scales are fitted to the X, Y and Z axes.