MACH got off to a flyer for Coalville-based Tornos UK Ltd (www.tornos.com), with two verbal orders for Swiss GT26s and another signed on the second day; these were followed by a CT20 order and a number of enquiries turning into firm orders in the two weeks after the show.

There were two sliding-head products on the stand: a SwissNano micro-turning machine for the precision turning of parts under 4mm in diameter, and a GT32, which allows B-axis machining and the option of simultaneous five-axis machining.

The GT32 on the stand continually had a crowd of interested visitors throughout the week, attracted by the flexibility offered by up to 40 tools (14 rotating), two Y axes and two C axes, allowing some complex workpieces to be produced without re-working.

It has a 32mm bar capacity, an 8.2kW 8,000rev/min main spindle, a counter-spindle with similar specification. Rotating tools on the main platen are rated at 1kW 6,000rev/min, while those for counter-operations are rated at 0.75kW 6,000 rev/min.

These Tornos machines can be specified with the company’s active chip-breaker (ACB) cycle.

This is designed to provide “immediate control of the formation of chips in any material, including hard-to-machine materials such as Inconel, cobalt chrome, non-ferrous materials, plastics, stainless steels and titanium.”

Tornos says ACB can be activated with both the main spindle and counter-spindle, and it can be used for both turning and drilling operations.