Derbyshire-based JR Fabrications specialises in the design and manufacture of bespoke stainless-steel exhaust systems for classic and modern cars.
This requires the use of specialist fixtures and jigs, so managing director Julian Robinson and his partner Anne decided to invest in a ProtoTrak-controlled RMX 2500 bed mill from XYZ (
www.xyzmachinetools.com) in order to make the business self-sufficient.
This machine features the latest generation of the ProtoTrak control — the RX — which has a 15.6in touch-screen that puts all of ProtoTrak’s distinct advantages at the user’s fingertips, with a ‘pinch to zoom’ option.
The larger screen means that more information is also available, and it allows a drawing to be displayed while the operator is programming on another part of the screen.
The RMX 2500 also has s 40-5,000rev/min spindle (over two programmable ranges) and a 1,245 x 228mm table (with a maximum load of 600kg).The new machine will mainly be used in the development of tooling for the exhausts, but already there are new opportunities arising just by having this machining capability in-house.
Mr Robinson said: “While our core business is racing exhausts, we often get asked to do other work by our customers, and it makes sense to do it while we have their cars in the workshop.
“Given that most of this work is on a one-off basis, we find that sub-contractors are very reluctant to take on our work in the timescales that we want, or they charge a high premium, so it made sense for us to become more self-contained, and the XYZ RMX 2500 is a step along that road.
"Anne was instrumental in setting the business up with me — and also in the early discussions with XYZ Machine Tools.
"Sadly, she passed away suddenly before the machine arrived, so what we are achieving with it is partly in memory of her.”