The leading supplier of bar-fed sliding-head and fixed-head CNC turning machines to the British and Irish markets, Citizen Machinery UK, has reported a successful Open House. The first since the start of the pandemic, excluding a few virtual events, it was held at the company's headquarters in Bushey from 12 to 14 October.

There was a steady stream of visitors over the three days. Although numbers were down on previous Open Houses, 100 visitors were welcomed representing 52 companies. While some people are still wary of travelling due to coronavirus, the main reason given for not attending was simply pressure of work.

Orders for 15 machines valued at £2,321,000 were either placed or committed to verbally during the show. Three of the orders were from customers who had registered but could not attend or who had not planned to visit.

More than two thirds of the lathes will be supplied with the manufacturer’s proprietary LFV (low frequency vibration) programmable chip breaking software. Launched five years ago, it has transformed the ability of manufacturers to manage swarf when turning, threadcutting and drilling malleable metals and plastics.

Managing director Edward James said: “Our Open Houses are known for their feelgood factor and we like to entertain as well as take orders. The customary curry evening on Wednesday was very popular as usual and boosted attendance that afternoon and on the Thursday.

“We organised a Six Nations rugby draw each day for a pair of tickets to see the England v Ireland match in March 2022. There was also a daily prize draw for a Citizen watch.”

Visitors to the Open House were also able to see the activities of Citizen Machinery UK’s Solution Centre in Bushey. It has transformed the traditional showroom into a facility for configuring and proving out complex automated machining cells, often with special functions such as in-cycle laser cutting, peripherals, software and robotic cleaning and packaging. The facility also doubles as a permanent exhibition centre for mill-turn solutions and software.