Worcester-based
Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd welcomed over 500 visitors to its annual Open House at its European Technology Centre earlier this month. Themed
Discovery Week, the event aimed to address some of the key production challenges facing UK manufacturers and sub-contractors, and was supported by over 25 dedicated partners in the areas of tooling, tool management, swarf management, CAD/CAM and finance.
Taking centre stage was Mazak’s VCN-700 vertical machining centre, which is designed and manufactured in the UK for end users requiring high-performance machining. The range has been developed to significantly improve productivity rates for manufacturers undertaking everything from heavy-duty cutting through to high-speed machining.
The event, which started with a press day on the Monday, featured live demonstrations with the VCN-700, along with the Variaxis i-300 AWC that offers an expandable high-capacity tool magazine for high-mix, low-volume applications. In addition, the UK-designed and built CV5-500 was displayed with an MA robot for increased productivity, including lights-out and unmanned machining.
Ultra-high-speed cuttingLaser users were also able to see an Optiplex 3015 Fiber III 10kW laser processing machine cutting live, equipped with a TEKMAG automated sheet metal loading system. They were able to not only witness the ultra-high-speed cutting of medium thickness material but also the machine’s ability to cut the finest widths and handle difficult-to-machine reflective materials. The 10kW 3015 Fiber III model displayed can process workpieces up to 1,525 x 3,000mm.
Visitors to the event left with a variety of festive demonstration parts such as a miniature decorative sleigh with reindeers, and a tea light holder machined on the Optiplex, and a coaster machined on the CV5-500 five-axis machining centre.
It was also the best-supported partner event ever at a Mazak Open House, enabling visitors to discover a complete manufacturing solution under one roof, from tooling and metrology, through to software, automation, swarf management, CAD/CAM and coolant.
Discovery Week also served as a showcase for Mazak iCONNECT, the latest remote servicing solution that allows users to monitor their machine operations, perform remote diagnoses, access parts order history and more through the company’s secure cloud service — ultimately delivering improved productivity and machine performance.
Alan Mucklow, managing director UK, Eire and National Distributors at Yamazaki Mazak, said: “We were delighted to welcome over 500 visitors to our European Technology Centre in Worcester for
Discovery Week. Our annual Open House is key to ensuring that we remain connected to UK manufacturers and sub-contractors, which has redoubled in importance given the emergence of recent market challenges.
“With the launch of new technologies such as the VCN-700 and Mazak iCONNECT, we hope that we can help our customers to seize new opportunities in 2023, and help ensure that UK manufacturing can continue along its upwards trajectory in the New Year.”