Precision ‘seals the deals’ at MACH for Rainford

The trend of more manufacturers entering the ‘micro-machining’ sector was evident at MACH 2024 with a lot of interest in the products showcased on the Rainford Precision stand. A specialist in small and micro-component machining solutions, the Cheshire-based company says it experienced an unprecedented level of enquiries for everything on display from specialist and micro cutting tools to the Kern micron precision five-axis machining centre and the Finepart micro abrasive waterjet machining solution.

The Kern Micro HD five-axis machining centre made its UK exhibition premiere at the show. The machine that comfortably achieves precision and repeatability levels of +/-1µm on the workpiece, in the correct temperature controlled environment during five-axis machining, demonstrated its incredible speed, precision and productivity.

Miles Evans, Rainford Precision’s managing director, said: “Kern is a brand synonymous with precision and performance that is the benchmark of the industry, and at MACH 2024, the crowds were like ‘bees around a honeypot’ Probably the only machine at the show capable of achieving precision and repeatability levels of +/-1µm, we had some very serious enquiries from manufacturers that are losing production hours and scrapping parts due to machines unable to meet the ever tighter tolerances that customers require. Not all manufacturers need this level of precision but for those teetering on the edge of high-precision manufacturing – the Kern is a stand-out performer and this was evident at MACH.”

Serious enquiries
Also drawing a high level of interest at MACH was the Finepart ‘micro’ precision waterjet cutting machine. With a positional accuracy of +/-2.5µm and a repeatability of +/-2µm with a typical cutting tolerance of +/-10µm, this machine attracted a significantly high number of serious enquiries.

Acknowledged as a specialist in world-renowned cutting tool solutions that are capable of cutting the smallest, hardest and most challenging of materials that are beyond the realms of most manufacturers, Rainford Precision presented a suite of new products from brands such as Union Tool, Louis Bélet, Delmeco, Gloor, HOBE, Osawa, DTS, Iwata, 6C Tools, Hufschmied, Swissceramill and ATOM.

The respective partners are industry leaders in the manufacture of drills, end mills, reamers, boring bars, threadmills, slitting saws and more. Mr Evans continued: “We received an impressive number of leads across all our cutting tool brands with the stand-out performers being the new product lines from Union Tool, Louis Bélet and 6C Tools. We had two demos on the Kern machine with the 6C PCD tools and stand visitors were really impressed by their performance.

“Likewise, the Hufschmied tools for machining graphite generated a huge amount of interest from stand visitors. Our level of serious enquiries were as high as they have been at any previous MACH exhibition and we are extremely pleased with the potential projects that we have in the pipeline as a result of the show.”