MACH 2024 Review
Strong as steel There was no shortage of solutions on show for the processing of structural steel. Akyapak, for instance, shone the spotlight on its 3 ADM three-spindle, 10-axis CNC steel beam drill line. The machine allows users to perform multiple simultaneous operations without repositioning materials. Such was its appeal that Akyapak sold two machines at MACH to customers in Ireland. New on the stand of Ficep was the XBlade, which can perform drilling, tapping, milling and sawing of various steel profile shapes with sections up to 305 x 305 mm on three sides, 450 x 450 mm on one side, and variable lengths (thanks to its modular configuration). Crowds of people also gathered around the stand of Flow, all keen to catch a glimpse of the company’s Mach 200 waterjet machine cutting 10 mm thick aluminium. With its pivot and bevel cutting capabilities, and a head that uses a low-profile design to deliver five-axis cutting with taper control, the Mach 200 is suitable for advanced waterjet applications. With traceability high on the agenda of many manufacturers, there was plenty of interest in the new desktop MarkMate Laser from Pryor Marking. At the heart of the MarkMate Laser is a fibre laser capable of delivering fast, crisp, permanent marks on metals, coated metals, plastics, ceramics and more. Marks can include serial numbers, logos, barcodes or any number of intricate designs. A measured response MACH did not disappoint when it came to metrology, with Mitutoyo among those leading the way. The company highlighted its new Strato-Active, a rigid, bridge-type CMM that offers accuracy of 1.2+3L/1000 µm. Able to measure at speeds up to 3 mm/s, the Strato- Active is ideal for mid-sized parts. The CMM features Mitutoyo’s new thermal compensation
technology as standard.
Over on the stand of Hexagon, there was much interest in the company’s launch of a free digital benchmarking tool that helps machine shops see where they stand regarding digitalisation in comparison with their peers. Thought to be a market first, the tool identifies, within a defined seven-step process, which areas of a machine shop could see immediate improvements and what optimisations could come later as part of an overall business transformation project. At no point is there any obligation to adopt Hexagon technology. The tool is part of the company’s recently introduced machine shop excellence campaign. First time for everything Even first-time exhibitors lauded MACH as a roaring success. Among them was business transformation expert, Sharing in Growth. Jessica Harvey, Marketing & Communications, said: “We had lots of engaging conversations with UK manufacturers looking to grow their businesses. We look forward to continuing these conversations over the coming weeks.” She sums up by adding: “It was a fantastic event showcasing mind-blowing technologies that will help develop the future of manufacturing.” Says it all really. Roll on MACH 2026. n
23 Machinery & Manufacturing
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