Cover interview
Tour de force Further new initiatives include the already launched virtual factory tour, saving the time required to visit one of XYZ’s six UK showrooms. Virtual visitors can either take the tour alone or have an XYZ representative join them live online to answer questions. XYZ is also growing its headcount by recruiting a number of trainees to key departments such as service, sales and production. “It’s tough to find skilled people, but we’re taking a proactive stance by training our own people, helping them become fully qualified to work on our machines. We’re passionate about nurturing the next generation of skilled professionals, both in engineering roles and business support services, not just for XYZ but for the betterment of the industry.” From a machine perspective, new models are on the near horizon to spur further growth, including the KMX 2500 bed mill. “The KMX 2500 will prove ideal for the education sector with its ProtoTRAK KMX control, which offers a great combination of price, features and ease of use. It will also be a great choice for machine shops looking to take their first steps into CNC milling, providing a more cost-effective solution.” New five-axis machine At the other end of the spectrum, XYZ has plans to launch a new five-axis CNC machining centre, a more compact model that will complement its highly successful UMC-5X. The new machine will house a front or side loading 400 mm diameter rotary trunnion table within the footprint of a standard three-axis vertical machining centre. Overcoming the challenge of diminishing machine shop space, XYZ says the new five-axis machining centre will arrive in the coming months and carry a very attractive price. Behind that,
the company has a further four machine models either in design or at design concept stage for introduction over the coming two years. “We’re in continuous dialogue with our customers to uncover the demands of tomorrow from both a machine and service perspective,” says Martin. Away from the UK, XYZ will continue growing its operations overseas, particularly in mainland Europe, where the company has seen impressive gains over the past six months. “We’re now looking to expand our sales and service team in key countries like Poland and establish a foothold in European countries where we currently have no representation.” All this helps build on what is currently a very successful period for XYZ Machine Tools. “At current order levels we expect to exceed last year’s revenue figures, which is very pleasing for our first year of ownership. Looking ahead, we attend regular industry forecasting meetings and the general consensus suggests there’s growth to be had over the coming 3-4 years and beyond, which is long overdue to be honest as the industry has seen some challenging years in the recent past. We’re now seeing market confidence return to encouraging levels, steadily replacing the investment stagnancy evident within the manufacturing sector over the last few years.” n xyzmachinetools.com
40 Machinery & Manufacturing
Powered by FlippingBook