When Restormel Machine was faced with the predicament of insufficient capacity and lack of financing options from the banks during the height of the recession, it appeared that the company had very few available avenues. However, a visit to the Tornos UK stand at MACH 2010 changed the situation for the Cornish company. Solutions reports.
estormel’s
managing director, Jim Underwood visited MACH to
review new technology, but with a desperate desire for additional capacity on a limited budget it looked like the seven employee business was destined to scour the second hand marketplace to find its solution.
As a company that has invested considerably in CNC machine tools for over ten years with a range of turning
and machining centres as well as a selection of sliding head turning lathes, Mr Underwood attended the bi-annual event with a selection of components and a budget in mind. However, visiting Restormel’s current machine tool vendors and a variety of additional machine tool companies, he simply couldn’t find the machine tool to fit his price range.
As Mr Underwood explains, a chance visit to the Tornos stand brought about a change in fortune. “We were familiar
Vturn-X200 & Vcenter-X300 Multi Tasking Mill/Turn Lathes & 4/5-Axis VMCs
with the Tornos brand as we considered their machines some time ago, but the capabilities were beyond our needs. At MACH we spoke to the Swiss company and they offered us a machine less than half the price of their competitors, justified with a reduced specification that proved ideal for our component range.”
Despite the perceived lower specification and reduced price tag, the Tornos Delta
20/4 reviewed was the most suitable machine. “It’s perfect for our business,” Mr Underwood enthuses. “It has three driven tool positions, sub-spindle operation, simultaneous front and back end machining and eleven fixed tool posts, all at a cost up to 50% less than anything Tornos’ competitors could offer. In times of austerity, there is
no doubt that companies are acquiring machine tools that are overloaded with features beyond the needs of the components and subcontractors are paying for features they do not require. With the Tornos Delta 20/4, we have found a very capable and productive machine in the price band that suits our business.” The capacity issue that led
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to the Tornos acquisition was created by a new customer with a job that meant the company was immediately issued an order for 30,000 turned parts from 303 stainless steel. As soon as the Delta 20/4 arrived in July 2011 it was running 15 hours a day for three weeks producing the parts – immediately releasing capacity from alternate machine tools. If the swarf was compact as opposed to stringy or if Restormel acquired an integrated swarf conveyor, Mr Underwood is confident the Delta would have been running 24/7 unattended for over a week. The Lostwithiel-based precision manufacturer
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