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APEX DYNAMICS DELIVERS QUALITY FOR REEKIE MACHINING
pex Dynamics has delivered the quality, accuracy and low backlash required by Reekie Machining for an adjustable modular machine used for in-situ milling and machining. The project used planetary gearboxes and a rack and pinion system from gearbox specialist Apex Dynamics to create a CNC machine capable of high precision operation across a large area. Founded in 1947, Reekie Machining was established to manufacture and sell portable machining tools. Since then, the company has expanded to provide on-site machining services and specialises in CNC technology solutions for in-situ machining, including customised special projects. Reekie Machining needed precise position control for the CNC machine across a large area. The equipment is used for milling and machining parts in-situ at a company in the shipbuilding industry. For the project in question, Reekie Machining required low backlash and high accuracy. The machine needed to be adjustable in length, from 2 m to 4.5 m for machining items such as large baseplates, so a ball screw for linear drive was not suitable. Apex Dynamics provided a rack and pinion system alongside planetary gearboxes from its AB range to create a rack-drive system capable of providing the level of precision Reekie Machining required. Reekie Machining had not previously configured its machines in this way because of problems associated
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with backlash, but the Apex Dynamics products have produced the accuracy and low backlash needed to achieve the required finish.
Having previously purchased gearboxes from Apex Dynamics for linear motion, this is the first rack drive system Reekie Machining has used. Providing highly accurate movement and positioning, high precision, low noise rack and pinion systems from Apex Dynamics are manufactured to meet Quality 4 standards. Tooled underground to ensure the best- possible temperature control and quality, they supply high speed and very low tolerance, alongside long life and high performance on the axis. Alongside the rack and pinion system, Apex Dynamics supplied its AB planetary gearboxes to provide a full rack drive system to deliver well- coordinated high-quality transmission. The robust AB range is constructed with precision helical planetary gears hardened to 840 HV. The patented input bearing system ensures perfect concentricity to deliver low noise, high torque, low backlash and high efficiency. Reekie Machining has achieved positional accuracy of +/-0.05 mm over a large range (2 m to 4.5 m). As the company offers an on-site machining service, it is now looking at developing its own in-house machine using a similar design. CAD step models and resources provided by Apex Dynamics enabled Reekie Machining to easily incorporate the gearboxes and rack and pinion system
ltus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment for electronics manufacturing in the UK and Ireland, has announced the return of its ‘Factory of the Future’ event for 2026. Taking place from 22–24 September in Buckinghamshire, the three-day event will once again bring together leading manufacturing technologies and suppliers from across the electronics industry. Following two successful events hosted at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, this year’s Factory of the Future will introduce a new format, and take place inside a customer’s manufacturing facility. The site has recently invested in one of the most advanced SMT lines in the UK, giving attendees the opportunity to see a real high-performance production environment. Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group, said: “Factory of the Future has always been about giving manufacturers the opportunity to see complete production solutions and technologies working together across the full assembly process. “For 2026, we wanted to take that concept even further by hosting the event inside a customer manufacturing facility, giving attendees the opportunity to see how advanced SMT technologies are implemented within a real production operation. “The event also comes at an important time for the UK and Ireland manufacturing sector. We continue to see strong levels of investment in capital equipment, driven by increasing production demand, major programme opportunities, and manufacturers preparing for future growth.” The host company, which will be revealed closer to the event, is a UK-based OEM developing and manufacturing a high-technology product range with significant market potential and ambitious production forecasts. The facility serves as the company’s key technology centre and will offer visitors the opportunity to learn more about an important future-focused technology and how it is manufactured at scale.
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into its machine design. The company has also praised Apex Dynamics’ customer service, responsiveness, and fast, accurate delivery times.
David Reekie, managing director of Reekie Machining, said, “The project has now been completed and it has all gone well, the machine works and we got the accuracy we needed. Using a rack drive system allows us to go a lot longer without compromising precision. The parts we ordered from Apex Dynamics were exactly as specified and the quality was really, really great. “We anticipate working with Apex Dynamics again in the future on different types of machines, as they provide the accuracy and low backlash that we need.”
Apex Dynamics
apexdynauk.com
ALTUS ANNOUNCES
The SMT line on display will represent a full turnkey assembly solution delivered by Altus in partnership with Fuji, highlighting Altus’ capability as a complete manufacturing solutions provider. The line will feature a broad range of
SMT processes, including board handling, laser marking, screen printing, solder paste jetting, SPI, pick-and-place, vacuum reflow, and 3D AOI inspection. Alongside SMT assembly technologies, the event will also showcase conventional assembly solutions supporting through-hole automation, back-end processes such as conformal coating and cleaning, component management systems designed to improve traceability and handling efficiency, and a broad range of manufacturing consumables, further highlighting Altus’ turnkey manufacturing offering.
Altus Group
www.altusgroup.co.uk
Spring 2026 UKManufacturing
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