Apex Machining Services LTD Points To Takisawa Taiwan Lathe For Turning Success

Andy Casey’s strategy to improve production routines at Apex Machining Services and expand the company’s customer base has received a major fillip with the installation of a Takisawa Taiwan NEX-108 two-axis lathe, which was immediately put to good use in the production of a range of spindles and pins for the medical devices sector.

“We looked at other similar machines,” says Andy, the managing director of the West Midlands-based company, “but none compared to the NEX-108. The machine offered us the ideal power and speed ranges, occupies a compact footprint, has a good 12-tool tool post and was available at the right price.”

Supplied by T W Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC), the exclusive UK and Ireland agent for Takisawa Taiwan, the new CNC lathe joined three other machines in a manufacturing cell dedicated to the production of precision mild steel components, measuring from 12 mm to 40 mm diameter and from 100 mm to 180 mm long. These are produced in varying batch sizes from 25- to 1,000-off.

As Mr Casey highlights, the cost-competitive machine offered everything he needed to boost capacity at the 15-employee company that he took over as managing director in September 2015.

He has since been making continual improvements to the company’s quality processes, infrastructure and gradually increasing output to meet the rising demands of the customer base.

The machine brings to 21 the number of CNC lathes and machining centres that Apex utilises to supply precision machining services to sectors which in addition to medical devices includes aerospace, automotive, brassware (for sanitary and bathroom fittings) and machined aluminium castings.

With a maximum turning diameter and length of 320 mm and 481 mm, respectively, the Takisawa Taiwan NEX-108 has spindle speeds of up to 4,000 revs/min and an 7.5/11 kW main spindle motor – “which are ideal”, says Mr Casey, “for the mild steel precision pins and spindles that are the main priority for this machine”.

But, he adds: “With a specification and capacity that extends beyond these relatively small components, the new machine will no doubt be applied to a host of other precision components as the order book continues to grow.”