A comprehensive range of value for money machine tools to the manufacturing industry will include a turning centre shown stripped of its guarding to demonstrate the build quality.

Supplying a comprehensive range of value for money machine tools to the manufacturing industry, XYZ Machine Tools will be showing a selection from its range of milling and turning machines and VMCs at MACH 2002. The Vulcan 250 turning centre will be shown stripped of its guarding to demonstrate the build quality of the machine. An example of the popular and proven ProtoTRAK mill, a ProtoTRAK Edge, a ProtoTRAK bedmill, a ProTURN lathe, Vulcan VMC and the new Vulcan Turning Centre all demonstrated under power, will be the focus of the stand.

The popular Fastap dedicated tapping machine will also be demonstrated under power.

Cost effective productivity is of paramount importance to the manufacturing industry.

For the majority of milling applications, the ProtoTRAK milling system from XYZ can increase productivity dramatically without incurring any significant training requirement for the operator.

Typically the entry level system, the 2 axis ProtoTRAK EDGE retrofit system, will at least double production.

The ProtoTRAK system has been designed for ease of use so even operators with no previous CNC experience can learn to use it in just a few hours.

It is available in two and three axis versions.

Canned cycles include profiling without need for any calculator or tables, circular, rectangular, triangular and irregular pockets, and bolt holes patterns.

Thread milling, rotate, repeat, and mirror functions can all be completed at the control.

The LOOK key shows the job graphically.

For more complex functions, such as 3D Surface geometry or mould tools, the control can easily connect to CAD/CAM.

The ProTURN lathe operates in a similar way to a conventional lathe, making transition easy and giving the operator the choice between manual and CNC operation according to the job.

In manual mode, the operator can teach a job to the control.

Easy to programme using normal engineering terminology, the system will automatically turn tapers and radii, and set limits on diameters and lengths.

Area clearance drilling and boring routines and threading - even customised threads - are easy and quick to complete.

Ensured constant surface speed ensures a good finish.

The 'Traking' programme allows the operator to check the programme in dry run mode traversing through the programme at the speed he would wind the handwheel to eliminate the possibility of any crashes, thus giving the operator improved confidence.

The Vulcan range of machining centres offers the user solid castings (5000-13500kg), 15-30HP motors, and rigid tapping.

Longer machine life, giving a better overall pay-back, is assured by the heavy cast carcass and the use of steel slides, which are resistant even to intermittent cutting forces and ensure rapid rates are achievable without loss of accuracy.

Oversize servo motors on all axes drives provide more than enough power for machining tasks so are never over-worked.

The Siemens Shopmill control makes programming quick and easy.

With simple English conversational programming, it is easy to produce the finished part from blueprint drawings with the minimum of operator key strokes.

The new range of Vulcan turning centres, launched by XYZ last October, is a competitively priced range, designed for profitable mass production, to complement the company's Proturn lathes.

From the proven Vulcan stable, all the Siemens controlled turning centres have a high build quality, and are capable of versatile, efficient machining which, for limited capital investment, will provide profitable production to the user.

For example, the automatic tool setting probe, standard on the machines, is capable of setting up to 12 tools in less than five minutes, significantly improving productivity and can be used for lights-out manufacturing to check for tool wear and breakage.

The Fast Tap, which can undertake vertical and horizontal tapping up to M24 in both aluminium and steel, is a simple pantographic arm carrying an air motor which will tap both blind and through holes.

A range of spindle speeds with varying torque outputs ensures that it is equally effective in hard and soft metals and also plastics.

Positioning of the tap relative to the hole is fast and simple.

Standard reach is 48in (1200mm), but can easily be extended up to 20in (500mm) if required.

Larger fabrications or plates can be tapped without re-positioning as the tap can be positioned anywhere within an 11ft circle (3400mm).

The machines being demonstrated at MACH are merely a representative sample from XYZ's comprehensive range of machines.

The company is able to equip any machine shop with a full range of value for money machine tools, including manual and CNC controlled turret and bed mills, vertical machining centres, manual and CNC controlled lathes, turning centres, surface grinders and band saws as well as a range of small machines and tooling.