Latest flat bed CNC lathe is equally useable for manually operated single part cycles over a wide range of chucking, collet and shaft type operations.

Colchester Sales is to demonstrate its latest Fanuc controlled flat bed CNC lathe at Productivity Partnerships 2003, staged at 600 Centre, Shepshed, between 7 and 9 October, which is equally useable for manually operated single part cycles over a wide range of chucking, collet and shaft type operations. With the launch of the MultiTurn 1000 and 2000 versions, Colchester Lathe redefines the functionality against price ratio for CNC lathes intended to cover production, small batch and single part machining. The three-day Productivity Partnerships event involves some 18 of the UK's leading production and toolmaking technology suppliers and encompasses machining systems and cells, turning, milling, grinding, EDM, inspection and gauging, automation, workholding, control systems, tooling, cutting fluids, CAM and finance.

To register for your invitation see www.productivity-partnerships.co.uk Here, the demonstration of programming single cycles or production turning on the Colchester MultiTurn is a prime example of what can be seen at the event.

MultiTurn combines the versatility of full CNC, electronic and manual operation through Fanuc's latest Series OiTB CNC TFT contouring control with Manual Guide Oi conversational programming and digital drives package.

It has twin electronic handwheels, conversational programming and is directed at machine shops wanting additional CNC capacity or lower batch size solutions.

In addition, it will be equally productive as a universal turning machine to the education, training school and general machinist demanding high flexibility or needing to replace or upgrade existing flat bed lathes with a reliable high quality metal cutting machine without compromising the investment budget.

MultiTurn is available as an electrically-operated, eight-station VDI bi-directional disc tool turret or four-way quick-change toolpost machine.

In both guises it is powered by a full 7.5kW Fanuc driven spindle with the 1000 carrying a 200mm chuck and the 2000 a larger capacity 250mm chuck.

Swing and between centres capacities are 350mm by 650mm and 400mm by 1156mm respectively.

The Fanuc OiTB control has an 8.4 inch TFT flat colour screen with a 10 GByte hard disk and electronic handwheels for manual operation which can be used in conjunction with combinations of advanced canned cycles such as stock removal, threading and grooving as a fully integrated operation.

Automatic cycling direct from memory gives a full CNC capability from within the fully interlocked enclosed twin slide-aside guard doors.