Biglia deal

A commitment to manufacturing excellence supported by ongoing investment in high end machine tools has prompted Hitchin-based Drurys Engineering to invest in a Biglia 545YS CNC turning centre.

The purchase is the first Biglia sale by Hardinge Machine Tools since it took on the UK distribution and technical support activity for Biglia SpA and, as sales and marketing manager Martin Doyle explained, it is a significant landmark in the development of the Biglia brand in the UK.

“Drurys is one of the UK's most respected subcontract manufacturers and they have always set the bar high in terms of product quality, ongoing investment in machines tools and the high skill levels of their workforce. Drurys has a longstanding relationship with Hardinge and this latest development further emphasises their commitment to investing in the very best technology in order to stay both competitive in the global marketplace.”

The 545YS machine features 12 rotary tools, a main spindle and sub-spindle both with C-axis and a Y-axis. The vertical Y-axis offers greater accuracy when performing operations such as flat milling, off centre drilling and tapping while the second spindle with C-axis enables complete finish machining operations to be undertaken in a single set-up. The machine is also equipped with live tooling enabling the rotating toolholders to machine components from both the main and sub-spindle.

Richard Dunn, managing director of Drurys Engineering added: “We supply customers in some very demanding industries such as oil and gas, defence and aerospace and as such need machines with the flexibility to support a rapid response. Keeping costs down is always a challenge and so reducing non-productive time is essential. With this in mind, the purchase of the Biglia machine will undoubtedly bring another dimension to our machining capacity.”

Drurys operates a total of 28 CNC machine tools of which four are Hardinge Bridgeport 5-axis machining centres and a further 14 Hardinge VMCs. There is also a Hardinge turn/mill centre.

Drurys' commitment to a single machine tool supplier has a number of benefits as Mr Dunn explained: “The policy enables us to standardise on tooling, spares and service contracts and our operators can easily move from machine to machine. Furthermore, having a row of machines in the same livery always draws positive comments from customers.”

Hardinge
www.hardinge.co.uk Drurys
www.drurys.co.uk