Floyd delivers solutions at Star & Citizen open house events

The brands and product lines supported by the Baldock tooling specialist have an established niche among the sliding head turning fraternity. With niche product lines lending themselves to the manufacture of small and often challenging components, Floyd Automatic used the two events to introduce a number of new product lines. Among the new offerings, the Mikron CrazyDrill SST series for drilling stainless steel at depths of up to 20XD created interest. The new thru-coolant drilling line is available in diameters from 1 to 6mm in particularly small increments with astounding performance levels.

Alongside the CrazyDrill line was the extended range of Mikron CrazyMill solid carbide end mills with new coating additions for the machining of stainless steels.

Floyd Automatic managing director Richard Floyd said: “Sliding head lathe manufacturers are introducing machines with increased bar capacity, milling capability through B-axis movement and also the ever increasing milling spindle power. So, having an extended tooling line to support the increasing amount of milling conducted on sliding head centres is a benefit to both the end user and our technical partners.

“Sliding head centres are renowned for utilising high-pressure through coolant systems that run at beyond 100bar pressure. However, the new CrazyMill line for stainless machining incorporates sintered teardrop chambers that deliver coolant to the cutting edge with optimal performance when used with lower powered coolant systems. These through-coolant channels are more suitable for machining centres and other machine tools that operate at pressures in the region of 40-60bar.”

Floyd Automatic has a permanent display at the new Star facility, a positive endorsement of a longstanding relationship that has been in place for most of the 25 years the Star brand has been sold in the UK. At Citizen, Floyd Automatic engineers were accompanied by the Mikron European sales manager who was keen to promote the notable benefits of the new product lines.

Other notable product lines that caught the attention of manufacturers at the events were the Masa Microconic over-reach collet system and the 3 in1 ISO turning line from Flo-Tool. The Masa Microconic over-clamping system has a 4mm over-clamp reach that is ideally suited to manufacturers turning medical bone screws and other intricate parts that create clamping challenges.

Renowned for its ‘problem-solving’ solutions, Floyd Automatic also received plaudits at the two events for the new ISO turning line from Flo-Tool. This 3 in 1 solution has three inserts in a single toolholder for ISO turning, threading and grooving; an opportune solution for manufacturers with limited tool positions in the work envelope.

Floyd Automatic www.floydautomatic.co.uk