Sub-contractor Marlor installs fifth Walter

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 3, 2000

The continuing success of precision sub-contractor Marlor Engineering has led to the installation of a fifth Walter Helitronic tool grinder.

The continuing success of precision sub-contractor Marlor Engineering has led to the installation of another Walter Helitronic tool grinder - bringing the Peterborough-based company's tally of Walter CNC tool grinders to four, along with a Walter Helicheck NC4 tool measuring machine.

Supplied by Walter GB of Redditch, Marlor's new five-axis Helitronic Power Regrinder machine has X, Y, Z axes travels up to 490mm, 320mm and 660mm, respectively and can accommodate tools 370mm long (300mm for face grinding) and 320mm diameter.

It features an 5kW spindle drive producing 19Nm of constant torque and 0 to 8500 revs/min.

Digital drives ensure rapid traverse rates of 15m/min in all linear axes and 120deg/sec on the rotational axes.

The machine complements Marlor's existing trio of Walter CNC tool grinders - a Helitronic CNC 45, a Helitronic Classic Power and a Helitronic MiniPower.

These are integrated with a Helicheck NC4 tool inspection machine for closed-loop quality control.

Marlor managing director, Kevin Taylor, explains that his rising order book from both existing and new customers has prompted the extra tool cutting and grinding capacity - and the company's move to new premises with three times the floor space of the previous site.

He also points out that how the recent acquisition of a complete broach regrinding department and the accompanying machining contracts from a large automotive OEM have also created extra demand.

From its roots in component machining, Marlor Engineering has over the years moved into project work especially custom-designed jigs and fixtures, plus special-purpose production equipment design and manufacture as well as tool grinding, which accounts for around 27 per cent of its £2 million plus turnover.