Ash Safety assembles,
services and hires out safety
equipment, and provides City
& Guilds-accredited training
for users. However, company
founder André Beard
decided recently to move into
the world of manufacturing.

He has also invested in test
equipment that allows the
Honiton business to assess
and certify other companies’
safety products, thereby
creating an income stream as
an approved test centre.

Before installing a new
XYZ TC 320 LTY turning
centre in 2011, various
components were machined
on a subcontract basis. This
entailed holding stock to
avoid problems caused by
late deliveries, which
impacted on cash flow and
inhibited product
design/development.

Beard ruled out the idea of
a lathe and mill in favour of a
turning centre with Y axis,
driven tooling and 78mm bar
capacity.

The Y axis of the TC 320
LTY, which has a 45hp main
spindle capable of 3300 rev/
min, can travel 50mm above
and below the centreline,
making easy work of parts
that would otherwise require
separate milling and turning
operations. Canned cycles
cater for machining functions
such as stock removal against
contour. The simple
conversational programming
of the Siemens 828D
ShopTurn control means the
entire sequence from
drawing to finished part
takes the minimum of
operator keystrokes.