The machine has been installed in ASG TGM's newly established machine shop, adjacent to its existing machining facility. This expansion enhances the Group’s capability to deliver complex aerospace orders, particularly the machining of large structural components to high tolerances.
The VTC-800 is one of Mazak’s flagship, UK-built machines, offering full 5-axis capability for machining a wide variety of large and complex components. It features a vertical travelling column design and is equipped with a large working envelope, along with a high-performance 18,000 rpm spindle as standard.
“The new facility and machines effectively create a mirrored production cell that complements our existing machine shop, which is already equipped with three Mazak machines," Sarah Stephens, Managing Director at ASG TGM, said in a statement. "The new cell will increase capacity, flexibility and improve workflow, which is vital to ensuring we continue to provide a fast and efficient service to our OEM and Tier 1 aerospace customers.
“The working envelope of the VTC-800 is ideal for the type of aerospace work we are now undertaking, such as butt straps, spreader plates and intercostals, through to structural aircraft parts like large ribs for wing assemblies. The SDR variant has a compact footprint, and we can achieve 360° rotation with milled parts, which gives us much better access to the component.”
TGM was established in 1998 and is now part of the ASG Group, which specialises in supplying detail parts and tooling to some of the world’s leading OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in the aerospace, medical, scientific and nuclear sectors. The company offers 3-, 4- and 5-axis machining of hard and soft metals up to 4.8 metres in length, with a total of 18 machines at its Preston site.
“The VTC-800, designed and built in the UK, is one of our most popular machines, with more than 1,000 now in operation across Europe," Alan Mucklow, Managing Director UK, Ireland and National Distributors at Mazak, added.
“The machining envelope of the VTC-800 is one of the largest in its class, making it ideal for large engine components, while maintaining the flexibility to meet different application needs. Mazak has a long history of supplying machines to the aerospace sector in the UK and globally, and we are delighted to support ASG TGM in the next stage of its growth.”
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