Green energy powers investment in large XYZ lathe

Fletcher Moorland, a Stoke-based company that repairs and refurbishes motors, pumps, gearboxes and fans, has purchased an XYZ RLX 780 flat-bed CNC lathe with ProtoTRAK RLX control as part of efforts to expand services for its growing customer base.

Says third-generation Managing Director Matt Fletcher: “We traditionally worked on sub 1 MW motors but, with advances in wind turbines, we’re now seeing repairs required on equipment up to 2.5 MW. These machines, which weigh around 10 tons, have bigger rotors and end shields, and we didn’t have a machine to process such large parts.”

Faced with this challenge, Matt Fletcher tasked Electrical Mechanical Workshop Manager Matt Sparkes with finding a solution that would allow the company to continue providing a first-class service to its customers.

“The main reason for seeking a larger lathe was to meet customer demands without having to subcontract work out,” says Matt Sparkes.

The process of acquiring a large-capacity lathe involved researching the market, an activity that culminated in two visits to XYZ’s Midlands Technical Centre in Nuneaton. Shop-floor machinists and Matt Fletcher were present to see the demonstrations before committing to the largest capital investment in the machine shop to date.

“Demonstrations by XYZ’s area sales manager gave us the confidence that the RLX 780 was the right fit in terms of machine size and capacity,” says Matt Sparkes. “After seeing the ProtoTRAK RLX control, used both manually and in CNC modes, we knew it was the best solution for our workshop.”

With shafts and rotors increasing in size, Fletcher Moorland is already benefiting from the purchase of the XYZ RLX 780 with its 3 m distance between centres. By removing the gap of the bed, the company can now produce end shields up to 1090 mm in diameter. Additionally, the air ride assist feature makes moving the substantial tailstock easier, while the ability to hitch it to the saddle for motion towards and from the workpiece simplifies operator workload.

“Its 160 mm diameter spindle bore is advantageous, especially when we recently machined a batch of conveyor rollers,” explains Matt Sparkes. “The additional fixed steady we purchased is also proving its worth.”

He adds: “We really feel that the ProtoTRAK control is the way forward. Its ease of use and flexibility aligns with our processes, and we see it enabling us to produce one-offs quickly and efficiently using the conversational format that the control provides.”

Alongside investment in the electronics repair and refurbishment sector, which supports all forms of industrial automation, the company has established a dedicated workshop for servomotor repairs. It also continues to develop its reliability services division, which provides feedback to the user on plant conditions.

According to Matt Fletcher, the machine shop remains a high priority for the management team. It will not only help the company advance in the repair of rotating equipment but also provide new opportunities such as machining parts for the food and drink industry, where a quick turnaround on wear parts is essential.