E-Sharp News
May 2017
Hull based Pro-Cut Tooling Ltd manufacture and service a wide range of woodworking cutting tools, including saws blades, diamond tools, router cutters, Tungsten Carbide (TCT) and High Speed Steel (HSS) cutters, and drills.
The employment of skilled craftsmen and the use of the best available precision manufacturing technologies enables Pro-Cut to efficiently produce and service woodworking cutting tools and to promptly deliver them to all parts of the UK.
For more than 12 years, the mainstay of Pro-Cut’s vital grinding functions has been its ANCA Tool and Cutter Grinders. Given the company’s increasing workload and mindful of the technical progress made in the field of Tool and Cutter Grinders over the past decade, a decision was recently made to ‘retire’ the oldest of Pro-Cut’s ANCA machines and search for a modern, state-of-the-art replacement.
Pro-Cut Director, Steve Weymes explained. “Our company growth and continuing success in the production, service and supply of both standard and bespoke tooling is largely a result of our use of our highly precise and rapid acting ANCA Tool and Cutter Grinders.”
“In addition to producing high quality tools, ANCA’s very productive machines enables us to achieve the kind of efficiencies that make our products and services extremely cost-effective in what is a very competitive marketplace. For instance, as our, ANCA WGX grinder is fitted with an automated loading system, In addition to running it throughout the day we are able to undertake highly efficient, medium to long production runs in an automatic ‘lights-out’ mode throughout each night.”
“Although we have been producing one-off tools and making shorter production runs on the oldest of our ANCA grinder for more than a decade, increasing customer demand meant that we recently made a decision to replace this machine with a more flexible faster model.”
“Even though we have been delighted with the performance of our older ANCA Tool and Cutter Grinder, when we decided to source another machine to produce one-offs and carry out smaller production runs, mindful of the advancements that have been made in the field of Tool and Cutter Grinders, in addition to considering the latest ANCA machine, we also looked at the offerings from other leading manufacturers. Having witnessed demonstrations of the available alternatives, we came to the conclusion that ANCA’s flexible new FX5 Linear machine best suited our needs.
“Now installed and fully operational, the use of our advanced new ANCA Tool and Cutter Grinder has slashed our machine down-times and reduced set-up times between our small batches. Our use of the impressive new ANCA machine is resulting in excellent levels of tool accuracy and surface finish characteristics, whilst its speed and flexibility has given our production a significant boost and provided the competitive advantage that we were looking for.”
The recently launched ANCA FX Linear range consists of 3 cutting-edge, cost effective tool and cutter grinders that are able to perform tasks from light manufacturing, to regrinding and full production. Innovative new features include a touchscreen that is customisable with Windows and a handheld pendant for simplified set-ups.
Despite the FX Linear machines’ large working envelope, the advanced new grinders occupy a relatively small footprint. Every part on the new machines, from the positioning of the grinding wheel on the C-axis centreline (to reduce thermal influence), to the ANCA designed linear motors, have been aimed at enhancing accuracy, increase productivity and making operator’s tasks significantly easier.
The midrange (of three ANCA models) FX5 Linear model purchased by Pro-Cut Tooling is ideal for users who need a degree of automation and options such as MicroPlus.