Apex Group

A Leicester packaging firm has invested in a new CNC machine to help it meet ever-growing and ever-changing customer demand.

PACS, a specialist in designing and manufacturing polystyrene and foam packaging products, has purchased an SCM Pratix Z2-A CNC machining centre, Plastics & Rubber Weekly reports.

The firm aims to meet “almost any” packaging requirement its customers have, be it a simple solution for transporting goods or custom-designed storage units for point-of-sale.

The decision to invest in a larger CNC machine came at the beginning of 2011. PACS managing director Malcolm Robotham approached fellow Leicester firm Blyth Machinery, an SCM UK distributor. Having gained experience on a small used CNC machine for many years, Mr Robotham discussed his company’s exact requirements and was able to see demonstrations of different pieces of equipment to ensure the chosen model would be the firm’s needs.

Supplied with a 2750 x 1300mm table, the CNC machine can accept 8 x 4ft sheets of material, and the Z axis of 180mm allows tall components to be machines. The multi-functional work table means that jigs or vacuum modules can be used, or by using an MDF baseboard the nesting of component parts from a full-sized sheet is possible.

Programming is carried out via SCM’s Genio CAD/CAM CNC software package. Microsoft Excel is used to manage tooling files and integrated macros and the 3D display ensures Genio is easy to learn and use.

PACS has been very pleased with the new machine and service, said Mr Robotham.

“The quality of the finish obtained from the machine with standard tungsten carbide tipped tooling is excellent,” he told the news provider.

If a brand new piece of equipment is simply not an option, manufacturers can also boost their capabilities and productivity with used machine tools. By investing in equipment such as used CNC lathes, firms can enhance their facility while controlling expenditure.