Gall Engineering takes delivery of tenth Mazak machine
Gall Engineering has invested in its tenth Yamazaki Mazak machine tool to boost capacity at its Aberdeenshire facility.
A new QUICK TURN 450 turning centre was recently delivered to the company’s Kintore machine shop, joining an INTEGREX i-450H that was installed late last year.
The new acquisition is part of Gall’s strategy to expand outside of its traditional general subcontracting base with a specialism in oil and gas work, where it has manufactured a range of components including downhole and completion tooling along with subsea equipment. The new machine will enable Gall to move further into new sectors, including the renewables and geothermal sectors.
Stewart Gall, Managing Director of Gall Engineering, says the QUICK TURN 450 will fuel expansion and diversification: “We operate 24/7 with 15 machinists which means we’re operating at very close to capacity. The new QUICK TURN 450 turning centre will allow us to increase capacity and take on more work in some of our target growth sectors.”
He continues: “The oil and gas sector has been quieter this year which has led to our pivoting towards renewables and the Mazak machines have been flexible enough to accommodate this move.”
Gall Engineering, located just outside Kintore, Aberdeenshire, has a long-standing relationship with Mazak dating back to 2010 with its machine shop now featuring a range of Mazak machines including an INTEGREX e-500H II, an INTEGREX i-450H, two INTEGREX i-400 5-axis multitasking machine tools and a VTC-800 vertical machining centre.
The new QUICK TURN 450 is a high-productivity turning centre equipped with an 18-inch chuck, high-rigidity construction and a maximum spindle speed of 2000 rpm.
“We’ve standardised on Mazak for all our machining operations because of the Mazatrol conversational programming,” says Stewart. “As a result, we’re able to move our 15 machinists around the machine shop to use different machines depending on the requirements of the job, this helps keep us productive and more efficient.”
Steven Hunter, Director at Scotmaz Machine Tools, Yamazaki Mazak’s Scottish agent, which has worked closely with Gall Engineering on its machine acquisition strategy, says Gall’s success is based on being able to adapt to market opportunities.
“Gall Engineering is a classic example of a subcontract engineering company that has been able to broaden its target markets via the strategic acquisition of flexible machines that can be used across multiple applications, coupled with a standardisation on a single CNC control that enables the company’s machinists to work across its entire machine portfolio. It’s been a pleasure to play a part in Gall’s success and we look forward to continuing the partnership.”
