The show, held in Blackburn, Nuneaton and Waltham Abbey, saw orders for CNC/manual mills and lathes and full-CNC machine tools, and this, said managing director Nigel Atherton, provided the backdrop to what he sees as a more positive attitude to capital investment from manufacturing industry."There are clear signs of an improvement in business confidence," he said, "although it is still too early to be sure that this is more than a blip and that the worst of the recession is behind us. However, we had visitors representing more than 60 companies, and the interest shown, the orders placed and the enquiries in progress are very encouraging."
Price, of course, is a key factor in any capital equipment purchase but, said the managing director: "We believe it is vitally important to help our customers lower the overall cost of machine tool ownership. One way of achieving this is by providing high quality service and support, together with better and more efficient training. This is why we are expanding XYZ's training and applications team, with these latest open days coinciding with an extension of the team's customer service remit."
Customers already receive basic training free-of-charge when purchasing an XYZ machining centre, turning centre or large CNC lathe equipped with Siemens CNC, or any CNC/manual turret/bed mill or lathe equipped with the exclusive ProtoTRAK control. The Burlescombe, Devon-based company also organises refresher and advanced training days designed to help users of its machine tools to obtain the maximum benefit from their investments. Now it is extending the help available to customers buying its Siemens-equipped full-CNC machine tools with the offer of up to eight days free-of-charge applications assistance worth up to £4,800.
"This is additional to the three days' free-of-charge basic training already provided with our full-CNC range of machines," Mr Atherton underlined. "Our objective is to speed up the learning process and to help customers avoid the frustrations that can occur following installation and commissioning of a CNC machine. The first few days are when even the most experienced operator taking on a new control can produce expensive scrap, bad habits can take hold and valuable time can be wasted. However, with expert applications assistance on hand in your machine shop, this need never happen."
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