Twenty years after setting up Chiron Werke UK Limited and selling their first Chiron FZ series machining centre, the company – now trading as the Engineering Technology Group – has sold many hundreds of Chiron machines into the UK in the ensuing years.
It has been 20 years that have seen ground breaking moves forward in machine designs, computerised technology and control, turnkey and automation capabilities as the industry in general has developed and Chiron in particular has pioneered new developments and machining concepts.
Machining centres and turnkey solutions “Made by Chiron” are the now world’s first choice across a spectrum of metalworking industries in small, medium and large-sized engineering and manufacturing environments.
Areas where Chiron has developed unsurpassed capabilities are its high speed tool changing systems with tool-to-tool times of 0.5 seconds and the development of linear motor based high speed axis travels combined with accuracy, stability and reliability. These qualities make Chiron machine tools well suited to high volume applications, automated cells and turn-key installations where maximum productivity is a primary consideration.
Today the Chiron range of vertical machining centres offer exceptional productivity and a wide choice of 5 axis options including swivel head and two axis rotary table options.
However, in the early days of Chiron Werke in the UK, performance standards were more modest yet, for the period, still impressive.
Ian Howlett, now Operations Commercial Director at ETG, joined the fledgling company as Service Manager a few months after founder Paul Rhodes established the business and he recalls the very first installation.
“We sold a FZ 28L into Longclose Engineering in Leeds soon followed by an FZ 22W machine to O.L.D. Engineering in Hinckley – a machine they still use to this day. Automotive was the predominant sector for Chiron – between 80 and 90% of sales were into the sector – but over the years this has broadened considerably.”
Tel: 01926 298128 Web: www.engtechgroup.com
