Coleg Cambria Engineering Technology Centre Invests with Colchester Machine Tool Solutions

Further demonstrating their reputation for supplying high quality, precision machine tools into the education and training sector, 600 UK (now Colchester Machine Tool Solutions) has installed a range of manual lathes, mills, drills and saws into Coleg Cambria in North Wales.

Coleg Cambria is one of the UK’s largest colleges, with over 7,000 full-time and 20,000 part-time students. The college has made a large investment in manufacturing equipment from 600 UK to meet the training needs of some high profile construction and aerospace employers in the region.

MTD spoke with Nick Lyon, Assistant Principal at Coleg Cambria at their Wrexham site, where the video can be viewed at: http://www.colchester.co.uk/media/case-studies/new-machine-tool-workshop-at-coleg-cambria/

Nick Lyon says: “When we developed this Engineering Technology Centre in Cambria, we were really keen to ensure the fundamental engineering aspects of machining were maintained. We’ve had a great relationship with 600 Group over many years and the equipment has always been high quality and most importantly, my learners enjoy using the machines.”

One of the students at Coleg Cambria gave a general overview, saying: “I came to Coleg Cambria with no machining experience and the machines are very easy to use, the dials and gauges are well marked and intuitive and it makes the education process easier to understand how things work. You can easily switch from imperial to metric and this simplifies the learning process.”

Nick Lyon continues: “To meet industry standards, you have to have industry standard equipment and the 600 Group with the Colchester and Clausing machines can give us that quality, accuracy and the fundamental basics of what learners need in industry. This year we had 14 learners in the world skills competition at the NEC and two returned with medals in the CNC category, whilst apprentices from JCB and Magellan aerospace picked up medals in the manufacturing challenge.”

“Working with the likes of the 600 Group you are being exposed to state-of-the-art equipment. It really doesn’t get any better. Once students progress from manual machines we also have three CNC lathes and 3 CNC mills, so learners are exposed to the complete machine shop environment.”

The order comprised  of fourteen Harrison M300 lathes, six Clausing 3VS milling machines, three Clausing pillar drills and a Clausing bandsaw.

The geared headstock Harrison M300 lathes have a global reputation as the benchmark training lathe, with unrivalled standard build and safety features in a compact footprint, allowing learners to confidently use the equipment to gain industrial level training.

Coleg Cambria chose the Clausing mills, drills and bandsaws to complement the Harrison lathes perfectly and are all key engineered products in the industrial sector and like the lathes, are ideal for transitioning students making the step from learning into industry.
Paul Rushworth, Colchester Machine Tool Solutions Sales Director said ‘Our ability to supply and project manage a range of industry ready education machine tools as a one-stop-shop for customers to specify their exact requirements is the key to our continued success in the education sector and the Coleg Cambria facility demonstrates that perfectly.”