🎧 – PM takes a turn on XYZ lathe

A visit to Truro and Penwith College in Cornwall gave the Prime Minister the chance to try his hand at operating an XYZ 1330 TRAINER lathe. The visit to mark National Apprenticeship Week in February was an opportunity for Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murthy to appreciate for themselves the valuable work done by the college, which is rated as outstanding and attracts students from across the South West. 

Level 3 machining apprentice Daniel Wright, who works for West Pharmaceutical Services, guided Mr Sunak and Ms Murthy through face turning operations on the machine during their visit.

Truro and Penwith College is part of the South West IOT group whose members include the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth, its campus benefitted from a £7.2m investment allowing it to move to the new site two years ago. At the Truro site, there are 11 manual lathes, XYZ 1330 and XYZ 1530, two XYZ RLX 1630 CNC lathes with ProtoTRAK® controls, five XYZ 2000 manual mills, one XYZ 1020 surface grinder, two RMX 2500 CNC mills with ProtoTRAK® controls, an offline PC based ProtoTRAK® CAM system and one XYZ 660 HD VMC with Siemens 828D control. The new Bodmin campus will have six XYZ 1330 manual lathes, three XYZ 2000 manual mills, one RMX 2500 CNC mill with ProtoTRAK® control, one RLX 1630 CNC lathe with ProtoTRAK® control and an XYZ 660 HD VMC with Siemens 828D control, duplicating the capabilities of the Truro campus.

Nick Tillyer, Institute of Technology Development Manager at Truro and Penwith College says: “The value of the manufacturing industry in Cornwall is now almost as big as tourism, so there is a huge demand for skills. Major projects include emission-free Lithium extraction from boreholes, and significant deposits of ore have been found in the St Austell area. Additionally, offshore wind has a place with 10GW planned for 2030 and there is also the Cornwall Space Cluster.”

Nick Tillyer says: “We wanted to source our machinery locally in the UK. The XYZ machines are known for their reliability and have a small footprint, making them ideal for our workshop. The range of machines and CNC controls enable us to offer advanced training up to 5-axis milling with rotary tables on the XYZ 660 HD VMC. Furthermore, XYZ machines are widely used by manufacturers in Cornwall so, our apprentices can go into industry using machinery they are familiar with.” 

As well as the XYZ lathes, mills and grinder, the college has a fibre laser and an extensive range of welding equipment. Nick Tillyer says: “We are increasing the sustainability of our courses, so we now produce commercial parts such as prototypes which reduces waste and increases our engagement with employers. Having machines such as the XYZ mills and lathes, makes this possible, generating more interest in what we are offering and it is developing more opportunities for our students.”

Nigel Atherton Managing Director of XYZ Machine Tools adds: “Working with education and encouraging young engineers is very important to me. Truro and Penwith College’s achievements are an inspiration. We work with colleges across the country including Guernsey College, Bath College and New College Swindon, which have all invested in our technology over the last 12 months to supply STEM training in engineering and machining skills, relevant to manufacturers’ requirements.”