The engineers at Emmegi (UK) welcome a challenge, but the refurbishment of a Phantomatic T3 Star 4-axis CNC has arguably been their biggest challenge yet.

When the machine arrived from a customer in Ireland to be refurbed for the second- hand machinery market, it had been so heavily utilised that it required a comprehensive, ground-up overhaul. But over the course of two and half months, the Emmegi (UK) engineering team in Coventry stripped it down to the framework and repaired, refurbished or replaced virtually every element.

The finished result – which is said to be almost indistinguishable from a new machine – showcases not just the quality of the team’s training and expertise, but also the benefits of using OEM spare parts and software.

Wayne Hunter, Emmegi (UK)’s operations manager, explained the steps of the project:

“We regularly refurbish machines we take back from existing customers to extend their lives in the second hand market, and it usually takes just a few weeks. But this refurbishment was on another level, and it took more than two months of thorough and painstaking work to get it ready for sale.

“The first, and longest stage was to clean and degrease the machine. We removed all the covers and clamp beds to access parts the customer will probably never even see, but which we knew were important.

“All of the bearing rails were cleaned, and the racks regreased. The tool magazine was removed and cleaned, and the tool holders themselves were replaced. Every energy chain on the machine was cleaned and repaired, all the bearings were greased, and all the air filters were replaced. The electrical panels were cleaned as well, and various exterior panels were cleaned and repainted before the machine was reassembled.

“Before it was signed off, it was greased and lubricated, fully tested and calibrated and given a clean bill of health.”

The transformed Phantomatic T3 Star, complete with rotating work table, has now been shipped to its new home at Vitrine Aluminium in St Helens.

Paul Fradley, Vitrine’s managing director, said:

“As we transition our operations to our new 5,326ft2 facility in Haydock, capital efficiency and sustainable growth are at the forefront of our strategy. Partnering with Emmegi (UK) to acquire a fully OEM-refurbished Phantomatic T3 Star was a highly calculated decision. It allows us to deploy robust, ‘as-new’ 4-axis CNC capabilities on the factory floor, while strategically directing our CapEx toward our proprietary infrastructure. This machine gives us the precision we need, beautifully complementing our vision for an Industry 4.0 smart factory.”