Brad93
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The one at Lutterworth is where the really cool machines were made
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ronan
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The one at Lutterworth is where the really cool machines were made
Let me guess, its a (a) shopping centre (b) luxury apartments (c) car park, now ? Answers on a postcard
Carl Wilson
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It appears to be all still there, some seems to be used as industrial units. This is a fascinating (to me at least) history:-
ronan
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Laurie Tedcastle
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That video is of the main shop and appears to be taken from the bottom roadway. There were 2 roadways running the length of that shop, about 1/4 of a bay length from the end of each bay. The roadways were wide enough to drive artics along. I'm going to have to have a really detailed look at the video to assess when it was made, but initial guess is early 1980s. It shows the automated stores (high level racking) which was installed in mid 1970s if I recall correctly. There were 36 bays in that shop.The machining area started at bay 1 and ran for maybe 17 bays, then the stores followed by the fitting bays. Bay 36 had the raw material bar stocks and cut-off saws, with really large bars stored outside. Beyond the end of the bays in the video was another building (the factory). Its internal orientation was at right angles to the main shop, maybe the equivalent of 4 bays in width and running from bay 1 to about bay 24. The factory contained smaller machines (I spent 6 weeks in there grinding keys on a Jones & Shipman 540 surface grinder). It had a much lower roof and got really hot in summer. The factory also had one bay dedicated to drilling machine test and paint.
Between Bay 1 of the main shop and the office buildings were 2 grey iron foundaries (one for small items, 1 for large - beds/headstocks etc) with each having 2 cupolas fitted with receivers. Cupolas were used on alternate days. There was also a white iron foundry (2 induction furnaces) mainly used for producing the pegs for Atritor pulverising machines.
There was yet a further building (Light Engineering Department) where most of the tooling and accessories for machines was produced.
That will do for now.
Laurie
pressbrake1
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Thanks for replying Laurie
I spied a marwin (c)nc gantry mill drill which came out in the late seventies I believe.
I spied a marwin (c)nc gantry mill drill which came out in the late seventies I believe.
Carl Wilson
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Thanks Laurie, that was very interesting. Always great to hear first hand recollections about such things.
Laurie Tedcastle
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The one at Lutterworth is where the really cool machines were made
Lutterworth made the 2D capstan range and all the drilling machines, oh, and yes the Devlieg horizontal borers.
I worked there for about 2 years leaving in 1979. In those days Bitteswell airfield (now Magna Park) was still active and Hawker Siddely were refurbishing Vulcan bombers. On test runs they seemed to target the factory boilerhouse chimney at the lowest level possible. My desk used to shake and if you were on the phone, well just give up. Oh happy days!
Laurie
stevethegrease
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A picture of an extremely large milling machine that was broken up and scrapped when the factory I once worked in closed down after the company was taken over and asset stripped. Broken up so that it "didn't fall into the hands of the competition". I believe it was , or was at one time , the largest milling machine in Europe with a bed of around 100 feet ( one being machined , one on one end being loaded , one on the other end being removed.)
Do you have any idea what those engine blocks are for out of interest? They look like rail or marine V12s, Sulzer or English Electric perhaps?
stevethegrease
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Yeah , it 'was' Mirrlees Blackstone in Stockport. They built the world's third ever diesel engine. Bought out by MAN
pressbrake1
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I’d have got it out given the opportunity!
pressbrake1
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Brad93
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Flipping hell thats tidy in there!
Milkybars
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@pressbrake1 You only need to ask 
pressbrake1
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Another instance of needing the finger emoji
That's not your cave in the unit is it?Another instance of needing the finger emoji
