Feature

Modernising specialist machinery with precision-performance gearboxes

Cambridge Dynamics needed to replace and modernise a customer’s specialist machinery, and selected a gearbox and rack and pinion system from Apex Dynamics to provide reliable, high-precision performance.

07/01/2025 10:15:11

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Custom equipment designer and manufacturer Cambridge Dynamics was tasked with replacing a legacy, steel-cutting machine that had come to the end of its life after decades of use. Used to cut custom profiles for brewing and distillery, it fashions stainless
steel into 3mm plates, which are placed at the bottom of tanks to prevent debris from getting into finished products.

Each plate is precision-tooled with hundreds of individual slits. This is achieved by placing it on a large bed and
bolting it down. A rack on either side of the cutting machine, powered by a servo motor and gearbox, drives a cutting head along the bed. With eight slitting saws attached, the cutting head slices slots into each plate, which are
then opened to create a gap. This enables the plate to work as a filter, preventing the escape of solid matter.

Cambridge Dynamics, run by father-and-son duo, André and Andrew Becker, has decades of experience in custom machine design across
a wide range of industries, including aerospace, food and beverage, automotive, and general manufacturing. The company designs and assembles high-end custom machinery and automation solutions for customers who can’t buy the necessary equipment off the shelf.

Read the full article in DPA's January 2025 issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.