Heads serviced in hours CTL Centreline has drawings of its products dating back to the mid-1970s and still repairs heads from this period with spares of standard parts held in stock enabling quick turnaround. CTL Centreline - formerly Centreline Machine Tools - has drawings of its products dating back to the mid-1970s.

In fact it still repairs heads from this period.Spares for standard items are held in stock, enabling quick turnaround, but if a component needs to be machined, that can be carried out speedily too; and the company also rebuilds its competitors' products.

It's pointed out that rapid service on gear-driven heads is assured if you buy from a manufacturer as there's no need to send the head back to an overseas principal.'We turn round a major head refurbishment in a week under our normal service, but if a customer's production has stopped we offer an express service,' says CTL Centreline's Peter Devlin.

'It is even possible for a user to drive over to our factory with the head and wait while it is repaired, then drive back, refit the head and continue the production run.'So, how is all this managed? On receiving an order, Centreline asks for the make and model of the machine tool and automatically produces the required anti-rotation torque block for the application.

There is no national or international standard for spindle noses and they are nearly all different, even within the same manufacturer's machine ranges, explains Devlin.'Some head suppliers deliver the tool and leave the customer to measure the machine and produce their own torque block, or arrange to have it made outside.

This always slows the fitting of a head just when the customer is ready to get on with a production run.'We would never supply a head without a bespoke torque block for the machine, unless the customer asks us not to.

The result is that our head is installed without any trouble and is up and running on the machine within half an hour of our engineer arriving on site.'CTL Centreline's standard catalogue range is extensive and includes models designed for specific machines made by many well-known manufacturers.

In addition, production of special heads is regularly undertaken as part of the service - and some prove so popular that they are later incorporated into the main catalogue.One example is the latest RAD 190 range of right-angle milling and drilling heads, which have a long reach for relatively light machining of features inside deep bores and other awkward areas.

At the other end of the scale is the RAM 400.40, an addition at the heavy end of the standard right-angle head range. It is the first standard unit to accept interchangeable, 40 taper tooling and is also available in extended versions.