Renishaw has received a Queen's Award for Enterprise 2006 in the Innovations category, the eleventh Queen's Award the company has received since its first in 1979
The award is for Renishaw's NC1 and NC4 non-contact tool setting systems which are used for the automatic setting of cutting tool parameters within the harsh environments of CNC (computer numerically controlled) machine tools, together with tool breakage detection.
NC1, Renishaw's first product in the sector was introduced in 2000 and captured a significant portion of the worldwide market.
Its replacement, the ultra-compact NC4 laser tool setter, was launched in 2004 featuring a number of enhancements over the NC1 and is representative of Renishaw's commitment to continual improvement.
Both the NC1 and NC4 use laser technology, together with Renishaw's patented MicroHole design feature which relies on the permanent feed of compressed air through the same orifices through which the laser beam is transmitted and received, keeping contaminants such as metal chips and coolant from affecting the measurement process.
In addition, the NC4 employs PassiveSeal an internal shutter mechanism to protect the transmitter and receiver units in the event of an air pressure failure, together with Active Drip Rejection which prevents false readings if the laser beam is interrupted by coolant drips or cutting debris.
David McMurtry, Renishaw's chairman and chief executive, said that it was delighted to receive another commendation for one of its products, and paid tribute to the group's employees in the UK and overseas who have contributed to the worldwide success of its NC1 and NC4 series of non-contact laser tool setters.
