More than 10,000 Webster & Bennett Vertical Borers have been installed all around the world working year after year in railway companies, aero engine companies, foundries, power stations, tyre plants, defence companies and general engineering plants. These machines were designed and built during the times when designers were not pressurised on cost and over engineered castings and components The Manuplus program demonstrates the great economic benefit of recycling these machines. The bonus is that the heavy engineering processes of scrapping castings and making new castings are not necessary.
If you have a Webster & Bennett, take a look at these: ManuPlus leaflet (PDF) · ManuPlus presentation (PowerPoint)
Why upgrade rather than scrap
Old Webster & Bennetts were built with wonderful castings, over-engineered spindle bearings, speed and feed gearboxes, brakes and hydraulic controls. Scrapping a machine throws all of that away, and making new castings is heavy engineering in its own right.
ManuPlus keeps the machine and replaces the old controls with clean, dry electric controls. It gives a 50-year-old Webster & Bennett an outstanding 2020s capability, at a very acceptable price.
What ManuPlus includes
- Full CNC or Manual-CNC configurations
- Up to 4-axis CNC
- Digital assist operator control for Manual-CNC machines
- A range of options to make these machines more productive
For the step-by-step process, safety upgrades and lead times, see our CNC retrofit guide.
At a glance
| Machines | Webster & Bennett vertical borers, from the smallest 36″ to the 144″ double column |
|---|---|
| Controls | Full CNC or Manual-CNC, with digital assist operator control |
| Axes | Up to 4-axis CNC |
| Recycling | 15 to 50 tons of machine kept in use per upgrade |
| Programme | Now in its 20th year |
Is your machine a candidate?
More than 10,000 Webster & Bennett vertical borers were installed around the world. If you have one, Iain can tell you what an upgrade would involve and whether it makes sense. See also rebuild or replace?
Talk to Iain about upgrading your Webster & Bennett
Iain Exeter has been rebuilding machine tools since 1961. Call him on 07808 789597, email iain@vtt-wb.com or use the contact form.
More reading: Guides & Resources · Vertical turning lathes explained · Webster & Bennett history