Monster machine makes a mark

A Black Country foundry has taken delivery of a giant, £310,000 lathe to help it carry out a series of lucrative contracts.

The Boro Foundry in Lye, Stourbridge, is the only foundry in the country to have the equipment which stands more than 25ft high.

It will take the firm two full weeks to assemble it entirely but will allow it to carry out contract work for ships and power stations. The equipment - a Computer Numerical Controlled Tuscon LL950 8 meter Lathe - was delivered to the foundry in Stourvale Road yesterday.

Once constructed the machinery, which was custom-made in Taiwan, will allow staff to take on work for the power industry that the site was previously unable to manage. "Basically, this is a big piece of equipment," said machine shop manager Neil Hunt who has been based at the foundry for the past 10 months.

"It will allow us to make large shafts for things like power stations and steel plants.

"We already have a lot of orders commissioned on the back of this piece of equipment."

Mr Hunt, aged 45, says the new equipment is part of a wider bid by Boro Foundry."It's nice to be able to spread a little good news about the Black Country's industrial sector."