The Engineering Quest, which has manufacturing facilities in both Milton Keynes and Great Gransden, Bedfordshire, has extended its surface grinding capability with a Perfect PFG 4080 AH semi-automatic machine from RK International Machine Tools. This choice followed a strategic review of existing capacity and the changing requirements of customers, particularly in the oil and gas sector, where the company was witnessing increasing volumes.

Surface grinding at the Milton Keynes facility was mainly manual and this limited production to single components per set-up. With the addition of the semi-automation that the Perfect machine brings, along with its 400 x 800 mm maximum grinding area, it is now possible to load the table with up to 20 components, in some cases increasing productivity by 400%.
The construction of the Perfect grinder uses a spindle design featuring P4 class contact bearings that give runout of less than 2 μm. In addition, the spindle is a cartridge-type that is sealed and lubricated for extended life, while the use of Turcite-B on the slideways further aids precise movement, as well as the elimination of stick-slip.
“We took our time over the decision to upgrade our surface grinding capacity and our cell supervisor played a strategic role in the final selection; we need to know that staff will be happy with the equipment which we provide,” says managing director Steve Matheron. “The choice to go semi-automatic was driven by several factors, one to improve efficiency and two to provide a cost-effective solution that matches the way in which
we utilise machine tools.”
For further information www.rk-int.com