ModuleWorks and MAL extend ties

ModuleWorks, a supplier of software components for digital manufacturing, is extending its partnership with MAL Inc, a developer specialising in physics-based virtual machining and optimisation solutions. The extended tie-up makes ModuleWorks the exclusive reseller of MAL Inc’s AppsPro software library, the NPro plug-in for Siemens NX and the DELPro plug-in for Dassault Systèmes’ DELMIA.

ModuleWorks will also sell the jointly developed Machining Wizard that integrates machining physics and tool-path technology to assist engineers in selecting optimal cutting parameters for automated tool-path generation. The Machining Wizard subsequently uses these parameters in combination with a geometrical analysis of the workpiece to generate a tool path with optimised cutting parameters for each region of the part.

For further information www.moduleworks.com

Rolls-Royce welcomes Prime Minister

Rolls-Royce hosted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, Jack Lopresti MP, at its UK defence headquarters in Bristol earlier this month. The Prime Minister met with engineers, technicians and apprentices from across the business’ defence programmes and discussed how the organisation is committed to sustaining and developing critical key skills to provide high-quality careers for decades to come.

During the visit, the Prime Minister toured the facility where he met with the highly skilled workforce, who are supporting the UK’s operational needs and developing cutting edge technologies. While at the Bristol site, the Prime Minister opened FutureWorks, a new facility where Rolls-Royce teams are developing new technologies, advanced manufacturing strategies and skills to improve the resilience of existing fleets and power the capabilities of tomorrow.

For further information www.rolls-royce.com

New grease degradation diagnosis technology

NSK says it is developing a world-first: a high-accuracy way of rapidly and accurately diagnosing the remaining life of lubricant grease. The company will provide the solution as a mobile app, enabling users to perform the on-site analysis of lubricant condition in machine tool bearings, ball screws and linear guides. This innovative capability will reduce the need for grease inspection and replenishment costs, and help machine shops implement condition-based maintenance strategies. NSK’s is currently seeking customer input and feedback ahead of launching the new app.

For further information www.nskeurope.com

Stratasys to test 3D prints on the moon

Stratasys, a specialist in polymer 3D printing solutions, will provide 3D-printed materials for an upcoming lunar mission to test their performance on the surface of the moon. The experiments are part of Aegis Aerospace’s first Space Science & Technology Evaluation Facility mission (SSTEF-1), which focuses on technology development for space infrastructure and capabilities for the moon and near-earth space. The Stratasys experiments are sponsored by Northrop Grumman.

In this moon mission, Stratasys will provide 3D-printed samples that will be brought to the lunar surface by an unmanned lander in a carrier structure 3D-printed by Stratasys. Three materials will be the focus of two different experiments. The first assesses the performance of a sample coupon part made with Stratasys’ Antero 800NA FDM filament filled with tungsten. The second passive experiment will see how 3D-printed materials perform in space.

For further information www.stratasys.com

HELICAL ADDS COMPACT NAKAMURA TO PLANT LIST  

Finding a manufacturer with its own museum is unusual to say the least, but such is the passion for manufacturing at Helical Technology that the company has a locomotive, a Red Arrow and a Bluebird replica among other artefacts at one of its four facilities. This passion for manufacturing, precision and quality is why the company has added yet another Nakamura-Tome turn-mill centre from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) to its plant list. 

Established by James Morris in 1962, the family business is a manufacturer of valve rotators used in the marine, locomotive, mining, automotive and power generation sectors. The Lytham-based company undertakes the complete design, manufacture, assembly and testing of its products, which also include prototype exhausts for high-performance vehicles and actuators for leading OEMs worldwide.

Helical’s valve rotator division was founded in 1987, today producing more than 120 different assemblies. The company expects to complete over 4 million such assemblies in 2023, making a sizeable contribution to Helical’s circa £35m turnover. Large volume production is conducted off-site, with volumes up to 1000-off produced at Lytham. It is here that Nakamura-Tome machines from ETG are delivering results.

The machine shop has 21 turning centres that include both single- and twin-spindle machines with some Y-axis capability to produce components from 16MnCr5 steel. The turning centres comprise a multitude of different brands, but when one of the largest and most prestigious brands in the world let the company down badly, Helical turned to ETG and its Nakamura machines. The company started with a Nakamura-Tome WT150II in January 2020 and built upon its success with a second WT150II and then a NTY3-100 twin-spindle, triple-turret machine.

“The difference with the WT150II compared with existing machines was like night and day,” recalls operations manager Chris Waddington. “The cycle times were 5-10% faster than the other leading machines that we had, but it was just everything else about the machine. The Nakamura was more stable, robust, user-friendly, and easy to set-up and use. So, we bought a second machine and added to it with the NTY3-100. We have some of the most productive machines in the industry, but the NTY3-100 instantly took 20-25% out of our cycle times.”

With floor space at a premium, the company followed its initial purchases with a smaller Nakamura AS200LMSY and, earlier in 2023, followed up with another Nakamura: the AS200MYS.

Production manager Jonathan Rigby says: “We had an ageing single-spindle, single-turret machine that was having reliability issues. The machine got to a point where instead of laying out on an expensive repair, we bought the Nakamura AS200MYS. The purpose was to accommodate our billet work while utilising our other machines for production runs. We wanted a compact, robust and highly productive solution and once again ETG delivered.”

Purchased to machine a family of steel valve rotator parts, typically in volumes from 200 to 2000-off, the company manually loads billets into the Nakamura AS200MYS ready for turning and heavy-duty milling. Component reloading takes place to facilitate secondary finishing operations.

“The outgoing machine was a larger footprint than the Nakamura and it had a barfeed that we didn’t need,” explains Rigby. “We wanted a compact, heavy-duty machine with a spacious work area and the Nakamura AS200MYS has certainly provided that.”

From a performance perspective, the Nakamura AS200MYS has accelerated productivity, as Rigby confirms: “The typical cycle time is 6 minutes per set-up and the Nakamura is improving our productivity by at least 15-20% compared with its predecessor. The kinematics of the machine are reducing travel and ‘fresh air’ cutting, which is shaving at least a minute off the cycle time. With the number of parts going through the Nakamura, it adds up to a major reduction. We achieve this saving through heavier cutting cycles that are credit to the rigidity and stability of the AS200MYS. With regard to milling cycles, we’re witnessing a massive reduction in cycle times. On one sleeve part we can now take a 5 mm depth of cut compared with 3 to 4 mm on the previous machine.”

He continues: “There’s less deflection and vibration, and we see a great improvement in our surface finishes. We can machine straight in at 5 mm depth of cut with no need for a finishing pass; the stability and performance of the Nakamura are that good. Although we haven’t undertaken a tool life feasibility study on this machine, we know we can produce more parts per tool and this is undoubtedly reducing our tooling consumption and costs.”

Discussing the service that Helical receives from ETG, Rigby concludes: “When our old machine was beyond repair, we needed a replacement urgently. With a short delivery lead time on the Nakamura AS200MYS, ETG loaned us a Vulcan turning centre as a stop-gap. ETG are very supportive and will always endeavour to support our business in every way possible.”

For further information www.engtechgroup.com