SUBCONTRACTOR TAKES OFF WITH 17TH NAKAMURE TURN-MILL CENTRE

Located on the north coast of Devon, West End Precision has recently taken delivery of its 17th Nakamura-Tome turning centre from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG), a machine that landed only months after number 16.

The Bideford subcontract manufacturer has endured challenges over the past couple of years like all companies in the automotive, aerospace and general subcontract manufacturing supply chain, but business is certainly booming with West End Precision taking delivery of a Nakamura-Tome NTY3-150 just over 12 months ago and a WT150II this summer. With 15 sliding-head turning centres, multi-spindle automatics, centreless grinders and 17 Nakamura machines, the company is no run-of-the-mill manufacturing business.

Alex Dziurzynski, production manager at West End Precision, says: “We’re predominantly a high-volume manufacturer and we’ll typically set the machine and run it for an awfully long time. We do all the programming at the console; we don’t do any offline programming and the onus is that once the machine has been set, it will keep running and running. This strategy also helps us from an operator perspective as we can have one operator running a couple of machines. As long as the machines are running and the spindles are turning, you’re making money. The Nakamura machines give us that ability.”

West End Precision is working a double shift just to keep up with demand. Although some customers went a little quiet a couple of years ago, over the last 18 months things have become bigger and bigger. The company’s largest customer has doubled in size and its demand has risen massively, hence the level of investment that West End is currently making. According to the company, now is the time to invest as the opportunities are there.

Discussing why the company has gone for the Nakamura-Tome NTY3-150 three-turret, twin-spindle turning centre, Dziurzynski says: “Originally, we completely gambled on this machine. It was a step into the unknown for us and, with three turrets, it was a dream of our engineers – so we thought we’d give it a go. We initially bought the machine to set up five very similar jobs of the same material. This tactic meant we could tool the machine for the five jobs and run a batch of each job every week. These are highly complex jobs that are against the grain of what we do, as we typically machine easier components and set the machine for high-volume parts.”

He adds: “It’s always been changeovers that have caused us the problem. However, in the past six months our volumes have gone through the roof, so the machine that was bought with the older technology was only ever making one component and this made it somewhat of a wasted resource. Since that time, we’ve had a very complicated job come on and that has gone on to the three-turret machine. To go from a two-turret to a three-turret machine, we’re getting the parts completed around 50% faster. This saving makes for a massive increase in production rate. It’s a fantastic machine that is working perfectly well. The guys on the shop floor are already for another.”

Looking at the work on the shop floor, Mark Hamley from West End Precision adds: “When I first came here to start work on a twin-spindle machine, it was great to finish a part complete on the machine without any secondary operations. Now, we’re doing more and more complex work as the years go by, and we’re doing it faster and faster.”

Looking at the technology improvements built into the Nakamura NTY3-150 machine, Hamley says: “With the new Nakamura NTY3-150 we have load monitoring, which is something we don’t have on the older machines. This feature detects any drill breakages and other issues and immediately stops the machine. It also detects wear on the cutting tool tips and provides a warning. This prevents you from inadvertently creating any tool damage as it stops the machine and prompts the operator to inspect and change the inserts.”

West End Precision has one job machined from a billet on an old Nakamura that was too big for the spindle, which meant the company had to gantry load it into the machine. Today, West End can put this job directly on the Nakamura NTY3-150, which has reduced cycle times from 5 minutes 40 seconds to 3 minutes 35 seconds. It has also cut out the second operation. The job now comes off the Nakamura NTY3-150 machine complete and ready to go to the customer.

Looking at the quality of the Nakamura machines from ETG and the service and support, Dziurzynski says: “Purchasing decisions often come down to the reliability of the machines and Nakamura consistently gives us very good reliability. Even with the old machines, the maintenance and performance are so good that they have sold themselves throughout history, which has paved the path for new machines as we go forward.”

With another WT150II machine just landing at West End Precision and ETG forward ordering machines to guarantee availability for its customers, he adds: “There’s lots of noise about machines not being delivered and you cannot get machines. While I don’t expect to get a machine tomorrow, I ordered a machine in February and ETG were very honest and told me that delivery would be in May. True to their word it arrived in May. This has given us the ability to plan and they’ve done everything they said they were going to do.

Taking a look at the Nakamura-Tome brand, in particular, he concludes: “The technology continues to move on and this is evident with the Nakamura NTY3-150 triple-turret machine and what it can offer. It’s what dreams were made of years ago, and now it’s the norm with Nakamura. They are not standing still, we are not standing still and neither is ETG. We are on this journey together.”
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

Turning tools switch up flexibility

Floyd Automatic Tooling has introduced the new Switch-Line series of interchangeable turning tools from Applitec. Developed to deliver fast, easy tool changeovers with precision, repeatability and consistency, the Switch-Line series is for use with standard tool platens on turning centres.

Applitec has created the new line in response to customers that require quick and easy insert and tool changeovers with accuracy and reliability, which derives from a new ‘face and taper’ location system that not only improves positioning and accuracy, but also stability and cutting performance. Furthermore, the design characteristics see the Switch-Line provide ease of use and affordability, reports Floyd Automatic.

The interchangeable heads are available for all Applitec insert lines, including the Top-Line, Turn-Line and ISO-Line. With the Top-Line catering for parting, grooving and intricate form machining applications, and the Turn-Line and ISO-Line meeting the diverse turning requirements of any machine shop, Floyd Automatic says that the new Switch-Line is now the product of choice for manufacturers looking to improve productivity and performance with the added benefit of reducing machine downtime and tool changeovers. With a comprehensive range of insert dimensions, geometries and coatings to suit all material and application types, the new Switch-Line will benefit any users of sliding-head turning centres.

To improve handling and tool changeovers, Applitec has developed the system with a single-screw release system that demonstrates ease of changeover. The programme also incorporates a range of cylindrical tool holders with interchangeable ER collet holders and HSK designations for quick tool changes, further expanding the flexibility of the series. In addition, the Switch-Line series allows for through-tool coolant and high-pressure coolant facility via the Applitec Jet-line or HEB Mini Plug system.
For further information www.floydautomatic.co.uk

AUTOMATED STORAGE RAISES EFFICIENCY IN WINDOW AND DOOR MANUFACTURE

Hérige Group subsidiary Atlantem, a France-based producer of aluminium, PVC, wood and hybrid windows, as well as entrance doors, garage doors, gates and roller shutters, took the opportunity during the construction of its new, €20m factory at Saint-Sauveur-des-Landes in Brittany to optimise stocking and flow of materials.

To automate logistics in the manufacture of its products, the company chose German storage and sawing equipment manufacturer Kasto to supply an automated UniCompact honeycomb warehouse. The system reliably supplies long stock to around 15 workstations, while also managing the storage of remnants.

Atlantem employs 850 people at nine sites in France. In the 2019 fiscal year, sales amounted to €140m, making the company the leading supplier of products in this sector in the French market. The company delivers its products exclusively to construction firms and the building trade throughout France via four distribution channels. There is no export of products.

Business has grown steadily since Atlantem was established in 1995, partly through the acquisition of several companies.

Jérémy Jouvrot, manager of the continuous improvement department, says: “We face clear challenges to remain successful, as customers demand high quality at competitive prices. Our strength is to offer standard windows, doors and other products in all materials.”

Moving into new headquarters in Noyal-Pontivy last year was an important milestone in the company’s history. The new administration building was designed in collaboration with the staff and serves as a showcase for the expertise of the entire Hérige Group. Construction of the new plant in Saint-Sauveur-des-Landes on an 18,000 sq m site had already begun a year earlier for the production of multi-material windows and doors.

“We have created a highly networked factory,” says Jouvrot. “The Industry 4.0 plant is intended as a showpiece for our sector and will serve as a pilot project for the optimisation of our other manufacturing centres.”

His goal was to optimise processes within the new building and so he began looking for an efficient system for material storage and supply. A centralised system was needed for storing all of the company’s profile and feeding it automatically to sawing machines. Additionally, a dedicated station was required to allow the preparation of orders by picking from multiple cassettes. It also needed to be capable of sorting and storing profile returning from a coating unit.

Atlantem did not take the search for a suitable partner for this project lightly. The company created a specification sheet containing all important parameters for the new storage system and, before selecting a supplier, it visited about 10 users already equipped with various solutions available on the market.

“We selected Kasto as it offered efficient and highly automated options for storing profile,” says Jouvrot. “Furthermore, it has a subsidiary in France (as it does in the UK and elsewhere) and therefore a field service team was able to respond quickly if required.”

Kasto recommended its UniCompact honeycomb-type, material-to-operator storage and retrieval system, which starts at around 400 stock locations. It can be either a self-supporting silo structure with roof and wall cladding, or a stand-alone unit in existing buildings. The high storage density ensures efficient use of space.

Fast cassette cycles in fully automatic operation enable short retrieval times for efficiently supplying the machines processing the material. The storage system continuously maintains an inventory, allowing the economic picking of orders. Notably, the system is of modular design, allowing the quick implementation of modifications and capacity increases.

The installation in Saint-Sauveur-des-Landes contains 1504 storage locations and is 52 m long, 22 m wide and 16 m high. Each cassette measuring 6600 x 760 x 770 mm accommodates a maximum load of 1 tonne and enables storage of profile directly into the cassette or within customer racks.

The energy-efficient operating gantry crane (OGC), which handles two cassettes simultaneously, reaches speeds of up to 160 m/min in longitudinal travel, while the lifting beam moves at up to 50 m/min. Modern drive technology in combination with Kasto’s system software optimises its performance. Jerk-free starting and braking prevents profiles from shifting during cassette transportation. System control is via KastoLogic warehouse management software, which manages inventory data as well as machining orders.

Due to the modern graphical user interface, system operation is effortless by menu navigation. It shows error displays and diagnostics in plain text, so the user is able to assess the operating status immediately. A mobile, ergonomic operating panel with a 7-inch touchscreen allows manual movement of the OGC during maintenance.

The new storage solution has impressed the management team at Atlantem.

“Kasto has fully met our high expectations,” states Jouvrot. “The storage and handling system was installed and commissioned on time and on budget. It has significantly reduced employee workload. We prepare orders from several cassettes and the system runs smoothly and fully automatically. The control software, which links to our ERP system, arrived with modifications perfectly customised to our method of working. In addition, handling operations for feeding our machining stations have been simplified.”

In summary, he says that Atlantem will use Kasto again for future storage solutions at other sites. Clearly the supplier knows the user’s requirements but, more specifically, as its ERP system now has an interface to the Kasto software, it will simplify the implementation of future projects.
For further information www.kasto.com

Dundee preferred site for battery plant

Battery cell manufacturer AMTE Power has selected Dundee as the preferred site for its first MegaFactory in a boost to the UK’s ambitions to produce home-grown battery cells for a net-zero society. The new factory will directly create up to 215 high skilled on-site jobs and 800 more across the supply chain by producing the high-performance battery cells needed to help electrify vehicles, homes and industries.

AMTE Power remains one of the only companies in the UK currently producing battery cells and the proposed new site at Dundee’s Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) would ensure the business can rapidly scale up to mass manufacturing volumes. The MegaFactory will complement AMTE Power’s existing facility in Thurso, and the company is currently in discussion with Scottish Enterprise to help bring the development forward.
For further information www.amtepower.com

Servo press positions Mursix for growth

Mursix Corporation, a technology-driven manufacturer supplying components to a wide range of industries, has recently acquired a new Minster 600-ton punch press with a servo motor. The investment expands the company’s capabilities and positions Mursix for growth into a more diverse range of industries.

Delivered from Spain, this sophisticated machine joins the Mursix family of Minster presses that range from 22 to 400 tons. The servo motor maximises energy by delivering a higher tonnage than the company has ever been able to provide previously, allowing for more flexibility with speed control and stroke length. The result equates to a better-quality product at a better price, with a bonus of more efficient energy use translating into expanded production capabilities for current and potential customers.

With this advanced press, Mursix will be able to produce more complex parts. The Minster has the ability to produce heavier gauge and thicker materials with increased run speed and consistency, creating more efficient production.

Mursix is known for creating advanced, custom-engineered components, but those on the leadership team are always looking toward the future with the goal of continuously enhancing capabilities for customers.

“Although the last few years have been challenging, we’ve been taking investment in our family business quite seriously,” says Susan Murray Carlock, vice president of business development. “As a business leader, my father had always preached the importance of investing in your people and the capital that prepares the company for tomorrow. My brother and I carry on that legacy today. For companies of our size [$40m revenue, 200 employees], staying on top of industry innovations so that we can be competitive is a must, and requires good people and the latest technology.”
For further information www.mursix.com