Driven to succeed, with help from Ceratizit

In under seven years, Driven Engineering has grown from a one-man operation with just a second-hand three-axis machining centre into a thriving subcontract manufacturing business on the back of founder Ray Harris’s commitment to invest in the company’s future.

The type of components machined by Driven Engineering lend themselves to vices, rather than fixtures, which is where Ceratizit UK & Ireland plays its part. In addition to providing cutting tools, Ceratizit has also been instrumental in kitting out the pallets with its latest ZSG4 vice system. The ZSG 4 vice has several benefits, but key to Driven Engineering is the ability to grip billets on just 3 mm of material.

“Using such a small amount of material for gripping allows us to program the part using the bottom of the billet as the datum, while we also get great access to five sides of the part,” says Harris. “In addition, the vices deliver consistent grip and accuracy, making them ideal for unmanned machining.”

In total Ceratizit has supplied Driven Engineering with 75 ZSG 4 centric vices, in a combination of 125 and 80 mm widths. Each vice is capable of applying up to 35 kN of gripping force, which allows the minimum grip depth of 3 mm. A further advantage is the lack of any requirement for billet preparation prior to gripping, which Ceratizit says is unlike other systems on the market. Their suitability for pallet-based machining is enhanced by their compatibility with PNG, MNG and Lang zero-point clamping systems.

Further support is provided by the Ceratizit tool-vending system that Driven Engineering has installed, which helps to maintain production with 24-7 tooling availability.
For further information www.ceratizit.com

DMC partners Satellite Applications Catapult

The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) and the Satellite Applications Catapult are partnering in a move that highlights an exciting future for the UK space industry. With the Government aiming to capture 10% of the sector by 2030, this new partnership marks an important development in establishing a national space supply chain for advanced manufacturing.

While the UK space sector currently generates around £16.5bn per annum, providing 47,000 jobs across 1293 different organisations, significant growth will be required to meet the Government’s ambitious target. Notably, there is a real need for the development of a comprehensive and advanced supply chain specialising in high-performance composites and additive manufacturing. The collaboration between DMC and the Catapult intends to kick-start these ambitions.
For further information www.digitalmanufacturingcentre.com

Simplifying gripper configuration and integration

The task of configuring bespoke vacuum gripper systems that will meet the specific requirements of individual applications has never been easier thanks to the comprehensive digital configuration services now available from Schmalz. This range of digital services helps end users, machine builders and system integrators to achieve quick configuration of products such as Schmalz SLG lightweight gripping systems for individual applications. Tools such as filters, configurators, ordering aids and apps simplify the process – regardless of the stage of the project, whether it’s product design, procurement or operation.

A simple and highly intuitive six-stage process guides users through steps such as: selecting the workpiece; defining the application; selecting the type, number, size and positions of vacuum cups; and finally choosing a vacuum generator and robot mounting flange. The proposed SLG lightweight gripper then generates automatically and is shown in 3D on the basis of users input and responses to this series of intuitive choices.

At the end of the process, a summary of all of the information used to specify the gripper is available for download, together with valuable information for the end user or machine builder covering gripper dimensions, weights, air flow and gripping force.

Additional digital services available from Schmalz make it possible to simulate your handling process with a digital twin of the products selected, and test the function of the system long before it is actually built. For example, it is even possible to obtain information about the behaviour of a suction pad in its operational state. There are also a series of software and function modules that help integrate Schmalz products even more quickly into the end user’s process and control system.
For further information www.schmalz.com

Automation ups lathe productivity by 25%

German subcontractor Euler Feinmechanik, based in Schöffengrund near Frankfurt, has invested in three robotic machine-tending systems from Halter to automate the loading and unloading of DMG Mori lathes. The Halter range of LoadAssistant robotic machine-tending equipment is available in the UK from 1st Machine Tool Accessories.

Established more than 60 years ago and with around 75 employees, Euler Feinmechanik machines complex turned and milled parts such as optical bearing mounts, components for camera lenses, rifle scopes for hunting and the military, medical and aerospace parts, and housings and stators for vacuum pumps. Materials machined are mainly aluminium, brass, stainless steel and various plastics, such as PEEK, acetal and PTFE.

Managing director Leonard Euler says: “Automation and robotisation are important aspects of our continuous improvement. We’re constantly thinking about whether we can optimise individual processes so that they interface even more smoothly.”

In 2016, Euler Feinmechanik bought a new CTX beta 800 4A CNC turn-mill centre from DMG Mori for the production of particularly complex components for vacuum equipment. Euler considered several brands of machine-tending equipment, as he was keen to find the best solution and make a future-proof choice on which the subcontractor could standardise.

“Halter is a specialist in this field and not only had a good automation solution, but also great references and a working demonstration that showed exactly what we wanted,” says Euler. “In the end, we opted for one of its Universal Premium 20 cells.”

A year after purchasing the first DMG Mori turning centre and retrofitting it with automated loading and unloading, Euler Feinmechanik bought two more lathes from the same source.
The two new machines were immediately equipped with Industry 4.0-compliant Halter loading robots identical to the first. Production on all three twin-spindle lathes can continue unattended for an average of half a shift, which maximises productivity and reduces labour costs.
For further information www.1mta.com

MACHINING IN THE SUB 5 MICRON RANGE

Focusing on the production of components for machine tools, as well as main spindles, SPL Präzisionsfertigung GmbH in Germany demands the utmost in precision. For this reason, the company invests in boring and tooling technology from Big Kaiser, which is available in the UK from cutting tool specialist Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).

Andreas Pilz, the managing director of SPL Präzisionsfertigung GmbH, which was founded in 2007, says: “We started with just 14 workers and today we employ 30 highly skilled employees. We produce all manner of parts for turning, milling and grinding spindles, as well as special spindles and test-bench spindles.”

The production of main spindles requires the utmost precision, accuracy and care, so from the very beginning, SPL has regularly invested significant resources into employee training and state-of-the-art technology. In 2019, the company took the decision to build a brand new, air-conditioned production hall, purchasing a high-precision machining centre from Hermle together with all the necessary tools and accessories. This investment enabled SPL to stay on top of precision manufacturing, enabling the production of spindle housings, which are now an essential segment in its product portfolio.

For the task of finish-machining prismatic parts or spindle housings, SPL has also purchased a Hermle C62U five-axis machining centre.

“We made the decision to invest in a state-of-the-art machine and I remember writing to various manufacturers, but Hermle was the only supplier not discouraged by our demanding specifications and strict accuracy requirements,” explains Pilz. “This cutting-edge five-axis milling machine meets the most stringent demands in terms of machine kinematics and positioning accuracies, which are necessary for production in the ≤0.005 mm range.”

SPL utilises fine boring heads from Big Kaiser to ensure that the bearing bores in the spindle housings also meet the company’s precision tolerances.

“It was while machining a test workpiece at the headquarters of the machine manufacturer Hermle in Gosheim that we first saw the fine boring heads from Big Kaiser in action,” says Pilz. “The quality of the bores was second to none and convinced us from the very outset that Big Kaiser was the optimal choice. We would not only be purchasing a high-precision tool, but also gaining access to expert technical support and assistance from Jochen Renz, technical manager of customer service at Big Daishowa, the sister company of Big Kaiser in Germany. This was extremely important for us, particularly concerning our strict parameters such as rotational speeds, cutting and feed rates.”

SPL relies heavily on the digital EWE fine-boring heads from Big Kaiser.

“The industrial components that SPL produces are very expensive,” points out Enrico Müller, application engineer at Big Daishowa. “So it makes sense to rely on the proven quality provided by Big Kaiser’s digital fine-boring heads. We would use them regardless, even if only to eliminate reading errors in the very tight tolerance ranges under which we operate,”

Adds Pilz: “Another advantage of digital fine-boring heads is their ultra-fine handling accuracy. High-precision machining requires the utmost care and cleanliness. When manufacturing in the micron range, the machine, as well as the tool, must also ideally be in the micron range. In our situation it’s a clear-cut case with no room for compromises.”

Big Kaiser has a modular system that covers all diameters and lengths. Fine-boring heads can be adapted in a modular fashion to diameters and boring depths with various adaptations. The HSK-A 100 tool interface and the solid extensions provide high stability, even at great depths. Due to the system’s vertical tool infeed design, errors caused by tool deflection are prevented and the achieved cylindrical shape of the bores is less than or equal to 0.005mm.

The EWE fine-boring heads feature a high-precision insert-holder diameter adjustment. Since SPL spindle diameters range from 60 to 400 mm diameter, with bore lengths up to 800 mm, the company uses bridge tools from the 318 series. The 318 series is suitable for various applications such as roughing, finishing, tenoning and face grooving. It is based on aluminium bridges of varying lengths that can be combined with a variety of aluminium and steel components for roughing and finishing configurations. The tool components are plugged on to the bridges at specific points and bolted in place. As a point of note, the precise positioning of the components on the bridges, together with setting scales for the fine-boring heads, allows for fast and easy diameter setting.

SPL also uses Big Kaiser spindle tools for roughing operations on an MTE milling machine. However, in this application, two cutting edges are utilised on the tool, not just one as is the case with finishing.

“Mr Müller, who has worked together with us on the project from the very beginning, came up with the great idea, right on-site, that we could try roughing using a two-flute cutter on our MTE,” explains Pilz. “As a result, our machining speed is now five times greater than before with the milling tool. This is important, we’re talking about an 80% time improvement, not to mention a better surface finish and reduced costs.”

Now, 15 fine-boring heads from Big Kaiser are in use at SPL, for the fine boring of bearing bores and roughing during re-boring.

“We could not be more satisfied with the results,” concludes Pilz. “The tools, the service as well as the advice are all top-notch, there is simply no other way to put it. Our industry places the highest possible demands on us in terms of precision, accuracy and quality. Nevertheless, with the tools from Big Kaiser, coupled with their consulting competence and on-site support, success is practically guaranteed. In this case, we’re also a little proud that we’ve earned our place in the ≤ 5 µm range.”
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk