A ‘SOUND’ INVESTMENT IN QUALITY

Globally renowned as a leading designer and manufacturer of high-fidelity sound system equipment, such as turntables, streaming systems, amps and speakers, Linn Products employs approximately 160 people at the company’s impressive Glasgow headquarters. Rather than pursue a business model of planned obsolescence, due to the modular nature of Linn Products’ hardware and software, all of the company’s systems are upgradeable. In addition to the ability to evolve, the enduring quality and longevity of the company’s systems ensures the best sound possible for the lifetime of each product.

Quality permeates every aspect of Linn’s activities. To ensure the build quality of the company’s products – and to guarantee their sound reproduction and clarity – in addition to long lasting performance, the company’s staff perform painstaking inspection routines throughout all stages of manufacture.

In order to reduce the company’s reliance on subcontractors, further increase the autonomous nature of its manufacturing operation and provide even greater control over the quality of its components, Linn Products recently made several investments in advanced machine tools.

These investments included the purchase of a bespoke manufacturing cell from Mills CNC. The fully automated system includes a Doosan DVF 5000 five-axis machine tool and a Fanuc six-axis industrial robot. The impressive new cell now runs unattended overnight and at weekends, and has provided significant productivity gains.

Due to the enhanced accuracy capabilities and the high-yield nature of Linn Products’ new manufacturing plant, Chris O’Brien, director of operations, searched for an advanced CMM that had the ability to keep pace with the company’s increased production of precise components. Following a successful and practical demonstration at Mitutoyo’s East Kilbride showroom, an order was placed for a recently launched Crysta-Apex S series CNC CMM.

Explaining Linn Products’ passionate quality philosophy and the purchase of the Crysta-Apex S, O’Brien says: “Ever since Linn Products was stablished in 1973, we have constantly pushed technology forwards in the pursuit of perfect sound. From our very first product, the iconic Sondek LP12 turntable, we have been at the forefront of audio technology.

“All of our high-fidelity sound systems are assembled by hand at our Glasgow factory, and each one bears the name of the person who made it,” he continues. “Our systems are engineered to extraordinarily tight tolerances. To help ensure the continuing quality of our products and guarantee their prolonged performance, all systems are subject to painstaking inspection and testing at each stage of manufacture. Then, prior to despatch, we thoroughly test every product to ensure that it delivers outstanding performance.

After bringing the machining of many of its previously outsourced components in-house, Linn Products needed to source a highly efficient and accurate means of providing inspection.

“Having considered other options, a demonstration of a Crysta-Apex S at our local Mitutoyo showroom proved that it was the ideal advanced CMM for our demanding needs,” says O’Brien. “As it had the ideal size to accommodate our components, we ordered a Crysta-Apex S544 model with a capacity of 500 x 400 x 400 mm.

“Following our new Mitutoyo CMM’s trouble-free installation, our engineering staff were trained in its operation,” continues O’Brien. “As the CMM’s operating system and software are so logical and intuitive, our staff could soon perform a range of inspection routines. Although, when needed they can request help over the telephone from Mitutoyo’s technical staff. Our Crysta-Apex S series machine is now making a significant contribution to Linn Products’ quality management systems.”

Mitutoyo CMMs come in a wide range of sizes and accuracy classes, enabling them to cover practically all precision 3D measuring applications. A large variety of contact and non-contact probes are available, allowing users to perform a wide range of different measurement routines. Complementing Mitutoyo’s CMM hardware, the company’s powerful, yet easy-to-use analysis software allows the interpretation of all measurement results in the timely manner that is so essential for keeping pace with today’s fast-paced production speeds.

The Crysta-Apex S series of high-accuracy CNC CMMs guarantee a maximum permissible length measurement error of E0,MPE = (1.7+3L/1000) μm [500/700/900 series]. In addition, the CMMs deliver a maximum drive speed of 519 mm/s and a maximum acceleration of 2309 mm/s2, resulting in an increase of almost 100 mm in drive distance per second when compared with general-purpose CNC CMMs.

Designed to deliver high rigidity, Mitutoyo’s Crysta-Apex S series CMMs feature unyielding structures. The Y-axis guide rails, which are attached to one side of the granite surface plates, help the machines to maintain high levels of accuracy over years of use. The CMM’s air bearings are located on the bottom faces of the guide rails; also on the front, rear and upper surfaces of the X-axis slider unit. This arrangement helps to minimise vibration, even during high-speed, high-acceleration movements, and ensure stable linear motion. The high-speed and high-acceleration qualities of Crysta-Apex S CMMs dramatically reduces measuring times, says Mitutoyo.

In addition to being a CMM suitable for use in pristine quality departments, thanks to the use of a temperature compensation system, Crysta-Apex S CMMs are able to guarantee the accuracy of measurement under temperature conditions of 16 to 26°C. The temperature compensation system is based on permanently installed temperature sensors located on each scale, working together with sensors placed on the workpiece.

For further information
www.mitutoyo.co.uk

Best-practice kitemark introduced

Make UK has partnered with support platform Next Gen Makers to develop an engineering apprenticeships employer kitemark that will recognise companies who achieve a best-practice benchmark and thus endorse them as an exemplary employer of apprentices.
The kitemark will be available to companies that are part of the recently launched Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme – a Make UK backed initiative that helps to overcome skills challenges and build talent for future success. It is open to any UK engineering or manufacturing company running an engineering apprenticeship programme.

For further information
www.nextgenmakers.co.uk/best-practice

75 years in precision cleaning and welding

Emerson is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Branson brand, a name that has become synonymous with ultrasonic technologies for plastics and metal welding, as well as precision cleaning. The company says that the Branson portfolio has led the industry with expanded offerings beyond ultrasonics, developing nine other material joining technologies including laser, vibration and infrared welding. Emerson marked the anniversary at its new $49m global headquarters for welding and precision cleaning technologies. The new facility bolsters Emerson’s innovation in advanced design, engineering and joining technologies.

For further information www.emerson.com

Dustcontrol to show evolved range

Dustcontrol UK will be exhibiting its updated range of high-performance extraction equipment at Advanced Engineering 2021. Taking place on 3-4 November at the NEC in Birmingham, the Dustcontrol team will be showcasing the firm’s extensive range of both fixed and mobile cyclone-based dust extractors and air cleaners at stand L92.

The latest addition to the DC Tromb mobile extraction unit family, the Hepa 13 filtered DC Tromb Turbo offers optimum quality, containment and performance, says the company. One of the major updates is the three-phase turbo motor that has been added specifically to enable running for long periods without the need to switch off. The new model has also been developed with a thermal protector that activates at high temperatures, while a simpler filter change has been included for easier and quicker removal.
Another piece of equipment on show will be the DCF Immersion, a mobile pre-separator made for handling metals like titanium and magnesium and other reactive materials in a safe way. The material is sucked/transported through a neutralising fluid and collected in a fine net basket, staying in the fluid until emptied. The compact and portable unit offers easy transportation between workstations, while the mobile pre-separator is suitable for use with either a mobile dust extraction unit or centralised system.

Dustcontrol’s team will also be exhibiting its smart control panel, a compact and efficient control system for central vacuum systems and the majority of more complex installations. Attendees will also be able to get up close to the DC 11-Module, an optimised stand-alone centralised vacuum unit for source extraction and industrial cleaning.

For further information
www.dustcontroluk.co.uk

Stelweld invests in shot-blast machine

When a Polish manufacturer of complex steel weldments was ready to invest in a new shot-blast machine, quality, capacity, high equipment uptime and integration into the manufacturing flow were key selection criteria. As an essential part of the pre-treatment operation for a cathodic painting line, the new shot-blast system had to produce optimal surface preparation results within an interlinked work flow in a three-shift operation. The company chose a Rösler RHBD 17/32-K continuous-feed spinner hanger blast machine because of its wear-resistant design and favourable operating costs.

The specialty of Stelweld is the production of complex steel weldments, including machining, laser and CNC cutting and bending processes, as well as painting and powder coating.

Danuta Dobrzynska, project manager at Stelweld, says: “Within the framework of a recent expansion we wanted to automate the shot-blasting operation and integrate it into the painting line. To date, the paint preparation process was predominantly manual.

“Rösler does not offer the lowest price, but with regard to quality and technical features this supplier offered many advantages,” continues Dobrzynska. “Compared with competitor products, all essential components of the Rösler shot -blast machine consist of wear-resistant materials, such as the blades of the turbines, which are made from forged tool steel.”

The Rösler RHBD 17/32-K continuous feed spinner hanger blast machine allows the blast cleaning of a wide spectrum of 3D weldments with dimensions of up to 2500 x 1200 x 3000 mm (L x W x H) and weight up to 1250 kg. At cycle times of 6 to 8 minutes, the automatic shot-blasting process produces a finishing quality of SA 2.5 on the entire surface of the steel weldments to ensure excellent paint adhesion.

For further information
www.rosler.com