Ondrives gears-up for precision grinding

The ability to carry-out the highest standards of cylindrical grinding is a prerequisite when manufacturing precision gears and associated components. In order to achieve the necessary demanding levels of dimensional, roundness and surface-finish specifications, Chesterfield-based Ondrives recently purchased a Studer S31 cylindrical grinding machine from Micronz.

Having enjoyed excellent service from a Studer S21 cylindrical grinding machine since 2011, the decision to install a second Studer machine was prompted by the need to increase the company’s high-precision internal, external and thread-form grinding capacity, and help satisfy increasing customer demand for its gear-related products.

When compared with Ondrive’s existing S21 model, the Studer S31 cylindrical grinding machine has increased the company’s between centres grinding capacity from 400 to 1000 mm.

Ondrives managing director Ben Hinchliffe says: “To satisfy our requirements, with the help of Micronz, the Studer S31 cylindrical grinding machine was specified with the addition of several options, including a synchronous driven tailstock. This enables our operators to complete grinding work in a single set-up, rather than making multiple changeovers. The Studer S31 has more than doubled our between-centres grinding capacity, thus increasing our precision grinding capabilities and significantly raising efficiency levels.”

The Studer S31, as purchased by Ondrives, has a centre height of 175 mm and is available with between-centre options of 400, 650, 1000 and 1600 mm. Reduced set-up and resetting costs, especially in single-part or small-batch production, are made possible by the S31’s turret wheel-head with several grinding wheels. The machine’s swivelling wheel-head is equipped with water-cooled, roller-based, maintenance-free motor spindles with step-less speed control and the latest generation of contact sensors.

For further information
www.micronz.co.uk

Setting out the case for panel benders

Penn Elcom, a manufacturer of hardware for flight cases, speaker cabinets and 19-inch racking solutions, has seen benefits such as faster cycle times and shorter lead times thanks to the phased replacement of press brakes with advanced LEAN-series panel benders from Salvagnini. Investment of this level reflects the company’s global status as a $60m turnover business with a catalogue that contains more than 3000 products in the field of stage technology.

“We’re the biggest manufacturer of flight case hardware in the world,” states Roger Willems, founder and chairman of Penn Elcom. “There can’t be many bands or orchestras that do not use our products. Everyone thinks we’re American, but I started the company here in the UK.”

It was 1974 when Willems founded the business in the village of Penn, Buckinghamshire, where his first investment was a pre-owned power press costing £250. But from small acorns mighty oaks grow. In 2003, Penn merged with Elcom, a US flight case specialist and the company’s primary competitor. Today, Penn Elcom has UK manufacturing sites in Hastings (where the Salvagnini panel benders are located) and Tyne & Wear, as well as subsidiaries in 15 countries worldwide.

Among the specialisms at the Hastings facility are products for 19-inch racking systems. These units are essentially standardised frames or enclosures used extensively in stage technology for mounting multiple electronic equipment modules. The 19-inch racking products manufactured on site include cabinets, enclosures, shock-mount systems, rack strips/rails, shelves, drawers, panels and doors, all of which require folds. Until recently the company relied on a selection of 10 press brakes to undertake bending operations, but since making the transition to its first of four Salvagnini panel benders in 2017, the site has achieved major advances. So what prompted the switch?

“The manufacture of 19-inch racking solutions at Hastings commenced about seven years ago as we were having quality issues with products imported from China,” explains Willems. “We had some high-end press brakes from reputed manufacturers on site, but as demand grew, particularly for large panels, it became more challenging. For example, if you take a steel panel that’s 1.5 m tall, weighs 15 kg and contains 15 folds, it is physically difficult to manipulate it efficiently.”

Willems had long-known of Salvagnini panel benders, but always thought these advanced machines would be beyond his budget.
“However, one night I was on the internet looking at panel benders and curiosity got the better of me, so I made my first enquiry for a Salvagnini,” he explains. “It struck me as quite a big leap from a press brake to a Salvagnini, akin to replacing a two-seater propeller aircraft with a jet. And yet, when I learnt the price range, I was pleasantly surprised. I subsequently sent three products to Salvagnini that were proving difficult to fold using our press brakes. One of these products – a cabinet corner post – was about 2 m in length, 2.5 mm thick and had 8-10 folds. It necessitated three lifts on a press brake, so our existing cycle time was around 15 minutes, and we had quite a high reject rate.”

The trials showed that a Salvagnini panel bender could fold these products in just 50 seconds, prompting Penn Elcom to invest in its first machine.

“That was in 2017, and we now have four Salvagnini LEAN-series panel benders at Hastings, as well as one in China,” says Willems.

The Hastings site houses a Salvagnini P1, (Mini Panel Bender with a bend length of 1,250mm) and three P4lean automatic panel benders. The latest P4lean arrived in February 2021. Of the 10 press brakes owned by the company prior to the panel bender era, only three remain on site.

“Finding the skills to run press brakes is not easy, so the Salvagnini machines have also helped in that regard,” says Willems. “All of our panel benders run 24/7, with typically one operator looking after two machines. Their reliability and repeatability has been outstanding from the start – we have zero rejects – and I can see us adding more in the future.”

The Salvagnini P4lean panel bender natively combines productivity with its automatic bending and handling cycle. Process flexibility is inherent thanks to universal bending tools that automatically adapt to the panel geometry in-cycle, without machine downtime or manual re-tooling.

With its advanced cycles, a machine such as the P4lean completes an average of 17 bends per minute. At Penn Elcom, some of the Salvagnini machines feature a number of options that boost capability even further. The CUT option, for example, enables the automatic cutting of different profile lengths, materials, thicknesses and shapes from a single blank, making separation cuts after each sequence of bends.

The company has also taken a special V-score option, which can help deliver a tighter outside radius, as well as a special narrow blank-holder for the P-tool that can help process smaller parts deemed not possible on panel benders.

“Our operators absolutely love the Salvagnini machines,” says Willems. “I’ve been in the manufacturing sector for 50 years and I have to say Salvagnini panel benders are easily the cleverest machines that I have encountered. If I didn’t know better I would swear there is a little person hidden inside turning the metal around. We have visitors come in who are completely mesmerised.”

Willems suggests that if he had remained with press-brake technology his current lead times for cabinets would be as high as 16-20 weeks, with little potential to produce samples.

Samples and prototypes are an important part of business at Penn Elcom as the company is constantly developing new products to help spur further growth. A good example is DoorJammer, a portable door security device. Ever laid awake at night in a hotel room worrying about security? DoorJammer is the solution. Willems even presented the device on BBC television programme Dragons’ Den in 2017. DoorJammer is now a fully incorporated company within the Penn Elcom Group.

Another example is the PBX1 parcel box, offering a secure solution to unattended parcel delivery.

“The PBX1 is already selling in good numbers but if, as expected, it starts selling in really high volumes, we would sink without the Salvagnini panel benders,” says Willems. “We’ve learnt to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, and the Salvagnini machines allow us to do that. You can’t be a pioneer in industry if you don’t take risks.”

For further information
www.salvagninigroup.com

SYNERGi – to the power of three

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, is implementing a new digital marketing campaign to promote its recently-launched SYNERGi automated manufacturing cells. The campaign, which starts this month, kicks-off with a series of teaser/promotional ads for each of the company’s three standard SYNERGi systems: SYNERGi Premier, SYNERGi Classic and SYNERGi Sprint. Promotion will be via the company’s YouTube channel, as well as its e-marketing and social media programmes.

Says Mills CNC’s technical director Tony Dale: “We’ve invested significant time and resources in creating our SYNERGi automated manufacturing cells. As we emerge from the pandemic we know that automation – and the dramatic ways it can improve productivity, flexibility and operational efficiencies – is going to be an issue high on every component manufacturer’s agenda.”

For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

£90m to fire up UK aerospace

Around 1400 jobs across the UK will be secured thanks to nearly £90m of investment in aerospace manufacturing. The government/industry funding for five major projects through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme aims to improve manufacturing within the aerospace sector, developing technology to make production lines quicker, more efficient and more cost-effective.

Minister for Business Paul Scully said: “This multi-million-pound cash injection will safeguard vital jobs and support the aerospace sector as it builds back stronger after the pandemic. Manufacturing is at the very heart of UK industry, and innovative processes will ensure that the country is at the forefront of global efforts as we develop technology that can power a green aviation revolution.”

For further information
www.gov.uk

Okamato is ‘go to’ grinder

Rotherham-based Go Tools Ltd has recently invested in two Okamoto ACC450AV precision surface and profile grinding machines from DF Precision Machinery, Okamoto’s UK distributor.

Technical director Steven Barrowcliff says: “To help prove the ACC450AV’s capabilities, I witnessed a demonstration of the machine performing a range of demanding grinding tasks. The grinder confirmed its suitability for our needs, and we were happy to place an order for two machines.

“After installation and operator training, the new Okamoto machines soon began to make a significant contribution to our surface and profile grinding work,” continues Barrowcliff. “In addition to high precision and surface finish, their ease of use and speed has resulted in the machines becoming popular with our grinding staff.

“High-standards of surface and profile grinding are critical to the quality of the tools that we manufacture, and these attributes are exactly what our Okamoto machines deliver. As we’ve been so impressed with our new Okamoto grinders, to help satisfy ever growing demand for our tools, we’re now planning to install two additional ACC450AV machines.”

The Okamoto ACC450AV precision surface and profile grinding machine, as purchased by Go Tools, provides a length capacity of 450 mm across travel of 170 mm, while the maximum grinding height between the machine’s table and grinding wheel is 357.5 mm. Standard equipment includes a micro cross-feeder that allows fast and simple change over from 0.02 to 0.001 mm graduations. A high-visibility cross-feed digital readout enables easy monitoring of all manual adjustments.

Okamoto’s variable speed wheel provides simple variable speed control of the grinding wheel, enabling it to match the material and surface-finish requirements of each workpiece.

For further information
www.dfpmach.com