Economic influence

Some of the biggest private-sector investments into UK advanced manufacturing over the past 15 years “would not have happened without the AMRC”, according to a new report confirming it as a “signature asset” having brought more than £260m and 600 jobs to South Yorkshire. The Economic Impact Analysis report by Lichfields sets out how the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre is a magnet for capital investment, acts as a lever for improved social mobility through its training centre, and supports a 520-strong high-value workforce that contributes more than £55m to the economy.
For further information www.bit.ly/3AGfZMB

CME robot cell increases productivity

When CME Ltd received a request to develop a fully automated solution for a pneumatic valve assembly, a six-axis robot was at the heart of its innovative system. The robot performs a series of different pick and place, orientation, transfer and assembly operations in combination with several dedicated workstations and peripheral technologies, increasing output and productivity.

In simple terms, the application requires the assembly of a pneumatic valve body that comprises of several individual parts, including a coil, circlip, label and adhesive. The robot collects parts from a series of magazine drawer systems that both present the individual components and store the fully assembled items. The system can automatically assemble 600 parts in an eight-hour shift.

Historically, the assembly of these valve bodies took place manually, with an operator requiring 90 seconds to complete the various tasks for a single valve assembly. There were several objectives targeted as part of the transition from manual to fully automated assembly, such as eliminating repetitive manual tasks, reducing the time needed for assembly and subsequently increasing productivity while reducing manufacturing costs. The automation of the different assembly operations also makes it possible to introduce additional quality checks that improve quality and yield.

Cell capacity is 300 assemblies before the system requires re-priming with fresh components. The total run-time to empty, without stoppages, is approximately 4 hours with an average cycle time of 48 seconds. This represents a saving of over 45% on the original manual cycle time of 90 seconds. The system achieves all of the initial objectives, while a further benefit is its potential for re-tooling to produce other part variants in future.
For further information www.cme-ltd.com

MTC offers four-day week to staff

The Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry will permanently implement flexible working – including a four-day week – following a large-scale, two-year trial which saw more than half of employees report higher productivity. The MTC’s 820 employees can now opt for a four-day week under the centre’s fully flexible working week initiative.

“We’ve been operating flexible working patterns since April 2018, but employee engagement surveys have shown that staff wanted to extend this further,” says Vicki Sanderson, HR director at the MTC. “We explored a range of options, including researching what was important for millennials and generation Z, as 79% of our workforce fall into these categories. Work-life balance was the priority.”
For further information www.the-mtc.org

New Hainbuch system is ‘game changer’

The new Hainbuch System is said to be a ‘game changer’ for manufacturers seeking efficient and flexible work holding. This quick-change innovation allows manufacturers to clamp 1000 different workpieces without the need for a multitude of solutions. With the Hainbuch System, engineers now only need one basic clamping device, a chuck or a stationary chuck that remains on the machine tool. Whether it is OD, ID, prismatic components, jaw, magnetic or clamping between centres – the Hainbuch System provides a solution.

In short, the Hainbuch System is a new series of mandrels and adaptors that encompasses the complete range of Hainbuch products. This includes the TOPlus Premium chuck, which guarantees a runout of ≤5 μm without alignment, regardless of which clamping head is in use.

Also capable of working in harmony with the new Hainbuch System is the SpannTop mini chuck series. The Mando Adapt mandrel and corresponding jaw module already work perfectly with the new SpannTop mini, meaning complete autonomy for any small component clamping needs.

Unlike the SpannTop mini chuck, the configuration for the TOPlus system is a little different. Whereas the SpannTop uses an adaptor ring, the TOPlus system has a ring of attachment holes to secure the market-leading jaw module.

The SpannTop and TOPlus Mini series are available with a full through-bore plus a variety of standard lengths to suit all machine types and draw-tube configurations. For the customer, this range of possibilities gives flexibility with OD clamping via the clamping head and ID clamping with the mandrel-adapting Mando Adapt system, while complete jaw clamping can be accommodated with the new jaw-adapting module.
For further information www.hainbuch.com

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