Radan delivers higher profit margins for Alpha

Automatic nesting capability in Radan CADCAM software is achieving a sheet-metal subcontractor’s target for its raw material utilisation as part of its ‘smart factory’ vision. Alpha Manufacturing provides a full range of sheet-metal services across a number of sectors, including automotive, agricultural, healthcare, retail and electronics.

The company was established in 1989 specifically to manufacture products for its sister company, Bri-Stor Systems, which had been set up six years previously. Bri-Stor is a specialist in light commercial vehicle conversions, supplying internal racking, roof equipment, on-board power and accessories.

Bri-Stor and Alpha Manufacturing share a 35-acre site at Hixon, Staffordshire. The former’s solutions comprise consultancy and design, through to in-house manufacture, installation and livery application. Customers range from those with just a few vehicles, to hundreds, and include many well-known UK fleets.

Modular products for standard conversions include options designed for particular sectors, while bespoke solutions create kits which are fully customised around the specific needs of the customer’s fleet. For example, the Vantage range is an innovative storage system that maximises the usable space within the van. Unlike most internal racking systems, this features an asymmetric design which allows up to three times more tools or materials to be stored.

Initially Bri-Stor outsourced its sheet-metal fabrication requirements, before the decision was taken to build up its own manufacturing arm with Alpha Manufacturing.

Alpha’s marketing manager Chris Kidney says: “Originally we were dedicated to producing the van kit-out components for Bri-Stor, but fast-forward to today, and we now have a large portfolio of subcontract work, which actually outweighs our Bri-stor production.”

All components for both sides of Alpha’s business go through the dedicated sheet-metal CADCAM software, Radan, from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. Kidney says it is extremely important that the parts are high precision, often needing to be within ±0.2 mm. The process begins with laser cutting and punching on Trumpf, Bystronic and Pullmax CNC machines programmed with Radan tool paths and nests, before moving through the factory for folding, fabrication, welding, powder coating and assembly.

“Our biggest challenge was meeting customer deliveries on time, which Radan overcomes with its speedy programming, and by nesting components for individual van conversion kits on the same nest,” explains Kidney.

The company’s team of three full-time programmers makes full use of Radan’s nesting functionality, analysing the true shape, material and thicknesses of all components in a batch, separating and sorting automatically, to produce manufacturable, high-utilisation nests both from full sheets and offcuts.

Says Kidney: “As there’s no limit to nesting components of different sizes and shapes onto different materials and thicknesses, this delivers substantial material savings and improves machine efficiency.”

When the nests have been finalised and are ready for cutting, two of Alpha’s machines – a Trumpf TruPunch 6000 laser-punch combination machine and a Trumpf S12 punch press – can both feed off a Stopa automated storage system which leads to even greater efficiency and time savings. The entire Stopa system now runs 62 m down the centre of the factory, and contains 230 pallets capable of storing a total of around 600 tonnes of sheet metal. This automated system manages the process of stock storage and movement between machines, with all raw sheet metal stored in the towers from where it can be retrieved at the touch of a button.

Programming manager Mark Clews takes up the story: “At the very start of the process, our design team are given a SolidWorks drawing which they break down into a DXF file. This is then imported into Radan. The programmers open the file, along with the nesting works order, which tells them exactly what requires programming. They put that into their nesting schedule; sorting it into parts of the same thickness and those of different thicknesses. The tool paths are applied at the nesting stage to maintain the quality and integrity of the parts, while optimising the cutting sequence, enabling the machine tool to attain its full potential.”

Kidney adds: “The fact that we can process the parts extremely quickly from initial design to getting them on the shop floor ready for machining, has a significant effect on delivery times to Bri-Stor and subcontract customers, which in turn, improves our profitability.

“We’re currently pushing towards automation, high efficiency and lean manufacturing,” he continues. “The focus of this plan is on utilising high-tech machine automation to realise a ‘smart factory’ vision. Today, close to £4m has been invested to secure Alpha’s position as one of the most technically advanced factories in the industry. The Stopa storage system is a major part of that, and Radan plays a vital role with quick, powerful automatic nesting and good sheet utilisation.
“We have a standard procedure that every sheet we nest must be utilised to a minimum percentage. And we achieve that, thanks to Radan.”

For further information
www.radan.com

Investment doubles business at tool maker

A Scottish precision engineering company and tool maker to the plastics industry has doubled turnover since 2014 when it embarked on a programme of production equipment renewal. A majority of the investment went on four machine tools from Hurco, including three machining centres.

The engineering firm works around the clock servicing numerous industries, including automotive, defence, medical, pharmaceutical, plumbing, food and drink, and electronics, designing and manufacturing different tools from single impression prototype moulds to multi-impression production tools (pictured).

Half of the business comes from manufacturing decorative injection moulds that produce plastic caps and closures for premium bottles of whiskey, gin and other spirits. The designs of the bottle closures – comprising artwork and lettering – mostly require complex, intricate milling with ball-nose cutters, sometimes as small as 50 µm in diameter, held in heat-shrink back ends. Due to the small size of the cutters and the hardness of the tool steels processed – P20, Orvar Supreme, 113 grade and D2 – designs are generally machined into graphite EDM electrodes for subsequent die-sinking into the mould.
A spokesperson for the company says: “Much of the very fine milling is done on our Hurco VM10HSi machining centre.

Installed in 2018, it’s fitted with a Kitagawa rotary table 4th axis, 30,000 rpm spindle and an enclosure mounted on the table with air extraction to remove graphite dust from the working atmosphere. It is also a fantastic machine for high-speed milling directly into hardened materials, which we are doing more and more.”

The two other Hurco machining centre on site are VMX42i and VMX30i models, acquired in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

For further information
www.hurco.co.uk

UR sells 50,000th cobot

Collaborative robot (cobot) pioneer Universal Robots (UR) has sold its 50,000th UR cobot to German manufacturer VEMA GmbH. VEMA’s new arrival will join a fleet of three other UR cobots already deployed in pick and place tasks in end-of-line applications at the company. Christian Veser, managing director at VEMA, says: “With UR cobots we have enhanced our productivity remarkably and achieved better quality. Moreover, our employees have been released from ergonomically challenging work to focus on more value-added tasks.”

For further information
www.universal-robots.com

In-Comm Training plans expansion

In-Comm Training has outlined plans for investment in the launch of a new press and tooling line, alongside a number of collaborations, to help industry bounce back in 2021. Operating three academies across the Black Country and Shropshire, In-Comm is looking to support companies with upskilling requirements, access to new digital skills and over 60 trailblazer apprenticeships. The offer includes, for the first time, access to a Level 6 Apprenticeship in toolmaking with the CBM, and the formation of strategic partnerships with the University of Wolverhampton’s Institute of Technology and Gestamp.

For further information www.in-comm.co.uk

Rapid response from XYZ

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic the focus was on ventilators, but as things developed testing became the priority of Government. Step forward Atherstone-based Shield Marquee Manufacturing. While its usual customer base, the hospitality industry, continues to face strict restrictions, Shield Marquees became part of the marquee hire industry’s National Emergency Testing Stations Network (NETS). Working with the Government, NETS has been central in supplying the network of test centres for COVID-19 with temporary structures. The demand for a quick response, however, placed significant pressure on Shield Marquee’s manufacturing capability.

“With every structure containing multiple machined components, such as leg and ridge knuckles, we found that our existing machine capacity was limited, and the volumes we were asked to produce were leading to backlogs,” says director Matthew Faizey.

While speed was crucial, Faizey was cautious and carried out due diligence online of a select group of machine-tool suppliers, with XYZ Machine Tools coming out on top.

“If I’m going to spend a significant amount of money, I want to do my research and check on a supplier’s viability, history, reputation and ability to support my business,” he says. “XYZ Machine Tools impressed in all respects. In particular, was the knowledge that we could get support in terms of service and programming very quickly, as we can’t afford for the machine to be down for any length of time.”

With that reassurance and time ticking away, Faizey contacted XYZ Machine Tools at 09:30 on a Friday morning. XYZ’s area sales manager jumped in his car and by lunchtime the order was placed and paid for. The following Tuesday the machine, an XYZ 1000 LR vertical machining centre, was delivered, commissioned and ready for production.

For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com