XYZ helps Wykes on green energy drive

Wykes Engineering is at the forefront of the green energy revolution, manufacturing a range of products for renewable power generation. Demand for new systems and expansion of existing on-site anaerobic generation capacity at its Rushden location led to investment in machining capacity, part of which saw the arrival of large-capacity turning in the shape of an XL 780 lathe from XYZ Machine Tools.

The XYZ XL 780 with its 780 mm swing over the bed and 3 m distance between centres provides Wykes Engineering with the capacity and versatility it requires for the machining of smaller parts. This investment was Wykes Engineering’s first move into CNC turning, so priorities had to include ease-of-use, and support for programmers and operators.
“The Siemens control was completely new to us, but we’ve found it extremely easy to use, especially with the training support we received from XYZ Machine Tools,” says John Houghton, design engineer at Wykes. “We had a demonstration of the machine at XYZ’s factory on a Monday, which convinced us that it was the right machine and control. We placed the order the following week and the machine was installed and commissioned just 10 days later.”

The XYZ XL 780 also offered other advantages to Wykes Engineering, including the price. Having reviewed the market for lathes of this capacity, the company found the XYZ machine to be 10-20% less expensive than its competitors. Also, Wykes was reassured that service support and spares were readily available should the need arise.

“If we had any questions relating to programming and operating the machine, which was all part of our learning curve, they were answered with a simple phone call to XYZ,” concludes Houghton.

For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com

Edgecam behind vaccine containers

Now that the first vaccine for COVID-19 has gained approval – with others expected to follow – a supplier to the pharmaceutical industry is manufacturing packaging components and delivery systems ready to support distribution once availability is assured. West Pharmaceutical Services has 25 manufacturing sites around the world, including a plant in Bodmin, Cornwall, where it manufactures tools for elastomeric packaging components.

Production of the company’s mould tools takes place on a range of Makino, Haas and Ingersoll CNC machining centres, many with five axes. Interim production manager Chris Tamblyn says all programming, from simple, basic operations, through to complex, fully automated five-axis machining, goes through Edgecam CAM software.

For further information
www.edgecam.com

187 robots help produce Fiat 500 EV

Comau has provided FCA and the Fiat brand with automation solutions and its know-how in the development of industrial processes to produce FCA’s first fully electric vehicle, a ‘Made in Turin’ product. The path started symbolically in July 2019 with the installation of the first Comau robot, which initiated the production line of the new fully electric Fiat 500 model inside FCA’s historic Mirafiori plant. A total of 187 Comau robots were subsequently integrated in the different phases of the car manufacturing process.

The Comau team also needed to adapt systems to a new body design of an iconic car, while responding to the technical characteristics of an electric vehicle. In particular, Comau developed and equipped body assembly lines dedicated to processing the structural parts of the ‘New 500’, including the front and rear floors, and the body sides and framing, which are assembled and welded to provide the complete car body with shape.

For further information
www.comau.com

Grayline turns to Dugard

Founded only five years ago, Grayline Engineering is a machine shop located in Woodbridge that typically reflects the general subcontract sector, manufacturing ‘anything and everything’, according to managing director Graham Chattenton. Central to the company’s growth is a strategy to invest in machine tools from Dugard.

“I used Dugard machines when I worked at other companies and they’ve always been helpful,” he says. “If there has ever been a service issue or problem with the machines, Dugard has stepped up to the mark and I’ve always been really happy with the results.”

When Grayline was set up five years ago it invested in two Dugard 32 sliding-head machines. To complement these machines, which have now been superseded in the Dugard range by the Hanwha series of sliding-head lathes, Grayline recently invested in a Dugard SMEC SL2000ASY sub-spindle turning centre with Y-axis machining capabilities.

With a swing over bed of 650 mm, a maximum machining diameter of 395 mm and a maximum machining length of 450 mm, this 8” chuck machine has been supplied with a Hydrafeed 65 bar feeding unit.

Offering a larger capacity than the sliding-head machines, the SMEC SL2000ASY has an 11/18.5 kW spindle motor with a maximum spindle speed of 4500 rpm, and a 5.5/7.5 kW motor on the sub-spindle. In addition, a driven tooling unit achieves a spindle speed of 5000 rpm from the 3.7/5.5 kW continuous live tooling motor.

Speaking about the purchase of the SMEC SL2000ASY slant-bed machine, Chattenton concludes: “The staff at Dugard are always quick to make sure that we’re getting everything we need to do the job. We pick up the phone and get all the answers we need.”

For further information
www.dugard.com

Pyrometer for aluminium forging

Ametek Land, a manufacturer of monitors and analysers for industrial infrared non-contact temperature measurement, has continued innovating its popular Spot AL EQS aluminium applications pyrometer by introducing two new modes for forging and forming applications.

The new F and F Mg (magnesium) algorithms extend Ametek Land’s capabilities to provide accurate, repeatable temperature measurements to additional aluminium production and processing industries. These new algorithms are suitable for reheating and secondary processing applications with thicker alloy-dependent oxide layers.

Ametek Land says that the F and F Mg modes of Spot AL EQS are suited to billet temperature measurements at entry to the extrusion press or during other aluminium pre-heating processes. The modes provide accurate digital temperature readings of low and variable emissivity aluminium to ensure optimised process speed and efficiency, and help deliver high-quality products with minimal scrap.

Spot AL EQS pyrometers now offer five measurement modes, with dedicated pre-set algorithms that provide the accurate digital temperature readings of low and variable emissivity aluminium. Potential F and F Mg applications include: billet profile; ingot/sales (re)heat furnace; pre-heating and forging; induction heating/heat treatment; mounting/shrinking; and preheating for coating/bending.

The Spot AL EQS non-contact infrared pyrometer provides a single sensor solution for aluminium extrusion, strip mill, forming/forging and further processing. It uses Ametek Land’s Spot technology and proprietary data-processing algorithms to measure aluminium temperature at the exit of an extruder press; quench and billets; strip mill; forging/forming applications; and forging/forming applications with high-magnesium content alloys.
Offering measurements ranging from 200 to 700°C, the pyrometer integrates with control systems to optimise throughput at the press or mill.

For further information
www.ametek-land.com