Six Hurco three-axis VMCs carry out the majority of prismatic machining in the tool room of Beccles-based plastic packaging manufacturer Berry M&H. Although the firm dates back to 1973, the first Hurco machines, a VM10i and a VMX30i, did not arrive until 2015 when the assets of another tool-making company were acquired.

Berry M&H’s Beccles tool-room manager Kurt Knights, who has been with the company for over 20 years, says: “When we started using WinMax conversational software in the Hurco control, it made shop-floor programming far easier and quicker for our operators – and it simplified training for new employees and apprentices alike.

Offline code generation for a mould takes typically 10 hours, while the shop-floor element takes around two hours, much faster and more simply than is possible on a machining centre driven by a G-code control, says Hurco. It quickly became apparent that the Hurco/WinMax combination was highly suitable for Berry M&H’s requirements, which centre mainly on the fast-turnaround production of moulds from 170 mm-wide Alumec 89 billets. Most moulds comprise neck, body and base blocks manufactured from this high-strength aluminium alloy, held together by a steel back plate.

The company purchased two new Hurco VM5i three-axis VMCs for machining these moulds, with a third added in 2019. In November 2020, a larger Hurco VM30i with a 1270 x 508 x 508 mm working volume arrived that Knights describes as “a superb machine and excellent value for money”. The investment was because of Berry M&H’s decision to move more strongly into the production of bigger moulds up to 700 mm wide and with up to six cavities.

For further information
www.hurco.co.uk

A new five-axis version of the existing Makino Slim3n VMC focuses on the high-volume production of complex parts. Complete with optional automatic twin-pallet changer (APC), availability of the Japanese-built machine in the UK and Ireland is through sole agent NCMT.
The production centre is FEA-optimised with a fixed 600 x 400 mm table to maximise the working envelope (500 x 400 x 500 mm) and provide structural rigidity for heavy payloads. In total, the combined maximum weight of the component and fixture is 400 kg. High productivity is courtesy of up to 20 m/min cutting feed rates in all orthogonal axes and 50 m/min rapids.
Notably, the tall machining area makes the VMC not only compact but, according to NCMT, the only machine in its class able to accommodate vertically-oriented fixtures. A short spindle overhang increases the structure’s overall torsional stiffness and reduces vibration to enhance cutting performance.
The Makino HSK-A50 spindle, having constant pre-load, multi-plane balancing and reduced thermal growth, provides rigidity and high-speed running. Two specifications offer 16,000 rpm/15 kW/36 Nm as standard or, optionally, 8000 rpm/18 kW/80 Nm to cater for a wide range of machining applications. The standard 26-pocket magazine of the automatic tool changer with integral door delivers smooth, fast indexing to support high productivity.
In the five-axis version, the Slim3n VMC gains a two-axis CNC rotary table and trunnion arrangement, with a Fanuc Series 0i-MF control providing complex machining possibilities by interpolating up to four CNC axes simultaneously. A four-axis version, with twin drive to the trunnion but without a rotary table, is available for machining heavier components or taking deep roughing cuts.

For further information
www.ncmt.co.uk

A 150 mm diameter quill that extends up to 750 mm from the Heckert HEC 1800 machining centre’s Z-axis spindle enables the use of ‘conventional’ rigid tooling for deep internal machining tasks without fear of compromising the accuracy or quality of workpiece finishes, says Starrag UK.

The extendable spindle is just one of the technology options on the multi-axis HEC 1800 which, with its 1.8 x 1.25 m table capable of accommodating 13-tonne workpieces up to 2700 mm tall, is the largest in Heckert’s HEC range of four-/five-axis horizontal machining centres. In fact, the quill option is available on machines from 800 mm table size upwards.

As well as several standard horizontal spindle options, a range of horizontal and vertical four- and five-axis heads, for example, can also be specified to suit user needs, as well as chain or tower tool storage for up to 450 tools. In addition, a 400 rpm NC rotary table is an option for in-process turning on the larger machines.

The Heckert HEC 1800 has X, Y and Z-axis travel of 3400 x 2800 x 2335 mm, while the 84 kW spindle produces up to 12,500 rpm and 1500 Nm torque.

One of eight Starrag machines installed progressively since 2003 at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and at sister centre Nuclear AMRC by Starrag as part of its membership of both facilities, a Heckert HEC 1800 P150 is available at the Nuclear AMRC to help UK manufacturers optimise their machining.

For further information
www.starrag.com