Pulling out all the stops

Mills CNC Automation has recently supplied a new Doosan collaborative robot (cobot) to NPI Solutions Ltd, a precision subcontractor based in Irvine, Ayrshire. The M1013 cobot, with its 1.3 m reach radius and 10 kg payload, is integrated with a Doosan DNM 350 5AX five-axis machining centre previously acquired from Mills CNC in 2016. Since installation, the cobot has proved its worth by helping NPI to optimise the spindle uptime on the Doosan machine, minimising operator interventions and improving output.

NPI is a company committed to continuous improvement and best practice. As such, the business regularly monitors, collects and analyses machine-tool performance data; calculating the effectiveness and efficiency (OEE) of the equipment it uses. The objectives are to accurately identify production ‘pinch points’, to remove and/or reduce the issues that cause machine downtime, and make manufacturing processes as productive as possible.

Says NPI’s managing director Kevin Priestley: “We invested in a Doosan five-axis machining centre five years ago to make us more productive, efficient and competitive. The ability to machine precision parts in one set-up, via 3+2 and 4+1 machining, was the appeal…and the goal.”

However, analysis of the machine’s performance over a period of time revealed that it was failing to deliver the expected results.

“It wasn’t the machine’s fault,” explains Priestley. “It was directly related to the type of production work we do, which is characterised by low volumes and small batches, and by short part cycle times.”

Being a high-mix, low-volume component manufacturer meant that the DNM 350 5AX could be idle for long periods each day to allow for frequent job set ups and changeovers.

“Machines don’t make money if they are not making chips,” states Priestley. “To improve our profitability we needed to increase the spindle uptime on our DNM 350 5AX.”

The company subsequently began to explore automation as a means of improving the machine’s utilisation and output.

NPI is no stranger to automation or unmanned operations, having previously invested in high-performance bar feeders to increase the productivity and performance of its CNC turning operations. To increase the productivity of its DNM 350 5AX machine, the company explored a number of automation options before deciding on the cobot investment.

Says Priestley: “There were a number of potential automation solutions available. We looked at automatic workpiece pallet-change systems and industrial robots, but their cost, floor-space requirements and complexity ruled them out.”

NPI required a more economically-viable and ‘simpler’ solution: one offering quick installation to transform the DNM 350 5AX into a flexible, automated manufacturing cell.

“We had investigated cobot technology before,” remembers Priestley. “The versatility of cobots in addition to their safety, their relatively lower investment cost and ease of deployment were attractive propositions. When we found out that Mills CNC, through its newly-created Automation Division, could supply us with not only a Doosan cobot but also project manage and undertake its installation and provide comprehensive training and applications support – we decided to put our plans into action. We visited Mills CNC Automation’s facility in Leamington to meet the application engineering team and discuss our specific requirements in more detail. Ultimately we gave the ‘green light’ to the investment.”

To undertake what are essentially machine-tending operations, NPI worked alongside Mills CNC Automation engineers to select the right cobot for the job. The chosen cobot (based on the dimensions and weight of parts machined on the DNM 350 5AX) was the M1013 model.

Offering a 10 kg maximum payload and 1.3 m reach, the M1013 also features six high-torque sensors that provide ‘best-in-class’ collision protection. The M1013 was supplied with a controller, a teach pendant, an RG6 (OnRobot) gripper and a Schunk work-holding package.

Situated adjacent to the DNM 350 5AX which, as part of the installation was fitted with an automatic door opening/closing facility, the cobot is programmed to pick up blanks positioned on a peg table and load them, in turn, into the machine where they are machined to completion.
Once machining operations are complete, the cobot takes the finished component from the machine and places it back on the peg board in its predetermined position. This cycle then repeats, with no operator intervention, until the completion of all parts.

Parts machined on the DNM 350 5AX are typically made from aluminium. These components vary in size from 15 x 15 x 15 mm at one end of the spectrum, through to 150 x 150 x 20 mm at the other. Cycle times can be as short as 2 minutes, or up to 60 minutes depending on part size, complexity and features.

“The ambition to create a flexible automated manufacturing cell has been realised through the cobot investment,” says Priestley. “During the day, the cell is programmed to machine components (with relatively short cycle times) unattended, allowing operators to work on other machines or perform other tasks. For parts with longer cycle times the cell is programmed to run attended overnight.”

NPI’s new cobot cell has helped it improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. The DNM 350 5AX is now running at 85% efficiency as opposed to just 50% efficiency prior to the cobot investment.

NPI is quick to acknowledge the skill and expertise of Mills CNC Automation’s engineers in designing and installing its new flexible automated manufacturing cell.

Says Priestley: “Everything went smoothly, from the design of the system through to its installation, proving out, and on-site and remote training. Mills CNC Automation took the time to understand our requirements. They demonstrated [up front] the productivity gains we could expect to realise from the investment – and they have been proven right. The support they provided throughout the project was first class, and I can’t recommend them highly enough.”

NPI’s automated cobot cell has now been operational for six months. Such have been the productivity and efficiency improvements realised that the company is now actively considering investing in a second cobot.

Concludes Priestley: “Despite the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, we’ve been unbelievably busy over the past 12 months. To meet demand from customers for our precision machining services, we will be investing in more automation in the near future.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

Automated battery production

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has selected Comau UK to develop and deploy a semi-automated battery module and battery pack assembly line for the publicly-funded ‘open-access’ battery production development facility in Coventry. One of the unique elements of the project was the requirement for agile flexibility, which will allow UKBIC to manufacture a wide range of modules and packs, and support various customer requirements without the need for major process changes.

Comau UK provided all of the necessary technology and know-how to manage the entire battery module and pack manufacturing process, from cylindrical cell preparation and pouch cell stacking, to battery pack assembly. In addition to helping ensure the safety and reliability of the manufactured batteries through the use of smart cameras, thermal imaging and end-of-line leak test technologies, the solution offers built-in scalability.

For further information
www.comau.com

Project promotes laser texturing

The Manufacturing Technology Centre, based in Coventry, is leading a Europe-wide project to increase the use of laser texturing in manufacturing processes. A group of 11 research organisations and companies will participate in Project Shark.

Laser texturing can change the texture or topography of a component to achieve specific functionality, such as low friction or low adhesion. According to the MTC, the process can result in lower production costs, faster product development and up to a 50% improvement in product performance, depending on the design of the surface texture. The EU’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for research and innovation is supporting the initiative.

For further information www.sharkproject.eu

Bromford reaches for the sky

As part of the Bromford Group, Bromford Industries Ltd in Leicester is a tier one manufacturer that specialises in the IGT, power generation and aerospace sectors. As such, the company has to balance the delicacies of continuous improvement, innovation and, of course, the scrutiny of year-on-year ‘cost-down’ pressure. For this reason, the company has a long-term contract in place with MSC Industrial Supply Co.

The most recent project centred on the manufacture of an initial batch of four Inconel 718 aero-engine components for a prestigious customer using a Doosan Puma 12L turning centre. With the initial batch completed successfully against a tight deadline, MSC knew that even better results were achievable on a second batch of eight. The team recommended a switch to ceramic cutting tools for the rough turning and grooving operations.

At the start of 2020, MSC formed a relationship with ceramic tooling brand NTK, and knew that the different physical properties of ceramic tooling would yield impressive results on heat-resistant aerospace grade alloys.

“We chose to partner with MSC six years ago, and ever since they’ve been an extension to our business,” says Andrew Moore, engineering and product quality manager at Bromford Industries. “This project is one of the many ways MSC has worked with us to seek innovative opportunities for improvement; they are a supply partner who wants us to succeed as much as we do.”

After increasing the surface speed from 43 to 250 m/min and raising the feed rate from 18 to 106 mm/min, good results soon followed. Rough turning the face and diameter of the 150 mm diameter workpiece, an NTK SX9 RNGN insert not only replaced two previous carbide tools and eliminated the respective tool changeover, it also slashed cycle times from 180 minutes to 27 minutes for the roughing operation.

For further information
www.mscdirect.co.uk

Mills reports strong Q1 sales

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has reported that its Q1 sales performance has been strong, with managing director Kevin Gilbert acknowledging that machine-tool orders, “whilst not at pre-pandemic levels, were certainly not far off”.

He adds: “Clearly there was some apprehension at the beginning of the year but, after a difficult 2020, it does look as though manufacturing in the UK and Ireland is bouncing back. What was, and still is apparent, is the sustained demand for our DVF five-axis machining centres, and for our SMX and MX multi-tasking mill-turn machines. As a result, it’s fair to say that we are cautiously optimistic about the remainder of the year.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk