Major investment at Inishowen

Fabrication and CNC machining subcontractor Inishowen Engineering has increased the size of its production facility in County Donegal. The move follows an €11m investment in a new 160,000 sq ft factory that opened on a 7-acre site in Drumfries, in early 2019. As part of the expansion programme, which started in April 2017, an extra €19m has been spent on machine tools.

As well as a number of Bystronic laser cutters, also on site from the same source are seven press brakes, including two Bystronic Xpert 6 m, 650 tonne capacity machines that arrived in 2019.
The increasing size of components going through the factory necessitated a press braking cell to bend up to 12 m lengths, hence the installation of two Bystronic Xperts. These machines are positioned side by side so that they can be used individually or in tandem, mirroring the earlier purchase of a pair of 400 tonne, 4 m press brakes.
Half of all profiled sheet that is folded in the factory is less than 1 m in length. This factor proved to be the reason for the purchase in 2015 of an Xpert 40 (1 m, 40 tonne capacity) press brake that owner and managing director Michael McKinney says is at least one-third faster at bending smaller components than larger machines.
The extra speed translates into higher productivity and, in addition, the machine does not draw as much power, just 7.5 kW instead of typically 30 kW for a large press brake, so electricity bills are lower. Inishowen’s acquisition was so successful in raising the profitability of smaller component production that, two years later, the folding department added the next larger model in the Xpert range with 1.5 m/80 tonne capacity.
For further information www.bystronic.co.uk

AR proving crucial in ventilator production

A provider of industrial innovation technology is supporting the UK’s call for more ventilators through the power of augmented reality (AR).

Industrial 4.0 , Augmented reality concept. Hand holding tablet with AR service , maintenance application and calling technician for check destroy part of smart machine in smart factory background

PTC has been announced as one of the partners in the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium led by High Value Manufacturing Catapult CEO Dick Elsy and a host of the engineering businesses, including Ford Motor Co, GKN Aerospace, McLaren, Airbus, Meggitt and Siemens UK.
The consortium has used PTC’s Vuforia Expert Capture AR technology and Microsoft’s HoloLens to capture the crucial assembly steps and processes involved in building RMVS (rapidly manufactured ventilator systems). This data will be uploaded and edited in PTC’s Vuforia Editor technology, which runs on Microsoft Azure, to create a virtual assembly guide. The guide is then relayed, through wearable equipment or smart devices such as a phone or tablet, to the factories of consortium partners that traditionally do not make ventilators.
For further information www.ptc.com

Starrag machines at Hyde Group

The success of a Heckert HEC 800 X5 five-axis machining centre for the machining of a titanium part at Hyde Group’s Hollygate Aircraft Components has subsequently led to the installation of a similar Heckert machine at sister Group company Victoria Production Engineering, for processing stainless steel components.

Both X5s, supplied by Starrag UK, have enabled the companies to ‘work smarter’ by introducing twin-pallet machining instead of single-station, three-axis working. This strategy provides for high utilisation levels as the machines’ twin pallets enable extended hours of machining.
In addition, not only do attributes such as integrated spindle monitoring, high-pressure coolant and effective swarf removal allow for unmanned working, but improved tool-holding stability has led to improved tool life.
Both companies are part of the Aero Products division of the Hyde Group – the northwest-based engineering service provider that specialises in design, manufacture, tooling and support for customers that include Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, Embraer, GKN Aerospace, Leonardo and Rolls-Royce.
Paul Mellor, divisional technical director, explains that rising demand for the titanium workpiece at Stockport-based Hollygate spurred the search for “an improved way of working where we could effectively gain more from the same” in terms of replacing machine-for-machine with regard to floor space and manpower requirements, which led to the installation of the initial Heckert HEC 800 X5.
Mellor also outlines how similar process improvement strategies were employed for the stainless steel workpieces being machined by Victoria Production Engineering in Manchester.
“Two aspects were of particular significance,” he says. “These were: Starrag’s introduction of special hydraulic ‘sleeve’ clamping [via the machine’s hydraulics system] to consistently hold – yet not deform – the thin-wall tubular parts; and the application of long-reach angle milling heads on the Heckert HEC 800 X5.”
For further information www.starrag.com

New Leadwell five-axis machine

Taiwanese machine tool builder Leadwell CNC Machines has introduced the BC-600 at the smaller capacity end of its of BC series of five-axis machining centres. On all four models, the rotary axes are provided by a ±110° B-axis spindle and an integrated C-axis rotary table, both of which may be interpolated with X, Y and Z to allow full five-axis production.

The competitively priced machines, which are fitted with scales in the linear and rotary axes as standard, are available in the UK and Ireland through recently appointed sole sales and service agent WH-Lead, which moved into its new Towcester facility last month. The first batch of Leadwell machines for stock and demonstration will start arriving from this week.
A notable feature of the 12-tonne BC-600 is its generous working envelope for the nominal 4.7 x 3.8 m footprint. Travels in X and Y are 1100 and 610 mm respectively, while in the Z axis, components 610 mm tall can be machined with the spindle in the vertical orientation, rising to 790 mm with the spindle horizontal. Cutting feed rate is up to 10 m/min, while rapids are 36 m/min in X and Y, and 30 m/min in Z.
The flush, 600 mm diameter rotary table accepts workpieces weighing up to 400 kg, but the full 1280 x 610 mm fixed table is able to accommodate 1400 kg components for three- or four-axis machining. The C axis uses a direct-drive motor to provide high torque and rigidity, and to avoid the backlash normally associated with worm-gear drives. Maximum standard rotational speed of the C-axis table is 120 rpm, but there is an optional 800 rpm version to provide turning capability.
For further information www.wh-lead.co.uk

Make UK expands online

Make UK has expanded its online training and learning services for companies to ensure that manufacturers are able to pivot their business and function through the COVID-19 crisis.

As well as operating a coronavirus hub, which gives companies access to the official government advice and support schemes, since the start of the crisis Make UK has transferred all of its HR and legal, health and safety, and apprentice training online. The organisation is also continuing its introduction of new services to help companies, such as remote cyber security protection for home workers.
For further information www.makeuk.org