Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied brake and clutch system specialist Alcon Components with three new Doosan vertical turning lathes (VTLs).

The trio of Doosan V8300 VTLs were installed at Alcon’s Tamworth facility as part of a process improvement solution to manufacture the company’s range of high-performance brake discs.
Prior to the acquisition of the Doosan lathes, and the implementation of the new manufacturing process, Alcon machined its brake discs on three horizontal fixed-head lathes. These ‘legacy’ machines, while still performing satisfactorily, are relatively old having been purchased in 1983 when Alcon Components was first established. As a consequence, the machines are slow and increasingly prone to breakdown.
Explains Brian Cutler, Alcon Component’s production engineering manager: “Our business is growing and demand for our braking systems is at an all-time high. So it was clear that we needed to invest in and significantly upgrade our brake disc manufacturing cell.”
The new flexible manufacturing cell at Alcon comprises three new Doosan 15” chuck V8300 VTLs with Fanuc controls. Each is positioned in close proximity to the next, enabling rapid part transfer. A range of different sized brake discs is being produced. The discs are made from cast iron and machined to tight tolerances and high surface finishes. Alcon currently machines approximately 500 to 600 discs per week in the new cell. Brake disc diameters vary in size (from 200 to 405 mm) depending on the end application.
“The machining process using the three V8300 VTLs has enabled us to ramp up production and reduce part
cycle times by up to 40%,” concludes Cutler.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

Teixidó has been specialising in the mass production of precision parts since it was founded in 1952.

Based in Catalonia, the bar turning company is the largest of its kind in Spain, supplying sectors that include automotive, pneumatic and aerospace. Teixidó produces over 300 million parts every year with an average PPM of 3.
The bulk of the company’s production covers diameters from 0.5 to 20 mm. As Spanish group sales director Xavier Teixidó Pont explains, “many bar turners are capable of producing these diameters, but what distinguishes us from our competitors is our ability to adapt to the tightest tolerances”.
Teixidó has relied on Tornos and its machines since its outset, today running several dozen Tornos CNC machines, including two EvoDeco 20 models that replaced two old Deco 20s.
“We’ve a number of multi-spindle machines as well as our Deco, Delta and EvoDeco fleets,” states production manager Josep Colina Vidal. “We have SAS 16, SAS 16.6 and BS 20.8 cam-type multi-spindles, MultiAlpha, MultiSigma and MultiDeco CNC machines, and several recently acquired MultiSwiss 6×16 machines, including two machines with a Y axis.
“These machines can exceed the specifications required of single-spindle models, offering stable, highly precise machining,” he adds. “And their six spindles make them extremely productive; we can produce far more parts per square metre. This means a MultiSwiss can easily replace three single-spindle turning machines. It’s a very high-performance machine, and I think it’s fair to say we have been seduced by its performance.”
For further information www.tornos.com