FEATURE ON CNC LATHES AND TURNING CENTRES

XYZ machines reduce cutting times for impellers

Sheffield-based Straaltechniek UK has been manufacturing equipment for the surface preparation industry since 1982 with its range of blasting and shot-peen machines.A key element of the blast wheel is the impeller, which is made from D2 tool steel. Originally manufactured in several operations on a lathe and then a machining centre, this component has six side apertures making it an ideal part for production on a turn-mill machine.

Ryan Doxey, machine shop supervisor, says: “We installed the XYZ TC 320 LTY in November 2022 as it has a full C axis and driven tools on a Y axis, so we can virtually finish one impeller from a solid billet in a single operation. Significant savings in handling, set-ups and faster machining combine to give us a valuable reduction in cycle times. There are a large number of different impellers as, we not only make blast wheels for our own machines, but also retrofit and refurbish machines from other manufacturers, bringing them up to the latest modern efficiency standards. We carry out all the programming on the shop floor and the Siemens 828D ShopTurn Touchscreen control is a favourite with our machinists.”

As well as the XYZ TC 320 LTY, the company also has a XYZ VL 425 lathe with ProtoTRAK control, which turns the blast wheel itself.

“The blast wheels can be up to 405 mm diameter, and we program them on the ProtoTRAK control on the shop floor with sufficient capacity to hold them in soft jaws to complete the machining,” explains Doxey.“The ease of programming on ProtoTRAK and the reliability of this machine gave us the confidence to invest in the XYZ TC 320 LTY and ShopTurn.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Pucktechnik relies on 11 Emag VL machines

Pucktechnik, based in Solbiate Arno near Milan, is a contract manufacturer founded in 2017 that produces casting tools and various components. In total, the company has nearly 30 machines, including 11Emag VL turning machines and an Emag K 160 LA hobbing machine. These solutions provide high-volume and automated series production.

Primarily, with the help of these Emag machines, the company can produce around 650,000 wheels and wheel hubs for earthmoving equipment each year. What is interesting here is the deployment of four independent production lines with a high degree of automation.

The machines in each line are completely interlinked via TrackMotion, also from Emag, with various operations running directly one after the other. As a result, the quantities produced in this area have increased massively in just a few years. The basic technological principle of the lines begins with TransLift, a lift-and-turn carriage on the TrackMotion line gantry with programmable electric gripper, which picks up the raw-parts from a parts store, transports them to the machine at a speed of up to 150 m/min and deposits them on the machine’s internal shuttle. Thanks to the vertical arrangement of the spindle, it can pick up the part from the pick-up position of the shuttle and guide it into the working area of the machine.

After machining, the workpiece is discharged from the machine via the shuttle and transported to the next machine or the discharge conveyor using the TrackMotion system.In short, the combination of Emag pick-up technology with various automation solutions, from TrackMotion to robots, results in powerful and individually adaptable systems.
For further information www.emag.com

Zeus Engineering focuses on the future

Zeus Engineering, a precision subcontract specialist based in Airdrie, is increasing its machining capacity and capabilities by investing in a new DN Solutions VT 1100M vertical turning lathe (VTL) from Mills CNC. The machine, which incidentally, is the first CNC VTL acquired by the company in its 57-year history, arrived at Zeus Engineering’s 12,000sq ft facility in November 2022.

The machine is producing large, heavy and often awkward-shaped components, such as rings, discs, pump housings, flange couplings, bearing carriers, valves and differentials, from a range of castings, forgings and fabrications, as well as from solid billet and plate. Industries served include rail, off-road vehicle, oil and gas, power generation, food, and renewable energy.

Being part of the AGZ Group, the company can also provide its high-quality design and machining services, where appropriate, to the two other associate companies in the group: Argon Engineering and Gillrick Metalwork.

Says Scott McHutcheson, Zeus Engineering’s operations director:“We’re always looking to improve our in-house machining capacity and capabilities, and regularly review and analyse our performance to ensure we meet, and exceed, our customers’ expectations.”

The acquisition of the VT 1100M lathe means that, over the past 14 years, Zeus Engineering has invested in five new Doosan machines from Mills CNC, including two Puma series lathes.

“We have a good relationship with Mills CNC and like their proactive, value-added business approach, which to all intents and purposes, is very similar to our own,” says McHutcheson. “The Doosan machine tools they sell and support, like the VT 1000M, are reliable and deliver excellent cutting performance.”

The 32” chuck VT1100M is equipped with box guideways, a 55kW/850rpm/6385Nm spindle, a 12-station indexable turret and 11kW/3000rpm driven tooling capabilities.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

Metaltech doubles sliding-head lathe capacity

Located in Chard, Somerset, subcontract machining firm Metaltech Precision has increased the number of sliding-head turning centres on its shop floor from 6 to 13, of which 10 are Cincom models from Citizen Machinery UK. It follows the purchase by the company’s owner, Expromet Technologies Group, of another subcontractor nearby, NC Precision, which specialised in this area of production.

The latest sliding-head lathe arrived in September 2022 having originally been ordered by NC Precision. It is a Cincom L32XIILFV capable of turning parts from bar up to 35 mm diameter. Notably, the machine features LFV (low-frequency vibration) functionality, which automatically breaks swarf into chips of manageable size that fall away from the machining area for easy extraction.

Steven Ward, operations manager at Metaltech, says: “We were already familiar with and impressed by LFV, having installed a smaller CincomL20XIILFV four years ago to simplify the production of a particularly difficult component.The ongoing job involves machining a tough, malleable iron that has a high tendency to cause bird’s-nesting when turned, but LFV completely solves the problem by allowing the control of chipping.

“It means that we are able to leave the lathe running unattended for long periods, whereas before an operator needed to be in attendance virtually all the time to constantly clear away the swarf,” he adds. “This labour cost element, which has now been removed, was contrary to the whole concept of bar turning, yet was necessary to maintain consistency of production and minimise scrap.”

The purchase of the second LFV lathe last autumn, with its chip-breaking function, facilitates more options for fulfilling contracts that may come along involving titanium, nickel alloys or other metals that tend to result in stringy swarf.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Subcontractor on a roll with Nakamura machines

As a subcontractor with a distinct niche in thread rolling, Dobson & Beaumont has been in business for more than 100 years. As well as machining nuts, the company cold-forms bolts and special fittings to work harden the thread, thus improving overall thread strength by more than 25% when compared to typical thread-cutting operations. Before rolling, the Blackburn-based company machines some of the most daunting materials known to the industry, which is why the company purchased a Nakamura-Tome AS200LMSY, followed by a Nakamura SC100X2, from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

Installed and running at the end of 2022, the SC100X2 is already reducing cycle times by upward of 30%. This is credit to several factors. Firstly, the new SC100X2 offers superimposed machining.

“Superimposed machining is a game-changer for our business, as we can now hit parts with two tools simultaneously by overlapping operations between main and sub-spindles,” explains Richard Guest, managing director of Dobson & Beaumont.“This has reduced cycle times noticeably already. On high-value motorsport studs, we have cut the cycle time from 3 minutes to 1minute 30 seconds.”

The sub-spindle can move not only toward the main spindle for component pick-up, but also in synchronicity with the lower turret for machining operations that can take place while the upper turret is machining on the main spindle.

“We machine hard materials such as MP35N and AERMET 100, which has a tensile strength of 1900 Pa,” says Guest.“Before the arrival of the SC100X2, we had to sub many of these parts out, which added 2-3 weeks to our lead time. Now, we can machine in-house and keep lead times to just days while eliminating additional subcontract costs.”
For further information www.engtechgroup.com