Despite starting out more than 25 years ago, Dudley-based TWP Manufacturing only opened its CNC machine shop at the beginning of 2019 to produce in-house most of the components needed for its proprietary products.

Vertical machining centres and a single-spindle, fixed-head bar auto are to be found on the shop floor, but in May 2020 the company bought its first sliding-head twin-spindle lathe, a 20-year-old Citizen Cincom M32 equipped with an Iemca Boss 432r bar feed. The machine was originally sold in 2000 by the Japanese manufacturer’s agent for the British and Irish markets, NC Engineering, which in 2008 became a wholly-owned subsidiary, Citizen Machinery UK.
Phil Stanley, a director of TWP Manufacturing, says: “The speed and surface finish we are achieving are just incredible, and the fact that there is no operator intervention means we’re able to implement lights-out production, which we are looking to do later this year.”

In the first few of months of operation, the Cincom M32 was devoted to large-volume production of one particular component, but another four part numbers have now been added. All are machined from 1” hexagonal steel bar, and annual production will exceed 200,000.

Pre-sales time studies and cutting trials carried out by Citizen Machinery UK showed that all five components could be produced within tolerance at the required speed. The calculations were performed following a visit by managing director Edward James and regional sales engineer Warren Garratt to the Dudley factory, during which the company was advised on how best to proceed with its in-house turned parts production strategy.

“Even though the machine was 20 years old and we bought it independently on the second-hand market, from the outset Citizen have been behind us,” says Stanley.

For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Identifying a business opportunity is one thing, but turning an opportunity into a profit centre is quite another. When the founder of Wuxi Fortune Technology decided to pursue manufacturing certification with one of the world’s largest automotive technology powerhouses, he chose Tornos as his partner for turning machines and the respective application and process support.

Managing director Jian Wang says: “We saw there was a place for high-end turned part production. To fulfil the great potential this opportunity represented we needed high-end, reliable and effective turning machines that would guarantee our ability to serve automotive customers. We knew that using advanced production equipment and technologies would help identify us as an excellent supplier, allowing Wuxi Fortune to deliver parts earlier than expected and even become an exclusive supplier of certain components.”

Jian Wang specifically wanted multi-spindle turning machines to gain higher efficiency and product consistency, while reducing manpower and production costs.

Wang visited and compared several turning machine manufacturers before purchasing from Tornos. Today, there are two MultiSwiss 6×14, one MultiSwiss 8×26, an SAS 16.6 and a MultiSigma 8×28 for small precision parts on site at Wuxi Fortune.

“Our Tornos machines are reliable and efficient,” he says. “Tornos provides completely integrated services, application knowledge, machine maintenance, training and spare parts to the Chinese market.”

Collaborating with Tornos helped pave the way for Wuxi Fortune to become the exclusive, worldwide supplier of a diesel injector pin shaft to a leading automotive technology player. The 23 mm long part has a maximum outer diameter of 9 mm and a minimum groove diameter of 1.3 mm, and requires a tolerance of ±0.03 mm on the outer diameter.

For further information www.tornos.com

An Eastleigh-based precision manufacturer recently turned to Yamazaki Mazak for the installation of new machinery in a challenging four-week timeframe following a project win.

The swift installation and commissioning of a Mazak HQR-200MSY CNC turning centre has enabled GW Martin & Co to expand its machining capacity and fulfil the company’s strong order book.

The machine’s two-turret, two-spindle set-up enables reduced cycle times and, when combined with the long Y-axis stroke, high-accuracy milling. Bar feeders, workpieces unloaders and robots can be integrated if required.

“Having worked with Mazak in the past, we were aware of their reputation for supplying quality turning centres,” says Richard Blake, business development manager at GW Martin. “So, when we required an automation-capable solution at short notice that could machine high-quality components in large volumes, we knew where to turn.

“Our previous experience with a Multiplex W-200Y meant we were fully confident that Mazak could adapt the HQR-200MSY to suit our existing processes,” he continues. “Bearing in mind the time pressures of the project, this was absolutely vital. Yet as we expected, even in such a short timeframe, the installation was completely seamless and risk-free.

“While this all sounds very simple, it really isn’t – Mazak’s adaptability and applications engineering proficiency was already known to us. We really appreciate how they were able to help us react quickly to our project win and, following this success, we have ordered another Multiplex W-200Y.”
Alan Mucklow, managing director UK and Ireland sales and service division at Yamazaki Mazak, adds: “The installation of GW Martin’s HQR-200MSY is a perfect example of how Mazak can assist organisations working in the fast-moving general subcontract sector.”

For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Motor racing is in the blood for Jeremy Welch.

His great grandfather built the first six-cylinder engine ever made in the UK (in 1906) and went on to build Brook Marine racing engines with notable success (world champion in 1921). Jeremy’s father founded Denis Welch Motorsport over 40 years ago and the company has had notable success in the UK, Europe, Australia and the Far East.

While building cars it became obvious that older models needed new components, as the originals were no longer available. The company supplies replacement performance parts for classic cars, restores and prepares ex-works cars, and specialises in Jaguar E-type and Austin Healey models.
Three Haas lathes, a UMC-750 five-axis universal machining centre and a VF-4SS super speed vertical machine have been added in the last few years.
“Having our manufacturing in-house has made a massive difference,” says Welch. “We’ve expanded our range considerably and can now control our own processes and quality.

“The training has been tremendous,” he continues. “I’d never written a program, but with Haas’ help I jumped straight on the five-axis machine. We do mainly 3+2 machining, which enables us to use fewer fixtures, and most programming is completed manually at the control using the Haas G254 dynamic work offset function. One of our operators had never used a CNC, but after training with Haas he now writes programs on our Haas ST-25Y lathe using Y axis and live tooling.”

The latest acquisition is a Haas ST40 turning centre, which is currently machining period magnesium wheels and uprights for race Jaguars.
“We bought the machine especially for this job and it’s been fantastic,” concludes Welch.

For further information www.haas.co.uk

The MillTurn series of machines manufactured in Austria by WFL are used around the world to produce complex parts to high tolerances.

These components include compressor rotors, for which the company has developed a highly productive method for automated complete machining. A key component of this solution is the TC63-Digilog probe from Blum-Novotest, which is used to scan workpiece contours in a matter of seconds without the need to unclamp the workpiece from the machine.
The compressor rotor is made of GG60 grey cast iron, measuring around 400 mm long with an outer diameter of roughly 160 mm. By using special forming cutters, the rotor is turned and milled on an M40 MillTurn machine down to gauge-block standard in grinding quality. The machine does this automatically in a 24/7 operation, resulting in significantly shorter machining times.
Until now, grinding was required during the rotor manufacturing process because the necessary accuracy and surface quality could not be achieved by milling.
“Although the new process does not allow us to dispense with grinding in all applications, it is however sufficient that our procedure substantially reduces the amount grinding necessary,” explains WFL product manager Manfred Baumgartner.
During the finishing process, the workpiece is initially prefabricated to an excess of two-tenths of a millimetre. This contour is measured on the machine using the digital and analogue TC63-Digilog touch probe. Engineers can scan the entire circumference of the milled profile without unclamping the workpiece from the machine. In this way, the component’s geometrical accuracy and concentricity is determined “in double-quick time”.
From the resulting contour – which is shown on the CNC display – an algorithm calculates the optimum corrections for every tool engagement.
For further information www.blum-novotest.com