What do you say to a lathe operator who usually turns highly complex parts with an outer diameter measuring between 0.4 and 0.6 mm? Kudos! IngunPrüfmittelbau GmbH started in a garage and has evolved into a global market leader in the fields of test probes and test fixtures within just a few years. Contributing to this success is a TornosSwissNano CNC turning centre, which the company acquired in 2014.

A highly complex test probe with a crown on its face pushed existing machines to their limits. Therefore, Ingun was looking for a new means of production, spotting the TornosSwissNano soon after its official launch. The machine is small, compact, easily accessible, stable and precise. Moreover, in the course of comprehensive turning trials in Germany, the SwissNano showed what it had to offer.
The oil extraction system and the pick-off device directly mounted on the spindle are particularly interesting features. In charge of the Tornos machines at Ingun is Nick Symanczyk, a young man with huge commitment and enthusiasm. “The machine is amazingly fast and what is particularly important to me is the accessibility and ease of set-up.”
Another aspect applauded by Symanczyk is the TISIS software: “I have felt at ease with it from the very beginning. The machine is easy to program, while the simulation function provides reliable protection against collisions.”
Thanks to various customised solutions on the SwissNano, within two weeks the company managed to land two big orders that would not have been possible previously. In view of so much positive experience, it is not surprising that another SwissNano was purchased in 2014, followed by two additional machines in 2015.
For further information
www.tornos.com

The installation of a Hyundai Wia two-axis lathe has not only reduced cycle times by 18% on an existing component at Walsall-based DJT Engineering but, by releasing capacity, is enabling the company to double its output of components derived from bar. Supplied by TW Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC), the sole UK and Ireland agent for Hyundai Wia, the KIT450 was purchased “because I could see that it would produce immediate benefits on this fairly straightforward alloy steel part”, says the company’s managing director Lee Baker.
Produced from 45 mm bar, the 13 mm long component requires a 23 mm through-hole before parting-off.
“With just two tools involved, I wanted a suitable ‘simple’ and cost-effective two-axis machine that I could dedicate to this component and it appeared that Ward CNC was the only company that could supply such – with the Hyundai Wia KIT450,” says Baker. “The new machine has cut cycle times to such an extent that I have been able to release the former machine for other, similar parts. This has allowed me to process up to 12 tonnes of bar a month, compared with
6 tonnes.”
The Hyundai Wia, which has a swing over the bed of 530 mm and a maximum turning diameter and length of 170 mm and 300 mm respectively, joins a range of machines at DJT Engineering. The company, which specialises in the production of turned and milled parts, also offers the machining of special fasteners and assembly work in all material types, as well as finish coatings.
For further information
www.wardcnc.com

New from Victor CNC is the P76 three-axis vertical machining centre series. The P76 incorporates a 30-tool ATC that can change tools in 1.6 seconds with a chip-to-chip time of 4 seconds. This speed is supported by rapid feed rates of 48 m/min in the X and Y axes, and 32 m/min in Z.
The Victor P76 offers a work envelope of 760 x 500 x 510 mm, a BBT-40 face and taper contact spindle configuration and a meehanite structure with a wide base measuring 1166 mm that helps dampen vibration and add stability. Furthermore, maximum spindle speed is 12,000 rpm, underpinned by a spindle motor that generates 18.5 kW of power output.
Able to accept a maximum component weight of 500 kg on its 840 x 500 mm table, the P76 comes with a range of standard accessories, including a fully-enclosed splash guard, Fanuc 0i-MF CNC with 10.4” monitor, and a spindle oil cooler. Additionally, the P76 offers rigid taping, a three-step warning light, levelling pads, automatic power-off and a screw-type swarf-removal system.
For end-users looking for a higher-specification solution, optional extras include a 40-tool ATC, coolant gun, automatic tool-length measurement, automatic part measuring and a fourth/fifth-axis interface. For enhanced precision and higher-speed machining, the P76 can be configured with a 15,000 rpm spindle, linear scales, rotary table, through-spindle coolant and a Heidenhain TNC-620/640 CNC.
For further information
www.victorcnc.com

Hunprenco, a Yorkshire-based manufacturer of plungers and coolers for the glass container industry, has invested in 15 Doosan lathes from Mills CNC over the past five years. The machines comprise six TL 2000 (twin-turret, single-spindle turning centres), six GT 2100 turning centres, a Lynx 220LC compact lathe and two Puma 2600M lathes with driven tooling.
The TL 2000, GT 2100 and one Puma 2600M machines are installed at Hunprenco’s plunger and cooler manufacturing facility, while the Lynx 220LC and a Puma 2600M are located in the company’s second manufacturing facility, which produces precision-engineered parts, not just for the glass industry, but for customers in a range of other sectors.
The decision to invest in the TL 2000 machines was made to increase Hunprenco’s productivity, specifically to enable the company to reduce its lead times.
“The TL 2000’s twin-turret configuration means that we can machine complex parts quicker by reducing three distinct machining operations to just one,” says general manager Ivan McNeill. “We manufacture thousands of plungers every week, so reducing component set-up and cycle times is important and helps us avoid production bottlenecks.”
The 65mm bar capacity box guideway GT 2100 lathes are equipped with a 15.5 kW/4500 rpm spindle. They were selected following in-depth discussions with Mills CNC’s pre-sales and applications engineers to help improve an existing (specific) machining process.
“The team at Mills reviewed our current method for machining coolers and, in partnership with our own engineers, designed, developed and ultimately proved-out a modified and more robust process using the new GT 2100 machines,” explains sales manager Dennis Langfield.
For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

In turn-milling cycles on the new Miyano BNE-51MSY, it is possible to use up to three tools simultaneously so that both ends of a workpiece can be machined in a single cycle.
The BNE-51MSY, with its fixed-head main spindle and two-axis secondary spindle, has the advantage of synchronised/superimposed control, which is applied to both 12-station, all-driven turrets, one with three axes of travel, the other with two. Not only does this configuration reduce cycle times, it increases tooling utilisation and performance when setting single operational sequences, says Citizen.
Featuring a weight of 8 tonnes, the Miyano BNE-51MSY has been developed to optimise heavy-cutting cycles and deliver fine surface finishes and extended tool life, especially on difficult-to-machine materials. This is achieved through the benefit of a heavy slant-bed casting with precision hand-scraped square guideways.
Its fixed main spindle offers 15 kW of output, while the secondary spindle is powered by a 7.5 kW drive with 150 mm of stroke in X3, and 450 mm in Z3. Both spindle arrangements have 51 mm capacity and deliver speeds up to 5000 rpm.
Multiple tools can be carried in both rigid and hydraulically-clamped curvic coupling turrets, enabling simultaneous service to either or both spindles. Overlapping tooling applications further reduce non-cutting time.
The configuration of turret axes enables the upper turret (HD1) to provide X1, Z1 and Y1 travels of 190, 380 and ±40 mm, while the lower turret (HD2) has X2 travel of 190 mm and Z2 of 175 mm.
For further information
www.citizenmachinery.co.uk