Speedio 30-taper, three- to five-axis machining centres built by Brother are able to produce components in such short cycle times that it is difficult to load raw material and unload finished parts by hand quickly enough. So to maximise production efficiency, the Japanese machine manufacturer introduced a robotic handling system, Feedio, at the EMO machine tool show in 2017.

Now, an automated cell comprising both products is available for demonstration in the showroom of UK sales and service agent, Whitehouse Machine Tools. The cell can show manufacturers the suitability of the configuration for unattended and overnight running in high-volume production environments.

A Speedio M300X3 trunnion-type, five-axis mill-turn centre has been chosen to demonstrate the benefits of the Feedio automatic load/unload system. The machine is able to perform prismatic and rotational metal cutting in one hit within a 300 x 440 x 305 mm working volume.

Notable features include a BIG-Plus face-and-taper contact spindle that accelerates from zero to 16,000 rpm in 0.2 second, a -30 to +120° tilting table axis, high-output turning capability that generates a maximum torque of 102 Nm and rotational speeds up to 1500 rpm from zero in less than 0.3 second, and a Brother control with increased memory for holding multiple programs.

To extract the most from this specification, the machine is linked to a Feedio component storage and robotic handling system developed jointly by Brother and ABB. This plug-and-play automation solution is able to serve either one machine, or alternatively two to enable op 10 and op 20 machining of prismatic parts on six sides. The automation unit is designed specifically for Speedio machines, rather than being a generic solution provided by a third party.

For further information
www.wmtcnc.com

In August 2021, a pair of BT40 vertical machining centres built in Taiwan by Leadwell was supplied by UK and Ireland agent WH-Lead to the Holmfirth factory of HB Bearings, which less than a year previously had increased its turnover by one third through the acquisition of Gamet Bearings.

Low-volume manufacture of both bearing ranges, which include precision radial, taper roller, deep groove ball, cylindrical roller and angular contact, as well as many other types, is now under one roof at the Holmfirth factory, where a purpose-built extension houses some of the production equipment from Gamet Bearings.

The new Leadwell machines, a four-axis V-30iF model with rotary table and a five-axis V-40iT trunnion-type machining centre, strengthen the company’s production capacity. A wide range of materials are involved, including stainless steel, tool steel, plastics, bronze, aluminium and exotic alloys. The bearings are often specials, new designs or obsolete types that may need to be reverse-engineered to keep old manufacturing plant, steel mills, mining equipment, oil rigs or classic cars in operation.

Graham Hirst, managing director of HB Bearings/Gamet Bearings, says: “We have prioritised the purchase of these Taiwanese machines ever since we bought our first one, a machining centre, more than 25 years ago. We sold it when the two new machines arrived, with a view to pre-empting its eventual failure. However, right to the end it still milled dowel holes in 62 HRc steel to within 10 µm.

“We now have five machining centres from Leadwell, including two recent models installed in August 2017, which are just as well-built, accurate and reliable.”

For further information
www.wh-lead.co.uk

A Scottish precision engineering company and tool maker to the plastics industry has doubled turnover since 2014 when it embarked on a programme of production equipment renewal. A majority of the investment went on four machine tools from Hurco, including three machining centres.

The engineering firm works around the clock servicing numerous industries, including automotive, defence, medical, pharmaceutical, plumbing, food and drink, and electronics, designing and manufacturing different tools from single impression prototype moulds to multi-impression production tools (pictured).

Half of the business comes from manufacturing decorative injection moulds that produce plastic caps and closures for premium bottles of whiskey, gin and other spirits. The designs of the bottle closures – comprising artwork and lettering – mostly require complex, intricate milling with ball-nose cutters, sometimes as small as 50 µm in diameter, held in heat-shrink back ends. Due to the small size of the cutters and the hardness of the tool steels processed – P20, Orvar Supreme, 113 grade and D2 – designs are generally machined into graphite EDM electrodes for subsequent die-sinking into the mould.
A spokesperson for the company says: “Much of the very fine milling is done on our Hurco VM10HSi machining centre.

Installed in 2018, it’s fitted with a Kitagawa rotary table 4th axis, 30,000 rpm spindle and an enclosure mounted on the table with air extraction to remove graphite dust from the working atmosphere. It is also a fantastic machine for high-speed milling directly into hardened materials, which we are doing more and more.”

The two other Hurco machining centre on site are VMX42i and VMX30i models, acquired in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

For further information
www.hurco.co.uk

Featuring a working volume of 815 x 510 x 510 mm in a small 2.5 x 1.8 m footprint, the new VC850-5A is the latest prismatic metal-cutting machine to be launched by German manufacturer Spinner.

The five-axis, vertical-spindle machining centre, which is configured with a +110/-5° swivelling trunnion carrying the rotary table, is available in the UK and Ireland through sole sales and service agent, Whitehouse Machine Tools.

Managing director Tim Whitehouse says: “This is a top-end machine with robust rotary axes, which are normally the weak point in five-axis machining. They are driven by a new planetary gear train and fitted with absolute rotary scales instead of incremental encoder feedback.

“We’re also impressed by the additional clamping plate beside the table that allows Op20 – as well as Op10 – to be programmed in a single cycle for one-hit machining,” he adds. “The option of a rotary hydraulic supply for automatic workpiece clamping is a further benefit, as it introduces the possibility of automation for long periods of unattended production.”

The 5-tonne machine has an FEM-optimised, cast construction that provides a high level of rigidity and vibration damping for elevated cutting performance and high standards of surface finish on machined components up to 200 kg. Further advantages are that tool life is extended and machining accuracy is enhanced, reports the company.

Part of the reason for the machine’s compactness is the patented method for protecting the saddle’s Y-axis guideway from swarf and coolant ingress using a single wiper system, eliminating the need for a telescopic cover.

For further information
www.wmtcnc.com

Didcot-based Endeavor Engineering is a subcontract supplier of precision parts to sectors that include motorsport, semiconductor, oil and gas, aerospace, and scientific instrumentation.

From the outset in 2012 the company has invested in new Doosan machine tools from Mills CNC. In fact, Endeavor Engineering now has eight Doosan machines at its disposal: three Puma lathes and five DNM-series machining centres.

Says company director Martin Bell: “We did our homework: we spoke to customers and we attended trade shows. From our research we found that Doosan machines were popular. They had a good reputation in the market and were renowned for their quality, performance, reliability and value.

“When we first approached Mills to discuss our machining requirements, they understood what we were trying to achieve and were on-board immediately,” he adds.

The Doosan machines at Endeavor Engineering are being used to produce a range of components made from materials including steel, stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, plastics and composites, to exacting accuracies and finishes.
“We have a good relationship with Mills CNC based on mutual integrity and trust,” says Bell. “In addition to investing in Doosan machines we use Mills’ independently-operated machine-tool finance arm to help fund our investments, and its CNC Training Academy to help train our programmers and operators.”

Adds fellow director Andy Strong: “Continuous improvement is a journey, not a destination. We’re constantly looking to move forward and be the best we possibly can.”

Endeavor has a rolling five-year plan that is flexible, and reviewed and updated regularly to ensure its relevancy. As part of the plan, the company is shortly hoping to increase its current 4500 sq ft of floor space by acquiring premises adjacent to its existing facility.

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk