Specialising in the production of prototype components and complex small batch runs for the automotive sector, Birmingham-based Advanced Engineering (UK) Ltd has always maintained its ethos of investment in technology to deliver quality components in lead times beyond the capabilities of its competitors. This philosophy has resulted in the company placing its trust in metrology equipment from Mitutoyo.

As a manufacturer that works primarily with automotive OEMs, as well as others in the Formula One, aerospace, defence, rail and nuclear sectors, Advanced Engineering prides itself on quality management systems that include ISO9001. In addition, the company can comply with requirements from other industry-specific standards, from TS16949 to AS9100.
Spending over £3m on new equipment in the past five years, two of the most recent arrivals at Advanced Engineering include a Mazak Variaxis i-700 five-axis machining centre that arrived in November, and a Mazak Quick Turn 250 turning centre. These investments now give the company a total of 19 Mazak machines that undertake everything from complex prototype work through to automotive production projects, which include all levels of PPAP, APQP, FMEA, SPC and full supply chain management. Mitutoyo is central to these strategies.
Producing everything from CAM covers, cylinder blocks, control arms, pump housings, decorative door linings and prototype wheels for automotive OEMs, turnaround times are a critical factor for Advanced Engineering. This is why the combination of Mazak five-axis machine tools, hyperMILL CAM software and a complete suite of Mitutoyo inspection equipment are central to expediting high-quality components through the business at a fast pace.

The relationship with Mitutoyo dates back over 20 years, with a complete range of hand tools and the first Mitutoyo CMM, a Crysta Apex 9106, arriving on site some 15 years ago. Still reliably running up to 12 hours a day, the Apex 9106 was followed by a smaller Crysta Apex 574 CMM over 8 years ago. The second machine was acquired to relieve the bottleneck of work that was building on the company’s first CMM.
As the quality manager at Advanced Engineering, Andrew Stevens, says: “All our work is based around customer requirement. We deal with a one-off prototype product, through to support, NPI products and new product model launch. Also, we work closely with tier-one manufacturers and OEMs.”
The smaller, more cost effective Apex 574 CMM has not only relieved capacity, it was the perfect product for the changing market demands of the automotive sector, as Stevens explains: “Our work initially evolved beyond cylinder head and engine blocks into turbos and other small, complex powertrain parts, and the Apex 574 proved an excellent solution with its compact footprint. However, our workload has continued to evolve even further, with more body-in-white work and, in particular, suspension parts. With the requirement for additional measurement capacity, we once again opted for a Mitutoyo solution, the Crysta Apex-S CMM. We bought the Apex-S as we wanted the new CMM to be capable of mirroring the Apex 9106 machine, something that would give our metrology team more flexibility, reduced set-ups and extra capacity as and when required.”

Commenting upon the continual changes in the automotive sector and how Advanced Engineering is addressing the issues from a measurement perspective, Stevens says: “We got to a point where our Apex-S and Apex 9106 have been working side by side, with the smaller Apex 574 being reserved for smaller parts, providing much needed capacity at busy periods. However, a lot of our OEM customers and their cylinder-head work have taken on a new level of dimensional tolerances over the years.
“To facilitate this, we swapped out the TP20 touch probes that operate on a touch-trigger mechanical mechanism, with the new continuous contact SP25 Renishaw system,” he continues. “Mitutoyo fully retrofitted the system to both our Apex 9106 and Apex-S CMMs, and this gives us precision to 2 µm. Furthermore, by continuously scanning the complex features of parts, we’re getting a full 3D scan of the components, which can be compared directly with the CAD model. All this is innovatively done with the Mitutoyo MCOSMOS operating software, with full certification and traceability for our customers.”
With 85% of work at Advanced Engineering passing through the metrology department, Mitutoyo was once again on hand when yet more demands filtered downstream.
“Surface finish has become more prominent in the automotive market, with seal seat surfaces and waveforms on engine blocks and cylinder heads taking on more stringent controls,” says Stevens. “To measure surfaces, we approached Mitutoyo and they recommended the SurfTest SJ-410 portable surface roughness tester. OEMs are now placing more 100% inspection demands on critical features like cylinder-head bores and, to once again relieve capacity and reduce set-ups on our CMMs, the SurfTest SJ-410 was the perfect addition.”
Referring to the relationship with Mitutoyo, Stevens says: “Our tie-up with Mitutoyo goes back many years. We’ve always used Mitutoyo due to the reliability and quality of the products which they supply, and that goes right the way through from hand tools to CMMs. We have an amazing service contract with Mitutoyo and they carry out all our calibration work. We wouldn’t trust anyone else to calibrate our equipment. It’s a long-standing relationship that has been based on trust, good service and the level of product innovation.

“We chase microns on the shop floor and we need to be able to repeatedly measure microns and be confident that each measurement is accurate. With the type of products we’re producing here, we are pushing the bounds of our CMMs through varying customer requirements. So, when we see new customer demands, and we need the CMMs to do something slightly different to meet those requirements, Mitutoyo have engineers on the end of the phone, so we can get their technical support to resolve challenges very quickly.”
For further information www.mitutoyo.co.uk

UK manufacturing lags behind the productivity performance of fellow G7 members and that of other major global economies. A lack of investment and shortage of skilled staff are widely considered to be major contributing factors to this lamentable situation. In addition to being regarded as an effective means of UK manufacturers achieving productivity improvements, the implementation of advanced automation technologies invariably helps solve skills shortages.

Hertford-based Qualiturn Products is a prime example of a forward-thinking business that has achieved world-class levels of productivity by embracing the use of automation systems and developing efficient new working practices.
Established in 1974, and now run by second-generation managing director, Nick Groom, Qualiturn Products says it has grown to become one of the UK’s leading suppliers of precision mill-turned components. In 1990, the company became one of the first subcontractors to operate its mill-turn machines in a ‘lights-out’ manner. The use of barfeed systems and other advanced production aids means that since that time, the business has operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, with only daytime staffing.
Prompted by the success of Qualiturn Products’ 24-7 production of precision turned components, in 2014 the company established Qualimill, a subcontract milling division that embraces similar, highly efficient, lights-out operating methods. Just as the application of innovative technologies facilitated a lights-out mill-turn manufacturing regime, the implementation of advanced automation aids, such as the Lang Robo-Trex system, supplied by Thame Workholding, has enabled Qualimill to operate milling machines ‘lights-out’, and helped the division to become a successful subcontract manufacturer of milled components.
To satisfy the rising demand for Qualimill’s services, the company recently moved into much larger premises and installed several additional production aids, the most recent of which is a second Robo-Trex robot automation system. The productivity gains made possible by the use of Qualimill’s first Lang Robo-Trex robot systems was a major factor in the decision to purchase the second system that now feeds a Doosan DVF 5000 machining centre.

Qualimill’s two Lang Robo-Trex robot systems each use two trollies that act as mobile storage mediums. These trollies are loaded with multiple vices that hold workpieces which are ready to be loaded into the machine by the systems’ robots. The robots pick workpieces from the trollies, load them into the machine tools and, when they are fully machined, return them to the trollies. When filled with machined parts, each trolley is removed, and a replacement loaded with multiple workpieces ready to be machined is added.
Working unattended and fed by the Lang Robo-Trex systems, the company’s machining centres run throughout the day. Before the end of each manned shift, the Robo-Trex trollies are replenished with full consignments of workpieces, enabling each machining centre to run unmanned through the night.
Robo-Trex trollies are available in two sizes, the smaller version has a capacity of 30 vices to accommodate parts up to 120 x 120 x 100 mm, while the second, larger model has a capacity of 42 vices for parts up to 120 x 100 x 70 mm. The Robo-Trex system is able to handle four automation trolleys. Therefore, depending on part size, the available storage capacity increases to 120/168 vices.
The patented, edgewise mounting of the system’s vices ensures maximum space utilisation, while accessibility to the clamping devices allows workpieces to be exchanged, without removing the vice.
An intuitive, easy-to-operate touch panel enables straightforward control of the automated system and, as external access to the trolley is possible, production remains seamless because machining cycles do not need to be interrupted. Control of the zero-point clamping system can be performed either pneumatically through the machine tool, or mechanically via the system’s robot.
“Increasing demand from our mill-turn customers motivated the launch of our Qualimill division,” says Groom. “To ensure that we were able to replicate the success of our Qualiturn operation, when setting-up the new division we put into operation advanced automation systems – where possible – and applied similar efficient working practices to those used in our mill-turn operations.
“Soon after the formation of Qualimill, in an effort to gain maximum milling efficiencies, we looked for an advanced technology that would allow lights-out running of an existing CNC milling machine,” he adds. “We found the answer in the Lang Robo-Trex automation system from Thame Workholding. Having been impressed by the performance of our fist Lang Robo-Trex robot system, to help satisfy ever rising requests for our milling work, we recently purchased a second system.
“Our decision to launch Qualimill and employ highly-efficient production technologies has been validated by the division’s success. Our new Lang Robo-Trex automation system now feeds a recently purchased Doosan DVF 5000 machining centre and further extends our lights-out production capabilities.

“By releasing the full, latent productive potential of the machine tools they serve, our two automatic handling systems release skilled staff for more technicality demanding work. In addition, our Lang Robo-Trex automation systems are helping us to accelerate production throughput and reduce our lead times. They also enable the generation of cost-effective quotes and help us to attract further business.”
Thame Workholding’s sales manager Gareth Barnett adds: “As well as providing industry with a range of cost-effective, standard work-holding systems from several of the world’s leading manufacturers, we also design and manufacture bespoke solutions in-house. Our experience and expertise in all aspects of work holding allows our staff to fully understand customer needs, then to provide optimum, cost-effective solutions.
“Our grasp of Qualimill’s brief, relating to the division’s quest for efficient lights-out working, enabled us to recommend the Robo-Trex automatic handling system with confidence,” he adds. “Now that the company’s first system has delivered on all of the promises we made, we were delighted to receive an order for a second system.”
For further information www.thameworkholding.com

Alken Engineering is a long-term user of XYZ Machine Tools’ ProtoTRAK mills, being an early adopter when the ProtoTRAK control was introduced to the UK in 1993. The company now has 10 XYZ ProtoTRAK mills and three XYZ ProTURN lathes on its capacity list, but for many years resisted purchasing any XYZ ‘full CNC’ machines; until now.

Alken Engineering, part of the four-company Alken Holdings Group, is a specialist machining and fabrication company that counts many blue-chip companies, such as Bentley Motors and Volvo, as customers, as well as working in the aerospace, power generation and general subcontract sectors. While the majority of its work involves the machining of steel and more exotic materials, Alken also gets involved in components manufactured from aluminium and nylon, and this work led to the purchase of its first XYZ LR (linear rail) machining centre.
“Even though the ProtoTRAK mills and lathes had provided flawless service, I hadn’t considered XYZ machining centres as I didn’t believe they could compete quality-wise,” says Paul Coverley, managing director. “However, when I had a demo of the new LR machines and the Siemens ShopMill control, my eyes were opened.
“In addition to the capability of the machines, the ShopMill control appealed as we get involved in machining from one-off to batch production, and the Siemens control is perfect for that,” he adds. “And, while I still needed to be persuaded about the full potential of the XYZ LR machines for heavier machining work, that would soon change.”
That persuasion came about when the Alken Group won a contract to machine a series of connector blocks which would be used in the construction of a bridge linking the mainland to Tintagel Castle, the fabled birthplace of King Arthur. These connectors are machined from solid blocks of Duplex stainless steel, with the finished parts measuring up to 460 x 237 x 237 mm, with slots that are 135 mm deep in places.

The work came to Alken after 10 other subcontractors had withdrawn from the contract due to the difficulty in machining these parts. As a result, Alken was faced with a tight deadline, as well as a capacity issue.
“We knew that any delay would put the bridge project back, which was unacceptable to the main contractor, American Bridge, and its customer, English Heritage,” explains Coverley. “However, our initial concern was that the parts could have been described as ‘un-machineable’. Following discussions with our customer, Underhill Engineering, changes were made to the design. Once those issues
were overcome, we were then faced with machining Duplex, including those slots.”
Initially, machining was carried out by two other companies within the Alken Group on what Coverley describes as ‘high-end’ machining centres: “These companies had what I thought was the experience and equipment to handle the work, but we found ourselves falling behind schedule as the machines struggled with the volume and complexity of the parts, so we had to bring work into Alken Engineering. The only capacity we had available was on our XYZ LR 500, 750 and 1000 machining centres. At this point there was still doubt in our mind that the XYZ LR VMC machines had the capability to handle materials such as Duplex, even though XYZ were telling us otherwise.”
With each of the connector blocks requiring between 70 and 80 hours of machining, there was a lot at stake, and Alken, along with assistance from XYZ Machine Tools and the tooling supplier, began to test the capability boundaries of the LR machines.
To produce the slots, the tooling involved an overhang of 4xD using an indexable insert cutter with 12 mm button inserts running at 140 m/min cutting speed and 0.3 mm/rev feed rate. Considering the material being cut, both the machines and tooling produced the quality and finish required.
“Once we got our collective heads around the machining of Duplex we haven’t looked back, and the XYZ LR machining centres are producing these parts better and quicker than those high-end machines we started with,” says Coverley. “As a result, we’ve got the project back on schedule and any doubts that I had about the capability of XYZ machining centres have disappeared. I’ve nothing but praise for the capability of these machines and the Siemens control.”

The XYZ LR range was introduced in 2017 and was the first full series of machining centres equipped with linear rail technology. XYZ had held off developing a linear rail machine as it did not believe that early systems were robust enough to meet its stringent quality standards. However, recent significant developments in linear rail technology saw these concerns eliminated and, as the example at Alken proves, these are highly capable machines with the ability to remove high volumes of material, even challenging metals such as Duplex stainless steel.
There are three machines in the LR range, these being the XYZ 500 LR, XYZ 750 LR and XYZ 1000 LR, with the number equating to the X-axis travel. All machines feature an 8000 rpm/13 kW spindle; 20 m/min traverse rates; and a 12-position carousel-type tool changer on the smallest machine, with a 20-position carousel (24 position arm-type optional) on the two larger variants. Also included in the XYZ range are the heavier duty, more powerful, HD VMCs. The XYZ 660 HD, XYZ 800HD and XYZ 1100 HD have boxway slides and are available with a Siemens or Heidenhain control.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Sheffield is renowned for the way it has shaped British industry over the past 300 years. While the mines and foundries may no longer be the driving economic force they once were, one manufacturer – Gripple – has set-up shop in the city and generated a fixings empire reaching as far as Australia.

Gripple was founded by former wire salesman, Hugh Facey, in the 1980s after discussing the woes of connecting fencing with a frustrated farmer on a Welsh hillside. Setting his mind to finding an easier, safer and more efficient way of joining two wires together, the concept for the first Gripple wire fastener was born.
Fast forward 30 years and Gripple now has three sites in Sheffield, and sells products to agriculture, viticulture and construction markets around
the world.
“We’ve now manufactured over 500 million Gripple fasteners, all using production equipment we have designed and manufactured ourselves in house,” begins Tim Barker, engineering site leader for Gripple’s Old West Gun Works site. “This is no mean feat, and to keep pace with demand, we employ a robust planned maintenance strategy for all of our production equipment, to ensure it is able to maintain its maximum operational capacity.”

Parts washing forms a fundamental part of the company’s maintenance plans. Yet, up until four years ago, like many manufacturers and machine shops up and down the country, Barker and his team relied on hydrocarbon-based solvents and aerosol cans to clean and degrease the parts. This meant the team was exposed to some quite harmful cleaning products, simply because that was the only real way of getting the job done.
“Sustainability is a massive part of the Gripple ethos, and where possible we look to keep our impact on the environment to an absolute minimum,” says Barker. “For example, one of our sites is located next to the River Don, which has undergone massive ecological regeneration in recent years. It used to be a dead river 25 years ago, but now there are guys fly-fishing there; the kingfishers are back and it’s an abundance of life, and that’s how it should stay. As such, we have to be extremely careful when it comes to waste removal, and it was one of the key drivers for revaluating our parts washing processes four years ago.”
With a view to eliminating any potentially environmentally-harmful chemicals from its parts washing processes, Barker and the Gripple team turned to Safe Solvents in 2015. Following an initial trial of the company’s Typhoon parts-washing system, he quickly realised the huge impact it could have; not only in improving the company’s environmental credentials, but in eliminating maintenance technicians’ exposure to the health and safety risks often associated with hydrocarbon-based cleaning solvents.

“When we first brought Safe Solvents in, I so impressed by the system – how easy it was to operate, and how switched-on the guys were – that I immediately rolled it out across the other sites,” says Barker. “The Typhoon system means all parts washing is done in a controlled, safe and environmentally-friendly way, rather than just sticking parts in a bowl or sink and using aerosol-propelled solvents.”
The Typhoon system is a modern take on an old sink-on-drum manual parts-washing machine. It provides a trio of cleaning options: tap, flow-through cleaning brush, and soaking tank, as well as trays and working areas to scrub or soak both small and large components. What really sets the offering apart from other solutions however, is the cleaning fluid.
Safe Solvent’s Advanced Parts Wash Fluid (APWF) is a water-based degreaser for general parts. Comparable with standard hydrocarbon-based solvents, it gets to work quickly on cutting through grime and includes a built-in rust inhibitor which acts as a protective barrier for most metals. Crucially, the degreaser works at ambient temperature, meaning there is no need to heat the fluid during the wash process; and it is both non-flammable and non-carcinogenic.
Says Barker: “Compared to the traditional methods we used in the past, making the switch to a modern, greener and safer cleaning solution was a no-brainer. You really can’t compare the cost, there’s a massive saving compared with aerosol-based solvents. Also, the health and safety impact is huge. In the past, all the propellants we used came with a huge stack of COSHH listings, whereas the Typhoon system is the polar opposite.
“The rust inhibitors are great from a maintenance perspective, too,” he continues. “They help prevent oxidisation forming on the surface of materials, as if a part is not fully clean it can be quite difficult to spot a surface defect or fault which could in turn impact production once that part is refitted within a machine.”
As well as helping to de-risk Gripple’s maintenance programmes, up to 80% of Safe Solvent’s cleaning fluid can be recycled as a traffic film remover.

“Once we’ve used the fluid and it’s been recycled, any excess is offered to the team to be used as a cleaning product for their own garages at home,” explains Barker. “It’s great for cleaning car alloys. From my perspective, it’s fantastic to be able to recycle the fluid, but I’m also confident in the knowledge that I’m not sending anything out there that is harmful to the environment.”
He concludes: “Ultimately, making the switch to Safe Solvents’ parts-washing system has been a huge tick in our environmental box. I know that any fluid spillages are safe and will do no damage to our employees or the environment. They’re a company I want to grow with us, so that when we introduce new ways of manufacturing parts, they can help us do so in a safer, easier and ultimately better way.”
For further information www.safesolvents.co.uk

A specialist stockholder serving the oil and gas industry, Howat Group, perhaps better known by its trading names AMS, ESS and Ancon, has installed a 14th Kasto bandsaw – a KASTOwin pro AC 5.6 – at its new centre in Barnsley, which opened at the end of 2018. The facility represents an investment of more than £2m by owner Malcolm Howat, and has been timed to coincide with the oil and gas sector’s nascent emergence from a downturn that started in 2014.

Half of the sum went on acquiring a freehold, 60,000 sq m property on Cortonwood Drive in the Dearne Valley area of Barnsley. The remainder was spent on infrastructure, materials handling equipment, two further Kasto bandsaws and refurbishment of all the older models, some of which have been in service since the 1990s and still cut accurately.
The German-built KASTOwin pro, supplied ex-stock from the manufacturer’s UK subsidiary in Milton Keynes, is a competitively priced machine designed for cutting tough nickel, titanium and stainless steel alloys up to 560 mm in diameter using a tungsten carbide-tipped (TCT) blade. However, the machine also allows economical cutting of low-alloy steels when the blade is swapped for a high speed steel (HSS) bi-metal type.
Howat’s operations director Emma Parkinson says: “We have four dedicated carbide cutting bandsaws on site which include KASTOtec AC5s and now the KASTOwin pro, which is even more capable. They are ideal for cutting our Inconel 625, 718, 725, 825, 925 and K500 stock. Our latest investment was to increase our overall cutting capacity but also to improve efficiencies around nickel alloy cutting specifically. The remainder of our sawing machines with capacities up to 800 mm diameter are intended for bi-metal cutting, but can also use TCT blades with offset teeth.”
She adds: “The advantage of the latest KASTOwin pro saw, apart from its ability to use either type of blade economically, is its high productivity, which is down to fast cutting speeds and quick set-up using the new touchscreen control.”

Programming is fast with the Kasto EasyControl, as cutting parameters for any given material, size and cross section are determined automatically by a built-in database, so all that is needed is to enter the cut length and number of pieces required, and press start.
The productivity benefit is most pronounced when cutting nickel alloys. Formerly, the company was sawing Inconel 718 with a TCT blade at 3 to 4 cm2 per minute, but on the KASTOwin pro that has risen to an average of 12 cm2 per minute. So, for example, a 200 mm diameter bar that would previously have taken up to 90 minutes to cut can now be processed in less than half an hour.
Parkinson explains that she was familiar with the benefits of the latest German-built bandsaws compared with the performance of the legacy machines, having worked with this make of saw when previously employed at another stockholding company.

So when Howat Group, one of the largest stockholders in the UK, needed more capacity to cope with an increasing number of high volume orders for nickel alloy billet and low-alloy steels, the KASTOwin pro was a logical choice. The large batch sizes frequently ordered make it economical to spend time changing from an expensive TCT blade to bi-metal, to extend the life of the TCT teeth.
A feature of the automatic KASTOwin pro is its electro-mechanical down-feed via two ballscrews, each with a servo drive for precise, infinitely variable control. The positive motion allows smaller tolerances to be set, typically -0 / +0.5 mm for most stock, minimising material wastage. There is a retraction unit for separating the blade from the material to protect the cut surface when the saw head moves back, which also helps to minimise tool wear.
The band is driven by an 11 kW motor, delivering infinitely adjustable cutting speeds from 12 to 150 m/min, and providing plenty of capacity for TCT sawing. Helping to dampen vibration and lower noise during operation are ‘Trum’ guides mounted at the return side of the blade, inside the top of the saw head guarding. These guides suppress vibration on the side opposite from the cutting action, prolonging blade life and promoting high squareness accuracy and good surface finish.
Partly due to larger orders being received, and because of the high value of nickel-based metals, Howat Group’s monthly turnover trebled within a few months of the stockholder opening its new facility. Key to maintaining growth is providing customers with a high quality service in terms of prompt delivery of material that is within tolerance.

Parkinson concludes: “It is for this reason that we have more or less standardised on Kasto sawing equipment and see the supplier as a partner to our business. We regard the manufacturer as a premium brand whose rigid and technologically advanced bandsaws maximise blade life and cut accurately for decades, despite heavy use.”
For further information www.kasto.com