A need to radically improve the component cleaning capabilities at a precision engineering company has resulted in significant savings, reduced production times and new orders; all thanks to a new MecWash industrial parts-washing system.

Nottinghamshire-based Swiftool Precision Engineering is an award-winning subcontract manufacturing business boasting a range of blue-chip customers in the aerospace, nuclear, marine and petrochemical sectors, among others.
With demanding quality standards for its precision-machined components, the company found that an existing basic spray-wash and small ultrasonic bench-washing system was not as thorough as the exacting requirements needed to meet growing demands from customers. Swiftool Precision duly turned to industrial parts-washing specialist MecWash for a solution.
“Quality is what Swiftool is all about,” states Andy Carnell, project manager at Swiftool. “The existing washing system was just not cleaning well enough. We needed to surpass the standards that not only we expect, but that our clients demand.
“The system was dated and, more importantly, unable to clean to the much smaller micron levels expected nowadays within the sectors we work in,” he continues. “Manufacturing high volumes of precision machined components in a range of materials also meant we needed to increase production time without losing quality.”
Working with the company, a MecWash MWX400 system was tested and configured, along with trials involving MecWash’s in-house laboratory and chemist to ensure the right wash chemicals were designed and matched, before the system was commissioned.
The MecWash MWX400 system provides ultrasonic wash and rinse, flood wash and rinse, mist rinse, spray wash and rinse, and hot air dry and vacuum dry. Contaminants needing to be removed from the manufactured components at Swiftool include neat oil, coolant and metal swarf.
The MWX400 system was commissioned into the manufacturing process and, in addition to significantly enhanced levels in cleanliness, production was also increased as a direct result.
“The MecWash system is far superior to what we had,” says Carnell. “It has saved so much time. It’s a lot quicker, more thorough and the results are far better.”

Swiftool has one of the most safety-critical environments, with the verified absence of foreign debris and contaminated material being vital. The company even has its own clean room certified to Rolls-Royce SABRe standard.
Carnell says the cycle times for cleaning both at the end and during the process have been improved significantly and “this has allowed us to reduce lead times and overall costs, thus attracting more business from our customers”.
Alan Atkinson of MecWash adds: “Swiftool works with companies that have the highest level of cleanliness requirements. We are talking particles sizes no larger than 500 µm. It’s vital there are no contaminants leaving the production process.
“Our systems provide the levels of cleanliness for such exacting results,” he adds. “They are designed to clean at much higher speeds with the same results, which means that production processes can also increase without compromise. This saves time and boosts productivity for our clients. And that’s through our team working with each customer to ensure the final commissioned system is optimised for their needs.”
Swiftool is one of many examples highlighting current confidence in the UK manufacturing supply chain. Indeed, this was further demonstrated at the MACH 2018 exhibition in April, with a surge of interest in MecWash technologies from new and existing customers.
With its range of aqueous parts-cleaning and degreasing systems on show at the UK’s main engineering-based manufacturing trade exhibition, MecWash managing director John Pattison says growth is not something just being talked about, it is happening, as demonstrated by the number and quality of leads generated at the event.
“MACH mirrored what we’ve witnessed over recent months from customers seeking to invest in new washing systems as their own orders rise,” he says. “The footfall on our stand wasn’t just to view our technology, it was to discuss specific investment projects from existing and new customers who are experiencing a surge in orders themselves and are looking to ramp up production.
“From smaller precision engineering suppliers through to the blue-chip giants within the automotive, aerospace and general engineering sectors, there were some very encouraging signs for the UK and global markets at MACH,” he adds.
Pattison also highlights research that found more than 40% of UK manufacturers expect growth in global trading conditions. The research by EEF and AIG also stated that nearly 70% of UK companies expect to increase productivity in 2018.

“MACH 2018 is one of the UK’s largest engineering-based manufacturing exhibitions, attracting thousands of representatives from key stakeholders, companies and investors,” says Pattison. “It is one of several key trade exhibitions in the UK, Europe and US that MecWash attends.
“Another factor in the investment coming through is the need for quality,” he concludes. “We believe the interest and leads generated at MACH highlight the high reputation of our aqueous washing systems.”
For further information www.mecwash.co.uk

A specialist in gearbox and transmission systems for the motorsport industry is branching out into electric vehicle transmissions, and has benefitted with a new manager driving its Edgecam software use up a gear.

Dominic Prinsloo, production engineering manager at Hewland Engineering, works closely with the design team to ensure that all components can be accurately produced through their manufacturing cells.
Hewland has a long history of being the “go-to” company to provide racing gearboxes for vehicles in competitions such as Formula One, LeMans GT, WRC rally, Open-wheel formula and Touring Cars; along with high performance sports cars that are equally at home on the road or track. The company also produces transmission systems for Formula E electric cars, and is now working on a number of projects for electric road cars.
Core business at Hewland comprises gear components that include the box, gears and layshafts – in fact everything that makes up the entire transmission system. Around 95% of parts are programmed through Edgecam, and almost all are complex, with tight tolerances of 5-10 µm.
Since joining the company in September 2017, Prinsloo has introduced new ways of working with Edgecam. “Hewland have used Edgecam for many years, but weren’t utilising it to its full potential,” he says.

Implementing his methods has led to reduced time and tooling costs. On a gearbox selector fork, for example, the cycle time was cut from 65 to 38 minutes, and when tooling costs were also taken into consideration, the savings on that component were “considerable.”
And with a larger fork, Prinsloo’s methods with Edgecam saved around 30 minutes on each individual item. Forecasts show that over a 12 month period, the Edgecam changes will also lead to considerable savings on every type of gearbox fork manufactured at Hewland. “It all means we can offer far more competitive prices to our customers.”
Those changes include bringing in solid models for programming and generating features from the model.
“We also use profile features, either generated from the ‘Features Find’ function, or generated manually. When I came to the company, the system was to input the values manually, which was time-consuming and prone to error. Now, the code is generated by associating the tool paths to the features, so whenever the component is upgraded to the next version and the model manipulated – such as a particular diameter being changed from 32 to 45mm – we just regenerate the feature and the tool path changes automatically.”
However, he says the biggest game-changer was introducing Edgecam’s Waveform roughing, both for the company’s milling and turning cells. “It’s now used for all our face grooves, groove turning and full rad inserts, which has reduced cycle times dramatically.”

Previously, when milling the company’s range of gear selector forks, a high feed method was used, with multiple face cutters for one component. Prinsloo says: “Those step cutters only lasted for three parts before having to be replaced.” He changed the manufacturing process to incorporate Waveform, machining 2.8 m/min minute at 4200 rpm with a 10% step-over, which has cut the number of tools required to produce the component.
“We’ve reduced the cycle time by 20 minutes on stage one machining, and eight and a half minutes on stage two machining, which means we’ve saved around 30 minutes on each fork,” says Prinsloo. “And we cut around 23 billets per carbide, instead of three.”
Many of Hewland’s shop-floor workers were a little wary of Edgecam’s Waveform strategy at first, worrying that the ramped up feeds and speeds would break the cutting tools.
“They’d never seen anything like it,” says Prinsloo. “I introduced it slowly, starting with a low revolution, then gradually increased it until we got to a 10% step-over, and 2.2 m feed. That was on EN36 case-hardening steel, so the team very quickly realised exactly what Waveform could do. I know we can push the machine even more, but this is perfect for our needs. It means the operator can leave the machine running while he goes on to work on another one.”
And those same operators now want Waveform to be the default machining strategy.
“We have what we call legacy components, which were originally programmed a long time ago,” he says. “Shop-floor personnel are asking us to change the programming to Waveform, telling us they find it more reliable, and that it reduces load on the spindle.”
Prinsloo says another Edgecam benefit is its ease of use. “We load the STEP file, and if it’s not a raw casting, we generate stock through Edgecam’s stock library. Then we load a chuck if it’s a turned component, or vice if it’s a milled part.”
After that comes what he calls the real power behind Edgecam – generating the features on the model before the programming sequence is started; loading the machine, and generating the toolkit, which in turn creates the set-up sheet as the live job report.
“We have everything within Edgecam: the stock, the model, chuck, machine, and tool kit. We simply couldn’t run our shop without it.”
Prinsloo predicts that Edgecam is going to be even more vital in future, for prototyping new gear components used on electric vehicles. Design engineer Ashley Craig is currently working on a number of transmission systems for that growing market.

“I liaise closely with Dominic to ensure that the finished 3D model can be accurately machined,” he says. “It gives me total confidence that my designs will be faithfully translated into the finished part, and ensures that Hewland continues to compete at the top level in terms of the gears and transmissions produced. Thanks to Edgecam, we can give our customers competitive prices, because it keeps both development and manufacturing costs to a minimum.”
For further information www.edgecam.com

Leaving the comfort of employment and starting a business is a decision loaded with emotion and taken with cautious trepidation. For the two ex-aerospace engineers that founded GD Precision, re-mortgaging their homes to finance the leap emphasises their confidence and passion. Some 17 years later and the decision has paid dividends for the West Sussex entrepreneurs.

Now operating from a 4400 sq ft facility in Arundel, the company has seven staff, a host of Mazak, XYZ and Dugard CNC machine tools, and a list of clients that span across the Formula One, aerospace, transport and medical industries. Like most subcontract machine shops, GD Precision is continually striving for cost reductions, efficiency, productivity and quality. Luckily, the company has many of these facets covered by cutting tool supplier, Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).
Recalling life before the cold call of ITC sales engineer Dave Cleeve some 10 years ago, company director Dale Buckthorpe says: “In the early days we were conscious of our spending and watched every penny. We would buy low-cost tools from a variety of suppliers, and when the tools were near burn-out, we would get buckets of tools re-ground. Of course, this was a false economy. When Dave Cleeve came in with tools that were considerably more expensive than the cheap tools we were using, we took some convincing.”
Taking up the story, fellow director and head of the milling department, Gary Short, says: “Dave from ITC reviewed our workload and offered us the 3081 series square-end, three-flute, solid-carbide end mill. At the time, we were using a 20 mm diameter ripper cutter from another supplier to machine an aluminium component at the full 20 mm width – at a depth of 0.5xD – applying a low feed rate. Taking-on-board Dave’s expertise, we applied the 3081 series at full flute depth with smaller cuts, at speeds and feeds that were remarkably high. We were sceptical, but we trusted Dave and immediately realised cycle time reductions of 50%.
“Not only did we achieve 50% cycle time reductions, but the surface finishes and tool life were anything from four to five times better than our previous tools,” he continues. “While we instantly realised the benefits of paying more for tools from a premium brand manufacturer like ITC, we also recognised the technical expertise was invaluable.”
This success noted the arrival of a full line of 3081 end mills from 6 to 20 mm diameter for everything from roughing to finishing applications.
“The 3081 series blew our previous tools away,” says Short. “It’s a general purpose end mill with a high helix that we now use for just about every aluminium machining task. We have recently been machining dental mould tools and the 3081 series is achieving 70+ hours of trochoidal machining on high-grade HE15 aluminium.”
ITC’s 3081 series soon became the tool of choice for all aluminium machining tasks at GD Precision, giving the directors confidence to trial further ITC tools. This followed in the guise of the ITC Widia VariMill range of TiAlN coated four-flute end mills for machining stainless steel and exotic materials. Instantly outperforming previous tools, the VariMill proved every bit as successful on challenging materials as the 3081 showed on aluminium.

“It took us a while to adjust to the VariMill’s high speeds and feeds, but we are now hitting jobs faster with smaller cuts while pulling 30-40% less horsepower,” says Short. “We opted for more trochoidal milling and ITC was integral in the evolution of our machining strategies. With the VariMill generating 30-40% productivity improvements, and tool life gains of beyond 50%, we have phased out the majority of tooling from alternate suppliers.”
For dedicated high-speed roughing of challenging materials, GD Precision is now utilising the ITC 6051 series of six-flute centre-cutting end mills. As Short recalls: “The long length 6051 has a 60 mm flute length that permits higher material removal rates with excellent reach characteristics. There is very little depth in the flutes of the 6051 series and this increases strength and eliminates vibration, enabling us to run at 3 to 4 m/min. On materials like stainless, we are machining at feed of 0.2mm per tooth using the full 60 mm flute length.”
The success of the 3081 series, the VariMill and the 6051 series has seen GD Precision continually implement new machining strategies and tooling lines from ITC. Recent additions include the 4071 series for deburring and chamfering, 4011 series radius tools and 2001 series necked back tools for 3D and profile machining.
A newly added Dugard Eagle 1000+ machining centre with a Big-Plus logo on the spindle housing, is something which did not go unnoticed by Cleeve, who recommended that GD Precision should purchase a Big Kaiser face and taper contact Hi-Power milling chuck to complement the spindle interface.
“When Dave recommended we try the BBT40 Hi-Power milling chuck, we trusted his judgement based on previous results – we were not disappointed,” says Short. “The Dugard machines are very robust and stable, but we were struggling to reach ITC’s recommended speeds and feeds. As soon as the Big Kaiser Hi-Power milling chuck arrived, we knew the weak link was our old milling chucks. With the Big-Plus we can reach the recommended speeds and feeds with no chatter and vastly improved surface finishes. Without the Big-Plus chuck, we have to reduce our cutting parameters by at least 25%.
“The Big-Plus Hi-Power has improved our tool life by at least 20%, increased our machining performance and cutting parameters by over 25%, and the run-out is well below 5 µm. In fact, we don’t have equipment accurate enough to measure how little run-out there is.
“The Big-Plus milling chuck allows us to run the VariMill 12 and 16 mm diameter tools with a trochoidal strategy on stainless steel at machining feeds of 100 m/min and a spindle speed of 2000 rpm. In fact, since applying the chuck, we have realised there is little point in buying high-end tools without this rigid system. By using the chuck with trochiodal strategies, we have reduced our cycle time on dental mould tools from 12 minutes to 6 minutes 45 seconds, a 45% cycle time improvement.”

Despite all the strategic, purchasing and manufacturing enhancements instigated by ITC, there is one habit the company has not dropped, as Short concludes: “We still collect boxes of used solid carbide end mills. The difference now is that ITC is a UK manufacturer, and we are returning the cutting tools to the OEM for regrinding. The benefit is that ITC has the geometries of all its tools and the regrinds are conducted on the same machines that produced them in the first place. This means that we get our re-ground tools returned in an ‘as-new’ condition at a fraction of the cost of new tools.”
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Built in 1903, the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway served communities along the winding valley that joined the mainline at Welshpool. This narrow-gauge railway allowed livestock, coal and timber to be transported easily, as well as providing a passenger service until the early 1930s. The line operated until 1956 when British Rail deemed it uneconomic.

A regular steam-hauled public service once again returned to the line in 1963 when a group of enthusiasts took on the challenge of making it into a successful tourist attraction. Key to that success was the retention of two original locomotives and the acquisition of rolling stock from railways both in the UK and Europe. Now almost 120 years old, this historic collection requires regular maintenance and care, which is where the railway’s engineering workshop comes in to its own.
A little bit of catching up was required as the first maintenance workshop was not built until 1968 and the locomotives lived outside in the elements until 2000. An extension to the workshop in the 1980s saw the development of the machine shop, with machine tools being ‘begged, borrowed or stolen’ from supporters of the railway. Things improved in the 1990s when a Heritage Lottery grant allowed some additional machines to be purchased, but when mechanical engineering manager Richard Featherstone joined the railway in 2016 he recognised an adequate, but not ideal situation.
“We had a lot of manual machines and work on them was laborious, and given that we rely on some skilled volunteers, time is at a premium,” he explains. “What we needed was bigger and faster milling and turning capacity that also had to be user-friendly to cater for the skills and work we have.”
An appeal for funds went out and, as a result, the railway was able to order two machine tools from XYZ, an SMX 4000 bed mill and an SLX 425 ProTurn lathe. These machines have made an immediate impact on the way that Featherstone is able to support the maintenance of the engines. One example involves spark arrester plates for the smoke boxes, which are made up of a sandwich of stainless-steel plates and mesh held in place by 28 M6 screws.

“The M6 drilled and tapped holes would traditionally have been marked out, centre popped and manually drilled, then adjusted by the fitters for assembly,” says Featherstone. “We now machine them on the SMX 4000 and every hole is in the right place; the time savings are significant.”
Similarly, the SLX 425 ProTurn lathe is generating major benefits for Featherstone and his team of volunteers. Each of the couplings between the engines and rolling stock has an adjusting nut which features an 11/4 4TPI round thread form. A batch of 15-off has been manufactured by a semi-skilled volunteer in an afternoon on the SLX 425. Previously, using manual machines, this task was a week’s work. For traceability, these parts are then put on the SMX 4000 and etched with the relevant details. Again, this operation would previously have been done by hand with letter and number punches.
“Maintenance and refurbishment is a continuous process here as the engines and components are subject to an aggressive environment; we are either boiling things or burning things,” says Featherstone. “For example, after every 28 days of being under steam we have to replace/rework the two fusible plugs in each boiler. These are bronze plugs with a 99.9% purity lead core. Their job is to act as a failsafe if water levels drop in the boiler – the lead melts and the flame is doused. Making these plugs was a black art as they feature a taper thread, which must be accurate, and a specific length as four complete threads should be showing on the inside of the firebox, a situation complicated by the fact that the female thread is occasionally re-tapped and opened-up.”
Today, this operation is a straightforward procedure as the program can be called up on the ProtoTrak control of the SLX 425 and offsets adjusted to instill confidence that accurate parts will be produced first time. Again, with the focus on availability of labour and time, with Featherstone currently being the only full-time member of staff in the workshop, these fusible plugs used to take a skilled-man four hours to produce a pair. In contrast, a pair of plugs can today be machined in under 15 minutes.

At present, programming is done at the machine by Featherstone; he is then happy to hand over the operating of the machines to semi-skilled volunteers, although this situation should improve when he recruits an additional full-time machinist. One feature that Featherstone is particularly enthusiastic about on the SLX Lathe is the TRAKing facility, which allows him to use the handles to move through the program, while remaining in full control.

“I love the TRAKing feature as you know you can back off if you have any uncertainty about the tool path,” he says. “That said, using step-by-step instructions on the ProtoTrak control, it is so easy to get things right first time.”
The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway is always
looking to recruit skilled engineers on a voluntary basis. Any expressions of interest can be made by calling the railway on 01938 810441.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

For more than 20 years, Königsee Implantate based in Königsee, deep in the Thuringian Forest in Germany, has been developing and producing implants and instruments for traumatology, orthopedics and spinal surgery with enormous success. In the course of continuous process improvements, two new Tornos EvoDeco 16 machines have been purchased.

Within the medical industry, Königsee is a significant manufacturer with a history that dates back to the end of World War I. In 1919, orthopedic technician Otto Bock founded the company in Berlin to provide disabled war veterans with prostheses and other orthopedic products. Shortly after, the company moved to Königsee. This was the origin for Königsee Implantate GmbH, which was established by Erich Orschler in 1993.
Königsee’s success story started with a small machine inventory and the strong determination of its employees. Initially, the company focused exclusively on the development and manufacturing of osteo-synthesis systems for traumatology and orthopedics. For more than 10 years now, the company has also been offering solutions for spinal surgery.
The products for almost all bone sections, from the collarbone to the toes, accelerate the healing process of fractures compared with conventional methods of treatment. New solutions constantly arise from close collaboration with physicians and surgical teams. The development projects comprise the complete path of the value chain, from the idea and development of a prototype, to the manufacture of the product. During this process, painstaking attention is paid to quality, since it is the basic requirement for the long service life and safe use of implants. This is why the company purchased two new EvoDeco 16 machines from Tornos.
In layman’s terms, an osteo-synthesis system consists of a plate that is matched with the anatomy and fastened to the bones with a variable number of screws of different lengths and diameters. Königsee offers the entire manufacturing process, from purchase and planning, through milling, turning, grinding and galvanizing, to the final inspection and warehousing.

Pricing pressure has reached the medical industry and this means that top-quality produce from Germany can only be competitive by applying a sophisticated manufacturing strategy. For this reason, Königsee has invested in Tornos.
All the screws are produced in the turning shop. Fractures require screws of different lengths and diameters, and with different properties. Depending on their use, the screw types produced are self-tapping, self-drilling or reverse-tapping. The threads are either full threads up to the head or partial threads. Threads are whirled with various pitches, while heeding the tightest shape tolerances. The head faces usually have a hexagon or hexalobular (Torx) socket. Most of the screws are cannulated, featuring a channel to drain the tissue fluid.
The material used is usually titanium or implant steel. Even if it is not difficult to machine titanium, it offers up two special challenges, low thermal conductivity and difficulty in breaking the chips, which requires special cooling strategies. Tool wear is very high due to the extreme toughness of the material.
Varying lot sizes are between 25 and 150 pieces. All screws must be as burr-free as possible in order to minimise rework. Although Königsee had already been well positioned with seven Tornos machines, the company decided to purchase two new EvoDeco 16 machines.
Thanks to their kinematics and tooling, Tornos EvoDeco machines are pre-destined for manufacturing complex workpieces with high quality. Christian Hedwig, manufacturing engineer for turning operations at Königsee, emphasises the decisive reason for purchasing these machines: “Up to then, we had been using Deco 13 and Deco 20 machines. On the two new machines, we can produce a larger diversity of parts, which makes us much more flexible.
“On the other hand, the large number of tools opens up new possibilities in terms of machining even more complex workpieces in one set-up,” he adds. “This purchase has enabled us to improve our processes.”
To do so, the EvoDeco 16 machines have been further optimised by Königsee. A high-pressure coolant system by Müller Hydraulik has been installed with a pressure of up to 150 bar to feed directly to the individual tool blocks through a manifold block. This configuration significantly improves chip breakage and evacuation. As a consequence, tool life and process stability are extended. Stability is said to be a major advantage of the Tornos machines.

EvoDeco 16 machines are designed to operate with high reliability and produce parts with dimensional accuracy over a long period of time. Another interesting point is that the new EvoDecos have reduced production times by up to 30%.
The employees of Königsee are full of praise after having started series production. They soon became familiar with the machine, since the TB-Deco control functions are user-friendly and were already known to the company. At present, the machines are running across three shifts.
For further information www.tornos.com