On track to open more doors

JC Precision Engineering earns 70% of its turnover from producing a range of components for racing go-carts. The business has grown progressively from the race track participation of the Munday family, led by father Vincent who set up the firm 36 years ago, and is now run on a day-to-day basis by his two sons Dan and Chris.
Production at the Market Overton factory in Rutland is steeped in CNC machining centres and fixed-head lathes for turning, into which around £1 million has been invested over the last five years, usually at a rate of one machine a year. However, around the family table, discussions have often broached the subject that perhaps the company should invest in CNC sliding-head technology for producing smaller precision parts.
“We used MACH 2016 as the final decider and ordered the Citizen Cincom L32-VIII with removable guide bush, which was installed in July 2016,” says director Dan Munday. “Almost immediately we wondered why we had debated so long. Indeed, such has been the success of the machine that we are now planning for a second because we are becoming increasingly concerned we could run out of capacity.”

Since July, apart from more effectively switching work from other machines, the firm has won new contracts that it could never have dreamed of fulfilling before. The directors have already noted how not only profitability has increased, but also throughput, with cycles being clocked two-thirds faster than before. For example one part taking more than 50 seconds on a fixed-head machine is now produced in
just 17 seconds.
However, most important to the company is that lead times are being decimated against previous methods, which involved separate fixed-head turning and often further milling and drilling set-ups, as well as manual finishing. Indeed, benefits are also being accrued from the ability to achieve total consistency, enabling ‘through-the-night’ running and the maintenance of tolerances as tight as 10 µm when needed.
As a result, previous production methods involving four or five set ups have been reduced to one, including in-cycle deburring. Batches as small as 20 have proven to be economical, especially when planned alongside other work, with the machine already either set with or without the guide bush in place or having no need for a bar change. This economic capability for small quantities has also encouraged design input for certain key customers, as well as development and providing a prototype service.

In ordering the Cincom L32-VIII, the company elected to specify the detachable guide bush.
“We have considerable demands for special sizes of short length parts, such as spacers and even washers, where we can save on bar end material,” says Munday. “It takes less than 30 minutes to change over to a guide bush when needed.”
One of the concerns holding back the venture into CNC sliding-head technology was the different approach to the application when compared with more traditional CNC turning.
“We had excellent support from Citizen, which quickly convinced us how our worries were totally unfounded,” says Munday. “What makes things easier is the Cincom control software, plus Citizen’s AlKart CNC wizard programming aid, which certainly helped us to get up to speed very quickly.”

He describes how the company is running a range of parts in materials such as EN24, 316 stainless steel, plastics, aluminium and brass. These include special bolts and pins, master cylinder brake pistons, brass fuel fittings and stub axles. Indeed, a further point of disbelief in the capability of sliding-head machining has also been dispelled in producing the stub axle from 31 mm diameter EN8. In a single cut of 7 mm, the part was taken down to 17 mm diameter and held to a 0.025 mm tolerance. The part was then threaded each end from the main and sub-spindle and, within the cycle, a hexagon was milled adjacent to a flange.
JC Precision Engineering, which employs 15 people, acquired its premises in 2000 with a floor area of 1000 sq m – the company is currently planning to add another building on the site. This will enable the firm to meet future demands and install a second Citizen, helping to increase turnover from the current £1 million.
“The whole business has always maintained a steady growth, and with the input into design, development and prototype activities, although this takes up valuable production time, it is paying massive dividends in customer loyalty and a longer term order book.”
The Cincom L32-VIII has five axes with a 40 tool capacity of which 15 can be driven. A maximum speed of 8000 rpm is available on the 7.5 kW main and 3.7 kW sub-spindle. Driven tools are powered by a 1 kW, 6000 rpm motor. Of major importance, which is proving to be a key factor in the firm’s applications, is the ease of removal or replacement of the guide bush assembly from the main spindle to accommodate the machining of greater numbers of shorter parts from a bar.
For further information
www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

DSM-NE takes Hurco machine tally to seven

Toolmaking and subcontract CNC machining specialist DSM-NE, based in Newton Aycliffe, has increased its stock of Hurco machining centres to seven, including a large three-axis model and an even bigger five-axis machine, the company’s first.
One job in particular has benefited enormously from its arrival. A tool steel (P20) die nest, part of a progression moulding machine, initially took 75 hours to machine in six separate set-ups on a Hurco three-axis machining centre. According to DSM-NE’s technical director, Andrew Wilson, the cycle would have reduced to 50 hours after process optimisation.
However, the same job is completed on the Hurco VMX60SRTi five-axis machine in two operations, taking five hours and eight hours respectively. This is around one-quarter of the best possible time on a three-axis machine and has turned what was originally a loss-making contract into profit.
“We looked first at fitting a two-axis rotary table to a three-axis machine because nobody here had experience of operating a full five-axis machining centre,” says Wilson. “However, we saw the VMX60SRTi demonstrated at a Hurco open house in High Wycombe and were impressed at how easy it was to program.
“We were familiar with the 2D programming capability of Hurco’sWinMax conversational CNC system, but it can also create quite complex 3D/five-axis routines involving two positional axes, which takes only a few days to master,” he adds.
For fully interpolative five-axis cycles, DSM-NE employs two seats of Autodesk’s PowerMill CAM software, which are also used for producing more complex three-axis routines. However, half of all programs at Newton Aycliffe are generated on the shop floor at the HurcoWinMax controls.
The controls allow intuitive, menu-driven data input via a touch screen, with a second screen on the five-axis machine for simultaneously displaying a graphic of the part as it is built up. All controls accept DXF drawing files directly from the subcontractor’s CAD system, lightening the load on the CAM department. WinMax can easily take over programming of mould plates, for example. Wilson points out that with most other control systems, this would not be possible.
Technical manager Steven Guz highlights another benefit of the WinMax control, namely its Ultimotion software algorithm that optimises look-ahead throughout the cycle to speed and smooth the milling process, even around sharp corners.
“Identical programs on our older Hurco machining centres without Ultimotion take half as long again to finish, and the absence of chatter considerably improves the surface finish of machined components,” he says.
Today, DSM-NE’s business is divided into three parts: subcontract CNC machining; manufacture and repair of plastic injection moulds and compression moulds, particularly for the automotive industry; and injection moulding of plastic parts mainly for the automotive, medical and agricultural sectors.
The subcontract milling, turning and wire erosion side of the business has grown steadily since 2011 to account for one-third of turnover. It is largely down to the success of one of the subcontractor’s OEM customers specialising in LED lighting, for which DSM-NE is sole supplier of machined aluminium housings and heat sinks. Other contract machining on site involves producing ancillary parts for moulding machines. Offshore work normally accounts for a reasonable proportion of turnover, although this sector is subdued at present.
The broad base of the firm’s current activities stems from the outflow of toolmaking, mainly to the Far East during the last decade. It is true that significant income was retained by correcting poorly made imported tools, work that sometimes cost half as much as the originals, but it was clear that this could not be relied upon long-term.
Shortly after the company moved into its current premises on the Aycliffe Business Park 20 years ago, the first Hurco vertical machining centre (VMC) was purchased, a VM1, which replaced a manual tool-change milling machine from the same manufacturer. A larger BMC 4020 VMC followed shortly after.
The latter machine ran reliably for 22 years and was eventually replaced by a VM2 during 2008. In the same year, a Hurco TM8 turning machine was installed, the first CNC lathe on site, to streamline the manufacture of parts for compression moulds and to open up general subcontract machining opportunities. Subsequently, in the run-up to purchasing the two big VMX machines, DSM-NE added three Hurco VM20s in as many years to cope with increasing volumes of LED lighting components.
“We continue to buy Hurco machines not only because of the commonality of programming and operation, but also because they are reliable and competitively priced,” says Wilson. “The latest five-axis machine was half the price of a similar model from another supplier we benchmarked.”
Looking to the future, he sees growth opportunities in full five-axis machining. The VMX60SRTi has already taken over three-axis work from other vertical machining centres, which it completes more economically using 3+1 and 3+2-axis cycles in fewer set-ups.
Contracts are being sought that can exploit its simultaneous four- and five-axis machining capabilities, which is enhanced by the B-axis spindle head and rotary C-axis configuration, the latter being flush with the machine table. This arrangement offers a bigger machining envelope than an equivalent trunnion-type, five-axis model, especially for three- and four-axis work, and was the reason that this style of machine was purchased.
For further information
www.hurco.co.uk

Machine compatibility supports milling capacity expansion

With its core business being turning, the milling capability at Batchflow Engineering had taken something of a back seat. However, with the growth in low-volume production and prototype work, especially for the motorsport sector, managing director Steve Packwood recognised the need to bring machining centre capacity up to date.
Founded in 1986 by Packwood’s father David, with just a couple of capstan lathes, Batchflow Engineering has grown into a fully evolved CNC subcontractor by investing profits back into the business. While the focus remained on turning, the company had a small milling/machining centre capability to support existing customers. As demand grew for more milling capacity, particularly second operation work, Batchflow considered using its advanced mill-turn capacity as an option. However, for smaller batch quantities and prototype work this was not always the most efficient use of that capacity, so thoughts moved towards dedicated machining centres.
“We knew we had to replace our existing, ageing, machining centre and a visit to an exhibition introduced us to the XYZ 2-OP,” says Packwood. “As soon as I saw it, I realised that we could make full use of its capacity, while the small footprint would be perfect for us at the time. The decision to buy it was one of the easiest capital investments I’ve ever made, given the machine cost and the efficiency that it would bring to the business.”
The XYZ 2-OP had a number of features that particularly appealed to Batchflow; firstly its size, with a footprint of just 760 x 1220 mm it is compact enough to fit almost anywhere in any machine shop. The eight-position toolchanger adds to the machine’s versatility and the 3 hp, 6000 rpm spindle allows a variety of parts and materials to be machined efficiently, especially when combined with the machine’s rigid construction.
Another key element of the 2-OP was the machine table and its integral Jergens Ball Lock fixture location system.
“The Jergens system is perfect for us as we produce relatively small batches, so set-ups are frequent,” explains Packwood. “With the Ball Lock we can quickly position fixtures, knowing exactly where they are on the table, which reduces set-up time considerably.”
The success of the machine meant that Batchflow’s next investment in milling capacity would also come from XYZ Machine Tools. This time Packwood opted for an XYZ LPM (Lean Production Machine) due in part to the use of the Jergens system on this machine and the ProtoTrak control. The ability to switch jobs easily between the two XYZ machines, thanks to the Jergens Ball Lock system and the ability to transfer programs seamlessly between the two controllers, made perfect sense and once again made set-ups extremely short.
“The fact that the LPM machine has the same control and fixturing system as the 2-OP made the decision more straightforward,” says Packwood. “Among the work we do for the motorsport sector there is a significant element of small batch and prototype work, but lead times are always very short, so anything that helps to reduce downtime is a major benefit. It is ideal for a typical subcontractor like ourselves and allows us to provide a rapid response to our customers.”
The XYZ LPM machine expands on the machining capability of the 2-OP with a 15 hp, 8000 rpm BT40 spindle, and a 900 x 500 mm table featuring axis travels of 785 x 470 x 530 mm. An integral toolchanger has capacity for 16 tools, which can be pre-set using the supplied tool presetting system. Furthermore, the ProtoTrak PMX control allows users to carry out background editing of programs while the machine is running, providing further opportunities to reduce set-up time for the next job.
“When we ordered the 2-OP we’d never bought from XYZ, but it provided a low-risk entry into working with a new machine supplier,” says Packwood. “We shouldn’t have had any concerns as both the 2-OP and the LPM have run perfectly. Training on the ProtoTrak control was minimal, as that was all that was required. Overall it has been a very positive experience moving from our previous machines to the XYZs. Add to that the benefit that the interchangeability between the 2-OP and the LPM bring, such as knowing exactly where fixtures are located, reduced set-ups and the versatility of knowing we can do most jobs on either machine, and we have a big advantage with the type of work we undertake.”
For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com

Prepared for all eventualities

The triggering in March of Article 50, formalising the two-year process for the UK to leave the European Union, has led some economic experts to predict a slowdown in growth and a general contraction within the sector. Others, no doubt fuelled by the fall in value of Sterling and its positive impact (to date) on exports, are more bullish and confident that UK manufacturing is more resilient than was originally thought.
With so many competing, and often conflicting, views of what could happen in the future, numerous UK companies, rather than waiting and “hoping for the best”, are taking matters into their own hands. Many are investing in their manufacturing plant, equipment, processes, systems and people, and strengthening their supply chain relationships to make themselves better prepared for the future and better positioned to capitalise on opportunities in a post-Brexit world.
One such company is subcontract specialist Aerotech Precision Manufacturing. Based in Poole, the company recently invested in a Doosan VCF 850LSR five-axis machining centre supplied by Mills CNC.
Aerotech, established in 1990, manufactures and supplies high-precision complex components and assemblies for the aerospace, defence, medical and energy sectors, as well as parts for packaging equipment and machines. Components machined by the company vary considerably and include prototypes and one-offs through to small-medium batch production.
A significant proportion of Aerotech’s work is in highly regulated markets and the company, not surprisingly, has invested heavily in ensuring it has the correct accreditations and certifications to operate and grow within these sectors, such as AS9100 (Rev C), ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Fit4Nuclear.
Aerotech prides itself on the quality of the parts it supplies and adopts a ‘right first time, every time’ approach. The company also invests significant resources into both achieving, and often exceeding, customers’ tight delivery deadlines.
The emphasis on quality, lead-time fulfilment and cost competitiveness explains, to a large extent, the company’s recent investment in the Doosan VCF 850LSR.
“We operate in highly competitive global markets and, as such, you simply cannot afford to stand still,” says business development manager Aaron Houston. “As a consequence, we regularly audit and review our engineering and technical capacity and capabilities, benchmarking where we are against where we need to be. If there’s any disconnect between the two, we make strategic investments in the latest technology to bridge the gap.”
As part of the company’s continuous improvement programme, Aerotech made the decision to replace one of its existing large-capacity three-axis machines with a new five-axis machining centre. The investment was intended to help the company reduce job set-up times and part cycle times via adopting a one-hit machining strategy and, in so doing, improve its productivity and process reliability.
Explains Aerotech director Allan Redfern: “Although we decided on the five-axis machine tool route, there are so many different types and models available that we made sure we gave ourselves sufficient time to investigate the market thoroughly and thus ensure we selected the right machine for our requirements.”
To a large extent, the sectors served, materials used and type and complexity of components machined by Aerotech, narrowed the choice down to a large-capacity five-axis machine equipped with a Heidenhain control and swarf evacuation/chip management system. However, the machine also needed to deliver excellent cutting performance by maintaining high volumetric accuracies in roughing operations and guaranteeing high surface finishes, while enabling the company to produce parts using three-axis, 4+1 and full five-axis simultaneous machining.
“We had previously invested in a Doosan Puma 480L lathe from Mills CNC in 2013, and were impressed with its reliability and performance, as well as Mills’ aftersales service and support,” says Redfern. “As part of our five-axis machine tool selection process we attended a Mills open house and visited the company’s stand at an exhibition. On both occasions we were able to see the VCF 850LSR in action, and to talk to Mills’ sales and engineering staff about the machine and our plans.”
The moving-column VCF 850LSR has X-, Y- and Z-axis travels of 3000 x 850 x 800 mm, a B-axis (±110°) built-in ‘swivelling head’ milling spindle (32 kW/12,000 rpm) and an 800 mm diameter rotary table integrated into the machine’s 3500 x 870 mm long bed.
Doosan’s VCF 850LSR also features roller LM linear guideways, a 60-position servo-driven chain-type ATC, the Big Plus face and taper tool shank configuration and on-board cooling systems that help minimise thermal displacement during long production runs.
“The VCF 850LSR represents a sound investment, and is being used to machine complex, high-precision components for aerospace, defence and nuclear sector customers,” says Redfern. “One of the components being machined is used in advanced, remotely operated underwater vehicles [ROVs] used in the detection, assessment and destruction of sea mines.
“The components are made from aerospace grade aluminium alloy and machined from solid, first on our lathes and then four-/five-axis machined on the VCF 850LSR,” he adds. “Components are rough-machined in the first instance, which requires significant high-accuracy stock removal, before being finish-machined to realise a Ra 0.4 surface finish. Since machining these parts on the new Doosan machine, cycle times have been reduced dramatically.”
Now, a few months after installation, the VCF 850LSR is, naturally enough, taking on more and more work as Aerotech directors and managers become increasingly familiar with the machine, its capabilities and potential. The VCF 850LSR has also become a focal point for customers and prospects visiting Aerotech’s 2500 sq m facility.
“When visitors see the machine up close and in action, they are impressed,” concludes Houston. “The VCF 850LSR provides them with confidence and the certainty that Aerotech can achieve the part quality and lead times they demand. With advanced machining technologies such as the Doosan five-axis machining centre, we are prepared for most, if not all, eventualities in these challenging times.”
For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

Radan intelligent nesting “vital” for Norlec

One of the UK’s largest sheet metal subcontractors says the ‘Project Nesting’ function in the sheet metal CADCAM software, Radan, is essential for keeping the company competitive. Furthermore, John Haworth, managing director of Norlec, says it is also a vital aspect of their manufacturing flexibility.
“Customers want shorter lead times and smaller batch quantities, so our days of big production runs and nesting the same components on one full sheet are long gone,” he explains. “Thanks to the intelligent nesting in Radan we’re constantly able to nest different components from a variety of customers on one sheet.”
Serving a large number of industrial sectors – including yellow goods, heating, shop-fitting and electrical switchgear – components and finished products vary in size and complexity. Parts range from simple brackets, radiator covers and telephone housings, through to welded assemblies such as engine housings for trains, and fabricated assemblies for machines and off-road vehicles.
“It’s so easy with Radan nests to fit small parts on to sheets of much larger components, which means we’re getting more than 80% sheet utilisation instead of around 60 or 70%, which we were getting before,” says Haworth.
As well as flexibility, he adds that maximising sheet utilisation is also an important financial consideration, as steel prices are rising: “The more efficient we are with steel usage the better, because we pass that cost saving on to customers, making us much more competitive.”
The company, operating out of 50,000 sqft premises in Leyland, has recently added to its array of CNC laser profiling centres, punch presses and press brakes, with the arrival of a Trumpf 3030 4 kW fibre laser and fully automatic sheet stacker that can work with 33 tonnes of steel, unmanned, overnight and at weekends.
While the maximum number of sheets that can be used in the stacker depends on their thickness, the system has 11 pallets, each of which can carry three tonnes of steel. The stacker also removes the parts once they’ve been cut, and puts them back into the storage trays.

According to Haworth, Norlec invested in the fibre laser because it cuts thinner gauge material faster than conventional lasers, and most of the company’s metal measures 5 mm or less. At the other end of the scale, the machine will cut up to 25 mm thick plate, along with copper and brass which, previously, always had to be punched. The company has also installed a nitrogen generator, as Haworth says that cutting with nitrogen improves the painting process further along the production line.
As Radan drives all ofNorlec’s CNC machine tools, Haworth states that the company also instructed Radan engineers to draw up the post processor for the new laser.
“Having Radan post processors for all our machines is ideal, as it means we only need to have one kind of symbol for a part – we don’t need to change multiple symbols, and can simply send the code to a punch press or a laser,” he says.
Overall, Radan helps Norlec to overcome its biggest challenge, which Haworth says is the speed required from the time the product is ordered, through to completing manufacture and shipping it out to the customer.
“From receiving an order, we can process it and have it in work literally within a few hours. Without Radan it would take several days, or even weeks, particularly with complex parts.”
That point is seconded by Norlec’s support engineer, Dave Sharratt, who says the company receives drawings or symbols either as a DXF file or PDF from the customer: “We use Radan’s unfolding method to produce our own flat blank or Radan symbol, which is then saved within the Radan system with all the symbols we need for current or future jobs. After, we look ahead to see what jobs are coming up, and then put all the parts into the project. It doesn’t matter what type of steel or what gauge it is, because ‘Project Nesting’ separates it all out. Then, we set the project running, and the nester takes all the symbols and puts them into an appropriate nest, automatically taking into account the shape, material and gauge. The job can then be programmed for any of the punch presses or lasers.”
Radan’s process management module, e2i, is used as the route system throughout the factory, with all instructions required to make a part managed by it. Sharratt says e2i is even better since ‘Works Order Nesting’ (WON) was introduced.
“Once we issue the route card, we can run the WON system, telling it what we need to produce and bring in the required steel by gauge,” he says. “However, we don’t specifically link the symbol to the gauge as the Project Nester handles that automatically. Then, when it’s nested we put it on whichever tool file we want. After that we create what we call ‘super route cards,’ which enable us to work with just one spec sheet that divides the runtime between the parts on the nest, instead of having to book numerous route cards on the system.
“We can also use super route on common gauge parts that need folding,” he continues. “Again, it saves on booking time, because, if, for example, we’re bending three small brackets, we can just use one spec sheet, rather than create three individual spec sheets.”
For further information
www.radan.com