Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has supplied precision subcontractor MRN Engineering with a new three-axis vertical machining centre.

The machine, a Fanuc-controlled Doosan DNM 5700 is now producing complex, high-precision components at the company’s 120 sq m modern manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Banbury. These parts, made from aluminium, steel, stainless steels and plastics, must meet exacting geometric tolerances and surface finishes. Components produced to date include: prototypes and one-off test equipment/test rig parts for motorsport customers; pre-production and low-volume components for motorsport and automotive customers; and precision prismatic parts (required in higher volumes) for a cabinet maker.

Owner and managing director Matt North established MRN Engineering in 2014. The company initially started trading as a specialist engineering design consultancy working on a contract basis with a number of blue-chip motorsport companies. The main focus of the company’s operations back then was in the research, development and design of specific test equipment, such as for examining and measuring the strength, durability and safety of components and assemblies.

At the end of its latest contract in June 2020, and with the pandemic outbreak impacting on its ability to secure new contract work, North decided to make his long-term vision for the company a reality. He began by making plans to augment MRN Engineering’s range of services through the addition of high-end and bespoke manufacturing and machining capabilities.

“I had always intended the company to develop and grow, and become a ‘one-stop-shop’ solutions provider,” he says. “COVID-19 acted as the catalyst and, from June 2020, I set about building and launching the machining/manufacturing arm of the company.”

To all intents and purposes, although not starting entirely from scratch, the decision to significantly expand MRN Engineering’s services and capabilities involved a similar level of preparation and planning required of any new business start-up.

The first few months (from June to September 2020) firstly involved creating a robust business plan, setting out the company’s aims and objectives, financial predictions, market analysis, and product and service differentiators. North then began identifying the right location and suitable premises for the new business, before investing in the right advanced technologies, commensurate with the company’s vision, aims and objectives.

MRN Engineering’s vision was, and still is, to provide customers with a specialist design and manufacturing service. The company’s initial and main focus would be on the motorsport sector, and involve the design and manufacture of test equipment, as well as customised and prototype parts.

Explains North: “Essentially, I was playing to my strengths – combining my design engineering knowledge and experience with my manufacturing/production know-how to create a unique offering. Having worked in the motorsport and automotive sectors for a considerable number of years I knew the market. I had also established strong relationships and enjoyed a good reputation with key decision makers in a number of ‘target’ companies. In short, I was confident that providing a seamless ‘design-to-manufacturing’ service would be a success.”

The decision to operate from the outskirts of Banbury in Oxfordshire was prompted by a number of reasons, including proximity to a number of UK-based motorsport companies and their supply chains.

“Although I already knew the location well, I did spend considerable time inspecting and selecting the most suitable premises in terms of size, services and facilities, cost, and communication and transport links,” says North. “Finding the right premises was a critically important decision, among many others.”

In terms of capital investment, MRN Engineering purchased a new Doosan DNM 5700 vertical machining centre.

“Right from the outset I made the decision to invest in a ‘new’ as opposed to a ‘pre-owned’ machine tool,” says North. “Although there are no doubt some great used machines on the market, the price/cost differential between a good, well looked after used machine and a new one, wasn’t as big as I thought. I also believed that the company’s reputation in the motorsport sector, with its emphasis on high accuracy and repeatability, and the incredibly short lead times involved, would be best served through the acquisition of a new, more reliable machine.”

Having decided on a new machine, North then researched the market to identify the most suitable machining centre and machine tool supplier.

The Doosan DNM 5700 is a rigidly-built three-axis vertical machining centre equipped with a 12,000 rpm direct-drive spindle that features roller LM guideways, a 30-position (quick-change) ATC and a 1300 x 570 mm work table.

Says North: “I could have gone for something smaller and for a machine that didn’t offer the same high specification as the DNM 5700. However, I needed a machine that was big and powerful enough to machine large, complex, high-precision prototype parts often involving long cycle times, as well as one that could produce multiple parts, quickly, in a single set-up.”

He continues: “Having researched the market and spoken to a number of colleagues and peers, who extolled the virtues of Mills CNC – in particular the company’s aftersales service and support – I discussed my requirements with the sales and technical staff at Mills and made the decision to invest in the Doosan DNM 5700.”

The machine, which carries a two-year warranty, features an optional Blum TC50 touch probe and Blum ZX Speed IR tool-setting probe.

Since installation at MRN, the new DNM 5700 has not missed a beat. As intended, it is machining low-volume, high-precision prototypes and parts for the motorsport sector, as well as higher volume production parts for a number of customers in other industries.

“I wasn’t really expecting to be earning money during the first three months of operation – but I have exceeded these expectations – in no small part down to the acquisition of the DNM 5700,” concludes North. “To further improve our productivity and re-emphasise our commitment to quality, we have recently invested in a CMM and, in the near future, will look to strengthen our machining and manufacturing capabilities still further.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

Towards the tail end of last year, Merseyside subcontractor Bryken took delivery of its sixth Miyano BNE-51MSY turn-mill centre, having bought its first as recently as June 2018. Operations director Phillip Taylor says that regular investment in new plant is key to thriving in a competitive global marketplace, and he makes sure that no machine tool stays on the shop floor for more than 10 years. The company, which has 95 employees and generates annual turnover of £10m, derives 40% of its business from the oil and gas industry, and is a major supplier to the high-voltage power sector, among others.

Citizen Machinery UK, which supplied the fixed-head Miyanos, is also the source of four Cincom CNC sliding-head lathes currently on site, which have been in use at the Prescot factory since the mid-90s. A dozen older models, which took over from six times as many cam autos, have all now been replaced. It leaves three 32 mm capacity Cincom sliders installed since 2014 and a more recent 20 mm capacity model that uses Citizen’s proprietary LFV chip-breaking technology.

Taylor, son of one of the company founders, runs the subcontracting business together with his brother Stewart and sister Natalie Lund. He explains: “Around 90% of our turnover comes from producing precision turned parts, many of which also require a lot of prismatic machining, so our choice of turn-mill centre is crucial to success.

“We started to upgrade our fixed-head lathes by replacing them with Miyanos in 2018 in response to an upturn in demand that gathered pace at the beginning of this year when we bought three more BNE-51MSYs in the space of two months,” continues Taylor. “The 51 mm bar capacity, twin-spindle turning centre with its two 12-station live turrets, the upper one featuring a Y-axis, is ideal for our needs. It is highly efficient at the balanced machining of complex routines at both spindles, so we can take chunks out of cycle times, which are now between 20 and 40% faster than on previous lathes. The machine meets the increasing demand for the supply of high added value parts at competitive prices.”

He adds that other makes of lathe were scrutinised during the plant renewal process. In comparative trials, the BNE-51MSY offered the quickest TAKT times and was also better value for money than others he considered. The lathes could also hold 20 µm total tolerance on machined dimensions.

One reason for the lathe’s impressive speed is Citizen’s superimposition control technology, which allows the sub-spindle to track the upper turret for cutting reverse-end features while the same turret is performing front-end operations on bar at the main spindle. If the lower turret is operational at the same time, three tools are in cut simultaneously, delivering the performance of a triple-turret lathe for significantly lower capital outlay.

Another benefit that Bryken operators appreciate is the ability with the Mitsubishi control to use the hand-wheel to run through an entire machining cycle. This capability provides verification of the program, detecting any potential clashes.

Over the years, market forces have dictated a move at Bryken towards more fixed-head turning for the production of larger diameter, complex components; the simpler work having largely disappeared overseas. Nevertheless, nearly a third of the lathes on-site are still of the sliding-head variety. The four Citizen Cincom models are the most recently installed – three M32-VIII lathes and an L20-XIILFV – the cardinal numbers representing maximum bar diameter.

The latter machine, installed in May 2018, was bought to produce subsea oil and gas components from tough materials such as Monel, Inconel, titanium alloy and 440C stainless steel. These metals produce stringy swarf that benefit greatly from the low-frequency vibration (LFV) functionality built into the operating system of the Mitsubishi control.

Taylor says: “We saw a demonstration of LFV at Citizen’s showroom and were impressed with the way chips break up and do not clog the machine, or wrap around the component or tool. It means we can leave the machine running unattended for long periods. LFV can be simply switched on and off using a G-code in the program. We use it for turning at the main spindle and axial drilling at the sub-spindle of the L20, and switch it off to maximise metal-removal rates when milling with the live tools.

“We tried making parts from these exotic materials on other sliders but the swarf was not chipping, even with high-pressure coolant,” he adds. “Tool life was so poor it was taking away a lot of the profit. Now cutters last at least twice as long, plus there is less machine downtime and scrap is more or less eliminated.”

Low-frequency vibration technology has started rolling out across the Miyano fixed-head lathe range with the introduction of the BNA-42GTYLFV, and Taylor is keeping a close eye on developments. He points out that subcontractors rarely know the orders that will be coming in next and which materials they will have to machine. As LFV is not a pecking macro that tends to prematurely wear out tools, but is integral within the control system, having this built-in chip-breaking capability is of great benefit when machining stainless steels, copper, plastics, and nickel and titanium alloys.

Taylor concludes: “We source a lot of lathes from Citizen because they have a wide range of machines that use advanced technology. We also receive good support, especially with the applications engineering and training they provide. Citizen and their equipment have made a big improvement to our operational efficiency.”

For further information
www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

A trio of Bumotec multi-axis, multi-tasking machining centres are helping Shanghai Medical Instruments (Group) to maintain its 50% market share in China for medical instruments. Moreover, the ability to finish-machine up to six faces at high accuracy and in a single set-up, have enabled the company to expand profitably into the manufacture of minimally-invasive instruments and devices.

Indeed, while the effectiveness of the machines at single set-up multi-operations has brought great rewards in both prototyping and manufacture, the company highlights its latest Bumotec – the five-axis s181 model with ‘front live tools’ on a sub-spindle – as being able to boost productivity by 20% on some parts.

Capable of producing complex, multi-faceted components from bar up to 65 mm diameter, and with up to seven-axis simultaneous machining in a single set-up, Bumotec machining centres are capable of drilling, thread forming, grinding, gear cutting and broaching, in addition to turning and milling. According to Starrag, the machines are renowned globally for producing small, intricate workpieces that come off ready for assembly with no deburring – as Shanghai Medical Instruments has found.

A member of the Yuwell Group, the company has four production plants in the Shanghai area; three manufacturing/assembly facilities and one site dedicated to forging, surface finishing and heat treatment. Established in 1928, Shanghai Medical Instruments annually manufactures over 10 million parts for use by hospitals throughout China and in other countries. Components are produced in limited batches of 200-300-off, with the company’s in-house manufacturing routines complemented by a group of subcontractors. In addition, there is an in-house team of 20 quality control engineers.

Shanghai Medical Instruments has a product catalogue of more than 8000 items, which includes its flagship, award-winning JZ brand. Key products include knives, scissors and surgical clamps, as well as 400 different types of micro instruments for anastomosis, the treatment of lymphatic vessels and limb reconstruction.

Its portfolio also embraces instruments for ENT surgery, orthopaedic implants and 300 types of minimally invasive instruments such as laparoscopic clamps (used in endoscopy procedures) plus 400 instruments for dental surgery. Surgical staplers and electrical tools used in surgery also form part of the portfolio.

The development of so many different products is based on close work with hospitals and universities, and the company’s R&D team collaborates with these ‘partners’ throughout the entire new product development process, from design, studies and validation, up to production. Shanghai Medical Instruments’ well-equipped workshops allow the process to be flexible and responsive, and the prototyping and production of certain parts is a key area for the Starrag-supplied Bumotec machining centres (models s192, s181, s191), the first of which was installed in 2005.

A range of 500 different types of minimally-invasive and ENT instruments are machined in a single set-up from bar on the Bumotec machining centres. Over the years, the company has found that ‘conventional’ separate processes/machines are not able to produce these components effectively, especially in terms of quality and the issue of ‘matching’ parts and features. Also, the multiple complex clamping procedures required for the various stages of machining make traditional production slow and inefficient.

Bumotec machines, on the other hand, can produce complete components in a single clamping from bar stock, finish-machining up to six faces in record time – in one case, up to 20% quicker.

In fact, even the production of separate parts (on the same machine) for an orthopaedic instrument assembly meets the company’s stringent quality standards. The two-part assembly is now produced with high accuracy, ready for assembly and more cost-effectively by a Bumotec s191, rather than the former route of using a lathe, a mill then an electrical discharge machine to finish the parts to the required standard.

Starrag’s Bumotec s191H can achieve highly accurate (±2.5 µm) machining solutions within its X-, Y- and Z-axis range of 410, 200 and 400 mm, respectively, courtesy of linear drives and high-level thermal stability. In addition, a sub-spindle can turn in both horizontal and vertical planes for multi-process/tasking routines. Tool magazine options extend to up to 90 pockets on a machine that offers rapid traverse rates of 50 m/min and a 30,000 or 40,000 rpm spindle, which also contributes to fast cycle times.

Another example concerns the production of an instrument for ENT surgery. This part is produced on a Bumotec s181 in eight minutes, instead of 10 minutes by former methods, thanks to the simultaneous use of the machine’s sub-spindle.

The company continues to invest in Bumotec because, it says, “the machines’ stability in production is extraordinary, and their ease-of-use makes them accessible even to the newest members of our production team”. Also, when installed, “the training supplied means we can get the machines into production very quickly”. Shanghai Medical Instruments adds: “Production changeovers are quick and easy, and maintenance routines are effective and efficient thanks to Starrag’s excellent customer support.”

Commenting on how the success of Bumotec machines can be mirrored by UK medical manufacturers, Lee Scott, Starrag UK’s director for sales and applications, says: “The UK medical manufacturing market is an important sector for Starrag and, underpinned by our engineering applications knowledge, we know that Bumotec users can ‘hit the ground running’ in terms of gaining production efficiencies.”

For further information
www.starrag.com

Automatic nesting capability in Radan CADCAM software is achieving a sheet-metal subcontractor’s target for its raw material utilisation as part of its ‘smart factory’ vision. Alpha Manufacturing provides a full range of sheet-metal services across a number of sectors, including automotive, agricultural, healthcare, retail and electronics.

The company was established in 1989 specifically to manufacture products for its sister company, Bri-Stor Systems, which had been set up six years previously. Bri-Stor is a specialist in light commercial vehicle conversions, supplying internal racking, roof equipment, on-board power and accessories.

Bri-Stor and Alpha Manufacturing share a 35-acre site at Hixon, Staffordshire. The former’s solutions comprise consultancy and design, through to in-house manufacture, installation and livery application. Customers range from those with just a few vehicles, to hundreds, and include many well-known UK fleets.

Modular products for standard conversions include options designed for particular sectors, while bespoke solutions create kits which are fully customised around the specific needs of the customer’s fleet. For example, the Vantage range is an innovative storage system that maximises the usable space within the van. Unlike most internal racking systems, this features an asymmetric design which allows up to three times more tools or materials to be stored.

Initially Bri-Stor outsourced its sheet-metal fabrication requirements, before the decision was taken to build up its own manufacturing arm with Alpha Manufacturing.

Alpha’s marketing manager Chris Kidney says: “Originally we were dedicated to producing the van kit-out components for Bri-Stor, but fast-forward to today, and we now have a large portfolio of subcontract work, which actually outweighs our Bri-stor production.”

All components for both sides of Alpha’s business go through the dedicated sheet-metal CADCAM software, Radan, from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. Kidney says it is extremely important that the parts are high precision, often needing to be within ±0.2 mm. The process begins with laser cutting and punching on Trumpf, Bystronic and Pullmax CNC machines programmed with Radan tool paths and nests, before moving through the factory for folding, fabrication, welding, powder coating and assembly.

“Our biggest challenge was meeting customer deliveries on time, which Radan overcomes with its speedy programming, and by nesting components for individual van conversion kits on the same nest,” explains Kidney.

The company’s team of three full-time programmers makes full use of Radan’s nesting functionality, analysing the true shape, material and thicknesses of all components in a batch, separating and sorting automatically, to produce manufacturable, high-utilisation nests both from full sheets and offcuts.

Says Kidney: “As there’s no limit to nesting components of different sizes and shapes onto different materials and thicknesses, this delivers substantial material savings and improves machine efficiency.”

When the nests have been finalised and are ready for cutting, two of Alpha’s machines – a Trumpf TruPunch 6000 laser-punch combination machine and a Trumpf S12 punch press – can both feed off a Stopa automated storage system which leads to even greater efficiency and time savings. The entire Stopa system now runs 62 m down the centre of the factory, and contains 230 pallets capable of storing a total of around 600 tonnes of sheet metal. This automated system manages the process of stock storage and movement between machines, with all raw sheet metal stored in the towers from where it can be retrieved at the touch of a button.

Programming manager Mark Clews takes up the story: “At the very start of the process, our design team are given a SolidWorks drawing which they break down into a DXF file. This is then imported into Radan. The programmers open the file, along with the nesting works order, which tells them exactly what requires programming. They put that into their nesting schedule; sorting it into parts of the same thickness and those of different thicknesses. The tool paths are applied at the nesting stage to maintain the quality and integrity of the parts, while optimising the cutting sequence, enabling the machine tool to attain its full potential.”

Kidney adds: “The fact that we can process the parts extremely quickly from initial design to getting them on the shop floor ready for machining, has a significant effect on delivery times to Bri-Stor and subcontract customers, which in turn, improves our profitability.

“We’re currently pushing towards automation, high efficiency and lean manufacturing,” he continues. “The focus of this plan is on utilising high-tech machine automation to realise a ‘smart factory’ vision. Today, close to £4m has been invested to secure Alpha’s position as one of the most technically advanced factories in the industry. The Stopa storage system is a major part of that, and Radan plays a vital role with quick, powerful automatic nesting and good sheet utilisation.
“We have a standard procedure that every sheet we nest must be utilised to a minimum percentage. And we achieve that, thanks to Radan.”

For further information
www.radan.com

It was as recently as 2012 that manual plus two-and-a-half-axis CNC milling gave way to full 3D machining of plastic injection moulds on a three-axis vertical machining centre at family-run tool maker and plastic injection-moulding specialist Plasticom Group. Since that time the tool room has undergone a transformation, with 2020 alone seeing investment of £250,000, mainly for the purchase of a Sodick die-sink EDM machine and a German-built Spinner three-axis machining centre from UK sales agent Whitehouse Machine Tools.

The arrival of the latter machine at the end of September 2020 coincided with the departure of a 25-year-old CNC milling machine. It fell to tool-room co-ordinator Ian Alexander to investigate the best replacement for machine. In total, he scrutinised three machines before selecting the Spinner due to the comprehensive specification of the standard version of the VC750.

Spinner’s VC750 machining centre includes linear scales, 22 bar through-spindle coolant, a swarf conveyor, Blum TC52 spindle probing, a 24-station BT40 tool magazine, a 12,000 rpm spindle, Siemens drives with up to 36 m/min feed rate and the latest Sinumerik 840D control with 24-inch Industry 4.0 multi-touch display. Alexander says that the equivalent package from other suppliers would have cost half as much again.

“The VC750 represented the best value for money by far, and the latest Siemens control is a real bonus,” he states. “It allows us to program cycles to produce complex forms directly at the machine, taking the load off our CADCAM department. We also like the rigid, cross-table, C-frame design, which results in superior cutting performance and component geometry. The ability to probe a part before it comes off the table and re-machine it if necessary is a big time-saver and makes us more competitive.

“The Spinner is between 30 and 70% quicker than our other VMC, depending on the type of component,” he continues. “I should say it halves cycle times on average due to faster axis movements, the extra rigidity – which allows heavier cuts to be taken without causing vibration – and the latest Siemens control. It offers so much more productive capacity that there will be a lot of spare time to take on additional subcontract machining, which at present accounts for only a few percent of turnover.”

Operating from a factory of nearly 20,000 sq ft in Ashford, Kent, Plasticom has long-standing, high-profile customers that include household names such as Stanley Black & Decker, Games Workshop, Qualcast and Swann-Morton, as well as a host of smaller firms that call on its services. The company was invited in March to be part of the UK Government’s Ventilator Challenge UK consortium, and staff worked long hours under considerable pressure to ship 15,000 plastic ventilator parts to McLaren Racing against a very challenging schedule.

The company is ISO13485 accredited and has a class 7 clean room for the assembly of medical devices. Plasticom Group’s plastic injection-moulding capacity utilises machines rated from 20 to 530 tonnes, including automation, and extends to twin-shot moulding and over-moulding. The manufacture of press tools, vacuum forming tools and die-casting tools also forms part of its remit, while other services include ultrasonic welding, blister and other packaging techniques, and laser welding and printing.

The 60-years-established company is owned by chairman Edwin Simmonds and his wife, Sonia, group finance director, who says: “More than four-fifths of the injection mould tools we make are used in-house to produce a wide range of parts for customers, a side of the business that accounts for a similar proportion of our turnover. Keeping the moulding section operating is therefore critically important, so we look to our machine-tool suppliers to provide prompt aftersales back-up.

“The service that we have received so far from Whitehouse has been excellent, both in terms of the technical input and the training,” she adds. “Our shop floor staff have had one week of tuition so far but no limit has been placed on the amount we will receive in the future, free of charge, which is unusual and a great reassurance.”

Alexander has adopted a policy of buying in bolsters from Meusburger to allow Plasticom to concentrate on the 3D milling and sparking of tools. A fixture sits permanently on the table of the Spinner VC750 so that operators can quickly clamp each new bolster prior to the machining of mould inserts within the 760 x 460 x 460 mm working envelope, which is large for the machine’s 2.6 x 1.7 m footprint.

He also advises that dimensional tolerances down to a few microns are routine and that the surface finish achieved is “fantastic”. In aluminium, as well as Stavax, a mirror finish is achievable using standard, mid-price, carbide end mills, requiring considerably less polishing overall.

For further information
www.wmtcnc.com