Specialist tooling solutions supplier Cogsdill-Nuneaton has recently invested in a new Doosan vertical machining centre from Mills CNC. The machine, a DNM 6700, has been installed at the company’s 27,000 sq ft facility, where it is being used, primarily at this moment in time, to produce precision components for Cogsdill’s range of ZX facing and contouring-head tooling systems. These components include different sized front-mounted cross slides, with slide ranges from 200 to 900 mm, which are machined from nitrided and carbon steel.

The decision to invest in the new Doosan DNM 6700 machine followed an internal review undertaken by Cogsdill into its existing CNC machine tool capabilities and, in particular, whether current milling capabilities were adequate to meet growing demand from customers worldwide for its large-capacity tooling solutions.
Says Lee Donaldson, executive director, Cogsdill UK: “We invest regularly in advanced CNC machine tool technologies, and the audit and review highlighted a potential improvement opportunity within our existing CNC milling capabilities.”
With global demand for its larger tooling solutions on the increase it became clear to management and production staff at Cogsdill that investment in a new, reliable and large-capacity vertical machining centre was required.
“To ensure we acquired a vertical machining centre that matched our needs and expectations we did our homework and created a ‘key criteria’ checklist before investigating the market,” says Donaldson.
In addition to the working capacity of the new machine, other requirements included the machine’s cutting performance, its availability and price, as well as the scope and scale of the technical back-up and aftersales support services provided by the machine tool supplier.
“Although we hadn’t invested in a Doosan machine tool previously, we knew that Doosan machine tools have a good reputation in the market, and that Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machines in the UK and Ireland, is a successful company with a significant market presence,” says Donaldson.

Cogsdill also had direct experience of working in collaboration with both Doosan and Mills CNC as a technical partner; supplying advanced tooling solutions to both. A recent example involved Cogsdill working in partnership with Doosan and Mills CNC to deliver a turnkey process for auto-loading facing heads, boring tools and splining tools, into a Doosan horizontal boring machine (a DBC 130) for a US-based oil and gas customer.
Following extensive research into the market, Cogsdill ultimately decided on investing in a new DNM 6700 vertical machining centre.
The DNM 6700 is a large-capacity vertical machining centre equipped with a work table measuring 1500 x 670 mm and axis travels of 1300 x 670 x 625 mm in X, Y and Z. A high-torque (118 Nm) direct-drive spindle (18.7 kW/12,000 rpm) also features.
Says Donaldson: “The working envelope of the machine was of critical importance, and the DNM 6700 large-capacity working envelope enables us to machine larger components [as well as smaller components] in a single set-up. This means faster production and reduced part cycle times.
“Similarly, the cutting performance of the machine was important,” he adds. “The DNM 6700’s direct-drive spindle technology gives us ability to achieve high volumetric removal rates when required, as well as fine finishes. It is a very versatile machine.”
To increase the machine’s flexibility further still, Cogsdill, as part of its investment in the DNM 6700, also ordered a 4th/5th axis unit to be supplied with the machining centre.
In terms of availability, Mills CNC has at least 70 new Doosan machines, at any given time, in stock at its technology campus in Leamington. A significant proportion of these machines comprises its best-selling DNM vertical machining centres.
“The quick availability of the new machine was important,” says Donaldson. “We attended MACH 2018 where we visited Mills CNC’s stand and supplied them with a ‘letter of intent’ to purchase a DNM 6700. Just a few weeks after the event, once we had acquired external grant-based funding, the machine was delivered, installed and commissioned.
“I have to say that we were presently surprised with the machine’s price,” he continues. “There is a lot of technology and functionality packed into the DNM 6700 and, while price isn’t everything, it clearly is an important factor when making any capital investment.”

With regard to support, all Doosan machines supplied by Mills CNC are backed by the company’s aftersales service and support.
“Mills CNC’s reputation in the market for its aftersales support is second to none, and we have direct experience of this having worked in partnership with Mills delivering a number of turnkey and process improvement projects for customers,” says Donaldson. “Just knowing that you have Mills’ technical, applications and service back-up at your disposal inspires confidence.”
Since being installed at Cogsdill’s facility in Nuneaton, the DNM 6700 has been used to machine front-mounted cross slides housed in the company’s ZX facing and contouring head tooling systems. These cross slides are rough machined from solid on the machine prior to stress relieving, and are then semi-finished, heat treated and ground before final finishing operations take place.
On average, machining times for roughing, semi-finishing and finishing are 60 minutes, 90 minutes and 30 minutes respectively.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

Following a recent move to a facility more than twice the size of its previous premises, RST Engineering has invested in another Sodick AG60L die-sink EDM to help keep pace with a growing order book. Installed in February 2018 by Sodi-Tech EDM, the machine joins an existing AG60L that has performed impressively since 2012. The two machines are now working side-by-side producing a host of complex parts such as titanium internal gears and splines for the motorsport industry.

Established by Robert and Maureen Taylor in 1986, and now run by their sons Sean, Jason and Paul Taylor, RST Engineering has proven itself to be a progressive and ambitious precision engineering business based in Leighton Buzzard.
The recent move to 7100 sq ft premises has allowed the company to grow and improve its services with investment in machinery, staff, training and inspection equipment. Today, RST has 15 employees and is currently in the process of taking on two apprentices. The company specialises in EDM (wire and die sink) and milling (including five-axis machining) to help it produce complex parts for sectors such as motorsport, which is presently proving particularly strong.
“We’ve had Sodick wire EDMs in the business since 1998, after which we standardised on Sodick machines,” explains company director Jason Taylor. “However, we’ve only had Sodick die-sink machines since 2012, when we bought our first AG60L. The machine has proven so reliable in terms of performance and quality that, when we needed more capacity, there was only ever going to be one choice. We didn’t even look elsewhere.”
The new die-sink machine, another Sodick AG60L, now helps RST manufacture a myriad of complex motorsport parts from challenging materials, such as titanium, as well as tungsten carbide components for other industries.
“There are some peaks and troughs with motorsport, but generally the work is fairly continuous,” says Taylor. “We spark a lot of internal gears and splines for Formula One and other racing disciplines. It’s all low-batch, high-precision work. Tolerances of 10 µm on form are normal when it comes to internal splines and gears, but the Sodick machines hold that very consistently.”

A 24-tooth motorsport spline might take around 4½ hours in cycle time and RST prefers to produce many of its long-running jobs unmanned overnight. With this thought in mind, the sole upgrade requested by RST for its new AG60L was the option of a 12-station tool changer, rather than the standard six-station version.
“Due to the inherent challenges associated with machining titanium we tend to burn through a larger number of electrodes,” says Taylor. “As a result, we needed a tool changer with greater capacity for when we run lights-out. In fact, we also opted to upgrade the tool changer on our existing AG60L, which was retrofitted by Sodi-Tech EDM.”
According to Taylor, programming is a stand-out feature of the Sodick machines, a function that offers a high degree of flexibility.
“The control is so easy to use,” he says. “There’s the ability to do conversational programming, which is very comprehensive, or you can write an entire program yourself from scratch – and even bounce between the two methods. Three of us are trained to program the Sodick machines.”
RST also has four Sodick wire EDMs equipped with linear drive technology, two AQ325L models, an AG600L and an AQ750L with 500 mm capacity in the Z axis.
Linear motor technology, which is based on electronic drives, offers several advantages, including improvement in accuracy, repeatability, speed and acceleration. Since linear motors are a direct electronic drive (no mechanical parts), they eliminate problems with backlash and wear.
Data transmission to linear motors is instantaneous with the use of Sodick’s proprietary motion controller technology, while overshoot and undershoot do not occur thanks to absolute glass scales attached directly to the axes. These high-resolution scales measure the location of the drive at all times, so the exact position is always known. Moreover, because the magnetic drive eliminates unnecessary mechanical movement, rigid linear motors also produce zero vibration and zero backlash.
The precision and stability achieved with a no-contact drive makes linear motors a good option, even for applications that do not need their speed but require their accuracy. Importantly, Sodick offers a 10-year positioning accuracy guarantee, which helps companies such as RST provide quality parts to customers on a repeatable and reliable basis.

“Our biggest selling points are quality, delivery and flexibility,” says Taylor. “We work closely with our customers on complex components made from difficult-to-machine materials; always looking to find the best manufacturing solutions to produce the finished part to the required accuracy and within budget.”
RST clearly prides itself on quality, providing a professional service, loyalty and flexibility towards customers with whom it has built strong relationships over the past 30 years. The company currently holds AS9100D & BS EN ISO 9001:2015 quality certifications, while all of RST’s inspection equipment is externally calibrated and operates in a temperature-controlled environment.
A final word is reserved for the professionalism of the support team at Sodi-Tech EDM, which has become an important business partner for RST.
“Both of our Sodick AG60L die-sink machines are utilised all of the time with a fast turnover of work,” says Taylor. “Like the wire EDMs, they have become an integral part of our business. If we ever need to ask something of Sodi-Tech EDM they are always very responsive – they have highly knowledgeable people. This is very reassuring, not just for our motorsport customers, but those in other sectors we serve, such as metrology, satellite, aerospace, scientific and medical.”
For further information www.sodi-techedm.co.uk

Vetech Product Design & Development Ltd is a subcontract manufacturer that was conceived by engineers with an expertise in the garden equipment sector. When the Buxton-based company opened its doors for business in 1994, the founders applied their industry knowledge to win business from the globally recognised Bosch brand. Since its inception, the company has always invested in the latest technology to drive its business forward, and central to this strategy is support from its cutting tool partner Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).

More than just another subcontract manufacturer, Vetech offers design and consultancy services to a customer base that now incorporates high-profile names in the military, electronic sensor, motorsport and plastic moulding sectors, as well as the ever-expanding network of garden equipment manufacturers. Upwards of 60% of business at Vetech is aluminium mould tools for the garden and leisure industry; and it is here that cutting tool specialist ITC has made all the difference.
Over 10 years ago, Vetech realised that its CNC machine tools could not achieve the high spindle speeds required for machining mould tool ribs with small diameter cutting tools. Vetech visited the TCT trade show and found the solution on the ITC stand in the guise of high-speed spindles. Delivering immediate success, Vetech then approached ITC regarding its line of standard and special cutting tools.
Commenting upon the founding of the relationship that spans over a decade, Vetech senior design engineer Andy Smith says: “We found a solution for running our tools at high speed through ITC. At that time, we were also witnessing problems with our previous cutting tool vendor. The issues included limited stock and tool range availability, excessive lead times on special tools and poor technical support. ITC came to see us and we trialled some solid carbide tools. The tools were successful and 10 years later, ITC supplies over 90% of our cutting tools.”

Many of the aluminium mould tools manufactured at Vetech are for rapid prototyping projects, making turaround times critical. With the availability of high spindle speeds of 60,000 rpm, Vetech could apply ITC’s 1 mm diameter solid-carbide end mills to mould tool ribs that were previously processed using EDM.
Referring to this, Smith recalls: “We process a lot of mould tools that often incorporate cross-rib designs. On one of our early tools for a lawnmower motor end frame, we had to spend 3 hours programming two different electrode designs that would then require an additional 4-5 hours of machining. After this, the erosion time would be upwards of 8 hours and finally there would be an additional 3-4 hours of hand finishing. With ITC tools and the high-speed machining, we immediately eliminated this 16-20 hour process and replaced it by CAM programming the mould tool and machining it in 4-5 hours with impeccible surface finishes. This cut our complex mould tool production times by 75%. Essentially, we were producing a challenging mould every two weeks; ITC reduced our mould tool production costs by over 25% almost overnight.“
Since this early success, Vetech has invested in Hurco VMX42M and a VMX30Ti machining centres. These VMCs offer a spindle speed of 12,000 rpm and both the EDM process and speed increaser have since become virtually redundant.
During this early point of the relationship, Vetech was using both the 2112 and 2001 series end mills to increase tool life by over 30% and reduce cycle times by an average of 35%.
“The 2001 series has been an exceptional performer,“ says Smith. “We use the 16 and 20 mm diameter tools with a 2 mm radius and the smaller 6, 8 and 12 mm tool with a 1 mm radius. The tools are extremely rigid and offer high material removal rates with outstanding surface finishes. Furthermore, the tools are particularly long, so we can pull them further out of the holder for different applications.“
Despite primarily machining aluminium, the ITC 2112 series is a steel geometry end mill.
“The 2112 series has performed extremely well down the years and we‘ve now replaced it with the new 2172 ball-nose cutter,“ says Smith. “Our new 2172 has a 0.5° angle above the ball and this gives added rigidity. More pertinent to us is the clearance that this 0.5° angle provides. The clearance angle naturally creates a draft angle that is essential on mould tools. Draft angles eliminate friction and ensure the mould tool performs at an optimal level. With regard to rigidity, we can run a 2 mm diameter 2172 series at machining depths of 35 mm. This limit was previously 20 mm with other tools and we are looking at pushing this depth to 42 mm; more than double what was previously possible. When it comes to mould tools, the tool reach is a key aspect, so the 2172 series is creating benefits in both machining depth and the creation of a draft angle.“

Over the past couple of years, Vetech has redesigned and developed the Hayabusa 1300cc motorcycle engine to generate huge power and reliability benefits to small vehicles such as the Mini and Fiat 500. ITC has also been integral in reducing cycle times with the engine development programme.
“We machine motorsport components such as oil hoses and pipe fittings that require undercut machining,” explains Smith. “For this, ITC has tweaked its 2001 series for us, grinding a radius on the flute for undercut machining. This is supported by an undercut feature in our HyperMill CAM software. We can now reduce the time for machining an undercut from 10 minutes to just one minute. This dedicated 16 mm diameter tool with a 2 mm radius allows us to use the side of the tool for machining undercuts. The flexibility also enables us to conduct rough and finish machining with one tool, completing the job in fewer set-ups.”
ITC has recently invested heavily in new grinding centres for the production of ‘micro’ cutting tools, and this investment has seen the company add new product lines and extend existing ranges. Vetech has already proven to be a beneficiary of this ITC investment.
“We use a complete range of ITC tools, but the addition of micro end mills and the extension of existing lines are ideal for our mould tool engraving. We are using the extended 2112 series tool in diameters from 0.4 to 1 mm with a flute length of 8 mm to engrave at high speed. As
well as having high-quality tools for intricate engraving applications, we can also use these small diameter tools in conjunction with our high-speed spindle to reduce machining times on mould tools.
“With the arrival of a complete line of micro tools, we can undertake very high-speed machining for long periods of unmanned machining,” he adds. “Our small mould tools require 4-6 hours of machining, while larger tools can run for over 24 hours and sometimes upwards of 50 hours. Intricate mould tools require micro tools, and by applying the 2112 series of micro tools, we can now run unmanned for long periods with exceptional surface finishes and achieve cycle time reductions beyond 30%. However, the most critical aspect of unmanned machining is tool life and consistent performance. The ITC range certainly operates with reliability, efficiency, cost effectiveness and performance.”
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Located on the outskirts of Glasgow near Hamilton, The Spark Erosion Centre is a subcontract manufacturer that, as the name suggests specialises in EDM machining. To be a dedicated specialist generally requires two things: staff expertise and the latest technology. Luckily for the Scottish company, it has both in abundance and is recognised as Fanuc UK’s largest customer of EDM machine tool technology.

The company has been in business for over 30 years and has employed Fanuc machine tools almost from day one. Commenting upon this relationship, Bill Bright, managing director at The Spark Erosion Centre, says: “We bought our first Fanuc machine back in 1984 and have stuck with them ever since. This is because we find the machines to be very accurate and reliable products that we push to the limit on a daily basis.
“By pushing the limits, I am referring to the type and quantity of work that comes through the door,” he continues. “We are stretching what the machines should and shouldn’t be able to do, such as increased tapers. We have learnt tricks down the years and how to best exploit the capabilities of the Fanuc machines, and this gives us a major competitive edge.”
Not just a one-trick-pony, The Spark Erosion Centre is a precision machining company that undertakes tool making, injection moulding, and tool and jig design and manufacture, as well as spark and wire erosion for the offshore, automotive, aerospace, electronics, academic and tool-making industries. This diversity is a critical factor for success considering the industrial landscape in Scotland “The oil and gas industry is a key sector in Scotland but there is still a lot of automotive and tool-making work going on,” says Bright. “A lot of the local work is overspill from the offshore work in Aberdeen, and in recent years most engineering companies felt the impact of the oil and gas downturn. Some went under, while others had to fight for whatever they could.

Fortunately for us, we operate in a variety of sectors and have niche areas of expertise that ensure a stable business.”
An example of this expertise can be noted on an oil and gas industry cylinder that was turned by a customer of The Spark Erosion Centre. The turned cylinder is intended to be an offshore collet and the customer approached The Spark Erosion Centre to split the cylinder via wire EDM processes to create a collet assembly.
Commenting on this component, Bright recalls: “We received the first component and it wasn’t stress relieved, and this is where wire erosion is a benefit as it has no forces involved in the process. We wire-cut the first part and it sprang quite badly. On future components, we recommended stress relieving the parts and the customer asked us to handle the entire process.”
It is expertise and capability of this nature that has made the ISO:9001 company such as success.
“We utilise the core stitch function to machine from the centre of the part to the outside,” explains Bright. “However, we do not machine all the way through the part – we leave a ‘tag’ like on an Airfix model. This keeps the cylinder in an assembled condition and allows the customer to simply break-off the parts during final assembly.”
Referring to the Fanuc relationship, Bright says: “We have a range of machines now and we tend to trade-in as we get new models, but we still have machines up to 10 years old that perform extremely well. The reliability is there and we have been working with Fanuc machines for so long that we can now undertake a lot of our own maintenance and repairs, although the support from Fanuc is always there if we need it.”
A major advocate of Fanuc technology, the company has once again invested in the machines with the recent arrival of a RoboCut C600 iB wire erosion machine.
“This machine is right on the sweet spot for us; we have both smaller and larger machines and, as a new machine, this gives us the X and Y-axis capability we wanted,” says Bright.
“It has an extra 100 mm in the Z axis, which takes the Z axis to 400 mm, and this gives us a niche. There is certainly work that comes to us that cannot be done by anyone else in the area and this is credit to the generous Z-axis capability on the Fanuc.”

Sitting alongside a previous generation Fanuc RoboCut C600 A-series machine, the new C600 B-series has a multitude of new features that are not integrated into previous generation models.
“The new touch-screen CNC control unit is a new feature that is very easy to work with as touch screens have become a familiar part of everyday life,” says Bright. “Added to this, the control unit is far more capable than previous generations.”
Fanuc has made significant strides down the route of machine efficiency, power consumption rates, automation and precision in recent years, and mentioning this, Bright concludes: “Our customers are very demanding and they want parts back as soon as possible, so energy efficiency isn’t the top of our consideration list. However, when it comes to precision, we have done a lot of intricate R&D work and the machines have been spot-on. Additionally, automation is a core factor, so our machines have to be auto-wire fed. This is something we now take for granted because in the modern competitive market, we have to maximise the running time of our machines.”
For further information www.fanuc.eu

When reinventing an automotive icon, manufacturers are required to preserve the ethos of the original model while bringing the concept in line with modern technology. A difficult balance to achieve, but one that seems to have been struck by LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) and its new TX, an advanced electric taxi. To attain the performance and efficiency levels demanded of modern vehicles, the TX represents a complete redesign compared with its predecessors. Helping to enable this new approach, LEVC requested the involvement of automotive supply chain and fastener expert, Optimas Solutions.

The TX combines recognisable aesthetics with modern solutions. A large battery pack and electric motor provides a pure EV range of over 70 miles, while the petrol range extender, a portable generator for the battery, takes the total range of the vehicle up to 377 miles. The electric taxi will help meet ever more stringent emissions level restrictions in London and cities across Europe.
For passenger comfort, the TX features a six-seat configuration and a forward-facing wheelchair position, coupled with a panoramic glass roof to improve the interior environment. On-board Wi-Fi, as well as laptop and USB charging ports are available as standard. Ease of accessibility is achieved via the utilisation of carriage doors. Furthermore, the TX has a fully aluminium body in order to save weight and improve range, while delivering an extremely safe vehicle.
However, redesigning an icon from the ground up requires consistent thinking from the smallest component upwards, as Ian Carvell, European engineering director at Optimas explains: “Specifying suitable fasteners and bolts to achieve a pioneering vehicle, while minimising the cost to the manufacturer, is a fine balance. That is why at Optimas we involved ourselves from the initial design phase of the TX project, so we could begin rationalising component options from the first preliminary builds. Through this methodology, we could work in tandem with LEVC to tackle the engineering challenges associated with a new vehicle platform.”
Optimas specialises in working in conjunction with manufacturers to recommend, specify and standardise parts that the business supplies for the production of a particular vehicle. The primary goal in most cases is to develop an efficient approach with regards to the specification of components, offering solutions that are already available or can be easily adapted from the Optimas portfolio for a vehicle application. This serves to reduce lead times for parts, which is of the utmost importance in the R&D stage of a vehicle.
Daniel Pereira, UK engineering manager at Optimas and a key proponent of the project, expands: “What we are trying to achieve is increased supply chain simplicity by offering suitable alternative parts that can be delivered to tight deadlines. For example, one of the first hurdles of the project was to ensure that verification prototypes were ready for the winter testing and shakedown season. Missing this window would delay the project by a year, which is unacceptable to LEVC and its investors. Therefore, we utilised parts that were reliable and freely available, or engineered alternatives where there was no stock forthcoming to ensure that LEVC could adhere to its testing schedule.”
Speed of response to component requirements was enabled by Optimas representatives being present at LEVC’s new production facility from day one. By collaborating with LEVC from the beginning of the project, the company was able to provide exact design solutions for a range of complex applications. Familiarity with the demands of the project meant that Optimas could utilise its expertise to tackle specific challenges. Furthermore, the swiftness of response from Optimas meant that the R&D schedule for the TX could be upheld, reassuring investors and granting LEVC more time to tackle further project demands.
“We held weekly ‘fastener clinics’ at three different design consultancies [Ricardo, Envisage and Emerald], so we could keep pace with the changing requirements of LEVC throughout the R&D process,” says Carvell. “Through this regular contact, we were able to actively manage and mature the bill of materials in order to supply parts for various TX prototype stages to tight deadlines, despite the fact that many of the application challenges did not have officially released components. Considering the TX incorporates over 2000 individual parts designed specifically for the project, it was vital we kept regular contact to ensure we could integrate seamlessly with LEVC’s component requirements.”

Pereira adds: “By offering component solutions that were freely available, we were able to avoid the delays caused by sourcing bespoke tooling, the quoting process or incurred via a complex logistics chain, which all serve to threaten demanding deadlines. Furthermore, through this approach we are able to pass reduced costs on to the manufacturer, so that they can utilise budget to maximum effect during what is a capital-intensive process. It’s the size of our portfolio that allows us to offer this versatile approach, which has been fostered through our experience in supplying parts to high-volume and premium vehicle manufacturers alike.”
“The London black cab is instantly recognisable, and an engrained part of automotive culture,” says Carvell. “To be involved in a project of such national importance is of course a great satisfaction. Throughout our involvement, we have tried to aid LEVC in creating an efficient transport icon for the future by smoothing the supply chain, offering ease of specification, reliability and a cost-effective approach.”
Phillip Bracken, procurement director at LEVC, says: “Throughout the prototyping stage of the TX, Optimas has been a dynamic fastener partner who has helped us to achieve application goals to demanding schedules at a competitive cost point. With this proof of expertise, Optimas was the natural choice to bolster our production activities from a fastener standpoint, so we are delighted to grow this partnership to further support our future activities.”
The TX will be introduced to British roads over the course of 2018, with models due to be exported to cities in Europe and Asia. LEVC boasts the capacity to produce 20,000 units at its new £325m production facility. With the help of Optimas, the TX will preserve the ethos of one of the most recognisable vehicles on the roads today.
For further information www.optimas.com