SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

HyperMILL sparks productivity gains

With a growing machine shop boasting over 40 machine tools, subcontractor Future Advanced Manufacture (FutureAM) soon found its existing CADCAM system lacking capability in several areas. The Cheltenham-based business subsequently turned to Open Mind Technologies and its hyperMILL CADCAM system.

The shop floor at FutureAM has a diverse mix of machine tools that include three- and five-axis machining centres, and multi-axis turning technology from brands such as Doosan, Mazak, DMG Mori, XYZ, Colchester, Hardinge, Correa and many more.

Oliver Allen, head of R&D at FutureAM, says: “With our previous CADCAM supplier, five-axis machining was more a bolt on to their CAD system whereas with hyperMILL, the five-axis suite is incorporated in the system and Open Mind provide full support. Our previous supplier could not offer that.”

And there are many more benefits, as Justin Talboys-Cotton, a sales manager at Open Mind Technologies, reveals: “Previously, FutureAM had no graphical simulation and they were running programs to the best of their knowledge on the machines. By adopting hyperMILL Virtual Machining, the company now has a full digital twin of the machines running NC code simulation. It doesn’t stop there: FutureAM have also invested in the Optimizer module, which will automatically work out the best and most optimal solution to fit the required tool path within the machine envelope. With their previous supplier, the business was limited to just milling only. HyperMILL has now also given this customer turning capability – all in one supply.”

Adds Allen: “Now that everyone here is using hyperMILL, it’s very apparent that our productivity levels are increasing and efficiency is improving, with the company subsequently making more money.”

For more information www.openmind-tech.com

William Mitchell seals Ford Q1 Award

A critical automotive supplier has secured one of the industry’s leading awards for quality and performance. William Mitchell, which is part of the Rical Group, has been recognised with the Ford Q1 award, marking the 20th year it has been supplying fine-blanked components to the carmaker’s plants in the UK, Germany, South Africa, Argentina, India, Turkey and the US.

The certification was presented to the management team and staff at the Black Country firm’s factory in Smethwick last week. It is only given to companies who demonstrate excellence beyond the ISO/TS standard in five key areas: capable systems, continuous improvement, on-time delivery and quality, superior manufacturing processes, and customer satisfaction.

For more information www.ricalgroup.com

Record growth for ANT Industries

ANT Industries, a precision engineering firm headquartered in Atherstone, Warwickshire, is celebrating a year of unprecedented success and growth by announcing new orders in excess of £30m for the next three years. The company machines components for aerospace and gas turbine engines that include engine rings, casings and prismatic parts for customers such as Eaton Aerospace, Rolls Royce and ITP.

Central to success at ANT Industries is its investment in cutting-edge machinery. Over the past 18 months the company has invested heavily in new CNC machines that include a Haas UMC 1000SS five-axis machining centre and an Anca FX5 Linear tool and cutter grinder. Additional investments will arrive in Q2 2024 through The Engineering Technology Group.

For more information www.antindustries.com

£3.25m investment drive at Brandauer

One of Birmingham’s most respected manufacturers has completed a £3.25m investment drive to celebrate a King’s Award for Enterprise achievement.Brandauer, which employs 64 people, has commissioned its fifth high-speed Yamada press that will help it deliver quick-changeover subcontract stamping capabilities. The installation follows the purchase of a state-of-the-art laser micro-cutting machine, a purchase that was made possible by a 40% grant from the ‘Aerospace Up’ programme, giving the business this technology for the first time.Brandauer is promising to deliver up to £6m of sales over the next two years.

For further information www.brandauer.co.uk

Bumotec solves medical production puzzle

Ireland-based Dawnlough Precision is a 110-employee subcontract manufacturing business that has travelled a relentless journey of growth since it started manufacturing tooling for the aerospace and medical industries back at the start of the millennium. This ascension has arrived through an aggressive growth strategy and investment in high-end machine tools, including two Bumotec 191neo turn-mill centres from Starrag.

“Our core business in the medical sector predominantly focused on vascular work and, from this, we’ve expanded our offering,” explains Keith Kennedy, aerospace production manager. “We now produce an array of components for our robotic-assisted surgical [RAS]customers, as well as consumable instruments.

It is here that the search for a suitable machine led Dawnlough to purchase its first Bumotec 191neo FTL-R in June 2022.

“We needed a machine that could offer accuracy of 2-3µm on production runs, short cycle times and incredible efficiency because it’s a very competitive market,” continues Kennedy. “We visited many companies offering high-accuracy machines, but it’s only as you look closer and purchase a machine for this type of work that you really see the added value they bring.

“Some of the functions of the Bumotec, such as thesoftware for monitoring the machine, the cutting load, the contact cutting time and the large 90-tool ATC are incredible.It was a huge investment and an unknown risk, but the Bumotec ticked all of our boxes.”

Following the success of the Bumotec 191neo in FTL-R configuration, the Galway company added a second Bumotec 191neo in March 2023. Supplied in FTL-PRM configuration, the subsequent Bumotec 191neo features complete automation and a 20-position pallet station for lights-out production.

For further information www.starrag.com