SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

Notable cycle time savings with Ceratizit tools

Lancashire-based subcontract manufacturing specialist Woodbrook Precision continually invests in the latest machine tools, supported by cutting tool solutions from Ceratizit UK. 

Indeed, Woodbrook’s managing director Stephen Hogg says that Ceratizit has been instrumental in enhancing the productivity of the company’s new machinery.

Stephen’s father founded the second-generation business more than 35 years ago.

Initially investing in three-axis Mazak VMCs with rotary tables and turning centres with live tooling, more recent acquisitions have included two 3.5-m bed Mazak VTC800/30SR five-axis machining centres and a five-axis Mazak CV5-500. As the business has shifted from machining steel and aluminium to stainless, super duplex, titanium, Inconel, carbon fibre and Hastelloy, Ceratizit UK has risen through the ranks to be the cutting tool partner of choice.

“Over 10 years ago, Ceratizit was one of many suppliers but, as I took control of the business, it became evident that Ceratizit had the best-performing tools and their service was far beyond anything else,” says Hogg, who can cite many successful examples.

“We recently implemented Ceratizit facing and parting-off tools, and it reduced the component cycle time on 400-off job from 1 minute 58 seconds to 1 minute 26 seconds. Furthermore, Dragonskin CircularLine DLC-coated solid-carbide end mills have cut cycle times on an aluminium part from 3 minutes to 1 minute 20 seconds, while more than doubling tool life.”

On another 100-off repeat order for stainless steel aerospace fixtures, the company needed to reduce its cycle times to maximise margins and reduce costs. Ceratizit introduced a high-feed indexable end mill, reducing our cycle times from 38 to 26 minutes per part, with a tool life improvement of more than 20%.

More information www.ceratizit.com

NADCAP Gold Merit

The Wallwork Group’s aerospace heat treatment site in Bury has been accredited with NADCAP Gold Merit Status. The site, one of four, comprises 8361 m² of processing space. The company is the largest independent aerospace heat treater in the UK, offering 117 thermal processes. To achieve Gold Merit, Wallwork had to achieve two consecutive accreditations of 18 months each without any major non-conformance reports and with less than seven days of cumulative delinquency. Achieving a merit level is only the start. Constant vigilance is required to maintain the systems that support it.

More information www.wallworkht.co.uk

Second MecWash MWX400 for Vixen CNC

After purchasing a MWX400 system in 2020, Vixen CNC experienced such an improvement in cleaning efficiency that the company ordered another system for its factory in Snowdonia. Vixen CNC has seen a significant increase in demand for its services over recent years. The company needed the additional machine due to its use of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals – and the different process requirements of the two applications.

Jake Wood, managing director of Vixen CNC, says: “The MWX400 systems have transformed the washing capability and overall productivity at our factory. The communication and servicing from MecWash have been excellent, which combined with the effectiveness of the cleaning, made the decision of investing in a second machine a simple one.”

He continues: “We replaced a tunnel wash system with two MecWash MWX400 machines. Each machine uses a specific cleaning process, one for ferrous metal and the other for non-ferrous metals. The initial MecWash MWX400 system in 2020 considerably decreased our manual drying requirements, which had been both costly and time consuming. Overall, the MecWash systems have provided superior cleaning results, in faster time – and all with reduced manpower.”

The process starts with powerful ultrasonics, which are essential to clean the intricate shapes and blind holes of oil, swarf and fine particles. MecWash MWX systems boasts four ultrasonic rod transducers with single or mixed frequency (25 and 40 kHz). The ultrasonics create large amounts of localised cleaning energy, dislodging any contamination. After the wash stage, the components are rinsed, firstly with an ultrasonics stage, followed by flood and spray rinses, resulting in a polished finish.

More information www.mecwash.com

Shot-blast solution suits EV components

Due to rapidly growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) components, Alupress AG, a Brixen, Italy-based manufacturer of aluminium and magnesium die-castings, recently had to increase its shot-blasting capacity. For this purpose, the company purchased a continuous feed spinner hanger blast machine, including a transport system, from Rösler. The custom-engineered equipment design guarantees effective but also gentle de-flashing of workpieces without any risk of warping.

To ensure gentle but fast and effective de-flashing in continuous flow, the Rösler feed spinner hanger shot-blast machine features eight special turbines, each with an installed power of 11 kW. The turbines contain extra-wide throwing blades generating a particularly broad blast pattern. Furthermore, contrary to the standard placement of turbines on one side of the blast chamber, turbines are located on both sides.

This duplex turbine placement, together with the broad blast pattern, generates a gentle blast operation, significantly minimising the risk of warping. Meanwhile, the comparatively high blast media throughput, needed for the efficient de-flashing and cleaning of light metal components, ensures fast and effective shot-blasting operations.

Another feature preventing part warping is the workpiece carrier, which not only rotates during the shot-blast process but also oscillates back and forth in three positions. This guarantees the safe removal of flashes and burrs, even in difficult-to-reach areas like undercuts.


Necessary maintenance work is facilitated by multiple connections for cleaning equipment at different sections of the shot-blast machine.

A handling system ensures easy and trouble-free transport of the workpieces. At the load/unload station, the height of the workpiece carrier is adjustable to the height of the respective operator.

More information www.rosler.com

Quest for flexibility brings Nakamura investment

Quest Precision Engineering has been on a trajectory of continuous growth thanks to the acquisition of seven high-end Nakamura-Tome turning centres from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG). The Scottish manufacturer initially acquired two Nakamura-Tome turning centres through the pandemic and has kept adding to the plant list ever since.

The Dundee-based company has four Nakamura-Tome WT150II turning centres, two NTY3-150 turn-mill centres and has just purchased a Nakamura MX-100 from ETG’s Scottish distribution partner RAM Engineering & Tooling.

“We’ve been working with Quest Precision for over 20 years and done a lot of applications together, focusing on productivity and flexibility,” says Ross Milne, company director at RAM Engineering & Tooling. “This is epitomised by the Nakamura MX-100 turn-mill centre with swivelling B axis, opposing spindles and lower turret. We’ve also got a gantry loader and bar feed on the machine. It’s a proper step-change.”

Gordon Deuchars, managing director at Quest Precision, says: “Nakamura one led to Nakamura two in just three months, and then around 18 months later we won a big order. This brought Nakamura three and four online. More recently, we’ve been manufacturing the complex ‘Mark 3’ autonomous valve for the oil and gas industry from Inconel 718. We needed a robust machine to take us to the next level, namely the NTY3-150. We’ve now progressed to the Mark 4 valve, which is why we recently installed the MX-100 multi-axis machine.”

He adds: “Our relationship with ETG has been first class. From the moment we enquired about the first machine they’ve been there for us on every turnkey project. The Nakamura range offers the flexibility, efficiency and reliability that we need as a busy manufacturer in the subcontract field.”

More information www.engtechgroup.com