SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

TOOLMAKER MAKES IT MARK WITH MITSUBISHI EDM

With four generations of toolmakers in the family, Denmark Products has been manufacturing injection mould tools since its inception in 1993. Started by father and son team Dennis and Mark Rowlands with a £15,000 investment that stretched to the purchase of a mill, spark-erosion machine and surface grinder, the company has come a long way since the 1990s. Testament to the journey travelled is the recent investment in a high-end Mitsubishi spark erosion machine from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

The small start-up that operated out of a 900sqft unit has moved to a 4500sqft facility in Donnington on the outskirts of Telford, where it manufactures precision injection mould tools for the automotive, medical and white goods industries. With considerable business growth, the company has added both a Mitsubishi wire EDM and a spark erosion machine to its plant list in a little over 12 months. As a company with everything from three- to five-axis machining centres, milling machines and lathes through to surface grinders, spark erosion machines and more, the interest in Mitsubishi machines started just over a year ago.

The seven-employee company was using an external supplier for its wire EDM requirements. This was not an ideal situation with costs and process control surrendered to the subcontract supplier.

Recalling the situation, company co-founder and managing director Mark Rowlands says: “With the demise of so many companies through the pandemic, we had an opportunity to buy a used Mitsubishi MV1200S wire-erosion machine. As the UK supplier of Mitsubishi machines, we went straight to ETG for installation and commissioning support. In the 12 months since the machine arrived, we’ve eliminated our subcontract wire EDM costs and the lead times associated with a subcontractor turning work around, and have complete process control. Additionally, when it comes to wire EDM, we 100% know if we want a loose or interference fit between our components.An external supplier would not know this, so our quality and surface finishes have improved too.”

With next-generation technology such as precision automatic wire rethreading, IoT capability, the latest drive systems and a user-friendly control system, the high-performance Mitsubishi MV1200S has reduced lead times and improved throughput for Denmark Products. Furthermore, the acquisition exposed the subcontract manufacturer to the high service levels provided by ETG.

With customers in the high-end automotive and medical industries ramping-up production post-Covid, Denmark Products needed to invest in a larger capacity spark-erosion machine. Three ageing spark-erosion machines were already on site, so the company needed a machine with a larger bed and tank capacity for processing the increasingly larger dimensions of automotive interior trim parts and large white goods injection mould tools. Despite having spark-erosion machines from several different vendors on-site, the service provided by ETG with the MV1200S was a major factor in why the company invested in a second Mitsubishi machine.

As Rowlands continues: “We did our due diligence and looked at spark-erosion machines from a few leading suppliers. Once we identified our capacity needs, it was the technology, capability, reputation for quality and impeccable service levels from ETG that were the main factors in our decision to buy a Mitsubishi EA28V Advance.”

The Mitsubishi EA28V Advance can accommodate maximum workpiece dimensions up to 1350 x 850 x 450mm in its 390-litre capacity tank that utilises an automatic elevation method. Capable of accommodating electrodes up to 200kg and workpieces up to 2000kg, the Mitsubishi EA28V is a powerful workhorse with technology that delivers finesse for the productive processing of components.

Discussing this spacious work area, Rowlands says: “We’ve been increasingly receiving requests for larger components that had to be producedexternally as our spark-erosion machines were not big enough. This resulted in external subcontract costs that were a drain on our business and extended lead times. With the arrival of the Mitsubishi EA28V we’ve brought all of this work in-house, reducing both our costs and lead times.”

However, the Mitsubishi EA28V Advance has given Denmark Products so much more.

“The extra capacity not only allows us to process larger parts, it also enables us to put two or three different smaller jobs on the bed and run them consecutively,” explains Rowlands.“This means we can undertake lights-out machining and, in many instances, we can set the machine up on a Friday night to run all weekend unmanned. This is a huge saving for our business. The ability to run up to three different components on the machine consecutively is a credit to the 20-electrode tool-change facility and intuitive programming technology on the Mitsubishi EA28V.”

He continues: “Our existing spark-erosion machines only have single-electrode capacity, which means that we would continually change electrodes for every operation and part. With the Mitsubishi EA28V, we can set up to 20 electrodes and program several parts, and the machine will run for a couple of days unmanned. From a productivity perspective, the technology in the Mitsubishi EA28V means that we can adjust our settings to erode components at higher speeds and feeds, or we can similarly slow the speeds to extend the life of electrodes or improve surface finishes. Regardless of the multitude of settings, the machine can process parts far faster and to a higher level of quality and precision than any of our other spark-erosion machines.”

All of this is reducing energy consumption and costs for Denmark Products while simultaneously lowering consumable costs. Another advantage for the small business is the reduction in hand polishing.

“Our existing spark-erosion machines are typically generating a surface finish in the region of 1.6Ra, which often requires considerable post-machining hand polishing,” says Rowlands.“This is particularly the case for injection mould tools for interior vehicle trim components and medical mould tools. With the new Mitsubishi EA28V, we’re easily achieving surface finishes of 0.4Ra, which has drastically reduced our hand finishing. On some parts such as ribs and cavities, the high level of surface quality has eliminated hand finishing, which is a necessity for sensitive features. Overall, bench finishing has massively reduced, freeing up hours for our machinists every week.”
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

Like a brand new machine after 21 years

“Quality never goes out of style,” they say. Well for Water Jet Sweden cutting machines quality never goes out of performance either! The recent refurbishment of a 21-year-old waterjet cutting machine to almost-new condition by the in-house team recently demonstrated this perfectly, making it ready for many more years of quality cutting.

In 2001, Water Jet Sweden sold the machine to a Norwegian waterjet contract cutter. After 21 years of cutting, the customer decided to upgrade its workshop by investing in a new machine. Like many other well-maintained machines from Water Jet Sweden, the performance was still good, and a general ‘facelift’ could be worth the investment. The customer service team at Water Jet Sweden seized the opportunity and bought the old machine.

“We’ve supported the customer since the machine was delivered in 2001, and have good knowledge of both operating hours and service history,” says Ronny Martinsson, customer service manager at Water Jet Sweden.

Looking at the refurbished machine, it is difficult to imagine that it has been in production for 21 years. Although it looked a little more run-down than when purchased, after a thorough clean, the potential was clearly visible. Every renovation project is different: this time the frame was repainted, new table grids installed, hoses replaced and, most importantly, the electrical system replaced with a new Fanuc CNC system. The system change included everything from cables, motors and electrical cabinets to a modern PanelOne operator panel.

The refurbished machine is now ready for delivery to a new customer in Germany, a forging company that will use the machine as a workstation in its workshop. It cost about 60% of what an equivalent new machine would cost.
For further information www.waterjetsweden.co.uk

£450,000 investment

Hull-based Paragon Toolmaking has further invested in new machinery with a £450,000 spend set to accelerate production and increase automation when manufacturing precision tools. The investment includes a new CNC machine with a 3 x 2 m bed to cope with large die sets and plates, and work at twice the speed of previous machinery. Further investments include a new automated 700 x 1000mm surface grinder that will also help increase production speeds, freeing up operatives to work on other projects.Thesemachines follow the purchase of a new CMM last year.
For further information www.paragontoolmaking.com

Midtherm lasers set for growth after £1.2m investment

A specialist subcontract laser cutting and forming specialist is reaping the operational and environmental benefits of a £1.2m machine investment. Midtherm Laser, which employs 45 people at its factory in Dudley, has increased its capacity and speed of processing thanks to the installation of a new Bystronic Bystar Fiber 12kW laser with part automation.

One of the largest purchases in its 23-year history introduces the next level of power in fibre laser cutting. It will help the company deliver high cutting dynamics and thin to thick cutting capabilities to a customer base that spans aerospace, automotive and decorative work, to food processing, agricultural and conveyors.

The machine has also made a massive difference to the firm’s environmental performance, with the Bystronic model replacing two older CO2 machines and delivering a 50% energy saving, the equivalent of powering 2100 average homes every month.

“Our expertise in laser cutting and metal forming is respected throughout our sector and has led to us increasing sales by a further 6% last year, a great achievement considering the volatility of the market,” explains Mark Hannon, director of Midtherm Laser.“The 12 kW Bystar Fiber is a class-leading machine that can cut from 0.5 to 30mm in mild steel, aluminium and a host of other materials. It gives us more capacity to target new opportunities and, importantly, means three quarters of our machines are now fibre technology instead of gas.”

He adds: “With this in mind, and when you consider we’ve also invested in LED lighting, sensor switches, and electric vehicles and charging for our staff on the road, it’s not difficult to see how we have managed to cut our energy usage in half since 2018.”
For further information www.midthermlaser.co.uk

SM Thompson invests further in laser technology

Steel plate processor SM Thompson has invested in a new 22kW fibre laser cutting machine that will boost efficiency and drive the firm’s ambitions forward.The Teesside-based business has invested in a state-of-the-art laser cutting machine that will not only support more environmentally friendly ways of working but enable larger client orders and faster process.

Managing director Harvey Thompson says: “Our continued investment in new machinery enables us to offer a range of services to our customers. By enhancing the range and capabilities of our machinery, we can respond readily to market changes.It’s always been our ethos to invest in the latest technology to keep us at the top of the game. This machine continues that strategy.”

Beyond its high cut quality, the laser can offer etching suitable for bend lines and profile identification, which supports larger orders and identifying parts quickly, saving valuable time and money. The high-end fibre laser provides precise technology and a stable cutting process up to the highest laser power.

Harvey adds: “When we purchased a 12kW machine a little over a year ago, I was so impressed by its precision and efficiency that I knew straight away this was the future of large quantity orders. Six months later, our order was in for our new 22kW laser.”

As a steel plate specialist, the SM Thompson team cuts steel from 1 to 350mm thick using a range of laser, plasma and flame cutting machinery. The company also presses, rolls and chamfers material in a variety of shapes and sizes, working with mild and stainless steel, as well as aluminium, brass, copper and titanium.
For further informationwww.smthompson.co.uk