SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

MEDICAL SUBCONTRACTOR BUILDS SUCCESS WITH ETG

Founded in January 2021, Machinelab Ltd was set up when entrepreneur Sean Kehoe identified a gap in the market for a subcontract manufacturing business. Kehoe started a company that could provide everything from prototyping, design and machining,through bespoke automation projects, fixture design and manufacture, to consultation, 3D printing, reverse engineering and even post-project support. However, the Machinelab founder recognised that the fundamentals of the business needed to focus on lead time, pricing and quality – all aspects the company is achieving with the support of the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) Ireland. The company has recently invested in a Mitsubishi MV1200S wire EDM machine,quickly followed by a Nakamura-Tome AS200LYMT turn-mill centre.

Located in Wexford, the rapidly growing business now employs 17 staff. This rapid rise has come from the company’s ability to offer a full lifecycle design and manufacturing service for custom-built parts and assemblies required by pharmaceutical and medical device companies and other highly regulated industries. Machinelab recently moved to a new 15,000sqft facility and, with sufficient space to expand, the company installed the Mitsubishi MV1200S wire EDM machine.

Discussing the company’s rapid ascension to success, Kehoe says: “As an engineer with a background in machine, assembly line and jig and fixture design and build, I spotted an opportunity to deliver a level of service and quality beyond that of existing manufacturers. In Ireland, such a niche service and expertise has been lacking in the continually expanding medical and pharmaceutical industry.This gave our fledgling business a window of opportunity and we’ve fully embraced it.”

Starting out of nothing more than a shed with a router, Kehoe initially made medical vial trays and other components for the medical industry on a routing machine. From there, the company progressed to machining centres.

“I initially bought a router, as it was all I could afford,” admits Kehoe.“I then bought a few three-axis VMCs, a lathe, a surface grinder and a spark-erosion machine; some of these were pre-owned models. Just before Christmas, I bought a used ETG Vulcan 610L VMC [new Vulcan machines are available from ETG] and I was thoroughly impressed. We have several machining centres from a reputable leading brand and found the Vulcan VMC to be far more robust and rigid. The machine has a much better build quality and stability, along with a high-pressure through-coolant facility and a much faster tool changer.All-round, it’s a much better machine. We would certainly buy another.”

With the Vulcan came an introduction to ETG Ireland for service requirements. So, when the company was looking for a wire-erosion machine for precision holemaking and profiling, the company once again turned to ETG Ireland.

“We already had an older EDM machine, but needed exceptional levels of precision,” says Kehoe.“Instead of looking around the market, we asked our industry contacts, competitors and customers about the technology they used; they all recommended Mitsubishi. We ordered the Mitsubishi MV1200S and it was delivered just after Christmas.”

As well as production line projects, the company also manufactures mould tools and components from brass, stainless steel and D2 steel which require a high number of precision holes from 0.3 to 3mm diameter that can be up to 30xD. This demand was creating an issue with part scrapping and excessive set-ups.

“Some of these parts have very tight tolerances and for us to wire a 0.3mm diameter hole on our existing machine, we would have to drill at 0.27mm diameter initially,” explains Kehoe.“The issue here was broken drills and frequently scrapped parts. We were even drilling the holes from both sides of the part on our five-axis machining centres to evade potential drill breakages. We had a lot of parts that would need to be re-set, creating an overall production time of up to six hours. By using the Mitsubishi MV1200S, we can now process a six-hour job in less than 40 minutes. What we’re finding is that we can pre-drill small holes with limited precision – and then wire the holes to a tolerance of tighter than 5µm. We’re EDM profiling over 40 high-precision small holes every month, so the Mitsubishi is saving us a lot of time already.”

Another reason the Irish manufacturer invested in the Mitsubishi MV1200S EDM was for the profiling of components, something that could alleviate capacity bottlenecks on other machines.

“A lot of our machining is small runs of stainless to hard steel parts in quantities of 2 to 5-off,” says Kehoe.“The Mitsubishi MV1200S can be quickly set-up to profile these challenging parts, freeing-up capacity on our five-axis machining centres. Additionally, the Mitsubishi MV1200S can provide a level of precision beyond that of our other machines. We can profile parts to a tolerance of 4 µm with a surface finish of 0.2 to 0.4 Ra, again exceeding the surface finishes of our other machines.”

By purchasing the Mitsubishi MV1200S, Machinelab has improved its precision and surface finishes on components, reduced set-up times and eliminated scrap on particularly challenging parts that require small holes and improved throughput.

“We can set up the EDM and leave it to run while a machine operator is tending to other machines,” explains Kehoe.“The running cost of the EDM is minimal compared with a machining centre consuming lots of tools through cutting hard parts; it complements our machining department perfectly. The longer we have the machine, the more applications we find for it. As a relatively new company, ETG Ireland has offered us an excellent finance package that has made the Mitsubishi purchase possible. The terms are so favourable for start-up companies that we’ve just ordered another machine.”

At the end of March, Machinelab placed an order for a Nakamura-Tome AS200LYMT, which is now in situ.

Says Kehoe: “We have a semi-CNC turning centre and while it’s a capable machine, it cannot provide the precision or productivity we require for the increasing upturn in turning work. We have one regular part that requires 5 µm concentricity over the 5-inch length of the component. Our existing machine struggles with this, leaving us with excessive operator intervention to remain within tolerance.”

He adds: “The Nakamura AS200LYMT turning centre will easily meet our precision requirements. With driven tooling capability, we’ll be looking for this machine to take capacity from our milling department – as the Mitsubishi has. We were transferring jobs from the lathe to the mill and vice-versa for secondary operations. The Nakamura AS200LYMT will eliminate this bottleneck from our business. ETG Ireland are also able to offer us a full turnkey solution to our projects, something that we recently discovered in purchasing the Nakamura Tome. In addition, ETG has the right staff in Ireland, be it sales or technical service, where other companies would have support only from the UK.”
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

kerf unleashes ‘the beast’ at AJS Profiles

When it comes to heavy engineering, few names hold a torch to the prestige of AJS Profiles. The West Midlands manufacturer has the world’s largest reciprocating grinder and the world’s largest Lumsden grinder. So, it comes as no surprise that when this steel profiling business needed a large heavy-duty cutting machine, it turned to long-standing supplier Kerf Developments.

Steve Harris, director at AJS Profiles,says: “It was 2011 when we bought our first Kerf machine, an RUR3500G, which was soon followed by an RUR2500P plasma machine. So, when it came to making a shift to more advanced technology, the service, support and quality provided by Kerf stood out. Over the years, we gradually moved from the old technology, employing Kerf flame and plasma cutting machines with CNC controls that drastically simplified, modernised and improved our cutting capabilities.”

In total, AJS Profiles installednine Kerf machines over 11 years. Notable among them is ‘the beast’, an RUM3000G with an oxy-arc lance capable of cutting through steel up to 1 m thick. The RUM3000G is a gas cutting machine with a reinforced gantry extending beyond 1.5 m high, making it the only machine of its type in the UK. This extended bridge height accommodates the 1m thick steel plate that AJS frequently cuts, while providing thermal protection with its through coolant design that protects the integrity, repeatability and stability of the bridge during heavy-duty cutting.

The company’s latest acquisition, arriving in September 2022, is its fourth RUR3500G cutting machine, which is the sixth gas cutting machine from Kerf at AJS Profiles.

“The latest RUR3500G can cut plate up to 250mm – and for everything beyond we have ‘the beast’,” concludes Harris.
For further information www.kerfdevelopments.com

Subcontractor progresses to five-axis machining

In its 20,000 sq ft, purpose-built factory in Hayes, near London Heathrow airport, subcontractor Wellington Engineering uses 45 CNC machine tools to produce parts for sectors as diverse as aerospace, medical, semiconductors and cryogenics. The latest machine to arrive on the shop floor isa Hurco VC500i machining centre.

Owner and managing director Daimon Wellington says: “We recently adopted a strategy of looking to take on more complex prismatic machining work and had already identified a number of contracts. It was just a question of finding a suitable machining centre.Full five-axis capability was the next step up for us in terms of technology and, as we use a lot of Hurcos, we decided to source our first true five-axis machining centre from them.”

The cantilever-type VC500i is ergonomic for easy operator access, has a 520 x 450 x 400 mm working volume and a ±100° swivelling trunnion carrying a rotary table, suitable for machining five faces of a component in a single set-up. It reduces the number of separate operations needed compared with using the subcontractor’s three- axis machines, including those fitted with single- or two-axis dividing heads.

Wellington says: “Our other machining centres were taking too long to produce the increasingly complex components. Productivity drives profits and we’ve had excellent results in this respect since the five-axis Hurco arrived. Parts come off much quicker and we’re not tying up the capacity of our other machines and their operators. Also there are far fewer issues with workholding and there is less deburring and hand fettling, all of which saves time.With five-axis strategies, jobs are coming off more economically in shorter cycle times.”
For further information www.hurco.co.uk

PRECISION ENGINEERING FIRM TAKES QUALITY CONTROL TO NEXT LEVEL

Much of subcontractor Driven Engineering’s turnover comes from Formula One, although the cost cap imposed on teams over the past couple of years has reduced it somewhat, leading to a greater focus on aerospace, automotive and general engineering work. Owner Ray Harris has historically machined mainly jigs, fixtures and moulds for Formula One teams, which were telling him that to break into the supply of parts for race cars, he would have to improve his component inspection procedures and quality reports.

British CMM manufacturer LK Metrology was a beneficiary of those conversations, as Harris placed an order for one of the company’s AlteraC 10.7.7 CMMs. During its build at the Castle Donington factory, the machine was reduced in height by about 100 mm so that it would fit through the entrance to Driven Engineering’s latest factory unit in Havant and sit comfortably within a new quality room. As part of the deal, LK Metrology supplied a single licence of PolyWorks Inspector software, which is swappable between the CMM and an articulated arm bought in 2020 when Harris worked at a previous location in Portsmouth.

He says: “LK seems to be one of the metrology industry’s best-kept secrets. I had not come across them before, but our local calibration company and inspection equipment supplier, Mech Metrology & Power Tools, introduced me. Although LK is a sizeable operation that is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, with a factory in Derbyshire and a worldwide customer base, it has a small-company feel. I got the impression that I’d receive good support and back-up, which so far has been the case. In addition, the CMM is well-built and the software provided is easy to use, including on the portable arm.”

The step up to CMM metrology immediately brought in extra Formula One work, mainly prismatic machining on three Hermle five-axis, high-speed machining centres, two of which are fitted with automatic pallet storage and retrieval systems for automated, 24/7 operation. Parts produced are typically for hydraulic manifolds as well as the race car front and rear wings and floor. The company processes a lot of titanium, plus stainless steel, aluminium and some engineering plastics. Unlike jigs and fixtures, which have fairly open tolerances, the latest parts have drawing tolerances down to 25 µm true position, which is impossible to check using the portable arm. The CMM, on the other hand, is able to measure features an order of magnitude smaller, so is easily capable of completing the inspection tasks.

During programming in PolyWorks, Harris simply picks the features and profiles he wants to inspect. The software then automatically sequences the points for the most efficient inspection routine, including all axis movements, head rotations and collision avoidance strategies. He says the software is particularly easy to use and ideal for someone new to CNC CMM operation. The system captures data both by touch-probing discrete points and tactile scanning using a Renishaw SP25M probe. Vastly more data is generated in a shorter time compared with touch-trigger probing only, enabling faster inspection and hence improved quality control. It also allows the population of more comprehensive reports with richer information on the accuracy of freeform areas on components, as well as dimensions. The PolyWorks software is able to present this data flexibly in a form that the customer prefers and is able to understand easily.

The pre-existing arm was supplied with a touch probe and a laser scanner, but now is used exclusively with the latter sensor for speed of operation when inspecting, for example, one in five of a batch of 920 aluminium mould tool halves having a complex profile, machined for the aerospace industry. On the other hand, LK Metrology supplied the CMM with tactile probing capability only, although it was prepared for laser scanning with a view to adding that capability in the future.

Before he invested in the machine, LK Metrology invited Harris to visit its Castle Donington factory to see a demonstration of an Altera 10.7.7 inspecting one of his components. It was fortuitous, as he was due to race at the Donington Park motorsport circuit nearby, having recently re-entered the sport by driving a GT car in the British Endurance Championship in early 2022. Unfortunately the Donington fixture was cancelled, so to save him the 350 mile round trip, he sent a water system for a Formula One car together with the CAD model to the factory by courier and opted to view the demonstration online. LK showed two ways of inspecting the component, first by touch-probing to orientate it on the granite and then laser scanning, and secondly using an SP25M to probe and touch-scan the part.

Suitably impressed with the latter metrology process, he decided to make the investment in the CMM and PolyWorks, whose ease-of-use is greatly helping his inspection productivity. Programming, due to the level of automation provided by the software, can take as little as 10 minutes, depending on component complexity and, unlike when using an arm, can be done in advance from the CAD model.

Installation of the CMM has opened up a number of different avenues, as availability of advanced metrology makes new business is easier to win, especially tight-tolerance work. Additionally, Harris has now bought a Ginetta GT race car to hire out for events and intends to start manufacturing a proprietary range of parts for it, such as uprights, bearing supports, axle extensions and drive shafts. The ability to control quality on the LK CMM to a higher level than previously possible will also enhance this new enterprise.
For further information www.lkmetrology.com

Start-up invests in MACH MDS 845-8T mill

MACH Machine Tools has supplied PMR Developments & Engineering, a precision subcontract specialist start-up, with a new tool-room mill. Now in situ at the company’s Hereford facility,the three-axis MACH MDS 845-8T features theDynaPath WinDelta CNC.
The MDS 845-8T is the most recent machine tool investment made by PMR in its three-year history and has taken its place alongside a new mini mill and a pre-owned two-axis lathe.

PMR’s new MDS 845-8T machines a range of precision components, including injection mould tool inserts and associated parts for a number of customers in the automotive and medical sectors, as well as new and replacement industrial equipment parts.These parts, typically machined in small volumes from a range of different materials, are characterised by their tight geometric and dimensional tolerances, and their high surface finishes.

To meet lead times and ensure that PMR achieves its machining contract requirements on time and in budget, the company regularly pushes the MDS 845-8T’s capabilities to the limit in order to reduce part cycle times.Where feasible, PMR deploys high material removal rates involving extended depths of cut and optimised speeds and feeds.

Says William Homes, PMR’s owner and director:“Our investment in the new MDS 845-8T has significantly increased our machining capacity and capabilities. The machine is powerful, fast, accurate and flexible and, although classified as a ‘tool-room mill’, such is its technical specification and processing capabilities that it’s much more production-oriented.”

He adds: “The versatility and flexibility of the DynaPath control system are also impressive. “Straight-off-the-bat, we liked the control’s large 15.6” LED touchscreen, its clear and logical navigation, and its simple-to-use and understand menus and operation screens, which all help reduce set-up times and prevent input errors.”
For further information www.machmt.co.uk