SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

HyperMILL revs-up productivity at Alcon Precision

As part of the Alcon Group, Alcon Precision Engineering has been at the cutting edge of performance automotive manufacturing since its inception. To manufacture complex components for the automotive and motorsport sectors, the company relies on HyperMILL CAM software from Open Mind Technologies.

Previously known as GE Precision before its acquisition by the Alcon Group, Alcon Precision Engineering has been using HyperMILL since 2008. When the Tamworth-based Alcon Group, a manufacturer of brakes and clutches, recognised the quality and surface finishes of the components manufactured at Alcon Precision Engineering, it also adopted HyperMILL CAM software to improve the quality of its components. For Alcon Precision Engineering, a company that has always had its niche in the high-end manufacture of motorsport engines, gearboxes and critical components, a high-end CAM system has always been of critical importance.

Alcon Precision Engineering’s managing director Garry Edwards says: “I’ve used all the leading CAM systems down the years and they all have their individual quirky features that make them a feasible choice, but HyperMILL has all the same features of all its rivals and lots more besides.”

He continues: “A major benefit that stands out is the tool paths within the surface machining modules. Parts like engine covers need to be aesthetically perfect and with HyperMILL, if the middle component has a distinct contour shape, we can select the contour as a guide for the tool path to replicate. This will ensure the entire tool path follows the contours of the part to blend perfectly the surface. Comparing this and other features, HyperMILL is a world apart from other CAM systems.”

Referring to other key features within HyperMILL, Edwards adds: “Another advantage is the feature recognition option, which creates less reliance on our team having to create geometries, surfaces and guide curves. The system is very efficient in terms of production engineering and programming times. Previously, we invested in a different CAM system that was very clunky, took a long time to process tool paths and offered no feature recognition, so we decided to change. Once I had a demonstration of the capabilities of HyperMILL, I was sold.”
For further information www.openmind-tech.com

PSL Datatrack gets subcontractor off the ground

One of the first, vital tasks for Bradda Engineering was to invest in a production control software system. PSL Datatrack was identified as meeting all of the start-up company’s initial requirements.

“The control that PSL Datatrack would bring to the business was clear,” states Bradda Engineering’s owner Kenneth Oates. “We are primarily engineers and PSL Datatrack takes care of everything so we don’t have to get bogged down in manual administration work.”

Experience told Oates that investment in production control software was essential in order to provide the highest levels of customer service.

“Understanding how to make the most of stock and materials so that we could be as efficient as possible with minimum waste was a prerequisite,” he says.

PSL Datatrack manages the generation of quotations and all the engineering steps required until delivery and final invoice. Upon raising a works order, the system generates a material requirement and the purchase orders module is used to place an order with the supplier. Users can trace the job through the shop floor, with data collected on operational costs, tooling, materials and machining processes.

Oates initially researched a number of production control systems, but few seemed to fit the exact needs of a small engineering company.

“They did not seem flexible enough and were quite complicated to use,” he says. “We also wanted the modularity that would enable us to build up a system as we grew and attracted more customers.”

Having recognised the real potential of PSL Datatrack and how it could help a growing company, the company invested in more modules than originally envisaged. The administration, sales, purchasing, scheduling, shop-floor data collection and financial modules were installed from the outset.
For further information www.psldatatrack.com

Pucktechnik relies on 11 Emag VL machines

Pucktechnik, based in Solbiate Arno near Milan, is a contract manufacturer founded in 2017 that produces casting tools and various components. In total, the company has nearly 30 machines, including 11Emag VL turning machines and an Emag K 160 LA hobbing machine. These solutions provide high-volume and automated series production.

Primarily, with the help of these Emag machines, the company can produce around 650,000 wheels and wheel hubs for earthmoving equipment each year. What is interesting here is the deployment of four independent production lines with a high degree of automation.

The machines in each line are completely interlinked via TrackMotion, also from Emag, with various operations running directly one after the other. As a result, the quantities produced in this area have increased massively in just a few years. The basic technological principle of the lines begins with TransLift, a lift-and-turn carriage on the TrackMotion line gantry with programmable electric gripper, which picks up the raw-parts from a parts store, transports them to the machine at a speed of up to 150 m/min and deposits them on the machine’s internal shuttle. Thanks to the vertical arrangement of the spindle, it can pick up the part from the pick-up position of the shuttle and guide it into the working area of the machine.

After machining, the workpiece is discharged from the machine via the shuttle and transported to the next machine or the discharge conveyor using the TrackMotion system.In short, the combination of Emag pick-up technology with various automation solutions, from TrackMotion to robots, results in powerful and individually adaptable systems.
For further information www.emag.com

Projects worth £1.2m for Walker Engineering

Northwest-based firm Walker Engineering has enjoyed a record start to 2023by winning a host of new projects across the UK. With total new work worth over £1.2m in 2023 alone, the Skelmersdale company has utilised the strength of its team to enter new markets and territories around the country. Growing its team by 11% from 26 to 29 in the year to date, Walker Engineering is now looking to recruit more trainee fabricators, welders, pipefitters and mechanical and electrical engineers. The business is also spearheading a campaign to recruit five new apprentices in various roles.
For further information www.walkereng.co.uk

Zeus Engineering focuses on the future

Zeus Engineering, a precision subcontract specialist based in Airdrie, is increasing its machining capacity and capabilities by investing in a new DN Solutions VT 1100M vertical turning lathe (VTL) from Mills CNC. The machine, which incidentally, is the first CNC VTL acquired by the company in its 57-year history, arrived at Zeus Engineering’s 12,000sq ft facility in November 2022.

The machine is producing large, heavy and often awkward-shaped components, such as rings, discs, pump housings, flange couplings, bearing carriers, valves and differentials, from a range of castings, forgings and fabrications, as well as from solid billet and plate. Industries served include rail, off-road vehicle, oil and gas, power generation, food, and renewable energy.

Being part of the AGZ Group, the company can also provide its high-quality design and machining services, where appropriate, to the two other associate companies in the group: Argon Engineering and Gillrick Metalwork.

Says Scott McHutcheson, Zeus Engineering’s operations director:“We’re always looking to improve our in-house machining capacity and capabilities, and regularly review and analyse our performance to ensure we meet, and exceed, our customers’ expectations.”

The acquisition of the VT 1100M lathe means that, over the past 14 years, Zeus Engineering has invested in five new Doosan machines from Mills CNC, including two Puma series lathes.

“We have a good relationship with Mills CNC and like their proactive, value-added business approach, which to all intents and purposes, is very similar to our own,” says McHutcheson. “The Doosan machine tools they sell and support, like the VT 1000M, are reliable and deliver excellent cutting performance.”

The 32” chuck VT1100M is equipped with box guideways, a 55kW/850rpm/6385Nm spindle, a 12-station indexable turret and 11kW/3000rpm driven tooling capabilities.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk