Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied DRB Group, a supplier of innovative and integrated turnkey and process improvement solutions based in Deeside, with three new, high-productivity machine tools. The machines, comprising two Fanuc-controlled multi-tasking lathes with integrated Y axes and driven tools, and a large-capacity, Fanuc-controlled five-axis machining centre, were delivered and installed at DRB Group’s 100,000 sq ft machine shop facility in late 2021.

DRB Group is a family-owned business established in 1976 with a focus on the repair, maintenance and supply of industrial electric motors, generators and mechanical transmission systems. The company has, over the past 46 years, undergone a metamorphosis and today provides a growing number of UK-based processing and manufacturing customers operating in highly regulated and demanding sectors with a range of integrated and standalone services and solutions. DRB Group serves industries that include rail, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, medical, energy, and waste management, to name but a few.

The company’s services can include everything from the supply of high-quality machined components and assemblies, critical asset condition monitoring, the maintenance and repair of customer plant and equipment, through to the design, development, manufacture and installation of, what can often be, complex turnkey solutions that can include new plant, equipment and processes.

With a dedicated project management team working alongside highly experienced design, applications and production engineers, DRB Group is a proven and successful single-source solutions provider with particular skills and competencies in mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

As part of its regularly updated strategic company-wide continuous improvement programme, DRB Group makes significant investment, year-on-year, in improving its people, plant and equipment, and its processes and systems. This commitment to continuous improvement has, over recent years, seen the company increase its headcount, implement an in-house apprenticeship training programme, create dedicated areas for assembly, inspection and testing, and develop its in-house manufacturing capabilities that centre on machining and fabrication.

Explains Matt Bennett, CEO, DRB Group: “The investment in the three new Doosan machines was made to increase our machining capacity and improve our capabilities. Despite the outbreak of the pandemic, demand for our turnkey and process improvement solutions – many of which require the machining of bespoke components – and for our high-quality batch machining services, were on the increase. This situation was putting pressure on our existing in-house machining resources.”

He continues: “In order to avoid production bottlenecks occurring in the future, and ensure that lead times were not compromised, we made the decision to invest in multi-tasking machine tools.”

The three new Doosan machines acquired by DRB Group are all multi-axis, multi-tasking machines. Multi-tasking machines deliver significant productivity, operational efficiency and quality benefits to manufacturers. These include: reduced part set-up and cycle times; lower fixture costs; increased part accuracies and repeatabilities (because parts do not require transferring from one machine to another for completion); the elimination of production bottlenecks; and the ability to meet tight lead times and customer delivery schedules.

Says Bennett: “We made the strategic decision not just to increase our machining capacity, but to increase our capabilities. That’s why we now have lathes with Y axes, C axes, driven tools and tailstocks, and why we have a large-capacity, ultra-versatile, simultaneous five-axis machining centre.”

DRB Group, having audited its current machining resources and analysed where existing and future ‘pinch points’ were, and were likely to be, approached the market to discuss its plans and requirements with a handpicked number of machine tool suppliers. Mills CNC was one of those suppliers.

“We did our homework and knew that Doosan machine tools, and Mills CNC, had good reputations in the market,” says Bennett.
From talking over its plans with Mills CNC’s sales and applications engineers, it was agreed that a three machine tool package comprising two multi-tasking lathes and a large-capacity five-axis machine would meet DRB Group’s immediate and future machining requirements.

Recalls Bennett: “The Doosan/Mills CNC package had a number of advantages. As well as the machines ticking all the right boxes with regard to their technical specifications, they were also in stock and could be delivered and installed quickly. The comprehensive, integrated and single-source services provided by Mills – like its independent machine tool financing operation and its well-resourced and responsive aftersales support services – all had a positive impact on our decision making.”

DRB Group’s three new machines were installed at the company’s 6.5-acre facility in December 2021 and, since then, according to the company “haven’t missed a beat.” The two Puma lathes have been operating around the clock machining precision parts for two customers, while the VCF 850LSR has been used, among many other heavy-duty jobs, to machine large gearbox casings.

Concludes Bennett: “The new machines we now have at our disposal provide a strong foundation for future business growth.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

Established 48 years ago, turned parts contract machining specialist Precision Products, based in Rustington, West Sussex, has weathered the recent turbulent times remarkably well. Although it had to downgrade its turnover target in April 2020 at the start of the last financial year due to a collapse in aerospace contracts, which traditionally account for 10% of turnover, the loss was largely offset by winning Covid-related medical contracts for the production of components for ventilators, hospital beds and testing kits. Some new medical work is ongoing, such as the manufacture of parts for micro-pumps used in disinfectant spraying equipment.

Consequently, the firm met its planned turnover for the period to April 2021 and is ahead of target for the year to April 2022. Profitability has increased following a detailed analysis of cost structures and working practices by managing director Sally Thorley, enabling the company to quote more competitive prices. Around-the-clock running five days a week has continued and there have been few staff changes, except for a couple of retirements and the appointment of two additional personnel. One is finance manager Charlotte Turner and the other is sales and estimating engineer Sean Keet, who has a wealth of experience in a similar role. They bring the total number of staff to 32. Following on from all personnel trained to Level 2 in NVQ Business Improvement Techniques, four managers are currently undergoing training with the Institute of Leadership & Management, two at level 5 and the others at level 3.

Extra business received from UK sources that have helped the company to achieve a positive result during such a difficult period includes machining families of stainless steel spindles, studs and end caps to tight tolerances for top-end mountain bike pedals manufactured by Pembree in Heathfield, East Sussex.

Together with other new UK contracts, some gained as a result of Precision Products taking a stand at the Southern Manufacturing 2020 show in Farnborough, the subcontractor’s tally of active customers is 136. The company also exhibited at the 2022 show earlier this month.

Helping to boost turnover further has been an increase in direct exports, which now accounts for 12% of turnover due in part to a major new contract for the supply of brass air caps to the Chinese factory of a multinational air humidifier manufacturer. Other overseas markets that are regular recipients of the subcontractor’s components include Hungary, Mexico and the US.

The subcontractor’s first Citizen Cincom slider with LFV (low-frequency vibration) software for automatically chip breaking difficult materials arrived in early 2020. The 20 mm bar capacity L20-VIIILFV with B and Y axes, which can be operated with or without a guide bush, allows technically challenging components to be produced more efficiently from normally long-chipping plastics and stainless steels.

Thorley says that customers are increasingly asking for components produced from both materials, with plastics being used more and more for medical work, while stainless steel accounts for as much as 40% of throughput.

Citizen trained five of Precision Products’ operators in the use of LFV and feedback from the shop floor on the software’s effectiveness has been positive. It is proving particularly useful in view of the current trend towards industry increasingly asking for miniature parts machined from these and other problematic materials to tolerances measured in microns.

Environmentally, it is significant that, as with all modern Citizen turn-milling centres, the L20 is an eco-friendly machine that has undergone comprehensive assessment in respect of emissions during operation, the use of recyclable materials in its construction and the minimisation of ecologically hazardous substances during machine build.

Regenerative technology saves energy for reuse by storing decelerating axis movements as electrical power. Additionally, when the spindles and feed axes are stopped, for example during program editing, the servo drives turn off automatically so that the amount of power consumed during standby is reduced.

This was the first sliding-head lathe in Rustington to be fitted with a Wogaard Oil Saver system for recycling neat oil, although four of the Miyanos on-site are already equipped with a similar coolant saver unit. The maintenance-free device sits at the bottom of the swarf bin, continuously sucking up cutting fluid that has been transported there on the swarf, automatically returning it to the machine’s coolant tank for reuse. It not only saves oil or coolant but also reduces subsequent energy expenditure required for spinning the swarf prior to recycling.

Again with ecology in mind, the subcontractor’s MecWash aqueous cleaning machine has been replaced by a more efficient, environmentally friendly Duo 400 model that combines flood and spray washing, followed by heated spray rinsing and hot air drying. The rinse stage can be used to apply a corrosion inhibitor to ferrous components. The machine incorporates the Aqua-Save system for treating and recycling up to 90% of the wastewater, minimising expensive off-site treatment and disposal.

Other energy-intensive areas addressed by Precision Products include the replacement of an old air compressor with a new model that consumes considerably less power, producing savings in carbon dioxide emissions of more than 12 tonnes; and the replacement of tungsten and fluorescent lighting throughout the factory with LEDs, saving the release of a further 4.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

On a final note, Thorley says that Precision Products is proud to have been able to keep going virtually unaffected during the difficult trading conditions created by the pandemic. She adds that the company manufactures high-quality CNC turned parts backed by CBS EN ISO 9001:2015 approval and AS 9100 Rev D accreditation in the case of aerospace components. Shortly before the end of last year, the subcontractor had its former approval recertified. The company that carried out the online reassessment is on record as saying that it was one of the best audits it has ever completed and that Precision Products was the only company it dealt with during the pandemic that achieved or exceeded all of its key performance indicators.

For further information
www.precisionproducts.co.uk

Like many subcontract manufacturers, Abbey Tool and Gauge Ltd was started by a husband-and-wife couple out of a small shed near Kelso Abbey – hence the name. The ethos of the subcontracting company since it opened its doors in 1970, has been to buy the best- possible equipment and machine tools. In its 50 years, this has seen the company invest in numerous Nakamura-Tome, Doosan and DMG Mori machines with a spend of more than £6m in the past five years on five- through to nine-axis machines for one-hit machining.

Under the management of second-generation brothers Iain and Alistair Reid, the subcontract company has expanded its portfolio, now working in the oil and gas, nuclear, automation, and medical industries. The ISO9001 and ISO14001-certified manufacturer implements a programme of continuous improvement that not only encompasses machine tools, but also complementary technology. This is why Abbey Tool and Gauge has invested in cutting fluid from Rocol.

Taking up the reasoning behind switching its fluid provider, Abbey Tool and Gauge director Iain Reid says: “At first, we were a little sceptical when Rocol came in to see us because they said they could run our oil consumption at 2%, and we were running at somewhere between 6 and 8%. Alistair and I thought long and hard about it, and we filled two machines with the product. We ran these machines for six weeks and were delighted.

“This change is good for the environment as it is only running at 2%,” he continues. “It will also be good financially for our business in the long term as there will be a big saving, which we are monitoring at the moment. Thirdly, the back-up and support we’ve had from the Rocol team have been absolutely phenomenal.”

Since implementing Rocol Ultracut 370EP, the benefits have cascaded throughout the business. Alluding to machining performance, Reid says: “We’ve had some really good feedback from the guys on the shop floor. We were initially concerned as we machine a lot of super duplex and thought that the Rocol Ultracut 370EP wasn’t going to do the business there, but it certainly has. It has also been a huge success on materials like Inconel, 625, 718 and many others.”

The Roxburghshire facility in Scotland is home to more than 30 machines and, despite the volume of machine tools, the facility is completely odour free.

“It’s quite incredible because the odour disappeared almost immediately,” says Reid. “A Rocol engineer comes in every couple of weeks and tells us where we are with regards to our coolant management. So, the fluid is managed to a very high standard.”

Rocol Ultracut 370EP is free from bactericide, silicone, chlorine, formaldehyde, nitrites and any animal-derived materials, prolonging fluid life and performance. Additionally, the low-foaming product is compatible with hard and soft water, and is tolerant to tramp oil and demonstrates protection against residual corrosion.

Trying to quantify the savings since instigating the change of cutting-fluid supplier to Rocol, Reid says: “I think the savings could be anything from £20,000 to £40,000, but as we’ve not been using the Rocol fluid for a full 12-month period, we cannot give an exact calculation at present.”

Referring to the impact Rocol has made on tool life and performance, he says: “Looking at our historical usage, we estimate that we’ve already saved between 10 and 12% on our cutting-tool costs, which is massive in our game. In some cases, we slow the machines down to reduce the tip changes. We find it’s better to run the machines for eight hours at slower speeds and then swap the inserts at the changeover shift, rather than replace the tips three times per shift by running faster. We get a higher volume of parts by running like that, and the Rocol coolant helps us hugely in extending the life of our tips.”

The improvement to tool life and machining performance can largely be accredited to the extremely high-pressure additives that provide medium- to heavy-duty machining capabilities with good surface finish on a range of ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Furthermore, the semi-synthetic fluid enables the customer to rationalise one fluid for both machining and grinding operations.

Commenting upon the changeover from the previous fluid supplier to Rocol, Reid says: “There were no issues whatsoever. However, with so many machines on site, it was quite a lot of work, which meant we had to implement the change over an extended period of time. One of the things I would recommend is that you clear everything out of the machine and clean through the system. This was hard work for the guys, but it’s critical that you completely clear out the machine.”

As a manufacturer that has opted for the Rocol Ultracare package of support, the team at Abbey Tool and Gauge has nothing but praise for the service.

“Alastair and I receive a report around four hours after the Rocol engineer has visited,” says Reid. “This report outlines a detailed state of every machine and gives us peace of mind.”

Providing insight from a Rocol perspective, Ian Fenney from Rocol says: “The process has run really smoothly and we’ve changed the fluid in all of the machines. We cleaned the machines out and started afresh. Whether we follow this complete clean-out process or not depends upon the fluid we are providing, but in this instance, there were key differences between the existing coolant and the product that we proposed.”

Alluding to the properties of Ultracut 370EP, Fenney continues: “All fluids will cut to a certain degree, but finding the right one for the customer, especially in a subcontract shop like this – there will always be a multitude of materials and machines. With Ultracut 370EP, we have something that ticks every box. At Abbey Tool and Gauge, they are both cutting and grinding with the same fluid on everything from cast iron through to Inconel.”

Concluding upon the Ultracare service package, Fenney says: “On this particular account, we supported the fluid changeover and cleaned out a selection of machines before the Abbey Tool and Gauge team took over and finished the project. Thereafter, we come in every fortnight to ensure all the machines are HSE compliant.”

For further information
www.rocol.com

Since its inception in 1994, Carlow Toolmaking Services has specialised in manufacturing components, jigs and fixtures for the medical device, oral health care, pharmaceutical and automotive industries. To support its growth trajectory, the Carlow-based company has continually invested in Mitsubishi EDM technology from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

John Whelan, design engineer at Carlow Toolmaking Services, says: “We make jigs and fixtures for the medical industry and we have a contract tool room, so we do a little bit of everything. At present, we have parts here from an old steam engine that we are producing right through to high-end medical device equipment. Around 22 years ago we bought a Mitsubishi FX10 wire EDM machine and it is still running every day.”

With the company enjoying continued growth, it added a second Mitsubishi EDM machine five years ago (an MV1200S), which has since been followed by a Mitsubishi MV2400R. However, the global hiatus on much of the manufacturing industry has not halted progress at Carlow Toolmaking and, at the start of 2021, the company added a second Mitsubishi MV1200S wire EDM.

Whelan explains why the company keeps investing in Mitsubishi machine tools from ETG: “Obviously, the longevity has been proven with our first machine, plus the fact that we use the same software – the training curve was a lot easier by sticking with a Mitsubishi machine rather than switching to another brand.”

Pat Amond, director at Carlow Toolmaking Services, adds: “What it has helped us change at Carlow Toolmaking Services over the last couple of years is efficiency on the machines. We’re dealing with ETG and Mitsubishi, and this has enabled us to be more efficient and helped us to produce jobs easier and quicker, which is a major benefit to Carlow Toolmaking. With many of the higher quantity parts in manufacture at the moment, we are using the Mitsubishi wire eroder rather than our milling machines. Over the years we have discovered that we can stack parts and prepare them on the EDM and it is more efficient. Additionally, the machines can run overnight unmanned and this has given us an edge over our competitors; and our customers have benefited from that.”

Looking at the evolution of the Mitsubishi machines since the company bought its first wire EDM 22 years ago, Whelan says: “The interface has changed and it’s a lot slicker and the speed has improved. The stainless steel tank on the newer machines are much easier to clean – and they do the same job as they always did.”

The two MV1200S wire EDM machines and the MV2400R incorporate Mitsubishi’s Tubular Shaft Motor technology that delivers extra-smooth axis movements with drives positioned right in the centre of the moving weight. Highlighting this smooth axis movement and ultimate level of precision, the machines have glass linear scales right next to the workspace to assure users of maximum precision right from the start. In fact, Mitsubishi provides a 12-year positional warranty on all drives. Regarding the upgrade to the interface, the new 19-inch touchscreen control provides on-board CADCAM programming with complete import function for 2D, IGES and DXF files to streamline workflow. This capability is complemented by on-board maintenance tracking that monitors the use of consumables such as rollers and bearings. There is even multiple wire bobbin tracking that enables the operator to qualify how much wire remains.

When asked if the company is running the machines at their limits, Whelan says: “We tend to run overnight when we have the right type of work to go on the machines. We also cut a wide range of materials here, and anything conductive can be wire eroded. So, we can cut anything from graphite right through to PCD. At the moment, we’re cutting a bronze component that conventionally may have been milled, but it is much better to do this job on the wire EDM. We tend to do jobs slightly differently. We think around wire eroding rather than milling. As we design many jobs in-house, we design to suit our abilities. So, we very often design around wire erosion as it is more efficient.”

Adding to this, Amond says: “Over the past number of years, John and Conor in our design department have the Mitsubishi wire eroder in mind from the very beginning when they’re doing the initial design of components. This allows us the benefit of working overnight unmanned and our customers get the benefit because, from the very outset, there are no modifications. We provide a concept from the very beginning and then supply a finished product that is ready to go.”

Looking closer at the component modelling and the difference between the oldest FX10 Mitsubishi and the new MV1200R and MV2400R machines, Whelan says: “With the Mitsubishi FX10 machine, we had a capacity of 350 x 250 x 220mm in the X, Y and Z axes. When we purchased the first MV1200S, we effectively had the same capacity, but it was a much more efficient machine with a modern interface. Eventually, we needed extra Z-axis capacity so we moved up to the MV2400R. This machine has 600 x 400 x 305 mm in the X, Y and Z axes. That opened up a lot of doors for us with extra capacity in the Z axis that we could not cut on the other machines. Customers were asking us to machine larger parts and we had to turn work away because we didn’t have the capacity. The extra height in the Z axis has opened up a lot of opportunities.”

Looking at one specific component for gripping the bristles of toothbrushes during production, Whelan says: “Once we’ve done the CAD modelling, we create a 2D profile for this particular part that can be transferred directly into the machine for wire cutting. The tolerances are very tight on this component because the fibre on your toothbrush is very fine. With the Mitsubishi machine, it’s really easy to reproduce that part again.”

Amond concludes: “What’s changed for us here over the years at Carlow is the way that we do our work. We now do a lot more medical device and oral care work, which today accounts for around 70% of our business. Over the past six or seven years, we’ve changed our processes and it’s made us a lot more efficient, and both Carlow Toolmaking and our customers have benefitted from that. The service and support that we’ve received from ETG on the Mitsubishi machines have been second to none. Over the years, we’ve always gone back to ETG because they are so easy to contact and they will always help you out, whether it be on the service side or a programming issue or anything like that. The ETG team are always at the end of the phone and they will get back to us straight away to resolve any of our queries – no money can buy that kind of service.”

For further information
www.engtechgroup.com