Comprising Oxford Engineering, Hutton Precision Engineering and Oxford Engineering Estonia, the Oxford Engineering Group provides a comprehensive range of machining, welding, assembly and testing resources to a global customer base.

Demanding sectors served by the group include the medical, semiconductor, oil and gas, nuclear, and aerospace industries. Due to the exacting precision standards of the components it manufactures and the nature of the challenging materials it machines, such as Inconel and titanium, the Oxford Engineering Group employs a wide range of advanced machine tools, including the two Doosan MX machines recently installed at Bicester-based Hutton Precision Engineering.
To ensure that the new machines produce the required volumes of high-precision parts, an advanced stamping unit, 24 Makro-grip five-axis vices and a wide range of vice jaws were recently purchased from Lang Technik UK.

Hutton’s workshop manager Wayne Bosher says: “The efficient machining of precision parts with less set-ups, fewer machining operations and reduced cycle times was our ultimate aim when we were searching for two CNC turning and milling centres. We found the answer to our needs in a Doosan MX2600ST and a Doosan MX2600.”

He continues: “Although our new Doosan MXs are advanced, high-yield machine tools, as we were aware of the reputation of Lang Technik’s products, we were convinced that the use of the company’s work-holding systems would further improve the productivity levels of our new machines and deliver a range of advantages related to the secure holding of exotic materials when machined under heavy loads.

“Using two advanced Doosan MX machines means that we’ve increased our ability to carry out turning and milling work on complex components, and produce fully finished parts on a single machine. The use of Lang Technik work holding gives us the ability to securely hold workpieces made from the softest of materials, to the hardest, under all machining conditions.”

In addition, Lang Technik’s work-holding solution has increased efficiency levels at Hutton Precision Engineering as its quick set-up times have minimised the downtime of the new multi-tasking machines.

“By the use of our new Lang Technik stamping unit, before inserting a workpiece blank into a Makro-grip five-axis vice, we are able to make precise indentations into it,” says Bosher. “As the projections on the jaws of our new vices engage precisely with the pre-stamped indents, we are able to achieve maximum workpiece holding power with the bonus of only needing to apply minimal clamping forces. Now, as the purpose of our Makro-grip five-axis vices is to simply hold the workpiece with minimum pressure applied, we are able to hold both soft and hard materials without fear of deformation or other problems. The use of the Lang Technik system has improved our process reliability and significantly increased our machining efficiency levels.”

Lang Technik says that its pre-stamping technology, in conjunction with the company’s Makro-Grip five-axis vices, differs fundamentally from the clamping methodologies of other work-holding manufacturers, and has grown to be the benchmark clamping method for secure five-axis machining.

The serrated jaws of conventional vices must fulfil two separate functions; in addition to indenting the workpiece material, they must also securely hold the components. As conventional vices are only able to exert a maximum pressure of approximately 4-6 tons, the effective penetration of their serrated jaws into workpiece materials represents a real challenge, especially when clamping harder materials.

To ensure that the workpiece is penetrated correctly, the teeth of a conventional vice’s serrated jaws must be sharp to remain effective. As these teeth are subject to high levels of wear, their clamping ability is liable to decline. Also, when using conventional vices during the machining of soft, distortion-prone materials, jaw teeth also tend to lose their holding power as they are inclined to work free of the workpiece under machining forces.

The use of Lang’s stamping technology overcomes these problems by applying up to 20 tons of pressure during pre-stamping, ensuring the creation of precise indentations, even when this procedure is carried-out on hard materials of up to 1500 N/mm² tensile strength.

Following pre-stamping, only low clamping pressure is required to hold a workpiece securely as the teeth of the five-axis vice engage precisely with the pre-stamped indents, allowing a relatively compact vice design and the elimination of clamping teeth wear. In addition to securely holding the workpiece in the vice under the most severe machining conditions, the truncated pyramid shapes of the pre-stamped indents prevent clamping teeth from impacting deeper into the workpiece by providing a defined penetration limit.

Lang Technik reports that the use of its pre-stamping technology and Makro-Grip five-axis vices has a major advantage when conventional machine vices reach their limits in terms of material hardness. Despite the application of low clamping pressure, the clamping forces exerted on a workpiece in a Makro-Grip five-axis vice actually become higher in line with the hardness of the component material. Also, as workpieces are prepared outside of the machine tool, less downtime results.

The success of the Lang system means that it has now been rolled out across all of Hutton Precision Engineering’s main milling machines. In addition, Hutton’s sister company Oxford Engineering also uses the Lang system on its medium-sized machines. This strategy helps with the interchangeability of parts between the companies and provides additional capability to respond to flexes in customer demand.

For further information
www.lang-technik.co.uk

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied two new high-performance machines to the recently launched Advancing Manufacturing Centre (AMC) – a research, design and manufacturing ‘hub’ based within West Highland College UHI’s Ocean Frontier facility in Fort William.

The machines, a Lynx 2100LMB multi-tasking lathe and a DEM 4000 vertical machining centre, were installed at the AMC in September and October 2021 respectively, in good time for the facility’s official opening on 15 November. The machines form part of an impressive array of advanced manufacturing technologies and equipment that the AMC now has at its disposal.

The AMC is part of the national ‘Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund’ (AMCF), an economic growth and regeneration partnership between the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and is also part funded by the 2014-2020 European Structural & Investment Fund.

A principal aim of AMCF-funded projects is that they have a direct and measurable impact on increasing the manufacturing capacities, capabilities and competitiveness of SMEs within Scotland, and of becoming recognised agents of change and best-practice: transforming, exponentially where possible, national and regional skill and productivity levels.

To achieve these aims, the AMC, through its £1.6m funding, will help stimulate and improve the performance of SMEs by providing them with direct access to advanced manufacturing technologies and expertise – at zero cost to their businesses.

Says Margaret Weir, AMC’s project manager: “Providing existing and new companies with a risk-free ‘sandpit environment’ where they are able to fully explore and understand specific manufacturing issues and challenges, and be able to then design and develop innovative solutions using freely available advanced manufacturing technologies at the AMC, is a real business benefit.”

It is also anticipated that the centre, through its successes, will be instrumental in helping to promote STEM subjects and careers within schools and colleges resulting, over time, in the establishment of a skilled STEM workforce aligned with local and regional business needs.

The two new Doosan machines supplied to the AMC share pride of place with a range of advanced manufacturing technologies and equipment that include: CNC machine tools; additive manufacturing, 3D printing and laser-scanning equipment; automation and robotic systems; and advanced CADCAM software. Also in situ are Festo Didactic ‘smart factory and Industry 4.0’ integrated hardware and software training systems and solutions focused on wind and solar power generation, building automation systems, mechatronics, hydraulics and pneumatics, machine maintenance, electric car charging stations, and electric drives and industrial controls.

Explains David Campbell, STEM project director: “The emphasis and focus of our project are on meeting the needs of SMEs in the West Highlands of Scotland; helping them become more competitive through embracing, utilising and exploiting the latest manufacturing, automation and smart digital technologies.”

The technologies and equipment acquired have a broad scope and are intended to attract as many SMEs to the AMC as possible. As a point of note, the equipment and technology at the facility were acquired via a rigorous tender process, with Mills CNC being one of a number of machine tool manufacturers/suppliers invited to submit tenders for supplying a CNC lathe and machining centre.

Mills CNC says it is regarded and respected, not just for the machine tools it sells, but for the range of aftersales services it provides to customers. Every year, hundreds of large and small UK and Irish component manufacturers (OEMs and tier-one suppliers through to precision subcontractors), as well as universities, colleges and research centres, invest in Doosan machine tools from Mills CNC.

Among the best-selling models in Mills’ machine-tool portfolio are Lynx 2100 series lathes and compact Doosan vertical machining centres like the DNM range of machines.

The Lynx 2100LMB is an 8-inch chuck multi-tasking lathe equipped with a 15 kW/4500 rpm spindle, driven tooling capabilities (3.7 kW/6000 rpm), a tailstock (to machine longer parts), and the Doosan Fanuc 0iTF control with 15” iHMI touchscreen. Notably, the lathe has a maximum turning diameter of 310 mm and turning length of 510 mm, and was also supplied to the AMC with a CNC bar puller, enabling it to machine components in larger batches from bar stock.

Says John Morning, Mills CNC business manager for Scotland: “The Lynx 2100LMB is a compact turning centre equipped with many advanced features that enable it to machine complex, high-precision parts in one hit.”

The DEM 4000 is a compact, fast and versatile three-axis machining centre equipped with a 5.5 kW/8000 rpm spindle, a 20-station ATC and the latest Fanuc 0iMF control. Furthermore, the machine features a 650 x 400 mm worktable with 400 kg maximum table load and boasts 24 m/min rapids on its three axes.

“The DEM 4000 is ideal if you are looking for a small, compact machining centre but don’t want to compromise on speed or power,” says Morning.

The AMC is an essential and integral component in helping Scotland grow and diversify its manufacturing base, and create a highly-skilled workforce to fill well-paid and sustainable jobs in the future.

By providing SMEs with a range of services (including training) and access to advanced manufacturing technologies and equipment at zero cost to their businesses, the AMC is tackling issues and perceived weaknesses in Scotland’s manufacturing base and sector supply chains exposed recently by the Covid-19 crisis.

Concludes Morning: “We are delighted to have been involved with the AMC at the outset and to have installed two of our best-selling machine tool models at the facility.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

Nestled on the outskirts of Dundee, Quest Precision Engineering has been on a trajectory of continuous growth since Gordon Deuchars joined the business three years ago. Operating out of a 20,000 sq ft facility and serving customers in a diverse range of sectors, the subcontract manufacturer has recently bought not one, but two Nakamura-Tome turning centres from Engineering Technology Group’s (ETG) Scottish distribution partner RAM Engineering & Tooling.

Serving customers in the oil and gas, electronics, automotive, and aerospace industries, ISO9001-certified Quest Precision is well versed in machining everything from simple to the most complex of components, from materials as diverse as steel, stainless, plastics, aluminium, Inconel and monel. It is this requirement for the one-hit machining of complex parts from challenging materials that led to the installation of the first Nakamura-Tome turning centre in December 2019, a twin-spindle twin turret WT150II. The impact of the Nakamura-Tome WT150II resulted in a second machine being ordered and installed four months later.

Prior to the installation of the first Nakamura-Tome WT150II, Quest was machining autonomous valves for the oil and gas industry in five operations on four machine tools. Unfortunately, production of the complex 2-inch diameter Inconel 718 valves was time-consuming and not cost-effective enough for Quest to compete with an existing Chinese supplier, leaving the 22 employee company with small-batch work and R&D projects. To win more of the business from the existing overseas supplier, Quest needed to increase productivity and reduce costs; the answer was the Nakamura-Tome WT150II.

Recalling the situation, Quest Precision’s managing director Gordon Deuchars says: “There are 25-30 different valves in the family of parts and, for us to secure more orders, we had to increase throughput and reduce costs. I enquired to a post that Ross Milne from RAM Engineering & Tooling posted on LinkedIn about the WT150II and, within four weeks, we were provided machine specifications, viewed the machine, made our purchasing decision, had a turnkey solution developed for the valves and had the machine installed and running as part of a complete turnkey solution.”

Depending upon the variant, the valves typically have a cycle time from 2 to 4 hours with the majority of valves processed in 3 hours on four machine tools with an additional 25% set-up time across the numerous machines. With valve batches running from prototypes through to production runs of 1000, machining such volumes on the existing machine tools was unfeasible. The installation of the twin-turret twin-spindle Nakamura-Tome WT150II immediately remedied the situation.

Manufacturing the valves in one hit on the WT150II reduced cycle times by 50% to 1.5 hours, while releasing capacity and labour requirements across the shop floor. The impact was so immediate that Quest went out and bought a second WT150II.

“The WT150II made such a difference to our production and set-ups that we ordered a second machine within weeks,” explains Deuchars. “The first machine arrived in December 2019 and the second was installed by March 2020. Instead of using multiple machines and up to five staff on the valves, we now have one operator running the two Nakamuras. With one staff member running the machines by day and another at night, the two WT150II machines have increased our productivity by 500%, making us cost-competitive with China. Furthermore, the machines have reduced our tooling costs considerably due to the set-up and rigidity.”

The result of investing in the two Nakamura machines has been a significant uptick in business from this particular offshore customer.

“We have invested in five machine tools throughout Covid and the Nakamura machines have made a huge impact on our business,” says Deuchars. “Although business levels are not yet at pre-Covid levels, the investment has positioned our business well for the future.

“With regard to our offshore customer, the challenge they had with component supply from China was proximity,” he continues. “If our customer wanted to undertake any R&D work, amend or inspect any parts, proximity was an issue. Now, this customer can jump in a car and visit our facility to discuss projects, look at our production methods and equipment, and investigate opportunities to enhance and develop their product lines with a local supplier.

“Since investing in the Nakamura machines, we have won more business from this customer and the Nakamuras are 95% dedicated to producing the Inconel valves. However, Covid has impacted business and we would expect the required production volumes to incrementally increase into 2022. At this point, we will be making decisions around whether we want to buy more WT150II machines.”

As a vastly experienced engineer and business owner, Deuchars has purchased more than 250 machine tools during his career – so why the Nakamuras?

“I’ve bought machines of most brands and types down the years, but never Nakamuras. However, the reputation of these machines preceded them. In this instance, we knew we needed a twin-turret, twin-spindle machine to achieve efficient one-hit machining. When we looked at the WT150II, the build quality and innovation in the machine was as apparent as the reputation of the brand. What we also needed was an immediate solution without suffering from the lead-time issues of so many machine tool vendors at present. Ross at RAM Engineering fulfilled all of our needs.

“With the valves being a complex family of parts, we needed a turnkey solution and RAM Engineering delivered this, fast,” he states. “We were taken through the specification add-ons we would require to produce the family of valves and this was trialled and proven before delivery, but most impressive of all was having a turnkey solution delivered in less than four weeks. This was only achievable through first-class service and communication, which we certainly received with the support of ETG’s application engineer Steve Howes, who worked in synergy with Quest and RAM. The first machine has now been running around the clock for almost two years and we haven’t had any trouble with it. Both machines have been workhorses that deliver for our business every day.”

Having the insight to invest during the pandemic, Quest Precision has ambitious plans for the future.

Says Deuchars: “We currently employ 22 staff and, within the next two years, we want to take our staff level up to 40 and invest upward of £1.7m in the business. By investing in high-end technology like the Nakamura-Tome WT150II machines, we will grow our market share of the subcontracting industry in Scotland – and we are confident that we can help UK manufacturers to re-shore more work.”

“The WT150II machines have improved and streamlined productivity, reduced costs and enabled us to better allocate our staff,” he concludes. “Additionally, the machines have released almost 15% of capacity from the rest of our facility. We will build upon this over the next couple of years and Nakamura machines will certainly be central to our investment plans.”

For further information
www.engtechgroup.co.uk

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied Peterborough-based PJ Innovations Ltd, a leading bakery equipment manufacturing specialist, with three new vertical machining centres and a new multi-tasking lathe.

The four machines, now installed at the company’s 7500 sq ft facility in Market Deeping, comprise a large-capacity DNM 750 II machining centre, a Puma GT 3100LM lathe equipped with a C axis and driven tooling capabilities (both delivered to the company in March 2019 as part of a turnkey solution) and two DNM 6700 machining centres that were acquired in October 2020 and June 2021 respectively.

The four machines provide PJ Innovations with state-of-the-art machining capabilities and are the centrepiece of the machine shop facility that was established in 2019 with the primary purpose of enabling the company to machine a range of specific parts for its heavy-duty Dough Divider Rounder machines.

Explains Peter Jackson, PJ Innovations’ owner and managing director: “PJ Innovations was established in 2014. In the early days we focused our efforts and resources on the design and assembly of our Dough Divider Rounder machines; as a consequence, we outsourced all of our machining requirements to a number of precision engineering specialists.”

While this arrangement proved satisfactory in the short term, it did create some issues, primarily concerning quality, lead-time fulfilment and costs.

“As demand for our Dough Divider Rounders increased, not just throughout the UK but in Europe and the US, we made the strategic business decision to exercise more control over all our manufacturing processes,” says Jackson. “To ensure the ready availability of high-quality machined components for new Divider Rounder machines, and to satisfy the demands for running a responsive and ‘best-in-class’ customer spares and replacement parts operation, we decided to lessen our reliance on outsourcing and create our own in-house machine shop to meet future machining demands and requirements.”

However, as there are hundreds of machined parts in every Dough Divider Rounder, the company first identified and prioritised specific parts to machine. These parts had a number of things in common: similar size dimensions; high accuracy and exacting surface finish requirements; complex profiles and features; long set up and cycle times; and high value.

Identifying the range of parts to machine in-house was one thing. Acquiring the appropriate machine tool technologies and creating the production processes to machine them was quite another.

Remembers Nick Lormor, PJ Innovations’ general manager: “It was a steep learning curve because not only did we have to identify, and then invest in, the right machine tools, we also needed to design and develop robust and reliable processes to get the most from the machines and manufacture precision components efficiently and cost-competitively. It became evident, quite quickly, that we needed a turnkey solution and that we also needed to identify a proven partner who could help us design and implement one.”

To look at the latest and most advanced machine tool technologies on the market and help identify a suitable turnkey partner, the company attended the MACH 2018 exhibition in Birmingham. It was here that the relationship with Mills CNC began.

Says Lormor: “We approached a number of companies at the event. Not all provided turnkey/process improvement solutions but, from those that did, we preferred the proactive approach adopted by Mills CNC. We also liked the look of Doosan machine tools and, as such, we arranged to meet after MACH to discuss our requirements in more detail and to scope out the project.”

In 2019, a large-capacity, Fanuc-controlled Doosan DNM 750 II vertical machining centre equipped with a 8000 rpm high-torque BT40 spindle and a Nikken 260 rotary table with a TAT support unit was installed in PJ Innovations’ machine shop facility. Also arriving was a 12”-chuck Doosan Puma GT 3100LM multi-tasking lathe equipped with a 2800 rpm spindle, a C axis, driven tooling capability and a hydraulic steady rest.

Both machines were delivered as part of a turnkey solution designed and developed by Mills CNC’s pre-sales application engineers over a number of months in conjunction with production staff from PJ Innovations.

“We use the two Doosans to machine performance-critical core parts of our Divider Rounder machines – namely base plates [part of the top box assembly] on the DNM 750 II, and long shaft/cylindrical part segments [part of the rotating head assembly] on the Puma GT 3100LM,” explains Lormor.

The base plates and segments can vary in size and specification, according to customer requirements, but all are made from cast iron or 316 stainless steel and involve high metal removal rates achieved though high-accuracy roughing operations. These precision parts are machined to tight to tolerances, typically to a couple of thousandths of an inch.

Says Lormor: “Key elements and features in the machining processes, developed with Mills CNC, involved innovative work holding and the use of non-conventional tooling such as bespoke angled-head cutters. Mills’ knowledge and expertise has been invaluable in helping design a robust, reliable and repeatable machining process for these parts.”

The success of the first turnkey project saw the company increase its headcount and invest in two more Doosan machines in 2020 and 2021 respectively. These two new machines, both Fanuc-controlled DNM 6700 vertical machining centres with 12,000 rpm spindles and 30 position ATCs, are being used to machine different Dough Divider Rounder parts, such as hoppers.

Says Jackson: “Creating the machine shop has been a successful venture and we are looking to increase its capacity and capabilities still further in the future so that we can machine more parts in house. Watch this space.”

PJ Innovations has created an impressive, high-productivity machine shop from a standing start. To enable it to quickly exploit the new machine tool technologies, the company took advantage of the training courses provided by the CNC Training Academy – Mills CNC’s independently operated training division.

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

With an impressive machine shop that equals many of the motorsport teams it supplies, Blackmore Precision Engineering has invested in a selection of advanced manufacturing equipment to produce complex, tight-tolerance components. Helping the company achieve its promised lead times is Vericut CNC simulation and optimisation software from CGTech.

Kidlington-based Blackmore Precision’s 12,000 sq ft facility is equipped with a range of five-axis CNC machining centres: three Matsuura MAM 72 machines (each with 32 pallet stations), four DMG Mori DMU 50 modes (some of which feature automated pallet changing) and a DMU 70 for larger parts. The company’s immaculate machine shop has grown and developed rapidly since Brendan Blackmore started the business back in 2005.

“Back then,” recalls company director Jeremy Gray, “Brendan was based in a small unit where he used a machining centre and CADCAM software to successfully produce parts on a quick turnaround for Formula One teams and other motorsports customers. Due to high demand, additional staff and machine tools followed, with a move to a larger unit before relocating to our existing site in 2010.”

Bringing his general management experience to the company Gray joined Brendan Blackmore, who still owns the business, in 2008.

“Initially it was all about turning parts around very quickly; we were accustomed to having drawings arrive on a Friday and having to supply parts on the Monday,” says Gray. “We still do this today, but in addition, we go through the rigorous inspection criteria that is required in every industry sector.”

Since the business made the decision to invest in Vericut simulation and optimisation software from CGTech in early 2021, it has further improved the efficient turnaround of customer parts.

“We had looked at Vericut in the past – however, when two new team members joined, both of whom had prior experience with the software, we were persuaded that was the way forward,” explains Gray. “From a business perspective, investing in Vericut has been very impressive right from the start. Having the whole CGTech team, from sales to training, help get everything in place very quickly, has been exceptional. Thanks should also be given to technical support for getting all our machines modelled and set up in the software.”

Lead CNC programmer Jan Plovucha was a catalyst for the application of Vericut at Blackmore Precision Engineering. For CADCAM, the company uses Open Mind’s HyperMill software, which has a direct interface with Vericut to import all of the necessary detail, including the Lang high-pressure clamping system and zero-point plates used across the shop floor. The goal is to use the experience of the programmers to ‘hit’ the component in one.

Says Plovucha: “We can rely on Vericut, so our prove-out time has dropped dramatically. This is vital as we’re running small batches of components with complex geometries, and we do not keep parts on file. Each job is treated as a new job, so every part gets the Vericut treatment each time because it may not be run on the same machine or by the same machinist.”

In fact, Vericut substantiated its value in the very first week as one job planned for a DMU 50 machine was identified as exceeding the limits of the machine tool.

“Previously, the machine would have been set up with the tools and run until it encountered this issue,” says Plovucha. “Then it would need to be broken down and reset on a different machine, losing time and possibly accuracy as we try to match the datum points.”

He continues: “We use the Autodiff module to check the parts for excess stock material and eliminate gouging where the CAM program may want to go through the part stock material. Vericut is so good we don’t think about some of these problems anymore, and the technical support and training provided is first class.”

At around 25% of the company’s annual turnover, motorsport is still an important market, but the business has broadened its customer base and diversified over the years. Many businesses supplying the various Formula One teams in the UK and beyond understand the cyclic nature of the industry, which has fantastic opportunities during the ‘car build’ that lasts for about 5 or 6 months. However, for the company to remain busy throughout the year requires demand from other industries.

“We targeted work that matched our capabilities, and now supply Rolls-Royce Aerospace, Jaguar, Bentley and many tier-one automotive companies,” says Gray. “We also do a lot of scientific and instrumentation work; here in Oxfordshire there are many start-up companies that spin out of the university.”

Metallic materials cut by Blackmore include aluminium, titanium and Inconel, as well as mild and stainless steels, while engineering and glass-filled plastics are also precision machined. Cycle times vary between 30 minutes for a simpler aluminium part to around 30 hours for a complex casing cut from titanium.

Volumes are never excessive, although the automotive batches at up to 100 parts are much higher than those demanded by motorsport customers.

“We may have suspension parts for Jaguar and they could be batches of around 70, but they also do a lot of special builds and vintage cars, and that can be as low as batches of 10 or so,” explains Gray. “The work is certainly very interesting, and the rising demand of EV will bring lots of challenges, but it’s a big market going forward with lots of opportunities.”

He concludes: “We’re hungry to get bigger and carry on varying the customer base to a level we can still handle and give the service that people require. To do this we try to organise things really well, so everything is always available, like the consignment tools we hold here in a vending system. If you only have a few days to complete an order, you don’t want to spend an hour looking for a tool – so that’s all part of what we do here. Vericut has been an important link that allows us to deliver quickly when required, and always reliably. The software certainly has added benefits that we didn’t consider beforehand.”

For further information
www.cgtech.co.uk