Looking at the cuboid aluminium components produced for medical diagnostic equipment by subcontractor AES Precision Engineering, one would think they were milled, drilled and tapped on a machining centre rather than a lathe; indeed they used to be, from sawn billet in two separate operations on a pair of three-axis vertical-spindle machines in a total cycle time of 12 minutes.

However, since April this year, they have been machined complete from round bar in one operation on an Italian-built Biglia B565-YS 6-axis turn-mill centre supplied by UK agent Whitehouse Machine Tools. Program run time has more than halved to 5.5 minutes, accuracy is improved and there is no handling between machines or work-in-progress on the shop floor, significantly reducing the cost of production. Only two turning tools can be found in the machine’s 12-station turret, one for facing the bar end and another for parting-off, the remainder are axially and radially driven tools.

Mark Wilson, director of the family-run subcontracting firm, says: “We asked four potential suppliers to offer a turnkey package based on production of the aluminium medical part. Whitehouse demonstrated the best process in terms of quality, capability and cost on a Biglia lathe at its Kenilworth technical centre.”
Production engineer Trevor Orman adds: “The quality of the Italian lathe is high for this class of machine, costing under £200,000 with tooling. Although tolerances on the medical part are fairly open at 0.1 mm, the Biglia repeats to within microns, which means we no longer have to chase tolerance all day as the temperature varies on the shop floor.
“The machine’s accuracy will also be invaluable for the production of more tightly toleranced components, while its rigidity means that tool wear is noticeably lower than on our other lathes,” he concludes.
For further information www.wmtcnc.com

Following the recent acquisition of a Miyano BNE-51MSY multi-axis turn-mill centre from Citizen Machinery, Wednesbury-based precision subcontractor Machine Tech Engineering (MTE) has been able to slash production lead-times on batches of hydraulic bodies from three weeks for the first operation, plus a week for the second operation, to machining the entire batch complete in just five days. Batch sizes on the Miyano, although early days, are between 100 and 300.

The eight-axis Miyano BNE-51MSY with Iemca Kid 80 barfeed has created an advantage in lead-time reduction for MTE due to the ability to overlap in a cycle and cut with up to three tools simultaneously. Featured on the machine are two 12-station driven turrets, one with three axes, and the other with two axes that can service either or both spindles at the same time.
In producing a hydraulic body from 38 mm bar, a 22 mm spade drill is used to a depth of 57 mm, then, using a special flat-bottom tool a face and corner relief is created at the bottom of the bore prior to final boring to within 0.03 mm. A further bore is then drilled and reamed to 11.9 mm diameter (0.03 mm tolerance) by 76 mm deep, and the initial bore threaded 1” x 20 TPI Whitworth by 8 mm deep. After, the OD is turned and threaded 11/2” x 16 TPI Whitworth over a length of 100 mm.
The part is then taken by the three-axis secondary spindle, faced, and a 30 mm A/F hexagon is milled by 20 mm long before a 6 mm straight-knurled shoulder is created. Following this operation, a through-bore is drilled to break into the 11.9 mm bore, which is finally tapped 7/16” x 20 TPI UNF by 26 mm deep.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk