Mitutoyo aids quality control at HB Bearings

Based in Huddersfield, HB Bearings specialises in the manufacture of metric and imperial bearings that are difficult to source. Bearing types manufactured include radial, deep groove ball, cylindrical roller, angular contact, duplexand others.In accordance with the company’s policy of regularly updating its facilities, HB Bearings took the recent decision to replace its existing bearing run-out test rig.

Darren Mawhinney, technical director at HB Bearings, says: “Having previously established an excellent relationship with staff at close-by Mitutoyo in Elland, I contacted them with my ideas for our proposed new bearing run-out test rig. They quickly understood our requirements, then, through close liaison and co-operation, a design soon evolved into the required system.”

He continues: “Now up and running, we’re delighted with the system’s speed, ease of use and accuracy. Simplicity is critical in the test application and we can operate the new rig with just one click. Compared with our previous rig, a major improvement is the inclusion of a coarse scale, enabling the fast and easy alignment of components. In addition to inspecting our HB bearing range, the new system is able to perform accurate quality control checks on our Gamet Bearings brand, super-precision bearings with a radial runout specification of 0.5 µm.

“Even though our previous jig was fit for purpose, our new bespoke Mitutoyo system has further improved confidence in the premium quality of our bearings.”

Simon Elliot, general manager at Mitutoyo Gauging Technology, adds: “We were delighted to work closely with the staff of HB Bearings to enable the delivery of a system that exactly matched the company’s requirements, at a cost effective price.”

More information www.mitutoyo.co.uk

Fast inspection of large, close-tolerance parts

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Coalville, Leicestershire, CMS Cepcor is a supplier of aftermarket crusher spares, manganese-steel wear liners and other equipment to the mining and aggregate production industries worldwide. In February this year, the company took delivery of its first CMM, enhancing the quality control of the products it manufactures or refurbishes to tight tolerances. Offering a nominal inspection volume of 3000 x 1500 x 1000 mm, the CMM is an Altera M built by UK firm LK Metrology.

Previously, CMS Cepcor had been using a pair of manually-operated, portable six-axis arms with 2.5 and 3m reach respectively to check components by touch-probing. This was a lengthy process and insufficiently precise to measure some parts without difficulty. For example, it was challenging to inspect bearing seats with tolerances down to 30 µm, shafts up to 500 mm in diameter which need accuracy within 20 µm, and various features on housings tied up to half that tolerance.

Consequently, there was a requirement to use micrometers and other traditional manual gauges to measure those dimensions, which was even more time-consuming and subject to operator-dependent inconsistencies. Additionally, some parts up to 400 mm in diameter by 700 mm long have eccentric tapers with tolerances down to as little as 15 arc-seconds, which were problematic to check manually.

Les Hickens, quality manager at CMS Cepcor, says: “The LK CMM has a maximum permissible first-term error of less than 2µm, so is able to measure even very large parts exactly and repeatably. It’s at least an order of magnitude more precise than a portable arm, giving us – and more importantly our customers – extra confidence in the results.”

More information www.lkmetrology.com

Innovation in aerospace

Dassault Systèmes has renewed and enhanced its membership with theUniversity of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre(AMRC) to propel the next phase of innovation in UK aerospace manufacturing.As part of the engagement, Dassault Systèmes is committing software, training and support to continue upskilling the next generation of researchers in aerospace. The AMRC and Dassault Systèmes relationship will capitalise on the renewed membership to define how virtual twin technology can push boundaries by overlaying data and devices, and providing context with the 3DExperience platform. 

More information www.amrc.co.uk

Amada hosts sector-first event

Amada held a successful exhibition for the apprentices of its customers in a showcase dedicated to the education of future engineers. Believed to be the first event of its type in the sheet metal sector, the exhibition took place at the company’s UK Technical Centre in Kidderminster earlier this month. Hosting the event were Amada’s own apprentices, engaging on an equal footing with the apprentices of customers.

The informative, educational exhibition proved a complete success, with a total of 85 visiting apprentices in attendance. One company brought all 10 of its apprentices, three of which only started two days before the event.The structure of the exhibition provided visitors with the opportunity to attend technical presentations, watch machine demonstrations and participate in a Q&A session.

More information www.amada.eu

UK launch event for Optimizer

Vericut Optimizer is a new software solution that maximises the potential of CNC machining programs. While Optimizer is similar to Vericut’s existing Force module, the big difference is Optimizer’s stand-alone configuration. Machine shops do not require Vericut to take advantage of this major machining advance. The official launch will take place on 3 October (10:00-14:00) at the headquarters of Grob Machine Tools UK in Stratford-upon-Avon.

At the exclusive ‘lunch and learn’ event, Vericut is partnering with Grob UK and Seco Tools to demonstrate how Optimizer elevates machining performance and minimises costs. According to Vericut,its new Optimizer solution slashes machining cycle times and delivers up to 100% more tool life. It also captures detailed performance data.

More information https://bit.ly/3Xqk1Cz