UK NEWS

Starrag HD can cutcycle times by 30%

Now available from Starrag Heckert, the STC1250 HD is the latest addition to the STC series for the machining of the most demanding aerospace structural parts, multi-blades and casings. Starrag says the STC1250 HD machining centre provides excellent static and dynamic properties, as well as a tried and tested rotating head, ensuring its suitability for the heavy-duty machining of titanium and Inconel parts in the aerospace and power generation industries.

Commenting on the machine, Lee Scott from Starrag says: “This is a five-axis machine with a B-axis table that holds the component and an Aaxis on the head; you can actually have an A and C-axis head as well. The new HD is predominantly a machine for optimised roughing and high surface generation finishing of exotic materials.”

The STC1250 HD machining centre offers a 1.25 x 1.25m pallet with a large work envelope for accommodating workpiece loads up to 5000kg. Complementing this capacity is X, Y and Z-axis travel of 2.2 x 1.5 x 2.1m, with a swing diameter of 2.2m.

Discussing reports that the new features of the STC1250 HD can reduce cycle times in titanium machining by more than 30%, Scott adds: “At Starrag’s Aerospace and Turbine Competence Centre in Rorschach, we saw a 63mm deep cut with a porcupine cutter where buckets of swarf continually fell into the base of the machine. Traditionally, what would have been three or four passes with a tool can now be done with a single pass. The machine may draw more power in that single pass, but overall, it has a significantly reduced cycle time when compared with the previous method of multiple passes.”

For further information www.starrag.com

New MACH three-axis machine on display

MACH Machine Tools used the Southern Manufacturing exhibition in Farnborough earlier this month to showcase two DynaPath-controlled milling machines, including a new three-axis model.The MACH MDT-1 turret-type mill, one of the company’s best-selling models, shared centre stage with a new MDV 800 three-axis CNC vertical machining centre that only recently made its UK debut at the company’s open house in January.

While the MDT-1 turret-type mill, with its rigid design and build, powerful spindle and good-sized working envelope offered obvious appeal to visitors, large and small, it was the new production-oriented MACH MDV 800 vertical machining centre that pulled in the crowds.

The new MDV-series, comprising the MDV 800 and MDV 1100 machines, is a high-performance range of machining centres that MACH Machine Tools says delivers excellent cutting performance and improved process efficiencies.In addition to the DynaPath WinDelta CNC control, the machines featurea BT 40 air-cooled, high-torque (11-15kW) 8000rpm spindles as standard. Options includea direct-drive 12,000 rpm spindle with spindle chiller and through-spindle-coolant capabilities.

Other standard features include: Hiwin linear roller guides; 24-position swing-arm ATCs; and generous-sized worktables which, on the MDV 800, are 1000x 500 mm with a 500kg maximum load.

Both MDV machines are fast, boasting 36m/min rapids on all axes and, for improved process reliability, feature a full enclosure with armoured telescopic covers. The machines deliver precision resultsthrough the use of C3-class PMI precision ball screws, while laser interferometer dynamic lead screw compensation enables 6µm positional and 3µm repeatable accuracies across the work envelope.

The DynaPath WinDelta control, available on all new CNC lathes, toolroom mills and machining centres from MACH Machine Tools, was another main attraction on the company’ stand at Southern Manufacturing.

For further information www.machmt.co.uk

Standfast Precision invests in a Vulcan VMC

Located in Moray, northeast Scotland, subcontractor Standfast Precision Engineering continually invests in machine tools to serve its clients in the offshore and whisky distillery sectors. The company’s latest investment is a Vulcan 710L VMC supplied by the Engineering Technology Group (ETG), a machine that featuresa 4thaxis Lehmann rotary unit.

Company owner and director Graham Wilson says: “We had a small bed three-axis machine with a rotary unit, but the compact work area was limited by the 4thaxis unit. We could only process very small parts or would have to transfer components to our larger bed machines, disrupting our workflow and creating capacity issues.

“We reviewed the market, looking for a machine with a Siemens CNC in a short lead time, as our workload was ramping up,” he continues.“ETG provided the solution with the Vulcan 710L VMC, and it’s been a tremendous asset.”

With the space in the Vulcan, Standfast Precision can fit the 4th axis unit and a tailstock to stabilise larger parts. Operators program parts at the machine: the Siemens CNC has a large touchscreen interface that improves programming speed by at least 30%. The company typically produces batches from 10 to 20 off, so it can program 10 to 20 jobs every week with programs taking from 15 minutes to a couple of hours.The saving in programming time is therefore significant.

“We needed a machine with a particular specification for our requirements that was going to deliver reliability and performance,” says Wilson.“The Vulcan machine has more capacity, more torque, a streamlined 4thaxis unit and it provides the space for us to machine relatively large parts in either a three-axis or four-axis set-up.”

For further information www.engtechgroup.com

XYZ Machine Tools helps to keep vans safe

Exeter-based Van Guard Accessories has invested in a new XYZ 750 TMC vertical machining centre with ProtoTRAK RMX control and 20-station carousel tool changer. The machine enabled this progressive manufacturing business to bring in-house the manufacture of prismatic parts for its ULTI Lock hook-lock, which is the first ‘Sold Secure’Gold level hook-lock for vans.

The first part on the new machine was the lock’s face plate. Fixturing was designed so that 22 face plates could fit on onepallet. Previously, countersinking of the face plates to three different depths took place manually, requiring 15 minutes per part. To subcontract this operation cost £1.10 per component, so in-house machining was easy to justify with a cycle time of 30 seconds per plate and a payback on the machine of less than three years.

Director of operationsLeigh Andrewssays: “The ULTI Lock has been a raging success; we’re making between 4000 and 6000 per month. Typically, each van will have two or three hook-locks, one on the rear door and two on the side door. We’re preparing more fixtures so that we can introduce the machining of other parts in-house. Currently we’re only using 50% of the XYZ 750 TMC’s capacity, so we have plenty of machining time available for different parts. Furthermore, with the machine’s swarf conveyor, we’re able to recover more money from recycling the swarf while at the same time maintaining a clean machine and clean coolant.”

Van Guard chose the XYZ 750 TMC as Leigh Andrews had experience of the machines at a previous company.

“Although we’re new to CNC machining, the graphics and ease of use of ProtoTRAK made the crossover from manual to CNC machining easy,” he concludes.

For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

VISITORS FLOCK TO SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING

The 26th edition of Southern Manufacturing & Electronics concluded earlier this month at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre. Attracting over 460 exhibitors, the show set out a plethora of manufacturing solutions, including many in live demonstrations, for its highly engaged visitors.

XYZ Machine Tools (www.xyzmachinetools.com), for example, performed live cutting demonstrations on seven machines, including the company’srecently introduced TMC toolroom machines for low-to-medium volume and tool-making applications. These machines, which use the same platform and linear rails as XYZ’s established LR VMC range,leverage the easy-to-use ProtoTRAK control for the rapid programming and set-up of 1-off and small-to-medium batches.

As well as two TMC machines and the RMX 2-OP second-operation machine, XYZ also demonstrated its the XYZ 800 HD vertical machining centre with Siemens 828D control and ShopMill.In addition, visitors to the stand could see the XYZ ProTurn RLX 355, a solution for low-to-medium volumes.Featuring the ProtoTRAK control, it is a fast way of getting parts cut in a machine that offers 1000mm between centres. For more component, the XYZ CT 52 LR turning centreon showprovides 52mm bar capacity, linear rail technology and a Siemens 828D control.

Elsewhere at the event, MACH Machine Tools (www.machmt.co.uk) showcased two DynaPath-controlled milling machines, including a new three-axis model. The MACH MDT-1 turret-type mill, one of the company’s best-selling models, shared centre stage with a new MDV 800 three-axis CNC vertical machining centre that only recently made its UK debut at the company’s open house in January.

While the MDT-1 turret-type mill, with its rigid design and build, powerful spindle and good-sized working envelope offered obvious appeal to visitors, large and small, it was the new production-oriented MACH MDV 800 vertical machining centre that pulled in the crowds.

The new MDV-series, comprising the MDV 800 and MDV 1100 machines, is a high-performance range of machining centres that MACH Machine Tools says delivers excellent cutting performance and improved process efficiencies. In addition to the DynaPath WinDelta CNC control, the machines feature a BT 40 air-cooled, high-torque (11-15 kW) 8000 rpm spindles as standard.

Mills CNC (www.millscnc.co.uk) provided visitors with a display of two new machine tools from DN Solutions. The compact DVF 4000is the latest addition to Mills’ best-selling DVFseries of five-axis simultaneous machining centres, providing component manufacturers with a ‘one-hit’ machining solution.The machine features an 18.5kW/12,000rpm (BT 40) directly-coupled spindle as standard, and a 400mm diameter, built-in rotary, tilting table with a zero-backlash roller gear cam design for improved process reliability.A 60-tool servo-driven ATC and integrated thermal compensation deliver increased productivity and part accuracies, and roller LM guideways ensure fast processing speeds.

Also on the Mills CNC stand and continuing the one-hit machining theme was a Lynx 2100LSYB multi-tasking turning centre.This 8” chuck/65mm bar capacity Lynx 2100LSYB is a productive multi-tasking turning centre equipped with a 5” chuck, 6000rpm sub-spindle, a Yaxis (±52.5mm) and driven tooling capabilities (6000rpm).

Another supplier keen to show its solutions for one-hit machining was Matsuura (www.matsuura.co.uk). Following the success of its MX-330 PC10, Matsuura has introduced the MX-420 PC10 five-axis VMC configured with 10 pallets and 90 tools for larger workpiece machining. A fully automated MX-420 PC10 made its debut UK appearance at Southern Manufacturing, machining live throughout the show and demonstrating just how flexible the 10-pallet changer can be during unmanned operation.

From a tooling perspective, Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC, www.itc-ltd.co.uk) presented its latest product lines and introduced its new e-commerce platform.The online portal provides enhanced accessibility to the company’s exponentially growing product lines. This informative and easy-to-navigate e-commerce platform allows manufacturers to create an account and place orders, browse through stock and see everything ITC has to offer, including from partners such as Widia, Big Kaiser, Kemmler and Bass.

Exhibition visitors seeking out the latest software solutions found CGTech (www.cgtech.co.uk)shining the spotlight on its latest Vericut CNC simulation software. Vericut is now in use at over 7000 companies in more than 60 countries, simulating machining and correcting errors to eradicate potential crashes prior to actual cutting. The latest version, Vericut 9.4, focuses on increased connectivity between the actual machine and the virtual simulation.

With the machining process complete, attention of course turns to measurement and inspection, with a plethora of solutions on display at Southern Manufacturing. The Mantis 3rd generation stereo microscope from Vision Engineering (www.visioneng.com), for example, attracted plenty of attention. Building on the original award-winning Mantis design, the company says that the latest additions to the range deliver superior image quality, expanded field of view and an integrated digital camera for maximum efficiency when capturing, reporting and analysing.

Many other metrology companies offering metrology equipment or services were present at the show. Aberlink (www.aberlink.com), for example, demonstratedits Fulcrum manual CMM with a particularly simple user interface. The company says it can start measuring parts within minutes of being switched on, even if the operator has no previous experience.

Keyence (www.keyence.co.uk), which is known for its sensors, 3D imaging, machine vision, microscopes and metrology systems, showed its latest VHX-7000N digital microscope with 4K resolution, while another metrology specialist, LK (www.lkmetrology.com), launched a high-accuracy CMM and demonstrated its Freedomindex table. The latter is said to speed component inspection by up to 40% when using a portable, multi-axis measuring arm.

The next Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition will take place under the auspices of Easyfairs, which in January acquired the show from European Trade & Exhibition Services.

Matt Benyon, group CEO of Easyfairs, says: “Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is a perfect strategic fit for our growing portfolio.As part of an established stable of industry-leading events, the event’s future development and its loyal exhibitor and visitor base, which has been built up over the past 30 years, will be in very safe hands.”

For further information www.industrysouth.co.uk