UK NEWS

Bake Off contestant from NARMC

An engineering researcher at the University of Sheffield’s Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC) is taking part in The Great British Bake Off.

Dr Rahul Mandal, a research associate specialising in light-based measurement of engineered components, started baking cakes for colleagues at the NAMRC only two years ago. He is now a contestant in the 2018 series of the hit baking competition, broadcast on Channel 4 from 28 August. He joined the NAMRC in 2015, to develop automated techniques for inspecting components for contamination and flaws.
For further information www.namrc.co.uk

Expanded factory doubles production

Househam has completed work on a six-figure investment at its new factory in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.

The new facility increases the company’s factory’s footprint by 30% and production capacity by 50%, with double the number of construction bays for Househam’s latest self-propelled agricultural sprayers. There is even space to test the biggest sprayers in the company’s range. The expansion comes after a successful 12 months for Househam, which saw the company grow its exports by 25%. The factory also houses a second-hand workshop, offering servicing and parts to its global customer base.
For further information www.househamsprayers.co.uk

Autodesk to champion generative design

Autodesk says it will champion generative design at Seco’s Inspiration through Innovation 2018 event in Alcester next month (9-10 October).

Photograph showing an engineer building a BAC Mono automobile. Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) Ltd. makes the BAC Mono, a lightweight, ultra high performance, road legal supercar that is designed and manufactured using the latest racing technology. The Mono is an aggressive design and will set a new benchmark in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars.

The company will deliver two machining demonstrations: the steering upright created for the BAC Mono project, which will be running on a Doosan machine supplied by Mills CNC; and a gearbox casing produced from scratch. The latter will highlight how manufacturers can reduce cycle time by up to 60% using PowerMill CAM software. At the end of the demonstration, visitors will be able to get their hands on the machined part and compare it with a cast gearbox casing.
For further information www.autodesk.co.uk

Ricardo secures AS9100 Rev D

Ricardo Performance Products has secured certification to the latest ‘Issue D’ revision of AS9100 (BS EN 9100), the single common quality management standard for the aerospace industry.

The company’s Leamington Spa facility houses more than 70 CNC machines capable of manufacturing small to medium prismatic parts, gears and rotating components/shafts using multi-axis gear-cutting and grinding equipment. While best known for its partnerships with motorsport teams and luxury sports car manufacturers, Ricardo Performance Products also works with a number of aerospace customers in delivering machined and assembled components.
For further information www.ricardo.com

Growth drives need for five-axis machining

Investment Casting Systems, which provides a mix of toolmaking and injection moulding services to customers, has seen turnover increase by 51% over the past three years, with forecast growth of 40% to year ending 2019.

This growth, combined with planned future expansion that will double existing floor space, has created a need for even greater manufacturing efficiency. As part of this efficiency drive, the company has purchased its first five-axis machining centre, a UMC-5X from XYZ Machine Tools.
“We started investigating the purchase of a five-axis machining centre about 18 months ago,” says Investment Casting Systems’ technical director James Head. “Initially we were looking at machines with up to 2 m table capacity, but our customer profile changed, which meant we didn’t need such large capacity. This opened the door to the XYZ UMC-5X with its 600 mm diameter trunnion rotary table and 600 mm travels in the X and Y axes.”
The move to simultaneous five-axis machining immediately brought the benefit that Investment Casting Systems was seeking: increased efficiency. The very first job that went on the XYZ UMC-5X was a complex bolster for an injection mould tool that required machining on all six faces. Using existing three-axis machines would have required six set-ups, but this was reduced to two on the XYZ UMC-5X. The result was a saving of 60% in manufacturing time, the elimination of any potential inconsistencies from multiple set-ups and, by making use of a fixture plate, all faces were machined from the same datum point.
“This first experience proved we had made the right decision in adopting five-axis machining to gain efficiency in manufacturing,” says Head. “We have seen similar time savings as we have progressed.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com