UK NEWS

CTPE growsinspection capability with height gauge

CTPE Ltd, a contract supplier of machined components based in Mildenhall, chose Bowers Group to assist in enhancing its inspection capabilities by investing in a Trimos V3 height gauge.

Alex Taylor, CTPE operations director, says: “We opted to work with Bowers Group for this project as we’ve previously dealt with the company for other measuring equipment and always been very happy with the service. The Trimos V3 is a great product from a quality Swiss brand and it’s been a good addition to ourinspection department. It’s very easy to useand has helped accelerate our inspection times. The accuracy and repeatability are very good, and we can measure features on larger partsthat were previously beyond our capabilities.”

The V3 height gauge boasts a measuring range spanning from 400 to 700mm, ensuring versatility in its applications. What sets it apart is the large two-line ‘black mask’ display, a proprietary feature in the market that guarantees high contrast, regardless of lighting conditions. Its user-friendliness is also a popular characteristic, with electronically adjustable measuring force and an easy-to-read display unit that provides direct and easy-to-read access to functions, enabling rapid operation.

With the Trimos V3 in place, CTPE’s inspection capabilities are taking a significant leap forward. Employed on a daily basis for conducting first article, in-process and final inspections of milled and turned components, the company says that itsquality manager and machine setters are notably impressed by the height gauge’s accuracy and repeatability.

The equipment excelled at precisely measuring the larger milled and turned parts that had previously posed a challenge, even allowing the team to measure specific features that were beforehand were simply not possible.
For further information www.bowersgroup.co.uk

CMM retrofits enable multi-sensor inspection

At one of two factory units in Devizes operated by sealing specialist Cross Manufacturing, two CMMs built by LK Metrology in 1997 and 2007 have been given a new lease of life following an upgrade. The project involved the future-proofing of both machines by retrofitting multi-wired NMC300 controllers with updated firmware and software. Among the many advantages is the ability to deploy different types of sensor in addition to touch-trigger probes. Within the scope of the project, LK also fitted two new Renishaw PH10MQ motorised probe heads.

As a result of the improvements, Cross Manufacturinghas the ability to use its Renishaw SP25M tactile scanning probe, which the companyhopes will cut metrology cycle times by at least one-third when implemented in early 2024. It is possible to add further types of contact and non-contact sensor in the future should Cross Manufacturing choose to extend the CMMs’ capability and consolidate other automatic measuring functions into a single metrology routine.

Located on the shop floor in one of two adjacent sites, the CMMs are an LK G90C 10.10.8 and an LK Evo 15.15.10 having nominal inspection volumes of 1000 x 1000 x 800 mm and 1500 x 1500 x 1000 mm respectively. They fulfil a critical role serving the turning section, where the company products brush seals ranging in size from 1.83 m down to 102 mm in diameter for high-temperature gas turbine applications in aerospace and power generation.

“The vast majority of our parts are 100% inspected,” states senior project manager Mark Bolwell.“Upgrading our CMMs means we’ll be able to increase throughput by introducing tactile scanning, allowing us to support ever increasing demand without having to invest in another CMM at this time.”
For further information www.lkmetrology.com

Mitutoyo CMM offers pace and precision at Fort Vale

Based in Burnley, Fort Vale Engineering is a specialist in the design and manufacture of stainless steel valves and fittings for the container tank industry that enable the safe transportation of liquids, powders and gases. Due to the nature of the global industries Fort Vale serves and the need to transport gases and liquids safely by road, rail and sea, the quality of the company’s products is of paramount importance.

Given the company’s rigorous quality standards and precision requirements, when looking to purchase a new CMM, Fort Vale compiled a demanding list of system requirements. In addition to a high-accuracy specification, the large volumes of parts constantly passing through the company’s busy inspection department meant that speed and ease of use were also major considerations. Furthermore, as the CMM had to inspect a diverse range of components, from small complex parts to large castings, the capacity and flexibility of the planned machine were additional important factors.

After researching the available brands and models, the high-specification CMM that best matched the company’s demanding criteria was a Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex EX 1200R equipped with a Renishaw Revofive-axis scanning probe head. Offering anXYZ capacity of 1200 x 2000 x 1000mm, the Mitutoyo CMM was able to accommodate even the largest of Fort Vale’s components.

Fort Vale director Andy Bryce says: “Since its installation, our Mitutoyo CMM has become the main workhorse of our quality department. As well as its impressive accuracy specification that allows the inspection of our highest-precision, tightest-tolerance parts, the CMM’s impressive speed of action and automated CNC operation, means that it is able to process impressive volumes of inspection work each day.”
For further information www.mitutoyo.co.uk

Work starts on aerospace innovation facility

Industry, academia and government leaders gathered in Sheffield earlier this month to break ground for a University of Sheffield AMRC innovation facility and research project led by Boeing. The Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) research facility will house the Boeing-led Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) project dedicated to developing and testing new technologies needed to meet future demand for lighter commercial aircraft and help the aviation industry reach net zero by 2050.

The combined £80m COMPASS facility and IHSS project, announced earlier this year in partnership with Loop Technology and Spirit AeroSystems, will initially create around 50 jobs in South Yorkshire and, based on aircraft demand forecasts, has the potential to create up to 3000 UK jobs long-term and around £2bn annually in export opportunities.The facility will be complete by the end of 2024.
For further information www.amrc.co.uk

New Bruderer installs reach record levels

A UK manufacturing boom has helped press manufacturer Bruderer UK secure its biggest pipeline of new machine orders for years. The company, which employs 12 people at its factory in Luton, recently installed its seventh new high-speed press in the past 12 months, a 50% increase on the same stage last year.

Managing Director Adrian Haller believes interest in Bruderer UK’s technology and technical know-how is soaring thanks to a concerted reshoring drive that is seeing supply chains shorten after the pandemic and domestic manufacturing becoming increasingly competitive with low-cost countries.This has seen customers from the automotive, electrification, aerospace, medical, food and construction sectors engage in a host of turnkey projects that will involve the installation of complete production lines.

Engineers from Bruderer are currently installing full turnkey high-speed press lines (from 25 to 50 tonnes) inclusive of tooling, servo feeders, decoilers, multi-way rewinders, vision systems and press and tool monitoring systems.

“There’s a real resurgence taking place and we need to talk about it more: orders are up, investment is up, and industry is desperately crying out for more workers,” explains Adrian Haller.“UK industry is bouncing back from the shackles of the pandemic. We tend to be a good barometer for the health of the sector and, while our refurbishment and repair work has always been strong, this is definitely our biggest year for a long time for new machine installs.”

The company’s range focuses on the BSTA series with a nominal force of 18 to 250 tonnes and a stroke rate range of between 1 to 3000 strokes per minute.In other news, Bruderer will have its largest-ever presence at MACH 2024 (Birmingham NEC, 15-19 April) as part of the new MMMA Sheet Metalworking Village.
For further information www.bruderer.co.uk