Product category:
Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: Cincinnati Machine | Subject: Vertical machining centres, CNC lathes
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 25 July 2007
CNC machining centres keep to
specifications
The ability of one supplier's range of CNC machine tools ability to maintain productivity, accuracy and surface finishes over a long period of time led a precision machine shop to buy more.
Nicholls Engineering Systems, Stratford, UK, manufactures complex components from aluminium, steel, castings and difficult to machine aerospace materials such as titanium The company's customers include Smiths Aerospace, Messier Dowty and Airbus
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 12 Mar 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"We have worked in this sector for many years and built considerable expertise and a reputation to match.
As for our equipment, we have always aimed to work with British machine tool manufacturers, but always made a point of reviewing the marketplace and employing the best available technologies," said Russell Nicholls managing director of Nicholls Engineering Systems.
He said: "We used to have machine tools from numerous manufacturers, but we bought a series of Cincinnati Arrow machining centres and we haven't looked back since".
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A range of 5-axis fixed table VMCs has a high precision spindle head that features up to +/-95 deg tilt in the A-axis and full 360 deg contouring in the C-axis - ideal for machining complex parts.
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Vertical machining centre with a 5-axis rotary table comfortably machines workpieces up to 400mm in diameter and 300mm high, and has up to 150 deg tilt capability.
The ISO9001 and AS9100 registered company purchased its first vertical machining centre (VMC) in the early 1980s - a Cincinnati Arrow 500.
Two additional machines followed in quick succession.
"The machines were high quality, 'value for money' machine tools.
At the time there was criticism of steel rather than cast based machines.
However, those three machines have stood the test of time and are still running to this day with no problems whatsoever.
They have served us well and with continued service and maintenance they are still highly productive machines.
Even today more than 20 years after purchasing the machines, one of the Arrows is machining a particularly onerous aerospace job from difficult to machine material to a relatively high tolerance with an exceptional surface finish," continued Nicholls.
It is this ability of the VMCs to maintain productivity, accuracy and surface finishes that encouraged Nicholls Engineering to buy more Cincinnati machine tools.
"Our machines provided by alternate manufacturers often proved troublesome and required considerable maintenance.
Following the track record of the Arrows machining centres, when we looked at acquiring new CNC lathes, we looked at the Cincinnati Hawk machines." The first Hawk turning centre acquired enabled Nicholls to exploit the next generation of tipped tooling.
The Hawk allowed the 20 employee manufacturer to reduce cycle times by up to a half.
"At that time our competitors were winning business we could not compete on price.
However, the improved productivity and accuracy of the Hawk enabled us to compete and win considerable business.
It was such a success that we followed that up with a number of Hawks.
We now have the Hawk 150, 200 and 250.
The advantage of buying Cincinnati machines for us is the ability to buy a standard machine and up-spec the machine to meet your needs as time goes on.
This has allowed us to install bar feeders and part catchers as our work has developed.
Added to this factor is the interchange-ability of tooling and peripheral equipment between the ranges of machines," continued Nicholls.
From an accuracy standpoint, the Cincinnati machines at Nicholls continually hold a 5 micron tolerance in every day machine shop conditions.
The Hawk and Arrows machines are all well maintained and this keeps downtime to a minimum.
As Nicholls affirmed: "With regular maintenance, the machines very rarely incur any problems and if anything does occur, the Cincinnati service is exceptional".
The forward thinking subcontractor has since purchased a 750 series machining centre and yet another Hawk turning centre in the last 18 months.
Nicholls concluded: "To remain competitive in the aerospace sector where margins are tight, we have no space for scrap parts and machine downtime.
The Cincinnati machines give us exceptional productivity and part quality with machine reliability that is second to none, which is a necessity for our business".
* About Cincinnati Machine Cincinnati Machine Limited designs, builds and sources high-precision machine tools for the global aerospace, automotive, mould and die, medical and general machining markets.
The company offers technology-driven solutions that include 3-, 4- and 5-axis CNC horizontal and vertical machining centres; and vertical, horizontal and multi-axis turning centres.
Cincinnati Machine in Birmingham, UK, is a division focused on the design, development, sales and marketing of the Cincinnati range of machine tools.
Cincinnati Machine Limited is a division within MAG Industrial Automation Systems, headquartered in Michigan, USA.
Other divisions within MAG IAS include Cincinnati Technologies, serving the OEM and Tier 1 aerospace market; Powertrain Technologies, serving the global automotive market with customised high-production solutions; and Maintenance Technologies, responsible for the global after-sales and service parts market for all MAG IAS customers.
* About Nicholls Engineering Systems - Like so many schoolboys in the 1970's, a popular hobby was building model railways and steam engines.
However, the enthusiasm of Russell Nicholls saw his hobby grow into a garden shed business and later, into a successful manufacturing company.
Nicholls is now managing director of Nicholls Engineering Systems Limited, a Stratford, UK, precision engineering company.
The company still manufactures steam engines and locomotives in its subsidiary, Cotswold Heritage Steam Collection.
With a theme based on steam engines, Nicholls has a railway complete with turntable, station and level crossing around its factory.
However, the company has diversified to predominantly supply design and manufacturing services to the aerospace and communications sector.
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