Product category:
Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: C Dugard | Subject: Eagle 660 vertical machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 25 August 2006
Machine tools have to be good and
accurate
A totally 'mixed bag' of projects demands a wide ranging capability and very intense machining skill and while modern control systems help you still need a good and accurate 'machining platform'.
Mdc-Mtec Machining Technologies is probably one of the most fascinating subcontract machine shops you would be likely to come across Employing just nine people, it specialises in the electro-mechanical engineering sector producing test equipment and sub assemblies for the highly demanding semiconductor, aerospace, MOD, pharmaceutical, marine and deep sea research
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Jan 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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In addition, the Haslemere, Surrey, UK company is involved in design and production of highly complex bespoke analysis and test equipment at its 3,000ft2 facility.
With a constant flow of very intricate demanding projects, small batches of components are the life blood of the business and selecting machine tools that are quick and easy to set is as important as the accuracy and repeatability achievable because so much time can be spent changing over from complex job to complex job.
Insists managing director Mike Le Butt: "We never get the chance to drift into boredom because of the very small batch work and we need to be constantly on the ball due to the high value of most of the machined parts.
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An "amazing response" was given at MACH 2002 to the UK launch of CNC machines offering production times that are significantly faster than current machines, but costing less than GBP 50,000!
Also, most parts are key elements in the turnkey packages we supply to a very loyal customer base that requires a lot of mechanical engineering input." Formed in 1972, mdc-Mtec buys at least one new machine tool each year to keep pace with technology and customer requirements.
For production security, and in order not to let customers down, Le Butt adopts a policy of insurance by installing two of each machine type.
The latest machine to be installed is a Dugard Eagle 660 vertical machining centre and the first installation at the factory from C Dugard of Hove, but according to the managing director, the level of support and package supplied falls right into his company requirements and could quickly lead to a second purchase.
Fitted with Siemens 810D control, which is a Dugard option to Fanuc on the machine, this provides a common operator interface at mdc-Mtec in line with other machines for setting batches that rarely exceed 10 parts.
Explained Graham Gough, director of engineering: "We looked very carefully at machines available before selecting the Eagle.
We were very impressed with the installation which took only half a day and included moving other equipment to get it to its position in the workshop." He said: "Because of the nature of work produced, which tends to involve a lot of milling out of solid, we needed a heavier construction with very good swarf control." A lot of work is in aluminium but the machine has to produce parts out of plastic, perspex, bronze and 316 stainless steels.
Gough also explains the benefit of the cam-arm type tool changer and 24 position tool magazine.
The magazine is well out of the way of chips and there is plenty of room to exchange tools.
Access to set parts on the 810mm x 510mm table is also very easy.
With C Dugard almost being local in Hove, he feels the supplier is very handy to quickly provide any support needed.
"We are too busy to have machines out of production, jobs waiting and people standing around," he maintained.
Mdc-Mtec demands flexibility in its machine tools due to the wide variety of work passing through.
For instance, between a quarter and half of turnover can come from the semiconductor industry for which it produces very complicated test equipment to check continuity of contacts in a silicon chip.
This test equipment is largely exported to the Far East.
The company is also designing and prototyping laboratory test equipment involving load cell technology used by the food industry to ensure a common consistency of products containing sauces.
Also, equipment for analysing powder flow in pharmaceutical companies and a probing device for testing shoe leather to ensure it meets the specified grade, provides other diversifications of the company's technological capability.
Subsea is a further area where mdc-Mtec gets involved with equipment to take core samples up to 6km below the surface and it produces a 'snow catcher' that captures dead marine life as it slowly sinks to the bottom for analysis and record keeping.
And for the Ministry of Defence, infrared devices and power supplies are also produced and assembled at the factory.
All in all, this totally 'mixed bag' of projects demands a wide ranging capability and very intense machining skill.
According to Gough, modern control systems such as the Siemens 810D help but you still need a good and accurate machining platform to perform the type of work produced.
Here, the Dugard Eagle 660 is proving its worth; with repeatability of +0.003mm it is well able to hold typical tolerances of 0.02mm while most programming involving up to 100,000 lines of information is performed at the machine using the ShopMill software.
Despite the low quantity and high variation of parts, long cycles involving a lot of profile milling out of solid is a common requirement.
He maintained: "This creates a large amount of swarf and due to the shape of the machine casting and guarding, one of the immediate benefits we noticed was a distinct lack of chip build-up." The Y-axis travel of 520mm is also proving very useful and to help the flexibility for workholding when machining flat work, a sub base has been mounted on the table for parts to be clamped and secured.
As Le Butt pointed out: "The overall package supplied by Dugard completely fitted the bill.
The machine was easily installed in a morning with very minor disruption to our business and within 10 days of order. Request a free brochure from C Dugard ...
When you are very busy this is the support you need - we have a policy of never letting our customers down and it is good to have the same relationship with your machine tool suppliers.".
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