Product category:
Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: Chiron Werke UK | Subject: FZ12W Magnum machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 September 2000
Machinist and fabricator happy with
Chiron kit
Atkinson Engineering's decision to purchase a Chiron FZ12W Magnum travelling column vertical machining centre 18 months ago was to a large extent based on the machine's high speed of operation
"We get paid for cutting metal, not for changing tools." So says Clive Atkinson, whose decision to purchase a Chiron FZ12W Magnum travelling column vertical machining centre 18 months ago was to a large extent based on the machine's high speed of operation and capacity A key attraction, he says, was its very fast tool change time of 0.9 sec and chip-to-chip time of 2.4 secs
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 7 Mar 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The fast change rate of the Magnum's 20-station tool-changer is proving invaluable for the type of short-cycle machining operations that make up much of the work at Atkinson Engineering.
Based in Westbury, Wiltshire, the company is both a sub-contract machinist and fabricator, and a long-established manufacturer in its own right with its own extensive range of specialist products.
"Because of the machine's fast tool change times, along with the twin indexing worktables that enable work to be loaded on one while machining takes place on the other, we achieve maximum metalcutting times," says managing director Clive Atkinson.
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"At our end of the sub-contract market where prices are tight, it is essential we maximise the productivity of our machines, and the Magnum allows us to do just that." Good production cycle times are also the result of the German-built Magnum's rapid linear movements over its X (550 mm), Y (300 mm) and Z (425 mm) travels, and the fast spindle speeds.
Chiron's latest version of this machine will give spindle speeds up to 20,000 revs/min.
Capable of milling at up 250 cm3/minute, drilling to at least 36 mm diameter and tapping to M24, the FZ12 Magnum comes in two versions - model S with a fixed work table and model W with an twin-pallet indexable workpiece changer.
Atkinson Equipment was formed by Clive's father in 1958 initially as a sub-contract machinist.
To this capability it soon added the manufacture of its own designs of fuel sight gauges for the oil central heating market.
Today, its 53 employees are busy in sub-contract precision CNC machining and weld fabrication, and in the manufacture of a catalogue range of oil storage tank fittings, fluid level gauges and accessories.
As both a sub-contractor and manufacturer Atkinson Equipment is one of its own biggest customers, taking up 25 per cent of its manufacturing capacity.
Another big beneficiary of its machining and fabrication skills is a hospital equipment manufacturer.
It also exports machined parts to the USA.
Such success at Atkinson has depended largely on the exploitation of CNC technology which dominates the shopfloor.
For the past 17 years it has been committed to the use of CNC machines, at the same time applying the philosophy of maximising machining times - in particular to its two Chirons, the Magnum and the earlier generation FZ12W.
For Clive Atkinson, the Magnum represents a big improvement in machining capability.
"It is so much faster in its movements and with its powerful spindle can cut metal faster.
We bought our smaller Chiron for light machining, but the Magnum can do whatever work we give it to do." Typical of the more complex machining carried out on these machines is a valve body casting.
This is the main component on the company's most popular product, the Tankmaster multi-purpose fuel level gauge and shut-off valve for oil storage tanks.
Some 45,000 of these gauges are produced each year for sale at home and abroad.
Machining the light alloy pressure diecast body involves a series of short-cycle milling, drilling and tapping operations each lasting just a few seconds.
Such a component, typically produced in batches of 5,000, highlights the benefit of having a machine that wastes little time in tool changing.
"At the other end of the scale is a cast iron casting machined on the Magnum and through which we put a 40 mm diameter U-drill in a very short time with no problem.
The machine copes as well with that as it does with drilling and tapping an 8BA hole in aluminium.
That is the beauty of the machine, within its working volume it is so versatile." His works manager, John Rutland, is just as enthusiastic about both machines.
"They are excellent and for the type of work we do they are the most productive and very reliable.
And they are ergonomic.
The Magnum is the right height so there is no bending, it is just arms' length for loading.
Operators are comfortable standing there, unlike on other machines of the size where people have to lean over and end up getting red knees." With twin pallets, work is loaded on one while the other is in the machining zone.
For most work each pallet is fitted with three Chick vices each capable of holding one or two workpieces, so six parts or three stages can be machined in one cycle.
An average cycle time is eight minutes, giving the operator time to unload, clean the vices and load new work.
Often there is time for second operation work to be done on nearby machines.
"The vices are used for 90 per cent of our work on these machines," explains John Rutland.
"We can machine up to six parts each cycle, or if there are three faces to be machined we rotate parts between the vices to get two complete components each cycle.
That is how we machine the Tankmaster body, getting two complete parts each time the table indexes." Explaining the background to the investment in the Chiron Magnum, Clive Atkinson recalls: "We looked at many machines within the capacity we needed.
There were many other good machines to be seen.
But some did not have the track record, while most of the others that were big enough were just not fast enough, particularly when it came to true chip-to-chip tool indexing times.
And with our work it is all about saving five seconds here and ten seconds there." The company also had to be sure of a good back up service for a machine that would play a key role in its business.
John Rutland stresses that the promise which Chiron Werke UK made before it sold the machine to Atkinson has since been kept.
"The service has been faultless," he says.
And commenting on the back-up support from the helpline, he adds "they are very helpful on the phone, a great bunch of guys.".
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