Product category:
CNC automatic lathes
News Release from: DMG (UK) | Subject: Gildemeister Sprint 32 linear CNC automatic lathe
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 15 June 2004
Three main criteria used to select CNC
automatic
In its search for a high-specification, fast, automatic production lathe a UK subcontractor specified speed of tool change, the distance between the tools and speed of set-up.
Bryken High Speed Turning is an increasingly rare entity - namely a high volume subcontract component manufacturer based in the UK But Bryken is proving that with a shrewd investment strategy it is possible to compete and thrive against stiff competition from both the UK and overseas
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 21 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Located at Knowsley on Merseyside, Bryken completes a staggering 3.3 million turned parts and machined components every month.
So when a contract for a new type of component came along for which it didn't have a competitive facility, Bryken began its search for a high-specification, fast, automatic production lathe, eventually opting for the innovative Sprint 32 linear from DMG (UK).
Investment is clearly the Bryken formula for the company's success and is the foundation stone from which its owners and managers have driven forward since inception in 1982.
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Since then, Bryken has been successfully supplying quality, machined components to UK-based customers in industries such as white goods, telecommunications, automotive and electrical.
With a machine shop boasting some 44 CNC machine tools and just less than 100 employees, Bryken is achieving an annual turnover in the region of GBP 6.7 million, a healthy percentage of which is reinvested in new machinery and facilities.
"Investment is the only way for companies such as ours to stay ahead of our competitors," says company director Ken Dovaston "In 2003 we spent approximately GBP 850,000 on new machine tools alone." Alongside 22 sliding head machines, Bryken also possesses a number of DMG turning machines such as two Sprint 65s, three Twin 65s and five Twin 42s.
Yet even with such a comprehensive capacity list, a contract arrived that prompted Bryken to consider dipping into the reserves once more.
"We had a requirement for relatively short components (approximately 50mm in length) that we felt required a faster machine than we had currently in order for us to be competitive," explains Dovaston.
With batch sizes for the new contract in the region of 5000, it was clear that every second of cycle time saved would be extremely valuable to Bryken.
"We had heard about the Sprint 32 linear and made some enquiries.
We looked at other machines too, but we really liked the configuration of the Sprint 32 linear and thought it best suited the component market we were looking to enter." But speed was the predominant factor upon which selection was based.
"It is very fast," confirms Dovaston.
"The three criteria that make a difference are speed of tool change, the distance between the tools and speed of set-up, and the Sprint 32 linear scores heavily on all these counts." After the decision was made, DMG set about the delivery and commissioning process, something that Bryken is more than happy to compliment.
"Commissioning went very smoothly and the level of support from DMG was excellent - as it always is," says Dovaston.
"The machine arrived in October 2003 on a Monday and we ran our first production job the following weekend, which for a new machine is good going.
We thought our operators would require more applications training than that, but they didn't, which highlights just how user friendly the machine is." Since then, Bryken has seen considerable savings against its investment.
"We estimate to have saved in the region of 15 per cent in terms of cycle time compared with our previous capability," outlines Dovaston.
This may not sound like a vast amount, but just consider this: if a component has a cycle time of 60 seconds - a saving of 15 per cent equates to 9 seconds per part.
When accrued over a batch of 5000 components, this represents a staggering 12.5 hours - significant enough to make the difference between being competitive and not, or winning a contract or not! "We operate in extremely competitive markets and our customers are constantly deploying cost-down exercises.
The only way we can achieve this is to make our processes faster, as we have done by purchasing the Sprint 32 linear.
We then pass these savings on to our customers.
As long as we can make a small margin and just enough to keep our investment 'pot' at a satisfactory level, then we are content." The Sprint 32 linear represents the quickest way from bar to the finished product.
As every subcontractor will verify, time is money and so with integrated spindle motors delivering 7.5kW at a maximum speed of 8000 rpm, the Sprint 32 linear replaces 'seconds' with 'savings'.
This is further assisted by minimised non-productive time - through 40m/min rapid traverse times and 1G acceleration rates.
With the presence of up to eight operational axes (including C and Y-axes on the main and counter spindles), up to 24 tools, rear face machining capability, tool management and the development of linear technology, the Sprint 32 linear ensures that even complex components can be manufactured with premium repeat precision and reliability in the shortest possible lead-time Lead-time is very important to Bryken customers, especially as a growing number now prefer supply by Kan-Ban or direct line feed systems.
Machines such as the Sprint 32 linear have the speed capability to help reduce lead-time, allowing companies like Bryken to manage customer stocks more easily and help remove the overhead of scheduling and stock activities.
Bryken is a progressive company that aims to provide more than simply machined components - offering services that add value to trading relationships.
One such service is a free-of-charge rolling 12-month report on customer component usage, spend and location for each line supplied.
But it is the policy of investment that certainly seems to be paying most dividends for Bryken - Dovaston says that business has improved considerably in the past six months.
And with machines like the Sprint 32 linear on board, the next six months look set to improve further.
"So far we have simply kept the machine busy with the contract in hand - we haven't really had the opportunity to discover the full extent of its capability.
But there is little doubt that the Sprint 32 linear is very good at what it does - so good in fact that we will probably buy another one.".
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