Product category:
5-axis (3+2 axes and continuous path) machining centres
News Release from: DMG (UK) | Subject: DMU50eVo linear vertical machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 01 March 2006
Subcontractor expands 5-axis linear VMC
usage
Such has been the success of 5-axis machining centres in helping a subcontractor achieve spectacular growth, it has added the latest linear motor axis driven VMC to its capacity.
Having purchased a DMU50v five-axis machining centre from DMG UK in early 2000, HEC (precision) subsequently acquired its successor, a DMU50eVo two years later Such has been the success of these machines in helping HEC achieve spectacular growth that the company has recently added DMG's latest incarnation the DMU50eVo linear to its rapidly expanding capacity list
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 21 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Based in Southall, Middlesex, UK, HEC precision was formed in 1994 as a four-employee business.
Today the company has evolved into a 25-strong progressive subcontract manufacturer that can consider itself a respected supplier of precision machined components to many industry sectors including aerospace, defence, motorsport and medical.
While contracts at HEC range from small batch prototype work up to 24h production, the company has built its success and growth on the ability to manufacture high value components to exacting customer requirements.
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To accomplish this, HEC has implemented a keystone policy of rolling investment into high specification machining centres.
"The DMU50v and DMU50eVo machines have opened up a lot of business for us," stated HEC's technical director, Kevin Manhood.
"In fact I would go as far to say that much of our business has grown around the possibilities these machines have created.
Since that first machine in 2000, they have attracted new work from customers.
Today, we adopt five-axis machining techniques to a very high percentage of the components we produce." Acquiring the DMU50eVo linear in December 2005 was considered by Kevin Manhood as the next step in continuing HEC's meteoric recent growth.
"Consumer demands are putting greater emphasis on the ability of manufacturers to produce unique or limited runs of components using cost efficient methods.
The ability to hit four or five sides in a single set-up allows us to provide a solution that our customers favour.
As a result, we are busier now than we have ever been at any point in our history." The new DMU50eVo linear represents a shrewd investment for a wide range of applications on the basis of well proven technology.
The machine is best suited to efficient five-sided machining and simultaneous contouring using five axes.
The NC swivel rotary table pivots the workpiece around its centre of gravity and allows undercuts of up to 18 deg to be machined.
Thanks to the dynamic linear drive in the X-axis the DMU50eVo linear reaches acceleration of up to 1G and rapid traverse of up to 80m/min, thus ensuring increased productivity.
Although it comes with a high power 18,000 rev/min spindle as standard, options up to 42,000 rev/min are available.
The linear drive technology featured on the new machine improves efficiency and precision when machining at the most demanding levels.
"The sheer speed of our new DMU50eVo linear will help us manage our growing volume of work," said Kevin Manhood.
"When I first saw it, the speed frightened the life out of me.
Having it at your disposal is a bit like going into battle with tanks and guns and knowing that if things get out of control you have an atomic bomb to drop." At present the new machine is being used by HEC to produce a mixture of complex motor sport and aerospace parts, mostly machined from aluminium alloys and stainless steels.
But there has also been a recent requirement for unusually thin section precision parts in titanium.
Tolerances of critical features are typically in the region of 10 microns, described by Kevin Manhood as: "No problem for these machines." He added that the company's complement of DMU50V/eVo models have also helped to reduce the accumulative errors that can creep into components that require multiple set-ups.
"The machines produce consistent quality parts, which is one of the prime reasons they were selected.
I have personally worked with Deckel machines since 1984 and have always been impressed with their accuracy.
I have had experience with other makes over the years, which has made me appreciate that these machines are truly at the top end of capability and performance.".
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