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Product category: 5-axis (3+2 axes and continuous path) machining centres
News Release from: DMG (UK) | Subject: DMU 200FD 5-axis universal milling centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 25 January 2008

GBP 8 million invested in 5-axis milling

UK subcontactor has invested over GBP 8 million in advanced machining over the last three years including five-sides, 5-axis milling and multi-axis mill/turn centres.

The latest example of the commitment and future thinking of Burdon Engineering's managing director, Barry Hindson, is reflected in the installation of a Deckel Maho DMU 200FD 5-axis universal milling centre at its Stokesley facility just outside Middlesborough, UK This 44kW swivelling head milling centre has axis travels of 1.8m by 2m by 1.1m

It reflects too Hindson's view of the machining power, accuracy and five-face production capability that his business demands for its role as a first tier supplier to the aerospace, oil and gas, earth-moving, medical and specialist automotive sectors.

Over the last three years, Burdon Engineering has invested more than GBP 8 million to establish a 5-axis milling and multi-axis mill/turn capability.

As the company developed, it built up a management team including specialists from the aerospace industry.

The company has a highly skilled team of setter/operators supported by very strong training programmes.

Opened in 2005, this production facility occupies some 25,000ft2 on a 6 acre site at Stokesley near Middlesbrough.

The machine shop is spacious and clean and immediately portrays an air of precision with five, very high specification multi-axis machining centres supplied by DMG (UK) of Luton over the last two years.

There is also a separate area containing equally impressive, large capacity mill/turn lathes and a temperature controlled measuring room containing a 4m by 2m by 1.1m gantry co-ordinate measuring machine.

* Deckel Maho machining centres - the Deckel Maho machining centres include a DMC 160FD duoBLOCK installed in 2005.

The machine, said the company, 'opened the door' to the oil and gas and medical sectors with the machining of large rings for body scanners.

This installation of the 1.6m by 1.25m by 1m working volume, universal five-axis machine also started up Burdon's ever-increasing schedules for aerospace work.

With orders growing rapidly, Deckel Maho DMU 200P and DMC 125FD duoBLOCK universal 5-axis machines were then installed.

The most recent purchase, in the second quarter of 2007, is a second DMC 160PFD duoBLOCK and DMC 125FD duoBLOCK.

Each machine has the capability to provide simultaneous, 5-axis machining.

Hindson said that he outlines plans to progressively triple the size of the business, which will involve a further capital investment programme of GBP 25 million.

He said: "The rate our order book has grown in the supply of very complex components, in very difficult to machine materials, to extremely high orders of precision and most critical, to deliver on time, means we have to look very carefully at our production engineering.

Our objective is to combine as many operations as possible to reduce lead times and provide an 'on demand' production service".

Each DMG (UK) supplied machine was delivered as a proven turn-key set up, tooled and programmed to minimise on-site commissioning.

To illustrate the level of complexity involved, most cycle times tend to vary between 20 and 100h with small to medium batch sizes.

* Company history - subsequent to the acquisition in 1996 by FPCI Plc and following the death of the original owner John Burdon, the company retained his name, relocated to the current 'state of the art' facility and has expanded beyond recognition.

Turnover has grown to some GBP 25 million and 100 people are now employed.

The new additional six acre site has now been acquired, and Burdon plans to increases production floor space to some 65,000ft2.

Relocation to its current site was completed in 2000 and a production facility set up for earth moving part contract machining.

Over six years, investment included a host of new machine tools and robotic welding bays.

In the meantime, plans were laid to diversify into aerospace that led to the new facility.

* Short lead times - the plan was to provide short lead time production and this dictated the type of manufacturing environment and overall package required from the machine tool supplier.

As Hindson said: "When producing an aerospace engine casing on the DMG machine we can produce it in less than half the time it would have taken us before because of the ability to combine so many operations.

But what is more important, we can provide just a single part against an order if required - previously to make it economic we would tend to produce five and put four in the stores ready for the next order call-off.

Also, you need to look at the spin-off from making to order - it reduces the duress of the production team and scheduling is far easier".

He explained: "The philosophy of buying machines with high levels of rigidity, power and torque, having the right type of tooling available and the skills of the team we can machine more effectively.

We now have the ability to eliminate problems associated with vibration or component flexing because we have the skills and tools to do the job - this is so important to avoid delays and the hours when a machine stands idle and people debate a solution".

The Deckel Maho DMU 200FD that is due for installation in 2008 is a gantry style machine having a universal swivelling milling head with contouring B- and C-axis that are able to provide simultaneous 5-axis machining cycles.

The universal head is infinitely programmable through horizontal and vertical axes.

Due to the type of high tensile materials Burdon Engineering are machining, such as titanium, JetHeat and Waspalloy, high torque and power are prime requirements.

The DMU 200FD has a 44kW main spindle, which develops 1,550Nm of torque and delivers up to 6,300 rev/min.

The machine has a 120 tool magazine to supply the HSK-100 spindle, which again defines the machine capability to remove material effectively and over long periods of time, maintain repeatability and accuracy.

Also important to the company is the ability to carry out turn-key processes on the 1.8m diameter rotary table of the machine at up to 200 rev/min as part of any fully integrated cycle.

Rapid traverse rates over the 1800mm in X, 2000mm in Y and 1100mm in Z axis are 60m/min, which considerably shorten non-cutting time.

The fully programmable NC rotary table will support loads up to 5 tonnes.

Controlled by Siemens 840D Powerline, the machine, as with all Burdon Engineering's installations, will be off-line programmed using Open Mind's HyperMILL CADCAM system about which, Hindson was adamant: "The cohesion between software and hardware capability is vital to our ever-increasing order book.".

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