Product category:
CNC lathes
News Release from: TS Harrison and Sons | Subject: Harrison Alpha 550T (Touchscreen) electronic lathe
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 19 November 2002
Electronic lathe brings turning
self-sufficiency
The acquisition of an electronic lathe has brought about total turning self-sufficiency for a company specialising in the manufacture of oil and gas industry products.
The acquisition of a Harrison Alpha 550T (Touchscreen) electronic lathe purchased through Derek Robinson Machine Tools (DRMT) of Leicester has brought about total turning self-sufficiency for Stonehouse, Gloucestershire-based Byworth Material Services The Alpha, which complements a CNC lathe and two capstan lathes, has not only allowed Byworth to take total control of all of its turning operations rather than sub-contract some of its work out, but has also dramatically reduced lead times on key machining operations
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 12 Sep 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Byworth Material Services, formed by business partners Keith Terry and Val Randell, started as material suppliers to the oil and gas Industry.
The production of rough machined parts was soon added to the portfolio of services with the acquisition of two capstan lathes.
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Demand for mass machined parts soon became even greater and a requirement also emerged for more precise machined components, both of which were met with the purchase of a new CNC lathe through DRMT.
Earlier this year, Byworth was awarded contracts to supply small batches of multi-taper bored venturis for the oil and gas industry.
Manufactured in both duplex stainless steel and nickel alloy clad steel the components typically incorporate a tapered bore narrowing in profile from 120 to 69mm with each change of profile having a radius of 29,2mm.
It was decided to split the operation in two - initial machining being carried out in-house, and more complex final machining and the cladding process sub-contracted out.
Things did not go quite as planned however and Keith Terry had great difficulty in finding a sub-contractor who could not only carry out final machining satisfactorily but also complete the job on time.
Disappointed with the level of service he received from some of his sub-contractors and concerned about possible late delivery of the contract, Terry considered the possibility of bringing the whole machining process 'in-house'.
A short appraisal of the job however confirmed that the company's existing lathes did not have the capacity to carry out all aspects of the work and he considered the idea of purchasing a new machine.
Terry says: "My immediate concern was how any lathe, irrespective of price, would cope with cutting through the alloy cladding.
It incorporates a corrugated outer surface that is very difficult to penetrate up the taper.
I was also aware that the accuracy and surface finish of the taper bores needed to be 'finish grinding' standard and felt the job really was 'on the limit'." As well as having to meet the extremely high standards of accuracy and surface finish of the oil and gas contract, the new lathe would have to be cost efficient in terms of both acquisition and running costs and provide a highly productive, capacious and reliable platform for new sub-contract work.
With these factors in mind, Mr Terry consulted DRMT for their recommendations and after careful consideration the distributor suggested the Harrison Alpha 550T as the most cost efficient option.
After an initial demonstration of the lathe at DRMT's facilities in Leicester, a full prove out of the oil and gas job was carried out on the Alpha at the Harrison Works at Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire.
The lathe was subsequently delivered to Byworth in mid-August.
The Byworth Alpha is fitted with a special high-pressure coolant pump, 660mm long balanced boring bar and specially selected cutting tool inserts.
Other equipment includes a Parat No.
3 high precision indexing toolpost, 380mm three-point steady and Pratt Burnerd International three-jaw chuck with special jaws.
Detailed machining is carried out with the help of the Alpha's AlphaLink offline CAD/CAM system which gives the operator the ability to manufacture complex components normally associated with more sophisticated machines such as full CNC lathes.
Component drawings, with sophisticated features such as blended radii, multiple radii forms and multiple undercuts, can be generated quite simply using a standard personal computer.
Once the program is complete it can be saved and/or downloaded to the Alpha T, through the RS232 port.
Not only is the package easy-to-use, but it is also safe, allowing the machining routine to be simulated 'on-screen' before being downloaded to the lathe.
Summing up the efforts of his lathe operators and suppliers Keith Terry says: "In a sense, the whole thing is a team effort with Byworth staff, Harrison Lathes, DRMT and our cutting tool supplier putting their heads together and coming up with a cost-effective and workable solution for an extremely difficult turning task.".
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