Product category:
Horizontal machining centres (HMC)
News Release from: Heller Machine Tools | Subject: Horizontal machining centres
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 07 August 2003
HMCs are tooled up to do multi-operation
work
To achieve greater flexibility and faster response to customer demands, four HMCs, set up for multiple operation work, have replaced dedicated machine tools at an automotive axle producer.
To achieve greater flexibility and faster response to customer demands, four HMCs, set up for multiple operation work, have replaced dedicated machine tools at an automotive axle producer Manufacturing axle carrier housings for OEM automotive companies, Dana Spicer Axle Europe is aware that its market is changing, particularly in response to the demand for lighter vehicles with reduced fuel consumption
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 9 Dec 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Seeking difficult work with high added value, which the majority of its competitors shy away from, a subcontractor uses modern HMCs to realise high quality and 25% cycle time cuts.
A forward thinking, world class company, willing to invest in its future to maintain its growth, it has installed four Heller Machining Centres at its main UK plant in Birmingham in order to both meet and pre-empt the demands from its customers.
Ian Rawbone, Senior Project Engineer, at Dana said "If we stop working our customers stop working.
Our capability to maintain effective production is therefore critical, and the Hellers an important part of our ability to achieve that".
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Horizontal machining centres now feature the easy to use Siemens Sinumerik Shopmill control, giving users even greater productivity, easier operation, and better piece part costs.
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Three horizontal machining centre cells in a purpose-built UK facility are now machining cylinder heads, blocks and bed plates for earthmover constructor JCB's first diesel engine.
The company was seeking a more flexible alternative to its existing plant, where it was using dedicated special purpose machines to machine high quality cast iron carriers for the major automotive companies.
Primarily it required machines which would provide greater versatility in order to offer the fastest possible response times to variable customer demands and new projects as well as to change easily between machining cast iron and aluminium in low, medium and high volumes according to customer and production requirements.
In addition it wanted to provide a prototyping service using production machines, in order to assist customers reduce time-to-market.
It selected Heller from its original list of seven machining centre manufacturers because it was seeking a long-term partnership with its machine supplier, in conjunction with its preferred tooling supplier Seco.
The selection process assessed in detail the whole package each manufacturer offered- the quality and accuracy of the machine, the cycle times which could be achieved, the service response time, retooling time and costs.
Ian Rawbone said "The Heller package was outstandingly the best, offering us a true turnkey package.
In addition to providing the machines, they design and manufacture the fixtures, set up with the pallets, so we can offer the fastest possible response time to new contracts.
The machines are also the latest technology - we did not want anything which had been in the market for several years".
The Hellers are being used for multiple operations, and both rough and finish each component in one set up.
Accuracy is essential: the squareness and relative height of the carrier pinion bore to the differential bore is critical.
The results have spoken for themselves, with recent turnkey engineering support for production of a local SUV manufacturer the aluminium case was successfully introduced, both on time and exceeding quality expectations.
A Cpk/Cp of 4 is consistently being achieved.
Tool life is over typically many months.
There is very little downtime due to tools and there have been no machine problems.
Accuracy is maintained effectively despite widely varying temperatures in the machine shop by the temperature controlled coolant and the Siemens control.
In addition to the speed (60m/min rapid traverse, acceleration 10m/s2) and power (spindle power 64kW, typically removing 10mm of cast iron stock) of the machines, the large working envelope (800mm3) permits two carriers to be loaded together, one above the other.
The operators, all trained by Heller, find the machines easy to operate.
Basic maintenance requirements are being fulfilled by the operator.
Change over between jobs is being completed well within an hour, due to the powerful Siemens controller, allowing production schedules to be arranged to suit best practice and keep prices competitive.
Ian Rawbone said "We aim to provide our customers with what they want, when they want it, at the quality they want, and at a highly competitive price.
We have to meet set delivery times, in some cases as tight as a specified time slot on a particular day.
We pride ourselves on very fast response times.
"The Hellers are an important part of our ability to deliver our promises, because they are good, accurate, versatile machines.
We would have to invest three times as much to achieve anything similar to the Hellers on special purpose machines.
We have a high tech, clinical plant and the Hellers suit that environment". Request a free brochure from Heller Machine Tools ...
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