Retrofit pallet system doubles machining capacity

By retrofitting a four-pallet pool to an existing HMC, a precision parts subcontractor was able to quickly double production capacity in response to a sudden increase in parts orders.

By retrofitting a Heller four-pallet pool to a Heller MC16.1 horizontal machining centre, Adams Precision in Chard, Somerset, has more than doubled production capacity at a stroke.

The company manufactures precision parts for the defence, aerospace, medical, and fibre optics industries, working to exceptionally tight tolerances, in difficult materials, on complex machining tasks.

It recently received a large order for machining aluminium parts which required a significant increase in production capacity very quickly.

The alternatives open to it were either to purchase an additional machine or to increase the hours worked by the Heller.

Paul Adams, MD of Adams Precision, said "Before making any decisions on how best to proceed we sought the advice and assistance of Heller's engineers.

We machine materials and features which most other companies cannot, to tolerances which few companies can achieve.

When we originally purchased the Hellers, we identified the company as the machine tool builder most able to help us meet those criteria.

Back up and support from the company has been excellent, so it was natural that we would seek Heller's help as we faced another requirement.

Their advice was that, by retrofitting a pallet pool to the MC16.1, we could increase production by fourteen hours of unmanned working per day, more than doubling existing capacity for very limited capital investment".

The pallet pool was delivered four weeks after Adams Precision placed the order, an exceptionally short lead time, and was installed and operational in three days.

Training was completed within a day and a half and the first unmanned shift ran the same night, less than five weeks after the order had been placed.

Offsets were checked and adjusted after the first set of parts had been machined.

The next set of parts were inspected on Adams' non-contact optical measuring equipment and were within 2 microns of nominal.

The MC16.1 was also equipped with a duplicate set of tooling so broken tools can be replaced automatically during unmanned operation.

The machine software also allows a pallet with a broken tool to be aborted in order to continue running without problem.

The Heller six pallet pool system installed at Adams Precision is a rotary system, which expands the standard two-pallet capacity to six.

For greater volumes, Heller also offer a linear pallet pool, which has up to 10 pallet stations or a full FMS.

"I am now convinced than unmanned systems are the way forward for us.

The pallet pool system from Heller has enabled us to expand production and to remain competitive and profitable despite tough competition.

We seek difficult work, which the majority of our competitors shy away from.

We look for, and obtain, high featured jobs with high added value, often critical or safety related parts.

We were impressed with Heller as a company from the beginning, especially the written guarantee of tolerance which has since been substantiated over and again.

We have now been operating two machine for three years and where, in the past, we made offset changes continually during a shift, on the Hellers we only have to make offset changes with a tool change.

A Cpk of 2.25 is consistently achieved and a surface finish of 0.22 micro-metres c.l.a.

The Hellers have all the torque needed for taking quite heavy cuts, so we have found a great deal of versatility in the machine as well as accuracy, our main concern, and speed - installing the first Heller gave us a reduction in cycle time of 25%.

The Hellers were the most profitable machines in the shop before we retrofitted the pallet pool.

Thanks to Heller, the sky is now the limit".

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