Product category:
Horizontal machining centres (HMC)
News Release from: Heller Machine Tools | Subject: Heller MCi 16 horizontal machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 31 October 2006
HMC chosen to expand pumps manufacture
A horizontal machining centre has been chosen to machine CI hydraulic pumps owing to its very fast acceleration, positioning accuracy and reduced cycle times.
"Simply supplying a machine tool is not sufficient in the current market," said Geoff Lloyd of Heller Machine Tools If ever evidence of his view were needed, the order Heller received recently from Kawasaki Precision Machinery (UK) is proof
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 27 Feb 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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a fast, versatile HMC, developed primarily for higher volumes, typically the automotive industry, features 90m/min fast traverse, acceleration of 12mm/sec2 and and 1.8sec chip-to-chip ATC.
Machining centre machines to close tolerances
A small family-owned business will increase its turnover by 35.2% this year and, on new M-Cs, consistently machines to tolerances which would frighten the majority of engineers.
Kawasaki manufactures primarily cast iron hydraulic pumps for major OEMs, particularly those in the construction industry, at its plant in Plymouth, Devon.
The company is recognised for quick turn round, short delivery and short batch work.
To sustain that position a rolling programme of improvement and upgrading its machining operations is vigorously upheld.
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A twin-spindle HMC offers double the productivity for less than double the investment, virtually halves the floor space requirement and minimizes operator involvement.
Subcontractor gets machine in just three weeks
A machining centre was customised and built in just three weeks for J L French, a first tier subcontractor to the automotive industry.
The order was placed upon Heller as part of the process of continual advancement and to increase capacity.
The Heller MCi 16 horizontal machining centre was selected because: "The package Heller offered shone through above all others," according to Alasdair Stanley, senior production engineer.
He said "We needed an additional machine to meet our expansion requirement.
The quality of the Heller machines is excellent, but it was the complete package of service, support and continued back-up which set Heller apart.
All our dealings with the company have been excellent." The MCi 16 range of machines is known for its very fast acceleration, positioning accuracy and reduced cycle times combined with the robust build quality necessary for high levels of stock removal.
Rapid traverse is 90m/min, acceleration 12m/s2 and chip to chip time 1.8s.
A 10,000 rev/min spindle is fitted.
The tool magazine takes 160 tools.
The on-board five line hydraulic supply enables users to have far greater flexibility in fixture design, further enhancing productivity from the machines and the ease, with which they can be integrated into a manufacturing cell.
X,Y, and Z axes movements are 630mm.
Control is by the Fanuc 18iMB.
Lloyd said, "Winning the order from Kawasaki Precision Machinery (UK) is typical of our customer base.
We manufacture high quality, productive, robust machines, designed for purpose, at our plant in Redditch.
That quality is a given, but customers need far more from a machine tool supplier than a good machine.
We supply, as needed by the customer, a complete service which can include applications and/or simultaneous engineering, fixture design and manufacture and tooling packages. Request a free brochure from Heller Machine Tools ...
Even more importantly we work in partnership with the customer and continue that partnership post-installation and commissioning in order to ensure they achieve optimum performance - and therefore maximum profitability - from the installation whether it be one machine or many.".
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