Product category:
Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: Hurco Europe | Subject: Roeders RFM 600 P vertical machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 07 April 2004
HSC increases toolmaking productivity
and quality
Director of a toolmaking company says he has seen some jobs go through the toolmaking shop five times quicker since high-speed vertical machining centres were installed.
"I have seen some jobs go through our shop five times quicker now that we use Roeders high-speed vertical machining centres," observed Gary Smith, a director of Oldham-based MTOOL "It is not due only to speed of cutting, but also to a 75 per cent overall reduction in hand polishing, as the finish of the machined surface is now so good." The first German-built Roeders machine was installed at MTOOL during mid-2002, a year before the UK agency passed to Hurco Europe, High Wycombe
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 5 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Hurco increases machining centre size
Hurco has introduced a larger vertical-spindle, 3- to 5-axis machining centre suited in particular to mould and die manufacture, aerospace components, job shop applications and short-run production.
One-stop EDM toolmaker buys CNC milling
An EDM toolmaker-come-general subcontractor wanting to expand into prismatic metalcutting has bought a Hurco machining centre to offer a one-stop service
It is a highly automated model (RFM 600 P) with automatic exchange of 55 tools from an adjacent circular carousel, with laser-based tool measuring, below which are carousels on two further levels holding a total of 16 machine pallets, which are also changed automatically.
"We were aiming at a paperless office and unmanned running," continued Smith.
"Seven Delcam CADCAM seats, DNC-linked to all machines on the shop floor, helps to satisfy the first requirement and allows us to iron out any potential problems before the parts hit the shop floor.
Further reading
Toolmaker adds on machining centres
In answer to demands for prismatic machining as well as EDM, toolmaker Forum Services purchased a Hurco 4020 HTM machining centre
Swarf management improved on Hurco's VMX M-Cs
Five vertical machining centres carrying the prefix VMX have been introduced by Hurco, four of which have considerably upgraded specifications in terms of speed and working envelope.
Subby diversifies to beat the telecomms downturn
The current uncertainty in the telecommunications industry has prompted many subcontractors to diversify their customer base to compensate for a reduction in high volume production contracts.
"The first Roeders high-speed cutting cell went a long way towards satisfying the second requirement, as it operates lights-out between 6 pm and 7:30 am, and minimally attended for the remainder of the 24 hour period, 7 days a week." Smith's co-director, Neil Richardson, went on to explain that pre-setting components in fixtures on pallets using a CMM on the shop floor is key to realising this goal.
Once a pallet is in the system, it can be called up at any time and as soon as it is presented to the spindle, the cycle starts.
There is 60 to 90 minute set time per pallet, so this amount of spindle downtime is saved by having automatic pallet change (APC).
Although the pallets are 300 mm square, the bed of the machine is 700 x 500mm and MTOOL was finding it difficult to resist putting certain larger components over the top of the pallet for high-speed cutting.
Clearly the practice conflicted with the original reason for buying the cell, so in November at 2003 the company bought a second Roeders machining centre, this time from Hurco Europe.
Designated RP 800, the machine is not equipped with APC and is capable of producing of tools up to 800 x 600 x 400mm.
At the same time, the company nearly trebled the size of its premises to 8200 square feet.
The machines have respective programmable cutting feed rates up to 30 m/min and 60 m/min and maximum spindle speeds of 42,000 rpm and 36,000 rpm.
These specifications are the reason not only for their high productivity but also for the high accuracy and excellent surface finish that is achieved, which Smith describes as "near-polished".
Often the company does not hand polish moulds at all, whereas two days might previously have been needed.
A tool that typically used to require three days polishing can now be finished in one day.
A further time-saving results from being able to mill very fine detail on the Roeders machines with cutters down to 0.3mm diameter.
It means that spark erosion is no longer needed in many cases, so there is no delay while electrodes are made, and there is also a cost saving.
MTOOL, which specialises in producing plastic injection, compression and transfer mould tools weighing up to two tonnes, is also a user of Hurco's own vertical machining centers, which Smith has used in other toolrooms for the past 20 years.
He installed his first machine in 1998 within three months of starting the company and now operates three Hurcos, two BMC 30 HTs with a working envelope of 500 x 1200 x 600mm and a smaller BMC 2416 with a 610 x 406 x 508mm envelope.
"The way we organise production now is to rough all tools on the Hurcos and finish them on the Roeders machine," commented Smith.
"This gives us the best of both worlds, as the high torque, slower speed Hurcos give us maximum metal removal with cutters typically up to 100mm diameter, while the lower torque, high speed Roeders spindles give us rapid finishing using tools up to 20mm diameter." A further benefit with the Hurco machines is the patented, twin-screen, Ultimax control system, with which it a simple matter to program in background on the shop floor cycles for drilling, tapping and reaming bolster plates.
This relieves the Delcam off-line programming facility of routine work and adds interest to the machine operator's job.
Colour graphical representation of the component plus simulation of the machining cycle on the second screen ensure that the first-off part is always correct.
In conclusion, Smith commented, "We chose Roeders machines to supplement our production as we believe them to be the most robust high-speed machining centres on the market, and hence by implication the most accurate.
Many users we spoke to reported good performance from their machines, and our experience so far is the same.
"The net result of expanding our premises and plant list is that instead of quoting 12 weeks delivery from receipt of order, we are now able to offer customers a lead time for most tools of six to eight weeks, and sometimes down to four weeks. Request a free brochure from Hurco Europe ...
This is faster than many UK toolmakers can achieve and considerably quicker than sourcing tools from overseas, so it places us in a much better competitive position.".
• Hurco Europe: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
