Product category:
CNC turning centres, mill/turning, multi-tasking centres, horizontal and VTLs.
News Release from: Miyano UK | Subject: Miyano BNE-51SY5 turning centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 05 March 2008
Turning centre ousts larger cam
automatics
A UK subcontractor has installed an 8-axis turning centre with two opposing main spindles as part of a programme to replace its large bar working cam-operated automatic lathes.
Traditionally, St Helens based turned parts subcontractor Wealdpark, was a user of cam-operated automatic lathes The company had begun a systematic replacement of some 50 single-spindle cam automatics
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 14 Jul 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Until recently, the replacement had concentrated on introducing CNC sliding head turning centres having a maximum diameter range of 32mm.
Now, Wealdpark is replacing its larger cam-operated machines.
It installed a Miyano BNE-51SY5 turning centre with 51mm diameter capacity.
Further reading
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Although predominantly a user of CNC sliding head automatics, a machine shop recently purchased a Miyano BNJ-42SY turning centre to increase flexibility and respond to customer needs.
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A twin turret, twin spindle turning centre has helped an UK aerospace subcontractor to improve its machining productivity by an average of 30%, and up to a staggering 50% on many components.
* Y-axis slides - acquired in October 2007 from Miyano UK's northern UK sales agent, Peter Bewley, the BNE-51SY5 is an 8-axis turning centre with two opposing main spindles.
It has lower and upper turrets with Y-axis slides that enable processing of high-end work, in one set-up, from bar stock.
It is these attributes along with 12 tooling stations on the upper and lower turret for simultaneous back working that has given Wealdpark a productive solution capable of replacing four CAM type turning machines, said Macro CNC Machine Tools.
* Four machines replaced - the BNE-51SY5 has replaced four machines by eliminating second operations and cutting production times through faster metalcutting cycles.
Not only has the Miyano BNE-51SY5 improved productivity and eliminated second operations, said Macro CNC to manufacturingtalk.com, but it has freed up space by removing ancillary equipment such as drills and mills that conduct secondary procedures.
Wealdpark director, Phil Smith said: "The Miyano has 'blown' the cycle times of our cam machines 'out of the water.
The difference is that the Miyano can run for 16h unmanned whereas our cam machines needed regular operator intervention.
What this means is that despite the company working a regular 37h week, we can get a 160h week out of the Miyano BNE-51SY5".
* 85% efficiency - running near 85% efficiency, the Miyano is a significant improvement upon the 65% efficiency rate of the cam autos.
Smith said: "Since the family took the company on 15 years ago we have strived to move forward and the introduction of our sliding head lathes and more recently the Miyano BNE-51SY5 has 'opened our eyes' to how inefficient we once were.
The Miyano has in-built alarms and torque sensors that give us confidence to run the machine lights-out without fear of scrap or re-working".
* Eight CNC lathes replace 29 cam automatics - the introduction of CNC turning centres over recent years has seen Wealdpark install seven CNC sliding head lathes and the Miyano BNE-51SY5 to replace 29 cam autos - leaving another 24 awaiting replacement.
The technology introduction has reduced staff from 50 to 26 employees.
As Smith observed: "By replacing the CAM autos and removing the second operation machines we have been able to reduce our staffing costs whilst improving productivity and part quality".
Producing components from batches as small as 10 to 10,000, the Miyano can be set for operation within 20 min, said Macro CNC, unlike lengthy cam auto times and this suits Wealdpark with its significant part variation.
Working with customers in the electronics and fluidpower industries to produce battery inserts, connectors, fusegear, plugs and plungers to name a few, Wealdpark machines a wide variety of materials and this suits the Miyano BNE51-SY5.
The rigid and robust construction of the Miyano comfortably negotiates anything from the brass, copper and plastic machined at Wealdpark to the steel, stainless steel, titanium and aerospace alloys that so often require machining.
* Rigid machine tool structure - it is the rigid construction combined with the ability to conduct front and back end working simultaneously that has seen the Miyano improve upon cycle times of certain parts set by the recently introduced sliding head lathes.
An example of this was noted on a part required in batches of 1500 on a regular basis.
"Frequently produced on the sliding head machines, we decided to try the part on the Miyano and it improved the cycle time by 30s," said Smith.
"This is a massive saving considering the total cycle time was previously 2 min.
We bought the Miyano to fill the gap of our larger cam autos and machine parts from 32 to 51mm diameter - outside the sliding head remit.
However, this example demonstrates that on parts below 32mm the Miyano is more than competitive with its simultaneous back working".
The remarkable productivity levels of the BNE-51SY5 with its back working is credit to an extended Z-axis stroke on the bottom turret allowing ease of overlapping on each spindle for enhanced productivity and flexibility.
The flexibility is met with impeccable accuracy and surface finish that has noted Wealdpark competing for business previously outside its scope.
Smith said that Wealdpark was now winning orders for more accurate work and led the company to improve its quality systems.
Acquisitions include a new CMM and optical projector.
Smith added: "We bought the Miyano to make 'any job' and it does precisely that.
With excellent support from our sliding head lathe supplier we expected the same package from Miyano - and they didn't disappoint.
Our operators had never worked with twin spindle and two turrets before, but the staff was fully trained within four days".
The additional benefit of the Miyano is that it uses six times less oil than the cam autos it has replaced and it is significantly quieter.
He said that noise and oil pollution are major environmental concerns and the BNE-51SY5 helped the company to meet its environmental responsibilities whilst giving a productive solution to its turning needs.
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