Product category:
CNC turning centres, mill/turning, multi-tasking centres, horizontal and VTLs.
News Release from: Mills Manufacturing Technology | Subject: Nakamura-Tome WT-150 10-axis CNC mill-turn centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 May 2003
One good turning centre led to another
To fulfil a collets export contract worth GBP 400,000 a year, Holmes UK installed a 10-axis CNC mill-turn centre and acquired a second to reduce costs on other tooling product work.
To fulfil a contract with a US company worth GBP 400,000 a year for the manufacture of two types of collet, Holmes UK installed a Nakamura-Tome WT-150 10-axis CNC mill-turn centre in its Birmingham factory in January this year Managing Director, Tim Holmes, commented, "When you sit down and do the calculations, it is surprising how relatively inexpensively you can acquire a very high specification machine tool like the Nakamura
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 23 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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One of the most capable mill-turning machines ever built, has four turrets, two spindles and offers a total of 13 computer controlled axes.
"We are not using it 24 hours a day at present, as full production of collets for the US under the current contract is only 225 a day.
Even so, the profit margin on the job is satisfactory and there is spare capacity on the machine for more work." So convinced was Holmes of the financial viability of his first WT-150 lathe that within a couple of months he went back to UK agent Mills Manufacturing Technology for another, this time mainly to streamline production of Wickman multi-spindle auto spares, of which Holmes UK is a major supplier.
The accuracy of the lathe coupled with reliable unmanned running and the ability to machine parts in one hit in batches of 100- to 700-off combine to justify acquisition of this second machine.
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Fitted with a Multifeed short bar magazine, as is the first lathe, it also has the flexibility to produce 150mm diameter chuck-type components.
"We have looked at the possibility of using subcontractors in South America, India and China to produce some of these parts, but we want to avoid this route if at all possible," continued Holmes.
"One way of doing that is to use highly automated production machinery, as much of the advantage that low wage economies have over us is diminished if a machine requires minimal manning." Reverting to the WT-150 for collet production, the two 24-station turrets are able to accommodate sufficient tools to machine both types of component, so changeover takes less than half an hour.
The most complicated of the two collet types requires a maximum cycle time of 3.75 minutes, depending on version up to 25mm capacity, and the part comes off complete after reverse end-working in the opposing spindle.
The same component made on conventional CNC machines on the shop floor would require four set-ups and take three and a half times longer to mill-turn.
Said Holmes, "Collets are notoriously exacting to manufacture, as even after they leave the WT-150 they have to go through 10 further operations involving hardening, grinding, polishing, laser marking and cleaning.
Adding another three set-ups and ops to this would do nothing for profitability.
"Another factor is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find skilled machine operators to do the work.
In any case, if we had approached the customer suggesting a four-step mill-turning route, I don't think we would have won the contract in the first place.".
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