CNC 3.2m bed lathe machines complex parts

Subcontract manufacturing company has invested in a Doosan 3.2m Puma 700LM lathe to machine complex high-precision components used in the oil/gas sector.

Jordan Engineering has recently invested in a high-performance Puma 700LM CNC lathe supplied by Mills Manufacturing Technology, Leamington, UK.

Installed at Jordan's Gateshead facility in May 2008 the Puma is machining complex high-precision components used in the oil/gas sector.

The investment in the Puma 700LM (3.2m bed) lathe is part of Jordan's business strategy to help it capitalise on the continued buoyancy and development in the oil/gas sectors and other growth areas.

Jordan's operations director, Ian Scurfied, said that the company was already a leading supplier to the sector but for smaller components.

he explained: "We were confident that, with larger CNC capacity at our disposal, combined with the in-house experience and knowledge of the industry we have built-up over recent years, we could increase our presence and reputation, and achieve significant growth in the sector".

Mills told manufacturingtalk that although the Puma had only been installed for a few weeks it is already working to near full capacity machining large, complex sub-sea parts.

Parts include valves, shafts and housings from a variety of difficult-to-machine materials, including Duplex and stainless steels, Inconel and so on.

These parts are required in small batches, typically three- to five-off.

They are large generally around 2500mm in length and 500mm in diameter.

They weigh around 1200kg and require a surface finish of 16-32 micron Ra/CLA.

* 'One-hit' machining - the parts are machined on the Puma 700LM in 'one-hit' from solid stock on average in three operations, with cycle times varying 6-10h, said Mills.

Scurfield said that the Puma 700, with its driven tools (12 tools/11kW 3,000 rev/min), tailstock and steady, allows Jordan to machine large parts in a single set-up.

He added that such parts used to be problematical: "They required us to perform and, allow for, multiple machine set-ups because the parts needed to be moved from one machine to another (i e, from lathes to milling machines).

This in turn meant increased operator involvement, and extra resources and costs to be spent on work-holding and fixtures".

Scurfield continued: "The situation has been reversed with the Puma investment.

We are now able to cut lead times because we can manufacture parts more quickly in one-hit and the cost-per-part has improved because there is less work-holding and work-handling required".

To optimise the productivity of the Puma the machine was supplied to Jordan with a 30in chuck and integrated tool-setting probe.

These options, mean that large complex parts can be machined with total confidence, said Mills.

The machine's high-performance and high-productivity capabilities include the following.

* 3.2m between centres.

* 1030mm swing.

* Heavy-duty 45kW 1500 rev/min main spindle with full C-axis functionality.

* Powerful, easy-to-use Fanuc 21iTB CNC with conversational programming.

Mills added that the investment in the Puma 700LM is just one example of how Jordan aims to grow its business over the next few years.

* About Jordan Engineering - already a leading specialist in the manufacture of complex, precision components for the defence, power generation, yellow-goods (construction/excavation plant and equipment), rail and oil/gas sectors, the company has a comprehensive machine tool park of CNC and conventional machine tool technology at its disposal.

Machines include the following.

* 5-axis milling machines.

* Vertical and horizontal machining centres.

* 2/3-axis lathes.

* Ccylindrical, surface and centreless grinding centres.

* EDM (wire and spark erosion) machines.

To meet its customers' 'one-stop-shop' requirements Jordan also provides (in-house) comprehensive fabrication and (MIG/TIG) welding services, as well as offering turnkey services that include expertly project-managed sub-assembly work.

Jordan has a comprehensive quality and inspection department located in a temperature-controlled environment and has invested in the latest CAD/CAM packages (such as SolidWorks), which are DNC linked.

Managing director at Jordan Engineering, Peter Jordan, said: "We are a dynamic and ambitious company with a focus that's very much on the future.

By investing in the latest machine tool technologies and by the constant improvements we make in our manufacturing processes and systems we are determined to grow and strengthen our business to maintain our competitive edge".

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