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News Release from: Siemens Automation and Drives
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 03 August 2004
New ownership of spindles company brings
in orders
Since taking ownership of BSL Engineering Spindles Services, Siemens Spindle Services (as it is now known) has won many major orders in the machine tool industry.
Since taking ownership of BSL Engineering Spindles Services at Handforth Dean, Siemens Spindle Services (as it is now known) has won many major orders in the machine tool industry These include a prestigious contract for Bridgeport Machine Tools that represents approximately 20 spindles a month in support of their pulley spindle exchange service as well as rebuilds of Bridgeport's motorised Kessler and SETCO spindles on an exchange basis
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 9 Aug 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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The wide scope of spindles that can be serviced by Siemens is truly impressive, as Andy Hodgson, Siemens' UK sales manager for Machine Tool and Motion Control confirms: "We handle everything from pulley driven spindles up to 50,000 rev/min self-contained, electro-mechanical, cartridge type spindles used in the aerospace industry to produce wing skins.
Whether it's a spindle for a drilling machine, grinder, lathe, machining centre or a five-axis machining centre - we can handle it - just call us!" In addition to the spindle rebuild service, Siemens has the capability to project manage retro-fits, upgrade existing spindles and systems, and carry out spindle diagnostics at their service centre or at the customers site.
According to Peter Owen, Bridgeport's operations director, the contract placed with Siemens chiefly involves the overhaul of 8-15,000 rev/min belt-driven spindles along with a small percentage of direct drive types - mainly for Bridgeport's renowned range of vertical and portal type machining centres.
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"Basically a Bridgeport customer will call us if he suspects a spindle problem and we will send a service engineer to make an assessment.
If the spindle has failed he can arrange a service exchange using a replacement spindle shipped directly from Siemens." Bridgeport, like several machine tool manufacturers, previously manufactured its own spindles in-house, but the shift in strategy to spindle outsourcing is indicative of industry patterns toward maintaining competitive advantage through streamlining operations.
"Over recent years companies have become more specialised, tending to concentrate on their core business, and we are no different," explains Owen.
"We no longer have the commercial advantage of volume that spindle manufacturers have, which supply to many machine tool producers.
We knew we could get commercially viable spindles outside and we also realised we would be able to extend the range of spindles we offer." However, Bridgeport still had an obligation to support spindles in the field and so began the search for a company with the necessary experience to help.
"Operators will always crash spindles- there is no questioning the traffic in spindles - it was just a case of looking for an operation that could manage that," he says.
"We already had a considerable spend with Siemens in terms of controls, drives and cabinets so Siemens Spindle Services was very attractive to us.
I'm pleased to say that since we opted to use them the operation has performed well.
It is a very professional organisation - technically very sound - and we are very pleased with the service." According to Dave Ellis, business manager at Siemens Spindle Services, the service is open to any company requiring spindle support, be it OEM, distributor or end user.
"A standard pulley driven spindle can be turned around in 2-3 days depending on the availability of spare parts," he says, "whereas a high specification motorised spindle normally takes 7-10 days to rebuild." A typical rebuild by Siemens Spindle Services consists of: incoming inspection; spindle report; disassembly, cleaning and inspection of individual parts; levelling of spacers and clamping rings - regrinding where necessary; bearing set replacement; standard part replacement as required; assembly to specification; cabling and adjustment of electronics; spindle taper grinding; test run; and final inspection.
"We have one of the best facilities and people in the business," concludes Ellis, "and with our investment in machinery, tooling and over 30 years experience, we are able to support a much wider range of products than some of our competitors.".
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