Product category:
Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: 600 Centre | Subject: 5-axis machining, EDM
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 27 August 2007
Wear parts maker invests in 5-axis
machining
Producer of specialised wear parts for the bearing industry has recently invested in 5-axis machining, advanced EDM, as well as linked ERP and CAD/CAM systems.
Pen Cutting Tools of Sheffield, UK, enjoys an annual turnover of GBP 1.5 million manufacturing specialised wear parts predominantly for the bearing industry and exports 35 to 40% of production As its managing director, John Shaw, outlined, while the company has over the years progressively changed its core operations, during the past three years a continued investment programme - more than GBP 200,000/year on new machinery, plus a considerable sum targeted at improving overall efficiency and machine utilisation - has had what he terms as 'an unbelievable impact' on all areas of the business, and particularly during the past 18 months
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 22 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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One example is a direct link with certain customers' mainframe computers, so as orders are emailed through, Pen accesses the customer's library to retrieve drawings and other relevant information, largely without 'human' contact between the two parties.
With its newly developed strengths enabling it to achieve a fast turnaround of orders, the entire business is monitored and controlled by a networked system that covers everything from quotation through to despatch.
In addition to supplying the bearing sector with wear parts produced from carbide, ceramics and polycrystalline diamond (PCD), Pen also serves companies in the tyre industry, automotive related, machine tool, wire drawing and form rolling sectors.
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Central to production at the 21,000ft2 site is a group of machines from the 600 Centre of Shepshed, Loughborough.
They include the following.
* Two Fanuc Wire EDMs, comprising an Alpha 1iA-A5, five-axis machine, and Alpha OiC.
* A 600 Centre Joemars CNC 43A vertical EDM.
* Two Okamoto 64 and 52DX surface grinding machines.
* Fanuc T21iEL vertical machining centre (VMC).
John Shaw has worked closely with 600 Centre's application engineering team to further improve efficiency by adding Delcam's 3D modelling and programming software and this is directly linked to the Fanuc T21 VMC.
Also, a Seiki Systems' ERP Scheduler has been installed to control workflow, with operators clocking jobs on and off.
The ERP has been fully integrated with the company's Sage accounting system.
As a result, Shaw can access the ERP system from anywhere in the world.
He reckoned to have reduced paperwork by a third.
Also, he no longer dashes around the shopfloor looking at job cards because his desktop screen shows him immediately where jobs are.
Pen Cutting Tools was established by John Shaw's father William, a metallurgist who specialised in carbide, and Sir Stanley Pickworth, whose father was at the time Chairman of English Steel.
The original business plan was to produce semi-special drill/reamers and to refurbish wear parts for the bearing industry.
Being forward thinking and recognising the need to drive ahead of the competition, the company claimed to have installed the first CNC optical grinding machine in the UK in 1990, to produce form tools in tungsten carbide and ceramics.
The company then progressively moved deeper into wear part manufacture and this led to the purchase of the its Fanuc wire EDM from 600 Centre in a bid to reduce grinding times and especially when producing slots in carbide.
This investment allowed the business to considerably improve efficiency by running production either unattended or with minimal supervision.
Indeed, explained Shaw: "Turnover without profitability means very little! Today we have a similar sales figure to 15 years ago, but we are far more efficient and we employ 22 people rather than 37." Of the 40 machines installed on the Attercliffe site to account for different process requirements, six are deemed as key production units and have been arranged as cells with other machines that are run by two skilled setter operators.
The first cell contains the Fanuc Alpha 1iA-A5 wire EDM, the Joemars vertical EDM and a CNC lathe.
The second cell has the Fanuc Alpha OiC wire EDM, two Okamoto surface grinders and a cutter grinder; the third comprises the Fanuc T21 VMC.
Productivity is maintained by setting the machines to run for five or six hours at night unmanned with automatic switch-off (of machines and compressor) when the cycles are finished.
Pen Cutting Tools was an early investor in hard turning during the mid 90s and this opened up sales in the press tool market and particularly in the large bearing sector, where it has won export contracts worth up to GBP 250,000 to produce large spherical bearings.
Ever keen to satisfy a new challenge, Shaw approached 600 Centre to help with application engineering by supplying a Fanuc T21 VMC to take full advantage of developments in hard milling, and this very quickly led to a GBP 200,000 contract for producing bearing rollers.
"It was a bit of speculation that has really paid-off," said Shaw, "And when we ordered the machine we followed the advice of 600 Centre's applications engineers by going for the high speed 24,000 rev/min spindle and the optional A1 contour software that enables the advanced reading of up to 1,000 blocks ahead.
This enables us to precisely control acceleration and deceleration to maintain a perfect surface finish and geometry requirement".
The 600 Centre applications team helped to develop the process and Pen was introduced to the Delcam PowerMill and SolidWorks 3D modelling software.
This in turn led to a recent contract to produce calibrated automotive components for use in the electronic control of engines, to improve economy when cylinders are switched on or off according to load requirements.
As part of this application, a wireless Renishaw probe was integrated into the Fanuc T21 VMC's FS-31iA5 control system to measure the Rockwell, 64 A SP hot and cold forged component.
The probe checked for centrality of the machined form to two milled location flats.
This system also enables each part to be 'quality' proven with its own certificate.
The Fanuc T21 set up has six chucks with location flats to position the part.
The chucks are mounted on the extended table of the machine which is 650mm by 400mm.
This multi-fixtured arrangement enables the machine to be set and run unattended through its cycle of six parts that takes a day to complete.
Renishaw tool probe monitors the tooling.
A chilled air blast removes the fine particles of swarf.
Mouldable plastics is pressed around the chuck jaws and part, to prevent ingress of dust from the machining cycle.
Prior to finish hard milling, a slot that creates the end form of the component is wire cut on the Fanuc 1iA-A5.
Although the VMC would be capable of milling from solid, by splitting the process to involve two machines, this creates a saving of some GBP 7/part.
When hard milling on the VMC, the form is initially roughed using a six flute Mitsubishi helical carbide endmill leaving a 0.2mm depth of cut for the finishing tool.
A four-flute Mitsubishi endmill with 1mm corner radii performs hard milling at 14,000 rev/min and at 11m/min feed rate.
Added Shaw: "600 Centre developed the method for us and produced the programs, installed the tools and the job ran.
It was as easy as that for us and is proving to be so successful.".
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