CNC auto lathe's fast feeds cut cycle time by 10%

Having 35m/min rapid axis feeds on a CNC sliding-head lathe reduced cycle times by 10% for machining shaft-type, alloy steel components for the consumer industry.

Already having over ten modern CNC sliding head automatic lathes, Ultra Precision in Haverhill, Suffolk, UK, was impressed with a Star SB-16C's higher rapid feeds.

Ultra Precision could see that there was yet more opportunity to reduce machining cycles even further.

It was in 2006, that Star Micronics increased the rapid linear axis feeds from 20 to 35m/min on its 'entry-level' SB-16C model.

So Ultra Precision ordered two SB-16Cs even though their control systems were different to those of its existing CNC sliding head automatics.

Some 40% of Ultra Precision's turnover is generated by sliding-head machines.

Managing director Geoff Quick explained that there was no alternative to changing supplier on this occasion, as the Star lathes were able to produce shaft-type, alloy steel components for the consumer industry 10% faster than other equivalent sliding-head lathes.

What prompted Ultra Precision's investment was a contract for mill-turning up to 200,000 components/month.

The contract involved a family of 20 components up to 28mm diameter.

Two 16mm bar lathes were needed to produce around a quarter of the parts continuously.

The 10% cycle time advantage provided by the SB-16C made the financial viability of the contract even more worthwhile.

"Margins are very tight on these high volumes so we had to reverse-cost the part to see how quickly we needed to produce it in order to make a profit on the job," said Quick.

"When it came to cutting the part, we found that using maximum feeds and speeds in-cut wore the carbide tips out too quickly, which was a false economy as we kept having to stop the machine to change tools.

He added: "Slowing the cutting parameters improved the situation considerably and we were able to compensate by taking advantage of the very fast axis movements between cuts on the Stars".

Quick continued: "The machines were of higher specification in other respects as well, making them more capable and suitable for redeployment onto other jobs in the future.

Ultra Precision said that it had been impressed with the level of Star Micronics GB's service.

The company wanted the machines urgently and Star GB delivered in the month that it was ordered.

A few weeks later, Star Micronic GB delivered the second SB-16C.

"They really 'put themselves out'," continued Quick.

"One of Star's applications engineers set the job up in their Melbourne technical centre, ran the demonstrations to our satisfaction and reset the machines once they had arrived here.

Reliability of the lathes and the service back-up have been excellent".

* Easy operation - Ultra Precision said that the SB-16Cs are easy to operate.

Note that the company said this even though work pressure precluded Ultra Precision's chance of taking advantage of Star Micronic GB's four-day training course that came with the machgine tool package.

Quick said: "Its operators have no trouble editing the core program on the Fanuc-based control system to machine new parts in the component family.

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