Product category:
CNC automatic lathes
News Release from: Tornos Technologies | Subject: Deco 20s CNC sliding head turning centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 June 2007
CNC sliding head lathe reduces labour
costs
The automation capability of CNC sliding head turning centre allows subcontractor to run 24/7 without having to employ a night shift and incur additional labour costs and unnecessary set-ups.
Having acquired a fading cam automatic lathe machine shop, the new owner acquired a new Tornos Sigma Deco 20s CNC sliding head turning centre to reduce labour costs In 2006 the opportunity arose for, A-BAX managing director, Alan Baxendale, to take ownership of a machine shop with six cam-operated automatic lathes supplying components to a global company
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Baxendale had already bought a sheet metal business and as sole operative, was looking for a solution to eliminate the labour intensive cam automatics and allow him to continue with the metal work.
Although he had no CNC experience, he realised that the way forward was to replace all the cam automatics with a CNC turning centre in order to meet demand.
Baxendale contacted sliding head lathe manufacturers with the brief that 'the machine must be capable of machining at least six sequential batches within each component group without any requirement from the operator to load changeover programs or tooling between batches'.
Further reading
Turnkey, multi-spindle lathe has own bar-feeder
At the EMO in Hanover during September of this year, Tornos will unveil as a first throughout the world, its new multi-spindle lathe working on the DECO concept: - the MULTIDECO 32/6 i.
Advanced CNC automatic enhanced further
Since its first appearance at the EMO, Hannover, last year, the Tornos 20a has been further improved aesthetically and the counter spindle increased in diameter.
Modular set-up autos expand subby's business
Needing to increase its flexibility, remain competitive and widen its market opportunities a subcontractor purchased three sliding head turning centres that could be updated as business grew.
He required variations in engraving details, drill sizes, countersink depth and quantities between each batch for the respective component.
An electrical signal was required to interface with an automatic finished parts catcher to allow for bin change to occur between each sequential batch.
Baxendale said: "Whilst some suppliers said their machines could deliver what I wanted, none of them appeared to do it.
However, Tornos were the most confident about delivering what I wanted and it was this confidence and the power of the machine that drew me to Tornos." The result was a Tornos Sigma Deco 20s supplied in December 2006 supplied with programs.
What Baxendale wanted was a machine that, in conjunction with an automatic finished parts bin changer, would run with minimal operator input and that is effectively what Tornos has delivered.
The company currently produces mostly motorcycle components in batches varying from 150 to 2,500.
With five types of brass components and up to 80 different sizes, each of the five types has between 29 and 72 size variations.
Baxendale continued: "The (Fanuc) Macro B option on the Tornos means that I can load six sizes and associated quantities and the program calculates all the other parameters associated with each variation".
"The overall tooling in the Sigma 20s remains the same for each group." He continued: "Technomation integrated a Doser 600 automatic rotating bin changer, using the signal provided by Tornos, which is controlled by an M code within the parts program.
The machine automatically signals the bin to rotate to avoid mixing batches." Baxendale explained: "I can leave the machine overnight and come in the following day to find six batches completed and collected in separate bins, allowing me to operate the turnkey package I originally envisaged." The simplicity now built into the business has been conducted with significant productivity gains.
"The previous annual production of approximately 250,000 parts will be achieved in the first six months with the potential to triple production by the end of the first year.
The old company was sinking in its workload.
With the new Sigma 20s I have not only retrieved the situation but turned it around.
I am already looking at new orders and potentially a second machine by the middle of next year," continued Baxendale.
The total number of each part produced per annum is large.
However, as Baxendale said: "Nobody ever wants all their parts in one run.
Despite making large quantities overall we must have the capability to run small batches to deliver to customer needs.
These needs can be catered for with simplicity, thanks to the Sigma 20s." A-BAX tailored the Tornos parts collection system to meet its changing needs.
It plans to develop the system further in conjunction with Tornos and Technomation to sub-divide large batches and to retrieve the final component made by each batch for inspection in order to achieve ISO: 9002.
The automation capability of the Sigma 20s allows A-BAX to run 24h/7 days without having to employ a night shift and incur additional labour costs and unnecessary set-ups.
"I cannot understand why more companies are not working this way.
It may be a leap of faith and maybe my naivety and a fresh approach has enabled me to do this.
I see companies running a night shift with operators there just to change bins and load programs.
Even during the day, machines can sit idle waiting for the operator to set up the next batch for a similar component.
This does not seem to be a cost effective way of working," concluded Baxendale.
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