Product category:
CNC automatic lathes
News Release from: Tornos Technologies | Subject: Sigma 8 turning centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 August 2007
Turning centre's tooling position raises
accuracy
Turning centre's tooling is positioned very closely to the workpiece, so tools travel a shorter distance to the part, so increasing rigidity and removing potential deviation in cutting tool accuracy.
A specialist in machining PTFE plastics materials, Dalau, has purchased another Tornos turning centre for its Clacton, UK-based manufacturing facility The company said that only Tornos' Sigma 8 turning centre was the only one that could solve its problem of producing intricate plastics component
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Dalau's then current machine tools were incapable of producing a new medical component that required machining to tight tolerances.
So Dalau reviewed the market until it found Tornos' latest Sigma 8 turning centre.
It became the first of its type to be installed in the UK.
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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.
The machine can machine extremely small parts to very tight tolerances.
Tornos said that it had perfected this tight tolerance capability over decades of manufacture for the watch making and medical manufacture.
Dalau produces components for the electronics, telecommunications, aerospace and medical industries, making over 100 million PTFE and plastics components a year.
The company has been a long-term user of turning machines from Tornos.
The medical component that led to the purchase of the Sigma 8 is a 4.5mm diameter 2.5mm long PTFE part that requires 19 holes all on a PCD (pitch circle diameter) of 0.2mm.
All turning centres reviewed were incapable of meeting such demands; however the Sigma 8 with its ability to machine to a 1 micron tolerance has little difficulty meeting the workpiece specification.
To meet such tolerances the machine shop at Dalau is a temperature-controlled environment, as PTFE components are subject to expansion at elevated temperatures, making it difficult to hold tolerances in the realm of +/-0.015mm.
"Many sub-contract machinists won't touch PTFE, but with the help of the Tornos machines we have gained the experience to make us a leader in our field".
"The reliability of the Tornos machines is first class, which is exactly what we require for rapid throughput parts," said Philip Alston production and QA manager for machined components at Dalau.
Commenting upon the ability of the Sigma 8 to meet the tight tolerances, Alston said: "The tooling on the Sigma 8 is positioned very closely to the workpiece and it results in the tools traveling a shorter distance to the part.
This reduced tool travel increases rigidity and most importantly takes away any potential deviation in cutting tool accuracy." The enclosed positioning of the cutting tools and drills not only improves accuracy and rigidity but also enhances surface finish and tool life.
Although Dalau sometimes undertakes batches up to 1 million, the typical batch size on the new Sigma 8 is 10,000 parts.
The improved rigidity enhances tool life and delivers confidence that cutting tools can perform for longer periods.
This is vital for long batch runs and 'lights out' manufacture at Dalau.
The Sigma 8 is the latest in a long line of Tornos machines at Dalau.
The company installed its first Tornos cam-driven automatic in the mid 1980s, the company now has 45.
In recent years Dalau has acquired Tornos Deco CNC sliding head models and the company now owns four Deco 20 machines, seven Deco 10 machines and its new Sigma 8.
"As a general 'rule of thumb', straightforward single operation components are loaded to the cam-driven autos, while anything more complex, perhaps involving PCD drilling, milling or second operations of any kind, will be put on the Deco CNCs to come off complete.
However, the latest order is taking precision to a new level and this called for new technology," continued Alston.
Quality is a key issue at Dalau and the company has developed its own SPC system as part of its TQM system that is linked to the CNC control of the Tornos machines.
The innovative system allows operators at the ISO 9001:2000 accredited company to monitor every dimension and characteristic on every drawing in real time.
If a problem occurs it can be rectified immediately and not after an entire batch has been produced.
It also ensures full component traceability.
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