Vertical turning centre reduces set-ups

Automotive wheel manufacturer said that in its non-stop quest for reduced machining set-ups, substantial savings are being made with a Toshulin SKL10 vertical turning lathe.

When chief production engineer at Titan Steel Wheels near Kidderminster, UK, Neil Vivash speaks of Toyoda principles, continual process improvement and year-on-year multi-million capital investment programmes, it can be readily appreciated why the company has won three Queen's Awards in recent years.

The company uses mainly heavy-duty machine tools and techniques to continuously reduce cycle/lead times while maintaining quality levels and costs.

Vivash said readily that general machining tolerances on the wheel rims cannot be compared with toolmaking accuracies as +/-1mm is commonplace.

Titan's latest Autocrane rim is included in routines where stud hole positioning, for example, is demanded to within 0.1-0.2mm tolerance on PCDs (pitch circle diameters - Ed).

Vivash said: "Overall, the 'name of the game' is to use machining technologies and production engineering methodologies that will maintain our world lead [hence the company's Queen's Awards for Exports in 1996 and 2007 - to markets such as the Americas and Pacific Rim as well as throughout Europe] in the cost-effective production of upwards of 700 rims a day".

Titan's ongoing quest for reduced machining set-ups is a major driver, and the 'substantial savings' being made with a recently-installed Toshulin SKL10 vertical turning lathe (VTL) equipped with a C-axis and 12-station automatic toolchanger is, said Vivash, "The perfect example of how we harness modern integrated mill-turn capability to effectively and efficiently meet our goals".

* Vertical mill-turn centre - of fixed rail, ram-type design, the SKL10 is effectively a vertical mill-turn centre and can machine workpieces of up to 1200mm diameter by 1000mm high and weighing 2000kg.

Its 60kW main motor is complemented by a 22kW rotary tool/C-axis milling drive and a disc-type tool magazine having 12 storage pods for toolholders and live tool adaptors.

Vivash said that the Toshulin SKL10 immediately enabled the company to convert a process that previously required three separate set-ups on drills and mills into a single operation.

He continued: "In particular, with the Autocrane rims, where a variety of different stud hole positioning styles is required for the four rim types, the Toshulin's toolchanging capability has 'killed a few additional birds' in terms of eliminating potential quality issues - often caused when re-locating for sequential machining - as well as reducing floor-to-floor times".

Supplied by the T W Ward Machinery CNC Retrofit division, UK, the SKL10 was installed at Titan shortly after a remanufactured Toshulin SK18-10 VTL had been added.

The SK18-10 has a four-station turret and a new six-jaw SMW 1000mm chuck, which had been fully interfaced by T W Ward.

The two machines join three other Ward-supplied Toshulin VTLs.

Vivash enthused: "The benefits gained from using our existing trio of remanufactured Toshulins left us in no doubt that Ward should be our first port of call when we needed additional VTL capacity".

He added: "Apart from costing considerably less than their brand new counterparts, the Ward remanufactured Toshulins are no different in terms of functionality, performance and appearance.

They have new drive systems, hydraulics, electronics and chucking systems as well as CNC systems (Fanuc 16iT on the SKL10); they are superb in every respect".

Vivash said: "In addition, of course, we have experience of T W Ward's re-manufacturing skills, and complementary engineering and service back - up, and these aspects also came into the equation in selecting the SKL10".

Characterised by wide variety, small batch work where the average batch is 25 and where 100-off is unusual, Titan's highly flexible production routines are being met by an advanced wheel rim production plant.

There, plasma-arc cutting and robotic laser-tracked submerged arc welding, for example, complement high-tech CNC machining.

A new powder coat paint line is another example of how Titan continually invests in its future.

Variable-based programming also contributes to shopfloor efficiency, allowing operators to minimise machine changeover and resetting times.

After calling up a 'standard' program, the operator simply replaces a set of variables with actuals for bore size, plate height and thickness as well as stud hole dimensions, for example.

"It not only speeds things up, but it also simplifies programming enormously," said Vivash.

* Manufacturing wheel rims - flat bands of steel up to 60mm thick are rolled into 'rings' that are electrical resistance flash-butt welded and then either pressed or rolled to form.

The mounting faces are welded-in (to accommodate the axle) then the gutter groove is CNC machined (some wheel types have these rolled in) in the vertical plane along with the axle mounting bores and stud holes, ready for painting.

Recalling how the first Toshulin was installed following the introduction of a new product to a manufacturing remit that then dictated the output of 30 wheel rims/h, Neil Vivash established a dedicated line for the new wheel and, after looking at all the different VTLs available - including new - chose the Toshulin from T W Ward.

"The reasons for choosing a Ward-supplied Toshulin remain the same today as they did then," said Vivash.

"Of course, cost comes into the equation, but so does quality of build, functionality and performance - in short, value for money.".

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