Product category:
Machining centres - all types
News Release from: XYZ Machine Tools | Subject: Prototrak SM3000-SLV turret mill
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 31 October 2003
Versatility and ease of programming
gains work
Flexibility and speed of response are the keys to survival says a subcontractor when speaking about manual and CNC machining versatility and ease of shopfloor programming.
Flexibility and speed of response are the keys to survival, says Clive Odell, who oversees production and is one of the three directors of family-owned Turnell + Odell And incredibly diverse is how he defines the day-to-day activities of the Wellingborough, Northamptonshire-based precision engineering company
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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"Primarily it's sub-contract work, so we can never be certain of what's coming through the door on a daily basis," he says.
"However, we derive a lot of satisfaction from the quick turnaround of anything from one-off prototypes to production batches, and we also specialise in repair and breakdown work, often being required to reverse engineer urgently needed replacement parts as well as spares for stock." Featured on Turnell + Odell's customer list are market-leading names in the steel, food, power and plastics industries, although the list also includes many less well-known names located throughout the UK.
What is certain is that the 35-strong company, which was formed in 1908, has built both its reputation and its GBP 1.75 million turnover on what Clive Odell describes as "bespoke engineering for virtually every industry sector".
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Affordable machines are easy to program
XYZ Machine Tools will be highlighting examples from its range of affordable and easy to program CNC machine tools at Tooling 2001 on Stand 1162.
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It is this environment that led directly to the company's initial purchase of a turret mill from XYZ Machine Tools some five years ago.
"It was a manual machine that proved to be great value for money, so it was a relatively easy decision to move up to another XYZ mill but this time equipped with Prototrak control.
Since then we've bought several more XYZ manual/CNC mills and lathes, the latest being a three-axis Prototrak SM3000-SLV turret mill that is dedicated to prototype work.
This has given us the extra flexibility we seek, as these machines are very responsive and we can tackle work on the SM3000-SLV that we cannot accommodate on larger machining centres.
"Programming is primarily by Manual Data Input because the nature of our work is such that, by and large, it is quicker and easier to write a new program as there are bound to be changes even to repeat orders.
We work usually to blueprint or e-mailed drawings, and the skilled people here enjoy programming on the Prototrak machines because they are so quick and easy to set up." Specialising in precision machining and fabrication, ISO 9002-accredited Turnell + Odell's history has been one of continuous development.
It moved to purpose-built premises on the Finedon Road Industrial Estate in 1990, the 20,000ft2 building housing a wide range of machine tools, including machining centres and turning centres, as well as MIG, TIG, gas and arc welding equipment.
As far as precision machining is concerned, turning work ranges from small pins to shafts up to three metres between centres and 370 mm diameter, and discs up to 830mm diameter, while milling caters for components two metres or more in length.
The company's Proturn 410 and 420 lathes, which can be used in manual or CNC mode, can swing up to 480mm and 1250mm between centres.
"They fit very nicely into what we perceive as a growing requirement for a fast and accurate response to customers' requests," says Clive Odell.
The same holds true, he adds, for the 5HP variable speed SM3000-SLV, which also can be used in manual or CNC mode.
It features a 1473mm by 305mm table work surface with travels of 1016mm in X and 431mm in Y, and can accommodate components weighing up to 550kg.
The Prototrak SM control fitted to the new SM3000-SLV is a development of the system introduced to the UK in 1993 that allows the operator to run CAM or G code files as well as Prototrak programs that are tool path or geometry based.
'Optional Converters' cater for the conversion of part programs written on other CNC systems, reinforcing Clive Odell's point about flexibility being a key factor, whether in the choice of a new machine tool or the delivery of absolute workpiece uniformity, traceability and total customer satisfaction. Request a free brochure from XYZ Machine Tools ...
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