CNC millers extend manufacturing experience

More CNC machine tools have been added to a Faculty of Enginering that uses industry-standard CAD/CAM software so that students experience the complete design to manufacture cycle.

Whatever the individual's background, interests or ability, Coleg Menai reckons to have something to offer on its three campuses situated in the university city of Bangor and the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales.

A wide range of vocational and academic courses ensures that the college's intake continues to increase year on year, with over 10,000 students currently studying full- or part-time at the College, at home and on-line.

The campus at Ffordd Ffriddoedd houses the Faculty of Technology, which has more than 500 students each year signing up to engineering courses ranging from NVQ Level One to Higher National Diploma.

Students are actively encouraged to move freely between vocational and academic courses in order to reach their full potential, and the College also plays a major role in keeping the Welsh language alive, with much of the day to day dialogue taking place in Welsh.

"The quality of the teaching and the equipment we have here allows our engineering students to experience the complete design to manufacture cycle for themselves," says David Price, who heads the Faculty of Technology.

"We use industry-standard CAD/CAM software and the machine tools installed here are broadly representative of the level of technology that is to be found with employers in this region.

One of the reasons why we opted for XYZ machines, for example, is that they are used in the Airbus factory at Broughton and we want to provide training on equipment that is compatible with the market we serve here in North Wales.

Coleg Menai's latest purchase is a 13HP (10kW) XYZ Mini Mill 560, which despite its small footprint of just 6ft2 (0.56m2) has travels of 560mm in X, 400mm in Y and 500mm in Z.

It also features rapid travels of 20m/min, a 10-station toolchanger (16 optional) and spindle speeds up to 8000 rev/min as standard or 12,000 rev/min optional.

With safety very much in mind, steel concertina covers are fitted to all three axes.

The Mini Mill 560 installed in the Faculty of Technology is equipped with the Siemens 802D control, although the Siemens 810D conversational Shopmill, Fanuc Oi MB and Heidenhain iTNC 530 controls are offered as alternatives.

In common with other XYZ CNC machine tools on site, the new machine is networked to the design suite, which means programming can be done either on- or off-line.

This gives students hands-on experience of downloading CAD/CAM programs.

Workshop instructor Rhys Parry says he reassures students new to CNC with the words: "If you can use a mobile 'phone, you can operate an XYZ machine".

He singles out the Prototrak control fitted to the manual/CNC mills as "being a great introduction to CNC" and, as the person responsible for maintenance, is equally enthusiastic about the reliability and maintainability of the XYZ manual and CNC machines.

The first Prototrak-equipped mill was installed 10 years ago, while the latest, a SM1500, was installed last September.

It has a 3HP (2.25kW) spindle motor providing a 75-4200 rev/min variable speed range and X, Y and Z travels of 660mm by 330mm by 406mm.

With operator safety a major consideration, especially in a college environment, full table guarding is supplied as standard.

One indication of how well students have responded to the quality of the teaching and the influence of the technology available to them at Coleg Menai can be gauged from the College's success in last November's EEF Modern Apprenticeship Competition for Wales.

It was the ninth year in a row that Coleg Menai swept the board in this prestigious competition, with prizes awarded to eight students who between them are serving apprenticeships with Anglesey Aluminium Metal, Blaenau Plastics and BNFL.

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