Product category:
Horizontal machining centres (HMC)
News Release from: Yamazaki Mazak UK | Subject: Mazak FH4800 HMC and ntegrex 200SY turning centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 07 August 2003
Multi-function m/c tools increase
capacity
A HMC and a multi-tasking turning centre are giving a railway rolling stock components maker the benefits of increased capacity with reduced set up and cycle, as well as faster response.
A HMC and a multi-tasking turning centre is giving a railway rolling stock components maker the benefits of increased capacity with reduced set up and cycle Long established Hartlepool based specialist sub contractor JJ Hardy and Sons has invested in two Mazak high specification machine tools as part of a strategic move to become the UK's leading supplier of specialist railway components
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 22 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The history of JJ Hardy stretches back to 1856 as a brass founder serving local ship builders and subsequently moving into general sub-contract machining.
But, as managing director Andrew Pailor explains, in the competitive business of today's sub-contract environment, it is vital to optimise every aspect of the metal cutting operations.
"While we offer a range of sub contract machining services we needed to prioritise and have established a reputation with most of the UK's leading rail and light rail operators for the supply of mechanical and fabricated rail car components", he explains.
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Having recently introduced one of the world's most innovative ranges of new generation machine tools Yamazaki Mazak will be featuring two of its 'e' models at the MACH 2002 exhibition.
"As part of this strategic move, we have recently invested in two Mazak machine tools - initially a FH4800 horizontal machining centre followed by an Integrex 200SY multi-tasking turning centre - which have given us the benefits of increased capacity with reduced set up and cycle times along with tremendous flexibility to respond rapidly to customer needs," he explains.
"To put it bluntly, it was essential that as a manufacturer, we got away from winding handles and if we were to move the business forward, strategic investment in high quality machine tools was the only way," Mr.Pailor explains.
Today JJ Hardy supplies components - mostly spare parts and new, upgraded components and sub-assemblies - to customers ranging from UK network rail operators to the London Underground and the rolling stock builder Bombardier.
"It is important to remember that while there is a massive investment in new rolling stock and the rail infrastructure as a whole there are still trains and rolling stock in operation that have upwards of 20 years life left in them.
They need a steady supply of spares and replacements, many of which are safety critical, and JJ Hardy is increasingly the preferred source of supply," Andrew Pailor maintains.
JJ Hardy's inventory of railway components cover bogey overhaul programmes, electrical contact gear, third rail and overhead line contact equipment.
Materials used are mostly steels and iron castings with typical tolerances being 10 to 20 microns.
The company is an approved supplier to the majority of UK rail companies and has safety critical rail part and UK Rail Industry Link-up approvals.
The twin pallet Mazak FH4800 was purchased towards the end of 2001.
After only a few weeks operation it was apparent that reductions in machining cycles of up to a third were commonplace and on some components they were halved.
"The purchase of that machine was the catalyst that lead us to review our other machining operations," Andrew Pailor continues.
"We thought if we can achieve these efficiencies on horizontal machining, what is achievable on all of the other operations in the factory?" "Yamazaki Machinery demonstrated the Integrex machine to us and from that moment we were sold.
Simple calculations demonstrated that on our massive inventory of short run, often complex components, the reductions in set up times, fixturing and machining cycles using the full multi functional capabilities would propel us into a different league." Today, JJ Hardy runs its FH4800 and bar fed Integrex 200SY 24 hours a day, 6 days a week.
On the Integrex, cycle time reductions of up to an hour are not uncommon with three or four operations being machined in a single set up where previously these would have been moved around various machines in the workshop over a period of days.
The precision and maintenance of tolerance on of bore machining has also eliminated the need for additional finish boring operations.
On the FH4800 the twin pallet feeding permits two entirely different components to be machined in successive cycles - a particularly relevant feature for JJ Hardy where components are not produced in long runs in the majority of cases.
"Without doubt these two Mazak machine tools have become the cornerstone of our machining operations," concludes Andrew Pailor. Request a free brochure from Yamazaki Mazak UK ...
"They ensure we can maintain the best production rates with uncompromising quality and JJ Hardy's reputation as the UK's leading rail industry component supplier is testimony to our wise investment.".
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