Product category:
5-axis (3+2 axes and continuous path) machining centres
News Release from: Yamazaki Mazak UK | Subject: 500-5X five-axis vertical machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 31 October 2006
Machining centre has rigid rotary/tilt
table
Highly-rigid tilting rotary table of a recently-installed 5-axis machining centre enables workpieces, however complex their contours and features, to be completed in one set-up.
5-axis machining centre has rigid rotary/tilt table Highly-rigid tilting rotary table of a recently-installed 5-axis machining centre enables workpieces, however complex their contours and features, to be completed in one set-up A Mazak Variaxis 500-5X five-axis vertical machining centre is playing a key role in the production of the two-part aluminium camera bodies that house the complex electronics and imaging components of the Olympus i-SPEED 2 digital high speed video system
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 22 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Whether it is about improving manufacturing efficiency or contributing to automotive and aerospace safety testing, this new-generation product records fast-moving events and plays back images at much slower speeds, allowing the user to study events and quickly identify problems.
This is one of many innovative imaging products designed and manufactured in the UK that have propelled KeyMed (Medical and Industrial Equipment), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus of Japan since 1987, to a second Queen's Award for Enterprise.
Employing more than 1200 people in Southend-on-Sea and Plymouth (UK), Dublin (Ireland) and New York (USA), KeyMed has made rapid strides since it was formed in 1970 with a staff of four.
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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.
It currently claims market leadership for many of its product ranges, and to achieve this competitive edge in a global marketplace, KeyMed, which is accredited to ISO 9001:2000; ISO 13485:2003 and ISO 14001:2004, has invested heavily in its manufacturing facilities at Southend-on-Sea and its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Algram Group, in Plymouth.
The 7500m2 manufacturing facility at Southend-on-Sea is equipped for computer-controlled machining, laser welding, sheet metalworking, robotic welding, electrostatic painting, surface mount printed circuit assembly and automatic testing of electronic equipment.
It is here that the highly-rigid tilting rotary table of the recently-installed 30HP/12,000 rev/min Mazak Variaxis 500-5X enables workpieces, however complex their contours and features, to be completed in a single machine set-up.
Operating under simultaneous five-axis control, the table can tilt up to 150 deg (A-axis) and rotate up to 360 deg (C-axis), allowing unrestricted access when machining, for example, five sides of the i-SPEED 2 camera body.
In fact, the camera bodies are virtually fully machined in one hit as the final part of the machining involves removing material from the underside of the machined component to leave just two small 'snap-tabs' on the completed profile.
Because KeyMed had previously sub-contracted its 5-axis machining work, Yamazaki Mazak UK supplied the Variaxis 500-5X equipped with a 30-tool storage capacity as part of a turnkey package that included CNC program development and associated tooling and workholding equipment.
"We opted for Mazak because we know that the build quality is excellent and their service is equally good," said Alan Player, KeyMed's Component Manufacturing manager.
"We bought our first Mazak CNC machine in 1980 because we were convinced that its Mazatrol conversational control was the most user-friendly CNC available and we continue to program our Quick Turn CNC lathe and two Super Quick Turn mill-turning machines on the shopfloor.
However, we have now installed a Delcam off-line programming system as we are still on a learning curve with five-axis work." Player said: "Apart from the inherent complexity of components such as the i-Speed 2 camera bodies, we have moved away from making parts for stock to machining small batches for delivery direct to the assembly line.
This is on a four-hour forecast basis, so we cannot tolerate delays.
We are running a two-shift system at the moment but the level of demand for KeyMed products is such that we will be changing to a three-shift system in the near futur.
This makes machine reliability and the ease-of-programming aspect of the Mazatrol CNC more important than ever.
Because we are manufacturing smaller batch quantities, we are focused on reducing set-up times but we also need to keep the machines running and it is reassuring to know that operators can deal with any programming problems that may occur 'out of hours'.
It's all about 'total cost' in what is now a global marketplace, and that means avoiding unnecessary downtime and maintaining quality and delivery." Previously honoured in 2004 in the category of Sustainable Development - acknowledging KeyMed's achievements in combining commercial vigour with progressive social and employment policies - this year's Queen's Award is in the category of International Trade.
An on-going R and D programme involving close liaison with Olympus in Tokyo has contributed to a 133% increase in export sales over the past six years, with KeyMed currently achieving overseas sales of more than GBP 76 million/year. Request a free brochure from Yamazaki Mazak UK ...
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