MTD Audiobook

In June 2017, Guhring officially opened its new 60,000sq/ft manufacturing facility on Birmingham's Advanced Manufacturing Hub.

The new £12 million UK headquarters of the globally renowned German-owned cutting tool manufacturer was opened for Guhring to realise its growth ambitions.

The previous Castle Bromwich facility was home to Guhring UK for more than 40 years and the growth over the decades had certainly pushed the capacity of the facility to its limits.

At the time of the move, Guhring had a market split of 70% of standard products and 30% of UK manufactured special tooling.

In the last two years, Guhring has invested in a host of additional technology and staff at the 3.5-acre site to meet the increased demand for special tooling.

What does this mean for the landscape of the transformed business model?

Standard product sales have grown year on year over the last two years.

But it's the increased capacity that has really given Guhring the impetus to drive its special tools and projects, application and engineering services.

Special tools and projects now account for 45% of sales/turnover at Guhring UK.

The relentless growth of the special tooling and applications division isn't only testament to investment in new technology and staff, but also capabilities that stretch far beyond that of most UK cutting tool manufacturers.

Guhring UK’s National Sales Manager, Dave Hudson says: “We will design the tool and then send the customer a quote with a cost breakdown and a manufacturing time that could be a number of days up to a number of weeks depending upon the production criteria.

Once the customer has this data, they will place an order and we will provide the end user with a drawing, which they will sign-off.

Once this is signed-off and agreed upon with an order number, we will expedite the project to our manufacturing team.”

“From a consultation perspective, our sales engineers will talk to the end user and discus the best route forward.

In many instances, a customer will be using 2, 3 or 4 tools to complete a process that can be achieved by a single tool.

Right from the initial discussion, our engineers are looking at how to reduce the number of tools in the process, reduce the number of tool changes and the impact on cycle times.

For situations like that, there may be a marked improvement on the component quality with regards to concentricity and surface finish.

This can be a critical factor where a number of tools are entering a bore and potentially creating a mis-match.”

“At the end of the day, a lot of people say they prefer to use standard tools, but a standard tool is often a ‘compromise tool’.

This is because it can be used for several operations whereas a special tool is dedicated to one process.

However, if you are undertaking series production or running a part over 3-4 years or more, why not tailor the tools to the component?”

“At Guhring, we use the Cutview software program.

This allows us to input the specific process and all the relevant cutting data and prepare production time studies, performance, torque and feed cutting force data that will all be relevant to the specific machine tool and workholding configurations.

By generating data that is tailored to the exact working parameters and capability of the machine tool and set-up, we can provide very detailed performance information.

At this point, more often than not; the cost of the tool is not a consideration – its all about the available benefits.

We can estimate the cycle time calculations very accurately with the Cutview software before the tool ever makes a cut.”

“By detailing cost-per-piece reductions, cycle time savings and tool cost reductions, the software often provides a ‘eureka’ moment for manufacturers.

The software also accounts for the re-grind process and when built into the same equation, the benefits of Guhring special tools are evident.”

“For example, we were working on a tool project for an automotive O-E-M in the UK and we were working to a tool life target of 200 metres, the reason for this was MQL machining.

Additionally, if you have 10 machines running the same process, you want consistent tool life rather than changing tools halfway through a shift.

This customer needed the 200 meters tool life, so the tool changes would coincide with a shift changeover.

We could have offered different parameters, but this O-E-M had specific targets and we worked according to the given data.”

Referring to the extensive nature of the in-house services and in particular the coating department, Dave Hudson says: “We will rationalise the process and with our in-house coating facility, our engineers will discuss the best route forward for the end user.

If you are machining aluminium, you may not coat the tool and opt for a polished tool finish or it may be a choice of our Zenit coating that is a non-stick hard coating for titanium and aluminium alloys.

If customers are working on steel and hard materials, we have our Fire coating grade.

The beauty of what we have here at Guhring UK is the ability to offer more than 10 different coatings.

A lot of the coatings have been designed and developed by Guhring for specific applications and tools – they are not available from other suppliers.”

“In contrast to selecting coatings, our engineers can look at a process and if a customer has a high spindle speed and the material suits P-C-D tooling, this is another avenue we can provide as an alternative to H-S-S or carbide tooling.

Likewise, the development of P-C-D tooling can all be done in-house using the same platforms and processes as carbide tooling.

This is something that very few tooling companies can provide. We can cover every eventuality.”

The Guhring UK facility that's just a stone throw away from Aston Villa Football Club also has an in-house technical centre.

Commenting on this, Dave Hudson says: “We are now using our in-house technical centre more and more.

It gives us an opportunity to trial our products based on the cutting data provided by the Cutview software platform.

We’ve machined parts to the parameters in Cutview and this allows us to prove that what we say in theory, also works in practice.

The beauty of the technical centre is having the ability to get on machines and do the trials that customers cannot undertake as they do not have the spare time or machine capacity for trials.”

“Our colleagues in Germany have more than 5 machines with high-speed cameras, M-Q-L, electron microscopes for inspecting tools and parts plus a range of different machine types with varying performance criteria .

With our growth trajectory, we could be aiming at the same type of facility in the UK.”

The process doesn’t end with product delivery, and life-cycle management is a process that Guhring is conscious of.

According to Dave Hudson “Once the tool has completed the process and been shipped to the customer, there are often discussions over additional order quantities and potential costs.

For example, a customer may receive one tool and then decide they need 5, 10 or more.

At this point, we can schedule the order quantities and delivery dates to meet the manufacturing needs of that customer.

This often gives the customer two things. Firstly, a better price point and secondly, it provides a continuity of supply.”

“This is critically important for scenarios where the customer may break the tool, have a machine crash or encounter other unforeseen circumstances.

The security we offer customers sees us hold more than £1m of special tools on our shelves in the UK.

To bolster this security and customer confidence is our ability to service, re-tip, re-grind, re-coat and re-supply used tools in brand new condition.

Having an all-encompassing state-of-the-art manufacturing site enables us to provide service levels that far exceed the levels provided by other tooling companies.”

Referring to the performance of the special division since the factory move, Dave Hudson concludes:

“The performance of our special tool division in the last two years has grown considerably, which is outperforming the impressive growth of our standard product lines.

Our continued investment in new technology on site will ensure we remain at the forefront of special tool production in the UK.”

As a renowned manufacturer in digital dentistry, Phibo has developed, produced and sold dental products for more than 30 years with a key focus on research and scientific innovation.

Over 8,000 customers, more than five million implants produced, and 2.5 million CAD/CAM-customised prostheses are a testament to the company’s success.

In addition to products such as implant systems and prostheses, Phibo also offers services and digital solutions and is currently a market leader in Spain, the Latin American market and various European countries.

The individual prostheses are produced by either using selective laser melting or milling. A key component of the process is the REGO-FIX poweRgrip.

When it comes to standardised production of implant systems, Phibo uses calibrated titanium rods as a raw material.

These rods are then machined to produce a variety of products such as implants, pins and clinical instruments.

Josep Pujol, COO of the Phibo Group says “Phibo currently has a portfolio of more than 2,000 references for standard products.”

Production Facility for CAD/CAM Solutions

While implant systems are standardised products, the prostheses produced using CAD/CAM are fully customised and Phibo’s patented implants undergo a critical treatment process.

The CAD/CAM processes have become indispensable and Phibo has been using them for more than ten years and produces thousands of prosthesis units daily in a 24 hour a day production setup.

The process begins with the impression, which can be taken digitally or via the traditional way of using materials such as silicone, which is then followed by digitisation.

In both cases, the prostheses are designed in the laboratory using CAD software.

Phibo produces these prostheses from a variety of materials such as cobalt chrome, titanium and zircon.

In the case of cobalt chrome, the material is mechanically machined in different machine tools equipped with the REGO-FIX poweRgrip.

The prostheses are machined at high speed on more than 20 five axes CNC machining centers with spindle speeds of up to 60,000rpm.

The HSK-32 connectors are used on all machines. Eduard León, Production Manager for CAD/CAM at Phibo says "When machining, we need to maintain precision of 10µm.”

The Phibo CAD/CAM technology can be used with this level of precision thanks to the REGO-FIX poweRgrip clamping system, which Phibo has been using since the product launch.

The reason for the purchase of a second C-N-C machine was that up until a point, Phibo only used ER collets.

Productivity and precision needed to increase to keep up with company growth.

The idea was also to reduce the number of toolholders, simplify clamping and create a durable system.

Tests were then carried out, with poweRgrip ultimately securing the victory.

The poweRgrip has helped reduce downtime significantly with precision and service life remaining consistent over a prolonged period.

Oscar Velilla, is the C-E-O of GerSwiss Ibérica Technology, which represents REJJO-FIX as a distributor in Spain. He says “If you work carefully and keep everything nice and clean, you’ll have a product that maintains precision for many years to come.”

“In the case of traditional clamping systems that are tightened by hand, the thread is exposed to a certain level of wear and deformation.

If you use the poweRgrip collet, there is just about no wear with clamping and releasing, which is why the same level of precision can be guaranteed even after thousands of clamping cycles.”

poweRgrip continues to help coordinate process parameters with a high degree of precision and thus achieves consistently high quality efficiently and with a low range of tolerance.

Eduard León says “The surface quality that we achieve by damping vibration is ideal for us.”

As a collet-based system, holder and collet, powRgrip offers this vibration damping as a significant benefit over thermally and directly clamped toolholder systems, resulting in optimal damping and this ensures a considerable reduction in vibration behavior during use.

Specialising in precision engineering and optical systems, Loesch T-P-L Feinwerktechnik was founded in 1950 in Darmstadt.

With a workforce of ten and an annual turnover of €2m Euros, LOESCH T-P-L is a source of ideas as well as a supplier to major machinery manufacturers.

At the company’s production facility, complex parts are machined with impeccable accuracy and the Mazak VCN 530C VMC stands out for its efficiency.

This is credit to the addition of a two-axis C-N-C rotary table from pL LEHMANN that allows the machine to undertake full five-sided machining.

Loesch's product range covers three main areas that includes testing equipment for the automotive industry; handling devices and components for plasma powder and laser cladding and measuring and testing equipment for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical industry.

Managing Director Michael Loesch says: “We are more than just a metal-cutting service provider.

We are best described as an innovative partner of various renowned enterprises, primarily supplying ideas, developments and our own products.

Our know-how in these areas is extensive, and we not only apply it to the manufacture of parts, but also to their mechatronic requirements.

Of course, metal cutting is a core competence because all complex parts are manufactured in-house.”

The company's ground floor houses six Mazak CNC machines.

“We've had close ties with this manufacturer since 1979.

Back then, my father, the founder of our company, ordered the first Mazak lathe.

Further lathes and machining centres were added over the years, and we have always happily relied on Mazak's technical advice, delivery and customer care.”

The latest addition, a 3-axis VCN 530C VMC has been purchased and its potential has been enhanced by the addition of a C-N-C rotary table combination from pL LEHMANN to facilitate 5-axis machining.

LOESCH T-P-L decided that for efficiency reasons the C-N-C rotary table was the most suitable addition.

Using five-axis milling and drilling technology, Michael Loesch realises benefits for many workpieces from across the entire range of customers.

He says“In general, all parts can be manufactured on a 3-axis machine.

However, this requires special clamping fixtures for angled surfaces and bores.

Additionally, multi-sided machining always requires the re-clamping of parts in different positions.

This costs time and is detrimental to accuracy. From a technical and economic point of view, 5-axis machining is beyond compare.”

The reason for the configuration is because a 5-axis machine was not an option for Michael Loesch:

“Rocker-mounted rotary tables are usually rather small, or we would have had to spend a lot of money for a correspondingly larger machining centre.

For us, the Mazak VCN extended by the Lehmann rotary/tilting table is the perfect solution.

It even leaves enough room to accommodate two more vices on the machine table, thus providing further clamping options for simpler workpieces or the sixth side.”

This type of solution also entails interfering edges that require a raised fixture for the workpiece or at least long tools.

These both reduce stability, promote vibration and ultimately reduce precision and machine performance.

Moreover, a 3+2-axis solution is less expensive while offering greater flexibility.

With the Mazak VCN 530C, Michael Loesch and his team of metal-cutting experts are convinced to have found the most productive vertical machining centre solution.

Cycle times are very short thanks to the high feed rate of 42 m/min, excellent acceleration/deceleration and quick tool changes of just 2.8 s.

Durable linear roller guides ensure consistent machining accuracy along all axes.

The machine was specified with a 40-tool magazine, an 18’000rpm high-speed spindle and a Knoll 70 bar high-pressure coolant system, reducing machining times for deep-hole drilling by up to 90%.

For LOESCH, the 1300 x 550 mm table was of particular importance as it can fit the C-N-C rotary table from pL LEHMANN and still provide enough space for two vices of size 125.

Supported by the rotary table specialists from Switzerland and German sales and service partner IVO Oesterle, the team selected the two-axis model T1 TOP2.

“The Swiss quality won us over at the first presentation. With regard to performance and suitability for digitalization and Industry 4.0, we did not consider any of the alternatives.”

3D-CAD data of the C-N-C rotary table were submitted to the team beforehand, so a matching workspace concept could be worked out in the in-house CAD system.

The two-axis LEHMANN rotary table T1 TOP2 is 711mm long, 301mm wide and 250mm high.

It clamps workpieces of up to 340mm in diameter.

Michael Loesch says “That's more than enough because we mainly process small to medium-sized workpieces at about 150mm".

A torsionally rigid overall system was a key requirement, so the decision was made for a clamped counter-bearing.

He says “Besides copper, brass, aluminium and bearing metals, we often process stainless steels that cannot be roughed without this option.”

To this effect, a clamping torque of 800Nm in the 4th axis and up to 4’000Nm in the 5th axis was a convincing feature.

Also, precision is a core value at LOESCH.

The indexing accuracy solution specified by pL LEHMANN of +/- 17 arc second and +/- 21 arc second (4th and 5th axis) as well as the average repeat accuracy positions of +/- 2 arc second, correspondingly, was verified by the metal-cutting experts on site using a calibration cube.

The result exceeded the specifications. In practice, the high positioning speed of the rotary/tilting table is another great benefit.

Michael Loesch is very satisfied with his investment:

He says “Thanks to the Mazak VCN 530C and the two-axis rotary table from pL LEHMANN, we have achieved significant time savings and reduced the effort required for re-clamping, thereby freeing up our machine operators to take care of other tasks.”

Laser Prototypes Europe, or LPE is a specialist in rapid prototyping and manufacturing.

It has just purchased a V600QH from Sodi-Tech EDM to support the 3D printing of metal parts at the company.

This new acquisition is already performing its tasks 50% faster than an existing Sodick machine that was installed in 2017.

Belfast based Laser Prototypes Europe undertakes DMLS or direct metal laser sintering to print complex components in short cycle times to provide a huge competitve advantage for LPE and its customers.

The DMLS process requires a lot of heat and energy to sinter the powder, which creates in-built stresses that can lead to distortion of the part.

To counter this effect, heatsinks and anchors must be added to the component.

After 3D printing, wire EDM is used as a finishing process to remove the heatsinks and anchors and achieve final tolerances.

It is for this very process the company invested in the

V600QH from Sodi-Tech EDM.

LPE was established in 1991 by its current Managing Director Tom Walls.

It was the first UK company to install an EOS rapid prototyping system and it has continued to invest in the latest technologies and materials.

This enables the company to provide a complete metal sintering service, in-house metallurgy, stress relieving, wire EDM, bead blasting and five-axis machining.

“Additive Manufacturing presents a unique problem for EDM: the density and shape of the support structure makes DMLS parts very difficult to wire without continuous wire breakages.

In addition, there are lattice type structures within the parts, and sometimes powder can be found in pockets, all of which add to the challenge.

Unfortunately, wire breakages occur fairly frequently.

Tom Walls says "For this reason, we need wire EDM machines with quick re-threading and re-positioning, which is why we use Sodick.”

LPE installed its first Sodick wire EDM in 2017, an

AQ537L model.

While this machine has performed well, such has been the company’s growth trajectory that wire EDM became a bottleneck.

Tom Walls says “We also thought it was a risk to continue running with just one wire EDM.

The machine hasn’t missed a beat, but if anything, unforeseen was to happen, it would have a major impact on lead times.

So, to both increase capacity and mitigate risk, we decided to invest in a second Sodick.

The reliability of our first machine has been such that there was never any chance we would look elsewhere.”

The high resolution (down to 0.015mm) and production standard resolution (0.06mm) can be offered to cater for different customer demands and due to LPE’s focus on quality.

All DMLS parts are subjected to stress relieving before making their way to the Sodick wire EDMs.

Referring to the latest addition, Tom Walls says: “The way the wire is driven has been improved, delivering better control if it thinks it might break.

Also, if the wire does break, it is much faster at re-threading and getting back to its cut position, which contributes to higher productivity.

Performing wire EDM on a row of 20 DMLS parts would previously take around 4 hours, but we can complete them in half that time using the V600QH.

Both the machine interface and software are also better.”

Installed in late July 2019, the Sodick VL600QH wire EDM with linear motor technology has the capability to accommodate tall workpieces thanks to 500mm of travel in the Z axis.

LPE, which is both ISO:9001 and ISO:13485 registered, estimates it will grow by a further 10-15% this year as demand for metal additive manufacturing continues to ramp up.

Tom Walls concludes by saying “There are many factors that set us apart from our competitors.

For instance, all customers receive a rapid quote, a dedicated project team and ongoing support and advice from a designated sales contact.

Moreover, our knowledge is second to none, which is why we are continuing our research with universities and industry, and currently support four PhD students and four post-doctoral students with their research in advanced process control and powder development for metal laser sintering.”

Wakefield based Hydraulic System Products Ltd produces hydraulic parts predominantly for the earth moving equipment industry.

HSP has recently invested in a new Typhoon B65 MSY turning centre from Colchester Machine Tool Solutions. MTDCNC’s Paul Jones travelled up the M1 to take a look…

Hydraulic System Products Ltd is a business that is often running around the clock and up to seven days a week when necessary,.

It manufactures measurement equipment and kits, hydraulic control valves, microbore hoses and accessories, with much of the components for fluid power systems supplied to the heavy machinery sector.

With the Typhoon B65 MSY turning centre only being launched in the last 12 months, Chris Smith from Colchester Machine Tool Solutions told MTDCNC, the Typhoon has been breaking new ground:

He says “The machine that H-S-P have bought is a barfed twin-spindle machine with a 65mm bar capacity and it utilises a Y-axis.

They went for this model as they have some of our older Tornado machines, which are twin-spindle – but the additional Y-axis really gives more scope for some of the more complex projects.

The company also has some new designs in the pipeline where the Y-axis will certainly be needed for some of the small angular holes the company wants to machine.”

Sean Gray from HSP says: “Its brilliant! It’s also a name you can trust. We’ve had Colchester machines for years and they are amazing.

They are only up the road if we need anything, and they are always on hand for us.”

Asked if the company is getting the benefit of the Y-axis configuration, Sean says: “We are using it a lot on our newer parts, and we are developing the Y-axis capability into our products and production.”

The company bought its first Colchester machine back in 2001 and reliability is a core factor for HSP.

Sean says “It’s all about reliability for us. We have a few Colchester machines, but they are not on the level of the new machine.

We come in at 8 a-m and get the machine up and running, at 3.30 in the afternoon we are doing the tip changes and getting it ready to run the next shift. Its relentless”

Regarding programming and getting used to the additional axes, Sean says: “Although it has an extra axis, we can transfer the programs over from the other machines, but as the Y-axis is not in the program, it will start to ‘alarm-out’.

So, it’s very basic and easy to change the program from the old Tornado that doesn’t have the Y-axis, to the new Typhoon machine that does.”

Referring to the parts machined, Sean says: “At the moment we are running a check valve on the machine with a male thread of 3-quarters BSP to an internal 1inch and one 16th U-N-F thread.

It’s not too intricate, but we do machine intricate parts on the Typhoon.

We have so much production that we have to get out, the extra capacity of the Typhoon is great, but the Y-axis will enhance this further over time.”

“The Tornado and Typhoon machines come equipped with a software package called MGI Demo.

This manual guidance code is an amazing bit of software that makes programming a hell of a lot easier.

We can simulate the programs and make the parts on the screen before you actually turn them, which reduces the potential for collisions.”

“I can write a program, ensure I set the MGI demo simulation and the tooling, and then run it through without moving the machine at all.

So, I know that the software will flag up an error and if something is going to go wrong.”

Working with a more robust machine platform than previous models, Sean commented on tool wear,

“We have witnessed less tool wear and this is down to the build quality, the weight, configuration and the fact that as a brand new machine, everything is 100% concentric, precise and running as it should.”

“This machine has achieved everything we wanted and more. It is an amazing machine from a name you can trust. Colchester have certainly raised the level with the new Typhoon.”

Supplying quality conscious market sectors such as the automotive, aerospace, electronics and rail industries is why Cannock based Key Precision has put its faith in machine tools from Citizen.

Down the years, the Staffordshire subcontract business has placed its stock in Citizen, installing three A32 sliding head turning centres in 20-13 and more recently adding an L32 Type 8 with LFV and an Iemca Boss 338-HD barfeed unit.

Like any other subcontract manufacturer operating in high-value supply chains, the ISO: 9001 and AS: 9100 accredited company has to have productivity and cost-down considerations at its core.

This is why Key Precision specified the Citizen, as Greg Jackson told MTDCNC:

“The machine is great, but the problem we now have is that we can’t get enough bars on the L32.

We have a particular component that we were making five at a time. W

ith a few tweaks, we managed to get from 5 parts to 50 on an alternative machine, but now with the Citizen we’re running 500-off lights-out without intervention.

Now, the barfeed is running out of stock before we get a chance to re-stock the machine.”

This is clearly a great problem to have for the subcontract business, as it was previously having issues with swarf wrapping and the necessity for an operator to remove string like swarf from the work envelope for machining to continue.

By adopting the LFV technology, Key Precision can now run its parts lights-out massively increasing productivity.

Referring to the particular batch-production part that has been improved, Greg says: “The bearing retainer part is produced from 7075 aluminium with a 10 micron tolerance on the diameter all along the length.

Originally we planned to have the parts ground, but the consistency of the Citizen and its LFV means we can eliminate that operation and drop finished parts out of the machine in a single hit.”

“We are running the machine in non-guidebush mode with a stroke of 80mm; and using the full stroke, we can still comfortably hold tolerance and we can probably machine in the realms of 3XD.

In addition, the LFV system is ensuring that the swarf is breaking off in very small chips, so we’re not getting any damage on the part.”

“We are now looking at different ways to get the bars off the machines, as in some cases, our collection system cannot contain the high-quantity and frequency of the parts.

Additionally, we have to be careful not to damage any parts, especially on tight tolerance work.”

Discussing the new Citizen L32 in general terms, Greg says: “The work envelope is very spacious for us to get into the machine and access tools and workpieces.

Additionally, the door is very large, and the access is more comparable to that of a larger fixed head machine.

There is also a back door to get to the tools from the rear.

We have four driven tools at the front end with the option to put an arm in there for a manual B-axis, so we can go up to seven tools.

We also have five live tools at the back and three deep hole drilling tools next to the sub-spindle.

We have used this on quite a few occasions when you need extra-long drills that can go next to the sub-spindle, providing there are no clashes with the back-working tools – we have drilled over 180mm deep on the machine.”

As well as the LFV system for swarf breaking, Key Precision specified the Citizen machine with medium pressure coolant supply.

As Greg Jackson says: “This particular L32 model only has the LFV system on the main spindle, so we put medium pressure coolant supply on the machine with 80bar pressure. This enables us to clear any swarf from the back-working tools.”

Supplying to several industries, Parallel Precision Ltd has the capacity to produce components with a 24-hour turn around, and this is in no small part to the machine tools it specifies from Hurco.

The Lydney based subcontract machining company offers everything from prototypes through to volume production and its capabilities include 3, 4 and 5-axis machining.

Applying advanced manufacturing technologies to undertake lights out production, MTDCNC visited the Gloucestershire company to take a closer look at one of its latest acquisitions, a 3-axis Hurco VM10i machining centre.

The company supplies a diverse range of industries.

These include automotive, consumer, electronics, food, hydraulic, lighting, medical, motorsport, robotics and telecoms, transport and many more,.

Parallel Precision Ltd.’s Elliott Staton says “We bought the Hurco machine for its flexibility.

As a job shop, we need to get our machines set up quickly and get the jobs out the door quickly.

Hurco provided a great package with their machine that included tool and part setting probes and great features on the control that allow us to achieve those goals of getting things out of the door.”

The 3-axis Hurco VM10i machining centre specified by the Gloucestershire subcontractor was bought with a 20-tool station and 20,000rpm spindle.

It operates in a spacious work envelope of 660 by 406 by 500mm in the X, Y and a Z-axis.

The company primarily machines plastic, aluminium, steel and stainless-steel components in quantities from one-off to runs upward of 3000-off.

Elliott Staton says “We recently did a batch of 250 parts for the automotive industry and credit to the reliability and accuracy of the Hurco, a batch of this size was no problem.

During the 4 days of machining the 250 parts, we didn’t have to make a single offset on the machine, which was cutting a very high-precision bore.”

Elliott Staton says the innovative WinMax Mill software integrated into the C-N-C control system on the Hurco VM10i machining centre is particularly impressive.

He says “The Hurco control has some great features on it, such as the tool numbering system that allows you to have 9,999 tools in the control memory.

Each 1,000 number is designated to a particular type of tool and the following three digits refer to the size parameters of the tool.

This is great when your working on everything from programming through to setting, because whoever is operating or programming the machine knows what tool belongs to a particular number.”

This also creates continuity around the machine shop, as Elliott says: “It works great with repeat jobs and setting up new jobs or identifying what tools are in your carousel.

The WinMax Mill is very easy to use and intuitive. Whilst there are other systems available, we chose Hurco because it fits in very well with the workshop.

It’s a very good control system that understands what the user wants, you don’t necessarily have to know a lot of code or have an engineering background to learn how to use the C-N-C control.

This enables the C-N-C control to help us bridge the skills gap and bring people into our business that can competently run parts through some simple programming.”

“Furthermore, there is an ‘interrupt’ feature. So, if there is a one-off part that has been pre-machined by a customer, we can’t afford to scrap it.

So, one example is where we recently started with a small tool offset and run it in the bore of a part and interrupted the cycle, measured the bore and adjusted the offset.

With just two buttons, we could then carry-on and machine the part exactly how it was running.”

“Regarding programming a part on the machine whilst another part is running, that is another great feature that saves time.

If we are running production of 3,500 components as an example; whilst they are running, we want to be at the control programming the next job that is in line for production.

With the Hurco control and the WinMax Mill system, that is not a problem.”

Commenting upon the back-up and support from Hurco, Elliott says: “Things rarely go wrong with Hurco machines, but if they ever do, the service department is there to answer any questions.

Additionally, Hurco has a dedicated ‘Apps team’, so if I, or any of the team are unsure of any features in terms of what the machine is capable of, the ‘Apps team’ can be called and we can ask how a feature works via phone or email and they will get back to us very quickly with a great set of instructions; and if the machine is capable of a task, the team will tell us how to implement our query.”

Supplying to several industries, Parallel Precision Ltd has the capacity to produce components with a 24-hour turn around, and this is in no small part to the machine tools it specifies from Hurco.

The Lydney based subcontract machining company offers everything from prototypes through to volume production and its capabilities include 3, 4 and 5-axis machining.

Applying advanced manufacturing technologies to undertake lights out production, MTDCNC visited the Gloucestershire company to take a closer look at one of its latest acquisitions, a 3-axis Hurco VM10i machining centre.

The company supplies a diverse range of industries.

These include automotive, consumer, electronics, food, hydraulic, lighting, medical, motorsport, robotics and telecoms, transport and many more,.

Parallel Precision Ltd.’s Elliott Staton says “We bought the Hurco machine for its flexibility.

As a job shop, we need to get our machines set up quickly and get the jobs out the door quickly.

Hurco provided a great package with their machine that included tool and part setting probes and great features on the control that allow us to achieve those goals of getting things out of the door.”

The 3-axis Hurco VM10i machining centre specified by the Gloucestershire subcontractor was bought with a 20-tool station and 20,000rpm spindle.

It operates in a spacious work envelope of 660 by 406 by 500mm in the X, Y and a Z-axis.

The company primarily machines plastic, aluminium, steel and stainless-steel components in quantities from one-off to runs upward of 3000-off.

Elliott Staton says “We recently did a batch of 250 parts for the automotive industry and credit to the reliability and accuracy of the Hurco, a batch of this size was no problem.

During the 4 days of machining the 250 parts, we didn’t have to make a single offset on the machine, which was cutting a very high-precision bore.”

Elliott Staton says the innovative WinMax Mill software integrated into the C-N-C control system on the Hurco VM10i machining centre is particularly impressive.

He says “The Hurco control has some great features on it, such as the tool numbering system that allows you to have 9,999 tools in the control memory.

Each 1,000 number is designated to a particular type of tool and the following three digits refer to the size parameters of the tool.

This is great when your working on everything from programming through to setting, because whoever is operating or programming the machine knows what tool belongs to a particular number.”

This also creates continuity around the machine shop, as Elliott says: “It works great with repeat jobs and setting up new jobs or identifying what tools are in your carousel.

The WinMax Mill is very easy to use and intuitive. Whilst there are other systems available, we chose Hurco because it fits in very well with the workshop.

It’s a very good control system that understands what the user wants, you don’t necessarily have to know a lot of code or have an engineering background to learn how to use the C-N-C control.

This enables the C-N-C control to help us bridge the skills gap and bring people into our business that can competently run parts through some simple programming.”

“Furthermore, there is an ‘interrupt’ feature. So, if there is a one-off part that has been pre-machined by a customer, we can’t afford to scrap it.

So, one example is where we recently started with a small tool offset and run it in the bore of a part and interrupted the cycle, measured the bore and adjusted the offset.

With just two buttons, we could then carry-on and machine the part exactly how it was running.”

“Regarding programming a part on the machine whilst another part is running, that is another great feature that saves time.

If we are running production of 3,500 components as an example; whilst they are running, we want to be at the control programming the next job that is in line for production.

With the Hurco control and the WinMax Mill system, that is not a problem.”

Commenting upon the back-up and support from Hurco, Elliott says: “Things rarely go wrong with Hurco machines, but if they ever do, the service department is there to answer any questions.

Additionally, Hurco has a dedicated ‘Apps team’, so if I, or any of the team are unsure of any features in terms of what the machine is capable of, the ‘Apps team’ can be called and we can ask how a feature works via phone or email and they will get back to us very quickly with a great set of instructions; and if the machine is capable of a task, the team will tell us how to implement our query.”

The Sunspring Metal Corporation is a leading producer of cast metal goods, manufacturing zinc and brass bathroom and door fittings.

The two new production lines are equipped with different machining technologies and have been fitted with EROWA Robots.

Aiding the automation further are EROWA workpiece tooling systems, measuring machines, wash stations and also the JMS 4.0 process control system.

Jeff Yang, Senior Director of Engineering at Sunspring says “The aim was to improve plant effectiveness by reducing machine down-time, but at the same time, we had to ensure the produced parts would be of the highest quality and available on time.”

Stable production processes are indispensable in tool and mould-making; and have to be guaranteed even when operating with minimum supervision or unmanned.

Sunspring chose EROWA to supply the automation for the two production lines.

One of the lines runs Makino machining centres as well as several wire EDM machine tools.

This set-up is served by a rail mounted EROWA Robot Dynamic 250 XT.

In addition, there is an EROWA CMM Qi measuring machine and an EROWA Lift.

The EROWA Robot Dynamic is a flexible and extendable handling system for economical loading of machining centres.

It can automate the loading and unloading of up to eight machines by running on rails up to 20m long.

One of the important features for automated manufacturing of single parts and small batches is that the system can switch automatically between different pallet sizes.

The Robot Dynamic is suitable for loading large and small pallet loaded workpieces weighing up to 250kg with various machine loading options.

The second line also consists of several machining centres that are complimented by several EDM machines. This line is served by an EROWA Robot Dynamic 500 on a rail.

Here, too, a C-M-M Q-i is in operation as well as an EROWA RoboSpa wash station.

Palletised workpieces up to 500kg or up to 800 by 800 by 500mm can be loaded onto the machine tool safely and precisely with the Robot Dynamic 500.

It has an exchange gripper system that can handle almost all EROWA pallets and systems.

The robot switches to the relevant system according to the jobs it has been assigned.

This removes any obstacles in the way of mixed and flexible manufacturing.

The EROWA Q-i measuring machines fitted to each of the lines have been designed to be shopfloor hardened, with solid granite tables and specially cast portal structures.

Stable linear axes move on high-precision rails with air bearings combined with symmetrical central axis drives to minimise the effects of thermal fluctuations.

Fully prepared for automatic loading, it can be integrated into automatic production systems without any problems.

The high-precision Renishaw measuring probe systems provide the highest degree of flexibility.

The workpieces are also fitted with RFID chips, that relay all the real-time data about every available individual workpiece in the system at any moment.

This includes pre-setting, current magazine position, scheduled machining processes and so on.

Finally, EROWA’s J-M-S 4-point-0 Mold Line process control system is used for the overall control of the production lines.

Equipped with a wide variety of interfaces with order processing and production planning systems such as E-R-P, P-P-S, CAD and CAM, it means that direct imports and feedback becomes substantially faster and more secure.

Jeff Yang says “The process control system is very important.

We wanted the production processes to be mapped in the control system, so when an order is created in the JMS 4.0, the individual steps are defined far ahead of the actual machining date.

Therefore, the availability of machines, electrodes and workpieces, as well as queries for CAM data, are part of the plan right from the start.”

“The RFID chip identification of electrodes and workpieces is the nucleus of the solution.

Since the system has all the data of all the workpieces and is aware of their precise position in the process, there is always clarity about the state and correct execution of the work.

This provides the operator with certainties.”

Globally the company employs around 6,000 people and everyone at Sunspring is convinced that they have set the right course into the future with this automation investment.

Jeff Yang concludes by saying “We want to be ready for Industry 4.0.

So, all investments are geared towards the ongoing development of I4.0 and we are convinced that with EROWA, we've got the right partner on board.”

The hunt for 'smart' manufacturing

During the summer, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, or H-M-I hosted its ‘HxGN Live’ event in Las Vegas,.

You may remember we covered the event in the September issue of MTD magazine.

The ongoing success of this event was the catalyst behind bringing the glitz of the Vegas strip to the UK, at the world-renowned Belfry Hotel & Resort.

The H-M-I UK team prepared a spectacular two-day HxGN LOCAL Smart Manufacturing event with keynote speakers.

It provided every ounce of prestige that global delegates enjoyed in the Nevada Desert.

MTD Magazine was in attendance to see what the event had to offer.

Like the HxGN Live event in Las Vegas, the H-M-I UK event took on a holistic approach to the challenges of the manufacturing industry and its future.

With such an extensive product portfolio that covers the entire spectrum of manufacturing, it’s a fitting philosophy.

Demonstrating this at the HxGN LOCAL Smart Manufacturing event was a showroom set up with stations and technical experts.

It took visitors from the concept, design and engineering phase through to production, measurement, verification and project completion.

This incorporated everything from 3D scanning and reverse engineering through CAD, CAM, model verification and production software on to the very latest metrology equipment.

The demonstration stations encompassed everything from the latest developments of the MSC CAE and simulation software platforms through EDGECAM, Javelin, Machining Strategist, Radan, VISI, WorkNC and Workplan platforms.

Bringing the simulation demonstrations to life through VR was a Ducati motorcycle saddle construction and design.

It started with a measuring arm and reverse engineering process that was then optimally programmed with EDGECAM and NCSIMUL.

Further downstream was the measurement portfolio with the OPTIV Performance 3d multi-sensor, 7-axis Absolute Arm, Leica Absolute Tracker ATS600, the RS6 Laser Scanner, the TIGO SF, AICON Stereoscan, the Sensorfar 3D optical measuring device and the ingenious Hexagon SFx Cloud ready asset management software that interconnects the measurement hardware range.

All of this was encapsulated in a ‘Smart is Hiding in Plain Sight’ keynote speech delivered by Norbert Hanke, the President & CEO of HMI.

This was followed by an insightful presentation from Stefan Hyttfors ‘Five things you must know about the future’.

The afternoon ‘breakout sessions’ gave delegates the opportunity to take in presentations from Paul Andrews of Robo-race on the world’s first racing series for humans & AI and Ben Morgan the Head of the Integrated Manufacturing Group and Factory 2050 at the AMRC on reconfigurable assembly and digitally driven component manufacturing.

Presentations were also provided by Mike Falconer, the Education & Development Manager for the MTA on ‘SMART Students’ and ‘The SUMO Guy’ Paul McGee who delivered a presentation on ‘How to develop your resilience and build better relationships’.

The level of insight from each presentation was epitomised by newshound Daisy McAndrew from Sky and BBC News who discussed Brexit and the future of UK manufacturing.

Just when we all think we are experts on Brexit after countless hours of watching and listening to TV and radio, Daisy blew perceptions on Brexit and politicians apart with her fascinating insights and tales.

Following the absorbing events during the day, H-M-I put on evening entertainment with a band, magician, casino and simulated racing with Ben Collins, the man behind ‘the STIG’ from Top Gear.

Day two 's activities kicked off with Raf Lobato, the Strategic Product Development Director at Hexagon providing a presentation that was followed by explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE talking about ‘Living dangerously’.

With the theme firmly set around ‘Smart’ manufacturing, we listened to the keynote speech from Norbert Hanke, a fascinating insight into the future; not just for Hexagon, but for all manufacturers.

He said: “The manufacturing industry is on the hunt for ‘Smart’.

‘Smart’ is all around us and we don’t have to look far to find it.

We are living in a perfect storm of events and uncertainty that requires agility like never before.

World trade growth has dropped over the last couple of years quite dramatically.

Politics has impacted global growth and emerging markets have been slowing down for some time.

With all these challenges, its urgent that we all find a ‘smart,’ agile and resilient business model.”

“The world of manufacturing is experiencing huge shifts and customers are demanding more personalisation and better-quality products.

You only have to look at the automotive sector and its changes.

Companies have built cars for decades, but now the question is ‘do I build the asset?’ or ‘do I offer the service?’.”

“So, lets investigate the current state of ‘Smart’.

Many people perceive the transformation of manufacturing as a linear function.

This is people thinking how the business will be affected by disruption.

However, the reality is that both the change and the impact are exponential.

Why do we have to embrace these technologies?

Well, growth and productivity has declined in advanced economies and with our ageing population, there is a downward trend in the working age population to fill manufacturing jobs.

While these new transformative technologies can move towards a new level of automation to address the productivity and labour issues, this can have a negative impact on the economy.

However, the reality is that for the last 100 years, technology has always created more jobs and new industries. So, it’s all about the mindset for change.

The key to this is the digital transformation and the currency is data. We need to create value out of the data.”

“Jumping into technology, you can access much more data and leverage many more benefits, but are we ready to jump?

Today there is a big shift in how business leaders are looking at technology in manufacturing.

Some research indicates that 95% of all CEO’s see disruptive technology as an opportunity and not a threat.

Almost two thirds say they are personally prepared to lead their organisation through a radical transformation of operating processes to maintain competitiveness.

These leaders are recognising that connected data is offering new levels of insight for predictive pro-active services and solutions.

The future will rely on connectivity and data.

Data can save the future of our manufacturing industry, but only when the data is unlocked, unleashed and put to work for us in higher manufacturing ecosystems.”

“At Hexagon, we realise the keys to transformation and are striving to unlock data and its value for customers.

We are putting data to work to create ecosystems that are connected and increasingly autonomous.

To achieve this autonomy there are a number of points to cover.

Firstly, the ecosystem must be digital.

Manufacturing still has a way to go before it achieves digital transformation, but to be successful, the ecosystem from design to production to metrology all has to be digital.

Everything has to be digital and interconnected and we are now entering a new age of connectivity that can open doors for huge possibilities.”

New Solutions

“One example of this connectivity is our new partnership with Ericsson.

They have developed an industry connect solution that can secure a 5G connection for your factory.

It is very important that we implement this system in our factories, but it is also important that our equipment is 5G ready.”

“Our final imperative is that the ecosystem has to be intelligent, a smart connected ecosystem.

We want to build this intelligence into the solutions of today. We recently introduced a new solution called ‘Lightrunner’, which is like a facial recognition system for the factory.

It provides constant absolute positioning and mapping for the measurement of parts.

Lightrunner is the new class of solution that Hexagon is committed to; and with that we are using very powerful data in a very intelligent way.”

Are we wasting data?

“Did you know that over 90% of the data that is collected in manufacturing processes is never used.

In manufacturing, none of us like waste. If you look in your workflows, you can find data that is neglected, ignored or just unused.

What if you could have a complete overview of your metrology assets in your manufacturing facility?

‘Smart’ is hiding in your resources.

The new Hexagon asset management software is the first of our asset-based solutions that brings together data from multiple sources, including the parts and the environmental monitoring system to provide a single remote view of your assets.

This visibility allows you to minimise your downtime and maximise efficiency to manage resources.”
Using SPC to find the data solution.

Referring back to the original message of “how to find ‘Smart’”, Norbert continued with some interesting points around S-P-C data and its relevance to the future of manufacturing and digital transformation:

He said “Smart can be found in our future with S-P-C.

S-P-C today is typically used to identify trends and make corrections.

It is also used to make predictions based on trends.

Machine learning offers huge potential with the processing of ‘big data’ and when combined with S-P-C, it allows us to predict issues much further into the future and create a much greater element of certainty.”

“By performing ‘non-linear’ analysis on SPC data, we can see that the future will look much different.

So, where do we look for Smart next? Its hiding between your tools and your systems.

Take a look at a cutting tool that has cutting data and the machine parameters.

This is where our FASYS helps you to connect the CAD/CAM software to tool inventory management software to allow you to ensure the correct tool is used on the part and that it is set-up correctly.

This allows you to reduce inventory and still have the right tool when it is needed.

Connecting the supply chain, the outcome is uninterrupted manufacturing.”

A new addition to the Hexagon brand

Continuing the theme of finding ‘Smart’ and the connected supply chain, Norbert said: “We have recently bought a company called Etalon.

Etalon specialises in machine calibration and monitoring. I

f you could know all the characteristics of your machine tools and compensate for errors, just think how much smarter your digital workflow could be.

Etalon solutions enable machine tools to monitor their own geometrics and perform compensation to improve the quality of parts.

What if we look forward at how we can build this into our simulation packages like NCSIMUL to build a true digital twin of the machine, building a smart digital reality.

This will cut costs in the product development stages and simulation, showing that ‘Smart’ is even hiding in the digital reality.”

Are you on the hunt for ‘Smart’ manufacturing and has the transformation to digital platforms been considered or started at your company?

Following such a successful and insightful event, Hexagon will be looking to use this educational platform again in the future and when it does, MTD magazine would recommend our readers to take a look into the opportunities available from ‘Smart’ digital technologies.