The automotive industry is renowned for demanding ever faster turnaround times and tighter tolerances. To meet such demands, Clacton-on-Sea subcontractor Tridan Engineering has made EDGECAM a major part of its manufacturing processes.
EDGECAM programs a total of 16 Mazak CNC machines, of which six are 5-axis, including a Variaxis i-500 with a Palletech automation system. It is with the 5-axis work that EDGECAM is proving particularly valuable. One of the biggest challenges facing their production process is keeping up with ever-changing tooling. Commenting upon this, Tridan Engineering’s Machine Shop Manager, Mr Paul Coupland says: “We manufacture a range of automotive components, mainly for Ricardo, along with some F1 test parts. We work with two main tooling suppliers, ITC and ISCAR, they are both improving their tools all the time. EDGECAM provides us with the optimum machining strategies every time the cutting tool is updated. For example, we produce a number of gearbox transmission systems for Ricardo, and some diff cases for world rally cars. We’re currently working on a rear differential case for an off-road race car.”
“EDGECAM programs all our machines to their absolute top tolerances – we regularly have a 2-micron tolerance on most of our jobs, and we can guarantee that they’re manufactured to that required high precision every time.”
The CAM software’s powerful Waveform Roughing Strategy has been a major influence on the Essex Company and how they machine their automotive components. Everything is now done with the Waveform trochoidal milling and tooling strategies to take full flute length cuts and optimise tooling performance. Lead Production Engineer Mark Proctor says they’ve had some spectacular results with it, but admitted they were at first nervous about the prospect of ramping up feeds and speeds and using the full flute length. “When we were told we could machine a piece of S143 stainless steel at eight metre a minute, we thought the cutting tool wouldn’t last two seconds.”
But he says once they saw the resulting faster cycle times, and that the tool was safe from damage, they made the decision to do all their Waveform roughing at the machine’s fastest feed rate. “For instance, we needed a finished component that’s only 20mm thick, coming from a six-inch S143 round billet. That means there’s an awful lot of metal to cut away. For that job we used a 12mm cutter for a 24mm depth of cut at a feed rate of just under nine metres a second, and the job ran for ten hours before the cutting tool needed replacing.”
Tridan ships around 9,000 parts a month to customers around the world – anything from small components to workpieces up to 1.6 metres, both as single units and in large batches. Almost every automotive part they produce goes through EDGECAM.
“When we get the model from the customer, normally as a STEP file, we load it into EDGECAM, select the stock, devise the machining strategy, add the tools and toolpaths, and run the program through the simulator. When it comes through that, we use the NC editor to post the program out to the machine via a DNC wireless link, and explain the job to the operator. He then goes to the shopfloor with a setup sheet that shows which tools he needs, and runs the machine.”
Mark Proctor says EDGECAM is even better since it included a button to unhide the stock underneath. “In earlier releases it wouldn’t see the stock underneath, but it’s now an even better cycle with this option.” Describing 5-axis machining and automation as the way forward for Tridan Engineering, Paul Coupland says their recent acquisition of the Mazak Variaxis with a Palletech automation system adopts both of those aspects. “5-axis is definitely the future for us, as it enables us to machine much faster than 3-axis can, through the ‘Done In One’ capability, without the need for additional set-ups. And the automation system on the Variaxis can manage six pallets, which is perfect for our needs. We can add six pallets at any stage of the operation to keep it going. It also means we can carry out lights out machining. Depending on the job, it can run constantly for between eight and 14 hours without any manual intervention.”
Currently operating from 26,000 square foot premises with 66 employees, growing order books mean the company, which was founded in 1968 and now owned by the Langham Group, are now looking to take what he describes as their next natural step. “We’ve recently bought a third of an acre next door, and are planning to double the size of our machine shop.”