Progressive investment

In 1959, Bob Allsop had a vision to create a high quality, high capacity and highly efficient sheet metal fabrication company geared to the needs of the then booming industries in Yorkshire. With just three other employees, he established Allsops at Holmfirth, W. Yorks, where it remains today.
Now, half a century later, Allsops boasts an annual turnover in excess of £10 million and employs 120 staff. The company has become a respected name in the field of quality sheet metal components and fabrications, supplying a wide range of industries. Much of its success is down to its philosophy of investing in the latest state-of-the-art equipment, computer technology and automation.

Until 1990, the company was a traditional sheet metal sub-contractor using conventional machine tools, marking jobs out on a bench. Recognising the need to become more efficient and more competitive, the company, with reported trepidation, installed a Pullmax 6C CNC punching machine. This bold investment revolutionised the punching process, in terms of speed, accuracy, control and programming, while the increase in sheet size that could be processed greatly improved flexibility, throughput and machine utilisation. In addition, the machine also contributed to a reduction in material costs.

Paul Goodwin became managing director in 1993, and he explains this machine's significance: "The Pullmax 6C opened our eyes as to how CNC equipment could enhance the business and so we began an on-going programme of investment, which continues even to this day. Soon after the 6C was commissioned we realised we had to invest in CNC bending and chose equipment from Pullmax's range of press brakes. The machines suited our needs and Pullmax [then located in Leeds] was able to provide us with the service and back-up we required. These press brakes allowed us to bend complex components accurately, and crucially, in one handling."

Image: Allsops management team – L to R: Paul Goodwin, managing director; Stephen Fennell (business development director); Stephane Levicolais (technical director); Ian Johnson (finance director).

Allsops' investment programme with Pullmax continued, and in the year Mr Goodwin became managing director the company made its first move into laser cutting with a Bystronic Bystar 3015 laser cutting centre, equipped with 2.8 kW resonator. Over the next few years, Allsops invested in two more Pullmax press brakes and also two Pullmax P126 punching machines. Productivity increased by 30 per cent, thanks to the punching machines' cutting speed and flexibility. In addition, by designing components to suit the parameters of the machine, throughput increased, resulting in a reduction in part production cost. Increased utilisation achieved by using larger sheet sizes reduced machine loading times, so more machine time was spent in cycle. Stock levels were also reduced when sheet sizes were rationalised.

The company reached a point where it was running flat out, 24 hours a day, four days a week, plus a half-day on Friday – the programme of investments paid off with turnover doubling in just two years.

"Considering we have never had our own product, it is amazing that we were able to continually expand, particularly during some of the difficult trading conditions in the 1990s," Mr Goodwin observes. "We put this ability down to our large, diverse customer base. We keep a careful watch on industry and market trends, and seek new areas of business where opportunities are identified. We try always to anticipate change and are prepared to exploit other avenues of business. We manufacture, to order, from customers' own designs, or we can draw up customers' requirements ourselves for many industries, including shopfitting, electrical control cabinets, lighting, metal furniture, food processing equipment etc.
The choice we can offer customers of CNC laser cutting and high speed CNC punching provides them with the most cost-effective choice of flat component production."

Following the installation and success of the P126 punching machines, and the company working almost flat out, Allsops then had a choice – did it bring in another punch or further utilise the existing machines? The company decided to make its first move into automation.

AUTOMATION BENEFITS
"We decided we could get at least another 50 per cent out of each machine by adding an automatic load/unload system to each P126 punching machine. The result of this action was an average 20 sec changeover cycle, as opposed to a minute or two, depending on sheet size and weight. In addition, we only required one man to operate both machines and we were able to go from 24-hour operation to an 18-hour manned day, while at the same time, creating that essential extra capacity."

By 1998, the company was employing 120 people and boasting a turnover of £5.5 million. Around this time, a purpose-built powder coating plant was introduced to further enhance the service it offered. This featured a three-stage pre-treatment cycle (degrease, iron phosphate and dual rinse) and fully conveyorised booth of 3 by 1.25 by 1.5 m, fitted with automatic and manual powder guns with fast colour change capability.

The most significant investment and further step towards automation took place in 1999 when, by this time, Allsops had commissioned nine press brakes. This saw the company installing the UK's first Pullmax Motoman CNC robot. Linked to an existing press brake, it created a unique bending cell of its own, providing improved efficiency on long batch runs, as well as 100 per cent consistency. The robot is capable of handling sheet sizes up to 2 m by 1 m, with a capacity of 30 kg.

"We identified a need to improve the productivity of the press brakes, particularly on repeat jobs where cycle times were in excess of five hours," Mr Goodwin explains. "Another press brake was not the solution, as we would have only gained extra capacity, not the essential productivity.

"We looked at the factors holding back productivity on the longer cycles and decided the only way to speed up the press brakes and improve production levels was to fully automate the process. The robot was the perfect solution. Although for individual components the robot does not seem any faster, I was amazed at the time savings achieved over a complete batch. The robot's cycle is working continuously. The success of the system has been phenomenal, and while we were the first company in the UK to have the courage to go with the system, many other companies have now followed our lead."

At the start of 2000, Allsops invested in its second Bystronic laser cutting system, this time a Bysprint, and towards the end of the year purchased the lastest Pullmax 6000 punching system.

In 2001, the company moved to a new 85,000 ft2 site and at the same time made a substantial investment in an additional powder coating plant, plus a second Bysprint laser cutting systems as well as a Virtek Laser QC quality inspection system. Additional investment in Bystronic laser cutting and bending systems, and Pullmax punching machines took place throughout the years until 2008 when automation really began to play a major part in Allsops' manufacturing process.

Mr Goodwin again: "2008 was a significant year for Allsops, investing in equipment from Bystronic and Pullmax valued at in excess of £1 million. Our intention was to maximise our laser cutting and punching potential to ensure we stayed ahead of our competitors.

"Over the years, laser systems have become equal to and often, in many cases, faster than punching systems, particularly the Bystronic Byspeed laser cutting system. However, for us, the main disadavantage of laser cutting was that in the past the load/unload options available were very expensive and slow or were only semi-automatic and needed supervision at all times."

No lack of energy

Despite challenging economic conditions, global energy markets remain highly active, ensuring a busy time for the sector's sub-contract supply chain. Steed Webzell reports
Sometimes where we come from counts for a lot: the UK is the only G7 country other than Canada that is still largely self-sufficient in energy, thanks to its reserves of North Sea gas and oil. Beyond that, the second most important source of electricity – nuclear – continues to play a significant role in the nation's energy portfolio, despite the ongoing debate surrounding the construction of new power plants. And with the country's target to generate 10 per cent of electricity from renewable sources (wind, solar, tidal, wave, hydro, geothermal and biomass-based power generation) by next year, there is plainly plenty of activity in this diverse and interesting sector.

According to the OECD World Energy Outlook 2008, from 1980 to 2006 total world primary energy demand grew by 62 per cent, and to 2030 it is projected to double again. At present, the burning by power stations of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal continues to provide the majority of the UK's electricity, but around 20 per cent is provided by nuclear plants.

OPPORTUNITY SPIN-OUT
To ensure this important contribution is maintained, the world's largest nuclear fusion research facility JET (the Joint European Torus) in Oxfordshire is attempting to develop nuclear power technology for the next generation and beyond. Spinning out of the myriad of projects taking place at the Culham facility are a number of opportunities for suitably equipped sub-contract machining firms.

For instance, as a science and technology feeding project for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, MG Sanders of Stone, Staffordshire, has won a £4.65 million EU public procurement contract for the supply of components for JET – currently the world's largest Tokamak device (a magnetic plasma confinement system).

AS9100-approved MG Sanders has invested more than £3 million in machine tools and infrastructure in the past three years alone, with its latest acquisition being a twin-pallet, 4-axis Toshiba BMC800 horizontal machining centre, supplied by Leader CNC.

"We machine materials that include our internally manufactured Densamet tungsten, as well as Inconel and titanium," explains managing director Nick Farnsworth. "While some manufacturers are machining Nimonic grade 90, a grade they believe is the highest and hardest available, we are machining Nimonic grade 105, which is even more of a challenge, particularly at 4 mm depth of cut and speed of 250 rpm."
The new BMC800 has an ISO 50 taper spindle driven by a two-step motor that delivers 22 kW of power and reaches maximum spindle torque at 159 rpm. Since its introduction, the 22 tonne Toshiba BMC800 has been continually machining billets that cost up to £10,000, leaving no room for scrap parts. Over a day can be spent blocking some billets.

One of the first jobs for the JET project was to machine the Inconel carriers that hold the tungsten plates, which make up the Divertor strike point of the JET Tokamak chamber. The specialist carriers will work in the vessel where plasma temperatures of 100,000,000 °C are generated.

Another energy sector sub-contract machine shop recently to invest in a new horizontal machining centre is Bank Bottom Engineering of Huddersfield. Part of the Hystat Group, Bank Bottom has nurtured a strong track record in the supply of parts for sectors such as power generation, oil and mining.

The company is reporting significant advantages in turning large, eccentric parts on a new Okuma MA600-HB horizontal machining centre, supplied by NCMT, instead of on a vertical turning lathe. Cutting cycles are at least twice as fast, loading times are almost zero, a considerable amount of money is being saved on fixturing costs, and accuracies within 10 micron are held easily.

To achieve these economies, even when producing one-offs, Bank Bottom Engineering is using the so-called 'turn-cut' function in the control of the machine. The technique is said to be more effective than established ways of creating turned features on a machining centre using a rotary table or facing head.

The 'turn-cut' function in the Okuma OSP-P200M control allows a single-point turning tool clamped in the spindle to turn a static component. Advantage is taken of the rigidity of the major linear axes and feed rates of up to 60 m/min to circular-interpolate the spindle in the X and Y axes rapidly, while feeding the tool forward in Z. The control software orientates the tool continuously in the spindle, rotating it at precisely the same speed as the interpolated X/Y path and in synchrony with it.

The tool therefore cuts at the correct rake angle at every point throughout 360° to ensure efficient and precise metal removal. Cylindrical bores, ODs and other features are turned easily by keeping the X/Y travels constant, while tapers, grooves and other profiles can be turned by varying the amplitude of circular interpolation
Renewable energy is, of course, where much recent attention has centred. At the Low Carbon summit in London last month, the government began to set out a national vision for the transition to low carbon, not just as an environmental and economic imperative, but as a huge commercial opportunity.

"We're on the edge of a new low carbon industrial revolution," stated Business Secretary Lord Mandleson at the recent Cumbria Economic Forum. "As the UK shifts over to civil nuclear power, carbon capture and renewable energy, we need to ask what more we can do to strengthen the UK's ability to build the companies that will compete for the supply chain work in support of these industries."

Of course, some in the supply chain are already benefitting from the growing penetration of renewable energy projects and a case in point is Sheffield-based Cooper and Turner, a manufacturer of industrial bolts, nuts and washers. In recent years, the company has secured a number of contracts for the wind energy sector. A majority of Cooper & Turner's products are forged from lengths of cut bar, or pins, that are accurate to ±5 mm, whereas wind energy fasteners generally have to be cut to a five-fold tighter tolerance. Before recent investment in new equipment, this was difficult to achieve using the company's three cropping machines because the shearing action left a rag on the underside of the pin that made subsequent turning problematic.

Production director David Brown decided that circular sawing was the way to go and reviewed a number of suppliers, eventually selecting a German-built, automatic KASTOspeed C9, due to its robust construction, speed and accuracy. Additionally, Kasto was one of the few suppliers able to supply a practical handling device for transferring automatically each cut pin directly into an Akea lathe of 48 mm diameter capacity, where the OD for the thread is turned. On the input side of the saw is a 5 tonne capacity bundle loader for feeding the raw stock automatically.

The success of the first production cell prompted the installation of a second, identical Kasto saw and linked Akea lathe, while most recently Cooper and Turner's expertise in the wind energy sector resulted in the award of another contract, this time for the supply of blade-to-hub studs in large volumes, with effect from early this year. Two more KASTOspeed C9s were consequently ordered, one for stand-alone use and another for linking to an Akea lathe of larger, 80 mm diameter capacity.

OIL WILL DOMINATE
But estimates suggest that oil and gas will inevitably continue to dominate energy markets for at least the next 20 years. As a result, investment by supply chain sub-contract manufacturers is crucial, in order to secure potential contracts.
This policy is certainly paying dividends at Montrose-based Mountwest Services, which has just installed machines that include a Hankook Protec 9NC from Ward CNC to help it provide tools, products and components for the global oil drilling market.

"Because the new machines will both update our manufacturing processes and up-rate our productivity, as well as improve quality levels by machining to micron tolerances, we will be able to extend significantly the number of critical oil industry components we handle," says workshop production manager John Tulloch.

Today's complex oil and gas drilling programmes demand innovative down-hole solutions. The precision machining of manufacturing equipment for this sector requires that the cutting process be as efficient as possible. To help achieve this, National Oilwell Varco ReedHycalog uses simulation software from CGTech that eliminates the need for physical prove-outs on multi-axis CNC machine tools.
NOV ReedHycalog designs and manufactures fixed cutter and roller cone drill bits at its Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, facility, where the company currently has four 'floating' VERICUT licences.

Matthew Tolner, senior production engineer, explains how the company chose VERICUT: "When VERICUT was selected, 5 per cent of the production of steel drill bits was new prove-outs," he says. "Typically, prove-out times were around 30 hours."

CGTech's VERICUT software allows NOV ReedHycalog to do all of its prove-outs offline on a PC, most programs being of the complex 5-axis persuasion.
"All new 5-axis and 3-axis G code programs are run through VERICUT to check for machine and tooling collisions, dimensional tolerances and cycle times, prior to being made available to the shopfloor," continues Mr Tolner. "This equates to approximately 150 programs per year, each with an average cycle time of just five hours."

Better machining

Educational machine tool maker Boxford has retired all its manual machines following investment in Mazak technology. Elsewhere, Hurco and Dugard machines are proving effective. Machinery reports
Producing a diverse range of bench top CNC lathes, machining centres, routers and manual lathes for the education market, Boxford's machine shop was coming under pressure. But the decision was whether to invest in new technology or sub-contract machining overseas. "In the end, the choice was simple, as we wanted to maintain production here in Halifax and avoid becoming an assembly plant," says director Paul Barraclough.

Having made that decision, he set about finding the best solution to his manufacturing problem. Along with manufacturing manager, Steve Randerson, he visited the UK manufacturing facility of Yamazaki Mazak in Worcester. Impressed with what they had seen, a coach trip was organised for the entire company to visit Mazak's Open House to see what Mr Barraclough describes as "what a successful manufacturing plant should look like."

Initially, Boxford was looking to purchase an Integrex multi-tasking machine, but, after talking it through with Mazak, the company opted for a Worcester-built VTC 300C-II vertical machining centre, as this would deliver immediate benefits to production. The decision was also taken to have this 18.5 kW, 12 000 rpm spindle machine fitted with a partition on its 2,000 mm table, a feature that has virtually eliminated set-up times at Boxford. In addition, it invested in Mazak's CPC tool management software, as well as laser tool probing, to allow precise tool monitoring and management.

REDUCE DOWNTIME
"Our criteria were to reduce downtime and increase productivity, especially on the small batches that we are called on to machine," says Mr Randerson. "The VTC 300C-II has helped us to achieve these aims, with the ability to set one job while another is being machined, eliminating all of our set-up time, a situation helped by the 48-position tool carousel, which is monitored and controlled, along with the sister tools, by the CPC software."

Boxford has 'retired' two 10-year-old vertical machining centres, while at the same time made substantial increases in productivity and improvements in overall component quality.

It has subsequently also installed an Intregrex 200-IV ST, which, in addition to the standard twin spindles (22 kW and 18.5 kW) and 18.5 kW/12 000 rpm milling spindle, is also equipped with a 120-position automatic tool change, bar feed and workpiece conveyor. This machine was delivered in December 2008 and is used to machine a wide variety of components and operate lights out on batches as small as one-offs.

"Our plan is to use a single diameter of bar stock to produce a number of components when we run the machine unmanned. While this will result in some wasted material, the cost savings of being able to run lights-out will far outweigh this expense," adds Mr Randerson.

Any components machined overnight will be straightforward chucking jobs that do not require any second spindle working. During the manned day shift, Boxford will make full use of the Integrex. The arrival of the Integrex saw a further seven machines taken out of commission, including every manual machine in the factory, with the two Mazak machines now providing the bulk of the company's machining capacity for the short to medium term.
Bedfordshire sub-contractor, Anotronic specialises in machining exotic materials, such as titanium alloys, nickel alloys and CPM10V, a 9.75 per cent vanadium tool steel that is four times tougher than D2. To reap the benefits of 5-axis machining in these difficult applications, the company's production director, Martin White, installed a Hurco VM10U vertical machining centre in November last year.

He said that it is not unusual to produce in three operations on the 5-axis machine components that previously needed nine separate set-ups. Cumulative tolerance errors are all but eliminated, and the potential for damaging the part through handling and reclamping is much lower. Scrap rates are drastically reduced and so, too, are labour costs.

In the first three months of operation, the VM10U was used to machine 10 different components, including a particularly problematic 17-4PH stainless steel part. It was previously produced on any of the company's four other Hurco VMCs, all 4-axis models, which are consequently freed to tackle more jobs of a simpler nature.
Says Mr White: "The only downside of using a 5-axis machine is that you are only producing one component at a time, whereas with 3- and 4-axis machining, several parts are often fixtured and completed in one cycle.

NO HESITATION
"Nevertheless, the benefits of 5-axis strategies using 3-axis cutting while positioning and clamping the other two axes are so great that we have no hesitation in machining the more complex jobs that way.

"We are already looking to retool other jobs for 5-axis machining, especially longer runs of parts requiring multiple operations to high accuracy where tight tolerances are tied up to one another."Our intention is to install further 5-axis capacity as soon as possible and on some jobs to progress to fully interpolative machining, using all axes simultaneously."

Elsewhere, the introduction by Kalstan Engineering of a Dugard Eagle 1000 vertical machining centre (VMC) has not only solved a series of aggravating downtime problems with existing VMCs, caused by poor swarf clearance and inadequate CNC machining program capacity, but the machine is also enabling the company to stake a claim in the machining of larger workpieces. "All around us, turned parts and components requiring milling are increasingly being sourced abroad, but now, with the new machine installed, we have created lots more opportunities to build the business," says managing director Stephen Kalmar.

"Having witnessed the trend for turned parts and, increasingly, smaller prismatic work being sourced overseas of late, predominantly from China, we knew we had to invest in larger milling capacity, if we were to remain in business as a precision sub-contract operation. But to avoid the continual hiccups we are encountering on our three smaller VMCs, I was very careful in my choice of machine and supplier.

"In particular, I had to ensure that it would be 'fit for purpose' in terms of being able to cope with the amounts of swarf that are particularly evident when machining aluminium, and be able to handle the size of program required by larger and more complex workpieces.

"By making the decision in favour of the Dugard Eagle 1000, with its 1,200 by 540 mm table, integrated coolant flushing system, augers and swarf conveyor, and PCM card for programs, the machine had all the main attributes I was looking for," he adds. "In addition, its 12,000 rpm spindle, chiller and powerful coolant pump added to an impressive specification that includes a positional accuracy of four microns and a repeatability of ± 0.002 mm."

Maintains Mr Kalmar: "In addition to being of larger capacity and a higher specification than any of our existing VMCs, the Dugard Eagle also cost less! It's just what we needed to satisfy the demand for larger workpieces from existing customers at home and abroad." To which he includes blue-chip names such as ABB, British Gas and Volvo.

Faster, longer cuts

KASTO's new cutting process boasts a three-fold productivity gain; LS Starret has developed a new bi-metal blade offering extended life
Research and development carried out by German sawing machine manufacturer KASTO has resulted in the introduction of a bandsawing process that is three times faster than many other bandsaws on the market and at least 30 per cent faster than its own, unmodified '-tecAC' range of machines.

Called KPC – KASTO Performance Cutting – the new process has been designed specifically for use with tungsten carbide tipped bandsaws, while ways to minimise vibration have been the core focus. The latter delivers a three-fold benefit, raising accuracy, reducing noise, and allowing increases in both band speed and feed rate.

The starting point for KPC was the KASTOtecAC production bandsaw, which is available in four sizes for cutting material up to 800 mm in diameter, or 730 by 830 mm flat stock.

Key steps taken were improvements to blade guidance either side of the cutting area and other measures to dampen vibrations. One such measure, which is central to the step-change in performance, is the 'Trum Guide', or tensioner. This sees two spring-loaded guides mounted at the returning side of the blade, inside the top of the saw head guarding at either end. These guides suppress vibration on the side opposite the cutting action and help maintain blade tension of between 35,000 to 40,000 lbs/sq in, versus a more typical 25,000 to 32,000 lbs/sq in.

Another improvement has been the redesign of the bandsaw blade guides either side of the point of cutting, for which world patents are pending. The changes are characterised by more rigid guidance, more efficient cooling of the blade and of the guides – which now have coolant slots through the middle – and responsive measurement of the cutting force, using a sensor at the back of the blade. Roller bearings used on the back of the blade support greater downforce without 'chilling', or cracking, of the blade.

Taken together, these improvements support blade speed of 200 m/min, versus the more normal 120 m/min, when the optional 15 kW motor is fitted.

KASTO cites a like-for-like comparison between a KASTOtecAC KPC and other makes of bandsawing machine carried out during the BIMU 2008 machine tool show in Italy. Blades used were Wikus Futura Premium and Roentgen For-tec, both of which are carbide coated.

Eighty pieces of 42CrMo4 steel (EN19/ 907M40), 300 mm in diameter, were cut with a feed of 225 mm/min. The KASTOtecAC KPC machine cut 3.7 times faster, compared with the best of the other sawing machines – 400 cm2/min versus 108 cm2/min. And the blade on the KASTO machine was still in good condition at the end, even after sawing 56,500 cm2 of this tough material. Indeed, blade life can actually increase with KPC, says KASTO. For example, when cutting EN19 with a carbide-tipped blade on a KASTOtec unit without engaging KPC, the volume cut per minute is 116 cm2/min with blade life 10 m2, while with KPC engaged cutting rate is 152 cm2/min, with blade life extended to 15 m2. With carbide-tipped bandsaws costing around £200, the savings are not insignificant, and this sort of detail forms part of KASTO's lower cost-per-cut argument.

As standard, KASTO machines fitted with the KPC paraphernalia sport a 'KPC button', which, when selected, raises productivity by around 30 per cent. However, it is possible to push the machines much further by manually overriding these settings. But, as KASTO's UK managing director, Ernst Wagner, explains, it is difficult to get people to believe that such huge improvements can be achieved, so a more 'believable' 30 per cent improvement has been linked to the KPC feature.
Staying with blade life increases, and LS Starrett is reporting outstanding results in field tests for its new Versatix MP bi-metal bandsaw blade featuring triple-tempered M42 cobalt high speed steel teeth.

It is targeted at structural steels, sections, tubes and small solids, and it is also claimed to be suitable for manual, 'pull down' bandsaw machines, where the uncontrolled nature of the feed rate can lead to tooth strippage.

Test successes to date include:
* A decorative railing manufacturer in the south of the UK, which was changing band saw blades every three days. Blade life with Versatix MP is now between three and four weeks;
* A door manufacturer in the north of England, cutting very thin interrupted sections, which was changing blades approximately once a week. Blade life with Versatix MP is now reckoned to be in the region of nine weeks per blade;
* A Scottish engineering firm cutting pipe and structural steels that had tried a range of blades from different manufacturers in an attempt to get around persistent problems with tooth strippage. All its bandsaw machines now run Versatix MP, and it reports no further problems with tooth strippage.
Versatix MP is available via the Starrett distribution network in widths from
19–54 mm (3/4"–2").


Box item
Kaltenbach launches new concept and machines

* Automation concept for structural steel and plate processing – from raw material input to final plant output, including automatic cutting and sorting of ends, for example – offers some 30 per cent better plant utilisation and productivity
* The MSK 471 NA is an ultra-fast, high-performance straight sawing machine for cutting hard, difficult-to-cut metals, including stainless steel
*The KBS1010/KDXS 1015 sawing/drilling system with AS 1000 auto-sorter is a fully automated band sawing and drilling system. High-speed contour marking and the use of solid-carbide drill bits add to the machines overall high-performance efficiency
*The 'silenced' T13 structural transport system employs new technology to reduce 'steel on steel' noise pollution to almost a whisper
*New visualisation software enables operators to monitor work piece position within automated lines
*The KPS 520 is claimed to be the world's fastest strip-fed plate punching and shearing system of its type. The punching and shearing capacity extends up to 500 mm wide plate by 25mm thick, and up to 200 by 200 by 16 mm for angle sections. Optional drilling, plasma cutting and marking functions are also available.

Sheet and plate solutions

As the UK's leading manufacturer of bellows and machinery protection systems, Beakbane Ltd, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, recently completed a two-year investment programme to improve its metalcutting and bending capabilities
Beakbane designs and manufactures protective covers in steel and flexible materials, including machine tool guards, flexible connectors, bellows, trolleys, metal fabrications and other machinery protection devices, with these delivered to diverse industries, such as medical, rail, machine tool and power generation.

Looking to improve its sheet metal bending operations, Beakbane installed advanced LVD bending technology, incorporating in-process angle correction system, CNC sheet supports, plus a powerful offline programming technology.

Beakbane purchased its first LVD Easy-Form press brake in 2008 and added a second Easy-Form machine in January this year. It is using the machines to bend large parts to tight tolerances.

THE RIGHT ANGLE
An integrated LVD Easy-Form Laser angle measurement system automatically monitors and corrects the bend angle in real time, ensuring excellent quality, while reducing set-up time and operator involvement – only one operator is needed to manage each machine.

Because the company forms large parts, it chose to equip its press brakes with a T1-T2 CNC sheet following system. The use of the T1-T2 sheet supports one-person operation and enhances angle repeatability, part quality, safety and ease of material handling, further improving overall productivity.

Unlike conventional pneumatic sheet support systems, Beakbane's T1-T2 system is fully programmable and follows a parabolic arc, moving with the material in a combination of axes, both up and down and pivoting toward the bend point. Support arms make full contact with the plate during the total bending process. The controller automatically calculates trajectory, lifting arm speed and position (all dependent upon V – die opening), reducing operator intervention and set-up. Supporting the part throughout the bending process ensures the weight of the sheet does not 'break the back' of the part during bending.

Further simplifying bending operations, Beakbane's press brakes are equipped with LVD's new CADMAN Touch CNC control. This features an easy-to-use, intuitive user interface to minimise input, allowing the company to move from drawing to completed part in fewer steps.

Offline and online process integration is achieved through LVD's CADMAN-B 3D software, which enables Beakbane to import SAT files directly from its SolidWorks system. Offline software was a key consideration for Beakbane, as it wanted a system that could take full advantage of the press brakes' capabilities.

Using the centralised 'intelligent' LVD bending database shared between the press brakes and the offline software, CADMAN automatically calculates bending feasibility, tool set-ups and the program for the press brakes.

The system automatically determines the optimum bend sequence, using 3D data. It also automatically calculates the optimum station set-up and provides a complete graphical set-up report for the press brake operator. The software also allows complete flexibility to manually or semi-automatically sequence, gauge and bend parts.

In addition, all axes of the press brakes, including the CNC crowning system, are calculated by the control and are automatically positioned for optimum bending results.

These automated functions keep part repeatability and accuracy at a high level. Once a part has been programmed, a subsequent set-up takes a few minutes.

"Being able to handle customer drawing files through our SolidWorks system, and then directly import parts to automatically generate the information for the tool set-up as well as the machine program, is a significant advantage," says Barry Reeves, managing director. "This capability enables us to offer customers reduced lead times from point of order to manufacture. Furthermore, our employees no longer need hard copy drawings to manage, in turn removing operational costs."
Elsewhere, ESAB Cutting Systems' profile cutting technology is playing a major role in the production success of mobile crushing and screening equipment manufactured by world leader Fintec Crushing and Screening. Fintec is part of the Sandvik Group of companies and manufactures products for the demolition, recycling and extractive industries.

The company has made considerable investment in production facilities at its plant in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. This has included a new 55,000 ft2 extension to its manufacturing facility where the company makes extensive use of ESAB Cutting Systems' profile cutting technology. There are now six ESAB Suprarex cutting machines supporting a flexible, fully automated cutting facility and, as a result of these investments, the firm now carries out its cutting in-house, rather than relying on sub-contractors.

Fintec cuts mild steel with thicknesses of 2-20 mm on the ESAB Suprarex SXE-P1 machines. The latest machine features Vision CNC control, equipped with a cutting and marking database that saves time and eliminates the risk of errors when a job is being set up. In addition, the ESAB 200A precision plasma power source includes all the preset cutting parameters. When different parts are to be cut, one button adjusts the plasma-cutting parameters to the correct material thickness.
The creation of CAD drawings of component parts is the first stage of the cutting process and these are processed by programming software –this reducing inventory by moving away from batch cutting to an as-required daily basis.

The major benefits for Fintec have been the ability to increase cutting speeds by approximately 30 per cent on the 2–10 mm plate sizes, and by around 125 per cent on 12–20 mm plate. Reduced running costs are realised through the use of longer life consumables and by using compressed air, rather than nitrogen, as the start gas. The quality of cut achieved also means operations such as fettling are minimised.

Production times are further optimised by the Suprarex's dual loading capability, so that loading/unloading of plate can take place while the machine continues to cut.

Box item
Product launches in brief

* KMT Waterjet Systems now offers a touch-screen display for its STREAMLINE SL-V 30-100 ultra-high pressure pumps, models from the SL-V 150/200 range and the new PRO Series of High Pressure 6000 bar pumps. This allows the control and monitoring of all the pumps' operating parameters by simply pressing the respective touch-screen buttons on the display. Remote diagnostics via the Internet is also a possibility.

*Mate Precision Tooling has introduced a new slitting tool system For Trumpf-style punch presses featuring M4PM tool steel. It is the only punch press tool slitting system using M4PM tool steel, which offers highest tool performance with superior wear resistance and increased toughness, resulting in higher quality punched parts and longer tool life.

* ES Technology's new ES-CUT150 profiler has been designed for the production of medical device components. Capable of cutting material up to 5.0 mm thick, the 150 W pulsed YAG Laser can be configured to produce a kerf width of only 18 µm. The machine has a 400 by 400 mm work envelope.

* Water Jet Sweden's new height sensor is able to assure position vertical height clearance across a complete work area to within a tolerance of +/- 0.1 mm.

* Trumpf's new TruLaser Robot 5020 can perform laser welding, laser cutting and component coating by laser deposition welding on one production system.

Age of the robot

Robots are emerging as a key machine shop technology, bringing with them benefits such as reduced cycle times and fewer labour costs. Machinery reports
The engineering sector is the world's biggest user of industrial robot technology. However, think of robots and operations such as welding, assembly, painting and inspection spring to mind: perhaps not so obvious is machine tool tending.

For whatever reason, investment in multi-axis robots has tended to lag behind that of new machine tools. However, the use of high precision industrial robots integrated with machine tools can offer benefits such as lower labour costs, reduced cycle times, lower floor space requirements and improvements in component quality.

One application where the use of multi-axis robots has brought significant advantages is in the machining of diesel injector valves at Delphi Diesel Systems. Douglas Curtis Machine Tools (01206 230032) was commissioned by Delphi to improve the production rates for these components at the UK factory in Sudbury, as well as at La Rochelle in France. The required operation was to extract part-machined components from the input pallet, precision gauge them (to sub-micron levels), present to a Supfina face grinding machine, unload, deburr and then re-palletise, all within the grinding cycle time.

When confronted with the challenge, DCMT decided to investigate the options of either adapting pick-and-place automation systems or the use of multi-axis robots. The application of three Stäubli RX60 robots (two at Sudbury) provided a less complex solution, requiring only 50 per cent of the floor space of the pick-and-place system, coupled with improvements in cycles times, quality levels, repeatability and reliability that were just not achievable with any other system. The Stäubli (01952 671917) robots can also readily incorporate changes in the operational sequence in response to design changes and product developments at Delphi.

Such is the demand for gains witnessed by companies such as Delphi Diesel that many machine tool builders, particularly lathe manufacturers, are beginning to introduce robots into their model specifications.

A case in point is multi-spindle lathe manufacturer Index, which has added Stäubli 6-axis robots into its latest models, contributing significantly to their performance and flexibility, especially for complex chucked components. Index's MS52C lathe can be converted into an automatic chucking lathe by the addition of a Stäubli RX60 robot to load blanks for machining and remove finished components, while a RX90 robot can also be added to the larger MS52C.

The open-front design of both machines, which are available in the UK from Geo Kingsbury (023 9258 0371), allows the robot to be flange mounted on the workspace cover. A dual-gripper removes blanks from storage in front of the machine before they are brought to the working spindle and exchanged for finished parts that are then correctly orientated and placed in the exit storage, also at the front of the machine.

According to Fastems (01322 282276), virtually any make of CNC turning machine can be transformed into an unmanned production centre by retrofitting one of its RPC-16G robotic cells, which automates loading and unloading of workpieces into and out of the machine spindle. Each cell is purpose-built and comes complete with workpiece grippers and a cylinder kit for automating the opening and closing of the lathe door.

Biglia is also adopting automation on its B745 Y3 and B765 Y3 14-axis CNC lathes. Available from Whitehouse Machine Tools (01926 852725), both machines feature an integrated CNC unloading arm that removes finished components from either the main or counters spindle, provided that the parts have been machined from bar.

The demand for automation is forcing many machine tool and robot manufacturers to work together to develop simple-to-use solutions. ABB Robotics (01908 350300) and Okuma (UK agent NCMT – 020 8398 4277), for instance, have together developed an ABB standard interface for Okuma machine tools. Providing operators with a single operating environment, the interface saves production time and reduces operator training.

Developed on the open PC platform used by Okuma, the interface consists of two parts: the graphical interface and the extendable robot controller program libraries and configuration files, which allows for the creation of code for the robot tending of various machines, without the need for complex routines.
It is generally acknowledged that machine loading and unloading is a more complex application than basic material handling, as the robot needs to provide both manipulative and transport capabilities. One of the chief problems for robotic arms is that machine tool working areas are often restricted by the presence of hardware such as chucks, vices, spindles, toolposts and coolant nozzles. To counter such obstacles, Motoman (01295 272755) has introduced its IA20 7-axis robot, nicknamed 'the snake', due to its ability to access restricted spaces.

The robot was shown for the first time last year at the MACH exhibition in Birmingham, where it could be seen automatically loading and unloading a Hardinge XV710 vertical machining centre (0116 286 9900). The robot loaded a hydraulic fitting into the first collet of a Hardinge four-station indexing unit. After the first 4-axis machining operation, the part was transferred to the three other collets for additional operations before being unloaded.

Other recently introduced robot arm solutions for machine tool tending operations include the IRB 4600 from ABB, which offers twice the working range, half the weight and a 25 per cent better cycle time than its predecessor; and the Comau Smart M1 (0151 486 0668), which features normal or extended forearm, two different wrist designs and the possibility of overhead assembly.

Manufacturers that venture down the robot route rarely turn back, finding the return on investment and ongoing advantages too good to ignore. Just one example is Coventry-based King Automotive Systems. Six years ago, the company installed its first Fanuc robot (024 7663 9669), which loaded castings into a brake disc manufacturing cell. The project saved 50 per cent of operators over three shifts, and King has since installed a total of 11 Fanuc robots, with the latest lines producing knuckle joints for BMW's Mini and for the Land Rover Freelander.

Sky high demand

NCMT and ATI Stellram recently toured the country, taking their titanium machining message to several interested groups. Machinery sat in on one of the events
The two big UK drivers for titanium machining are its use on the F32 Lightning II programme (previously called JSF – Joint Strike Fighter) and Airbus' A350. And, in April 2008, one of the world's largest titanium producers is quoted as saying that demand for titanium in airframes is expected to approximately double by 2015.

Not surprising, then, that Makino, claiming to be the world's largest produce of horizontal machining centres, has developed two new machines specifically for machining large titanium components, it was revealed – the T4 (4 m in X; 4,000 by 1,500 mm pallet), launched in March, and T2 (2 m in X; 1,250 by 1,250 mm pallet), not yet 'on the shelves'. But the pedigree behind the machines was emphasised. Makino first introduced a titanium-focused machine in 1985, and it set up a global aerospace committee in 1992 to feed into the design of machines for that sector. Latterly, NCMT has been performing combined titanium machining trials with ATI Stellram at the former's Thames Ditton site, using a Makino a81M machine – more of that later.

PRECISELY TUNED MACHINES
The two new machines, emphasised Adrian Maughan, NCMT engineering director, have resulted from conversations with end users about not just aerospace, but a sector within that, namely airframes. The machines are, therefore, precisely tuned to the machining needs of titanium airframe parts, he advised.

To set the scene, Mr Maughan explained the challenges that titanium presents. It has a 30 per cent higher specific cutting energy than does stainless steel; the thermal conductivity is 65 per cent lower than stainless steel, so the tool is exposed to more heat; titanium is reactive, oxidising and adhering to the cutting tool; it work hardens; and it has a lower modulus of elasticity, so it is springy – twice as springy as stainless steel, in fact, which means that thin webs at tool break out, for example, may spring into the tool and cause tool damage and, because of that, component damage. (Particular cutting strategies must be employed to avoid such 'bad' situations.)

So, the engineering director says: "We started with a blank sheet of paper and asked what machine features are required to prolong tool life and reduce consumable costs. Vibration is the enemy of tool life, so rigidity is required, as is high damping. And although we wanted a 5-axis machine, it needed to have the higher capability of a 4-axis machine, as regards metal removal. We would need through-spindle coolant to remove heat from the cutting zone, and compact A and C axes [T4 only; T2 is A at the spindle with B on the table], plus high dynamic stiffness at the spindle."
The company started with the spindle, Mr Maughan explains, and built the machine around that. First off, roller bearings, rather than ball bearings, were used, as they have 2.7 times the capability of ball designs. The 150 kW, wide torque range motor is able to deliver 1,500 Nm (1,000 Nm continuous) up to 1,000 rpm via a twin, integral motor design. The stressed benefit is that, typically, maximum torque would fall off after 400 rpm. And the integral motor design, with the elimination of gears, contributes both to a reduction in drive-chain-induced vibration, and delivers increased moment of inertia – double that of a geared spindle, it was claimed. All this taken together provides the required 'grunt' and, equally as important, rpm stability as cutters move in and out of cut.

Through-spindle coolant, pumped at 200 litres/min, resulting in 175 litres/min on the machine side, features. But, in addition, there's another 200 litres/min pumped through nozzles surrounding the spindle, and a further 200 litres pumped for shower and Z-axis flushing.

A compact, high torque A-axis design was next. Makino drew on its backlash-free, trunnion-style design first introduced in 1982 for this, providing drive at either side of the spindle, and delivering 10,000 Nm versus a traditional worm and wheel value of 4,000 Nm.

A vibration monitoring system during cutting is also used. This function enables vibration thresholds to be set for warning level and machine stop. The objective of this technology is to stop the machine before cutter breakage, thereby avoiding/minimising damage to the cutter body and machine tool. This technology is very useful during prove- out, as warnings are recorded for interrogation where cutting data is found to be too aggressive.

The avoidance of these situations is achieved by changing the cutting technology – cutting depths, speeds, feed rates – to an area of lower harmonics. But while this is easier in softer materials, where there is a wide band of cutting parameters, in the case of titanium the parameters are narrower. For example, in aluminium this could mean changing surface speed by up to 300 m/min, but for titanium, surface speeds for roughing are between 35-90 m/min, while for finishing they are 100 to 150 m/min, so there is "no big window to play with," Mr Maughan offers, adding that you therefore require a highly rigid and damped machine tool which offers a wide stable application window.

A particular machine feature highlighted in this regard is box guide ways, four of them supporting the pallet (Z-axis), each approx 300 mm wide and approx 2.5 m from one side to the other – lots of surface, so lots of carefully controlled friction and, therefore, damping. But friction isn't so good when you want a slide to move. To counter this, Makino's air pocket system is employed to provide some lift between the surfaces, with this effect controlled via an 'air micrometer'. Additionally, the Y-axis (vertical movement) features a counterbalance to ensure equal dynamics, up and down.

STABILITY IS COOL
Thermal stability, achieved via the pumping of liquid through the column and table, is yet another technology employed, while volumetric error compensation can also feature. Of course, the machine could further be housed in a temperature-controlled environment to provide greater stability.

Heavy hitters strike back

Once renowned for its heavy engineering prowess, the UK's manufacturing sector is regaining a reputation for large scale machining after a period of transition. Machinery reports
Where heavy engineering in the UK once entailed shipyards and steel mills, a period of change has seen the sector re-emerge in a more high-tech guise. Today, heavy engineering shops are more likely to be making parts for power generation, oil exploration, yellow goods, large machinery and aircraft wing contracts than for submarines or smelting plants.

According to Heller Machine Tools (0121 275 3300), many machine shops seeking heavy duty solutions opt for horizontal machining centres, a decision based on factors such as machine robustness and power.

Heller offers horizontal machines with up to 3 m of capacity in the X-axis and typical of its large/heavy engineering installations is Rochdale-based Chelburn Precision Ltd, a sub-contractor supplying to sectors such as oil and gas. The company has installed two Heller MCH 460 machines with 4 tonne capability on the tables. Torque is 822 Nm, while travel in the X and Y axes is 2,000 and 1,600 mm, respectively. Quality, robustness of machine and capacity were the over-riding factors in selecting the Heller horizontal machining centres, rather than conventional borers.

"The Hellers have galvanised our market position by enabling us to offer large, complex component machining within short lead times and at competitive costs," says Ken Ackers, business development manager at Chelburn.

Another sub-contract specialist in large parts machining is also expressing its preference for horizontal machining centres. Burgess Hill-based HPC Precision Engineering has recently installed a Makino A100 twin pallet, 4-axis model of 1,700 x 1,350 mm capacity. Supplied by NCMT (020 8398 4277), the machine has been added to two similar machines in a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) that produces structural fuselage components for aircraft such as frame supports and bulkheads.

NUCLEAR KNOWLEDGE
The nuclear industry is certainly generating plenty of activity in the UK at the moment, thanks largely to the €5 billion ITER (International Tokamak Experimental Reactor) project. MG Sanders of Stone in Staffordshire, for example, has recently won a contract to supply components for JET (Joint European Torus), a science and technology feeder project for ITER.

To help fulfil its obligations, the company is using a recently installed Toshiba BMC800 horizontal machining centre, supplied by Leader CNC (024 7635 3874). The twin-pallet BMC800 can process components measuring up to 1.5 by 1 m, with the special Inconel billets it machines costing anything from £3,000 to £10,000 per block.

The same company has also invested in a large vertical machining centre in the form of a 4-axis Mikron VCE 1600 Pro from GF AgieCharmilles (024 7653 8666).

Elsewhere, heavy machining specialist DavyMarkham of Sheffield also has an interest in ITER. In fact, the company is now part of a consortium bidding for the construction of the main reactor vacuum vessel of the ITER nuclear fusion reactor being built in Cadarache, France. The consortium comprises Davy Markham, precision fabricator Metalcraft of Chatteris, engineering consultancy AMEC and The Welding Institute (TWI).

Europe and Korea are building the ITER vacuum vessel, which consists of nine D-shaped vacuum vessel sectors, each weighing about 450 tons. Its external diameter will measure 19.4 m, with an internal diameter of 6.5 m, and once assembled, the entire structure will be 11.3 m high. Fabrication tolerances for the whole vessel, including field assembly, are expected to be less than 20 mm for both height and width. When all of the vacuum vessel's shielding and port structures are included, it will weigh in excess of 5,000 tonnes.

Europe is providing seven vacuum vessel sectors, with the remaining two supplied by Korea. Contracts for the ITER vacuum vessel are likely to be placed later this year or early in 2010.

Kevin Parkin, managing director of DavyMarkham, explains the background to the consortium: "The ITER vacuum vessel is a significant engineering challenge that no single company is capable of supplying," he says. "So we've put a consortium together with fabrication specialist Metalcraft, AMEC providing design and programme management services, and TWI offering technical support, to enable us to present a solid technical and commercial case."

DavyMarkham is, of course, no stranger to producing such sizeable parts. Earlier this year, the company secured a $20 million order for the supply of mining hoists for gold producer IAMGOLD Corp of Toronto, Canada. The contract includes the largest double drum hoist supplied to North America in recent times, with a diameter of 6.4 m, a drum width of 2.4 m and a payload capacity of 20 tonnes. It will serve as the mine's main production hoist, operating at depths down to 2,652 m.

To help fulfil such contracts, DavyMarkham has accumulated extensive heavy machining capacity. In fact, its largest machine bay comprises of a machine bed that covers half of its entire floor area (34.5 by 14.7m). CNC ram borers surround this huge bedplate, enabling very large workpieces to be machined.

Most of these ram borers are Asquith models, with X-axis capacity up to 14 m. Today, incidentally, Asquith Butler machines are produced at purpose-built premises in Brighouse, West Yorkshire (01484 726620), where the largest machine manufactured to date has a 30 m X-axis and is being used for the manufacture of TGV coach panels.

BIG PARTS; BIG MACHINES
Any form of mining or exploration at depth usually entails the design of large, robust components, which, in turn, requires machine tools with similar attributes to carry out manufacture.

A case in point is Glenrothes-based sub-contract specialist KSW Engineering, which has recently installed a new Doosan DB 130CX horizontal borer, supplied by Mills CNC (01926 736736), to machine large parts for the oil sector, such as wellhead housings.

The DB 130CX travelling column machine boasts large X, Y and Z-axis travels (4,000 by 2,000 by 2,000 mm), all fitted with linear scales to optimise accuracy. The machine has a high torque spindle (25 kW), with a three-range gearbox for heavy duty machining and fast metal removal rates.
Sometimes the machine tool industry can generate its own demand and such was the case recently at the Worcester headquarters of Yamazaki Mazak (01905 755755), where the company had identified the need to increase its capacity for large castings for its machine tool beds and columns. The solution arrived in the shape of one of its own Versatech V-100N models – the only one of its kind in the UK.

"We use our Versatech to machine the beds and columns for the range of machine tools we manufacture here at Worcester," says Richard Austin, Yamazaki Mazak's general manager - direct production. "By making use of the new features on the machine, we can reduce cycle times by as much as 20 per cent. These are significant savings when you consider that some of our machine beds can be on the Versatech for between five and six hours."

Among the many new features introduced with the latest range of Versatech machines are a high speed spindle, a fully CNC universal head, high pressure through-spindle coolant and a table change system that allows the Versatech to be integrated into an FMS.

Image: Mazak is using its own machines to make machines – a Versatech, seen here machining bed castings

"The universal head gives a significant advantage where the process demands both horizontal and vertical approaches to the machined faces. The fact that this head can, within a matter of seconds, change orientation, without the need to change heads, saves considerable amounts of time," says Mr Austin.

Positioning and accuracy of the up to 10,000 mm long bed (V-140N) is controlled by moveable servomotors positioned on the ballscrew nuts of the X and Y axes. In the X-axis, linear guides and twin ballscrews provide the high response rates and positional accuracy required. This combination also delivers rapid traverse rates of up to 30 m/min (V-100N) and high rates of circular interpolation. Accuracy is aided further by the addition of temperature-controlled oil through the cores of each ballscrew, minimising thermal distortion, due to high speed operation of the machine over extended periods.

The machine installed at Yamazaki Mazak's Worcester facility is also equipped with an optional two-table changer system.

"The previous machine had a pallet changer, so we are not seeing major productivity improvements with this system. However, one advantage is that the new system can be integrated into an FMS, if required. This is something that is already in place at one of Yamazaki Mazak's factories in Japan," concludes Mr Austin.

Big in Holland
Dutch machine tool builder Unisign (0031 773 073777) says that its recently launched Unicom 8000 CNC machining centre is the largest ever built in the Netherlands. It has X, Y and Z axes of 3,600, 3,300 and 1,600 mm, respectively, while height below the bridge is 2,300 mm; width between columns 3,000 mm.

The first Unicom 8000 is for Unisign customer Habets in the Netherlands and will be used to produce planetary gear carriers for a wind turbine supplier. The second machine has already been ordered by automation and power specialist ABB of Switzerland

The abrasive truth about composites

With composite content growing in almost every engineering sector, machine shops have to learn fast about a whole new material world. Machinery reports
Practically all aircraft manufacturers are turning to composites to replace certain metal components and assemblies. In fact, many manufacturers of high value products are increasingly employing composites to take advantage of their strength, stiffness, durability, corrosion resistance and light weight. Some experts say that, in 10 years, there may be even more composite going into wind turbines than into all aircraft. Furthermore, metal matrix composites are being used for high performance automotive parts, such as brake rotors. And, because composites can be transparent to X-rays, they are likely to find new medical applications as well.

The shift towards composite materials entails a similar shift in the way composite parts are made. To better understand what this means for machine shops, some reflection on the mechanical structure of composites is helpful. By definition, composites are not homogenous in the way metal is. A 'composite' is a combination of two or more materials engineered to achieve better properties than either of the component materials could achieve on their own.

In a composite, one material is the matrix and at least one other is the reinforcement. Carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), the predominant composite material in aerospace parts, comprises a plastic matrix with carbon fibre reinforcement. Machine shops attempting to process such materials face a combination of challenges. The matrix could melt from excessive heat, while the carbon fibres do not cut easily, because they fracture instead of shearing smoothly. Meanwhile, the layers that constitute CFRP structures can easily splinter or delaminate during machining.

So what special demands are placed on the machine tool when processing composites? Well, the contoured shapes of composite components usually demand a 5-axis machine tool. However, the amount of power and torque required for cutting metal is typically not needed for composites, at least not for CFRP. In fact, CFRP can be machined efficiently on lighter-duty CNC routers that generally never see a metal part.

A case in point is witnessed at FACC AG, an Austrian-based specialist in the design and manufacture of composite components for commercial aircraft. With a turnover of around €270 million and over 1,600 employees, recent investment at FACC has seen the installation of a Jobs Jomach 146 gantry-style machining centre, equipped with a direct motor, torque-type milling head and NC suction hood for composite dust extraction, and two LinX linear motor milling centres from the same manufacturer (Macro Engineering, 01920 487711, represents Jobs).

The most recent LinX machine features Jobs' Compoflex universal tooling system, designed specifically for the clamping of composite parts.

Workholding for machining composites is critical, because clean cutting without fraying, delaminating or otherwise separating the layers requires the part to be secured firmly in the fight against vibration.

Compoflex, which can be used with any Jobs machine, offers multi-functional flexibility to reduce set-up times significantly, and FACC is using the system to machine a family of 22 composite nacelle parts (panels to cover aero engines). Compoflex comprises 170 jacks that are independently controlled by software, each with an articulated head equipped with a suction cup at the extremity. Each jack is able to detect the precise position of the workpiece.

Motorsport is another sector that is increasing its uptake of composite materials and the high concentration of racing teams based here in the UK has led Brackley-based Crosby Composites to acquire a 5-axis machining centre from CMS Group (0115 977 0055).

The first set of 17 components produced on the CMS Ares 3626 was supplied to one of the company's many Formula One team customers shortly after the machine was commissioned late last year. All the parts fitted on to the racing car with no interference, avoiding rework and fitting-up. According to Crosby, it was the first occasion in the team's history that this had happened with any set of composite parts from any supplier.

"It is important that we equip ourselves with the very best technology available," says managing director Paul Crosby. "The new machine has extended our pattern-making and component trimming capabilities, which are critical in today's composite machining marketplace."

The CMS machine is provided with protection against the ingress of carbon dust and fibres to the electronics, slideways and spindle, as well as an extraction hood that turns in line with rotary axis movement.
MACHINING ALTERNATIVES
Although advances in machine tool and cutting tool technology are developing fast, it is no secret that machining composites has its challenges. When seeking alternatives to traditional machining, initial thoughts probably turn to non-abrasive methods such as laser, EDM, ion beam/electron beam cutting and microwave cutting. All have certain advantages and yet all have their drawbacks, too. For instance, because carbon fibre is difficult to melt, it is easy to introduce a heat-affected zone next to the cut when using laser. EDM struggles with certain materials exhibiting poor conductivity, such as fibreglass and ceramic matrix composites, while ion beam, electron beam and microwave cutting methods are typically only applied to thin sheet material, and cannot be applied to contoured surfaces that require machining to tight tolerances.

When it comes to composites, arguably the most successful alternative to conventional cutting tool-applied machining processes is water jet.

According to water jet specialist Flow International (UK – 01455 895300), abrasive waterjet (AWJ) technology offers several advantages that include: zero distortion, due to limited jet forces and its nature of micro-machining action; no heat-affected zones; higher cutting speeds than routers; no delamination, splintering or fraying; and no dust.

Recent technology advances include the use of vacuum assist in AWJ cutting heads, which has been critical in the successful shape-cutting of composites. An external vacuum source is used to draw abrasives into the cutting head before starting the waterjet.

"This ensures instantaneous action of the AWJ upon firing the waterjet and impacting the material, and it has been shown that delimitation does not occur when piercing composites using this approach," says Dr Mohamed Hashish, senior vice president – technology at Flow International.

Boeing has used waterjet for years for its 777 tail parts. Aircraft manufacturer Raytheon is another Flow customer and uses water jet to cut composite parts for its Premier 1 jet.

The most common waterjet processes used for airframe are trimming, shape-cutting and drilling. Trimming is typically performed on the edges, while shape-cutting is deployed on interior surfaces to produce openings such as access holes or windows.

In order to trim and rout composites, waterjets and solid tool routers have been incorporated together on special hybrid systems. In these systems, two 5-axis masts are used: one for the AWJ and another for the router.

"The AWJ is used to trim the part using an end 'effector', while the router is used to drill and countersink the required holes or trim some critical areas not easy to address with the AWJ," says Dr Hashish. "This system provides significant advantage in minimising set-up time."

Challenging times

The Korber Schleifring Group mounts a grinding symposium once every three years at its Studer, Thun, Switzerland site. Machinery was there to hear both business and technology news
At the Schleifring Group Symposium in May, held once every three years at Studer's Thun, Switzerland location, the German grinding machine specialist outlined its business and technology position. In fact, of the parent Korber Group's total turnover of €1.75 billion, only 28 per cent is accounted for by machine tool sales, via Korber Schleifring. Korber Group's other activities include tobacco and paper machinery, plus pharmaceutical packaging systems.
But the 2008 financial year was a good one for the Schleifring Group's grinding machine activities, with turnover reaching a record high of €486 million – revenue has grown from €267 million in 1999. Of the sectors served, automotive is still far and away the largest segment of its business, claiming some
€136.2 million of total machine tool sales; behind tool and cutter grinding, €97.7 million; general engineering, €74.2 million; and then turbines, €66.3 million. Of the latter sector, Schleifring managing director Dr Ralf Kammermeier said that the group is the market leader. But he did not shirk from acknowledging that there is a "crisis" in the machine tool industry and admitted that the Schleifring Group is being affected.

As at June last year, orders were up
10 per cent he offered, but the out-turn for 2008 was 10-15 per cent fewer orders: "nobody could have expected this," he said, with this leading to an order intake of €440 million versus 2007's €510 million. And he referred to the UK's Oxford Economic Forecasting's grinding machine global outlook by way of further demonstration. In 2008, the market was worth €3,077 million: it is projected to fall to €2,111 million this year; €1,890 million in 2010; and then rebound to €2,310 in 2011.

The automotive market for grinding machines is expected to drop since world unit car volumes are predicted to fall from 2007's 65 million to a low of 51-57 million in 2009, before heading back up to 61 million units in 2010. The aircraft industry will also see a reduction in passenger aircraft production before rebounding in 2012, it was further added. The predicted out-turn is for a 21 per cent fall in value and 35 per cent drop in volume before growth returns in 2013.
FARING BETTER
But Schleifring was, he offered, faring better than the German machine tool industry as a whole. While the German machine tool builders' association, VDW, highlighted an order drop-off of 70 per cent in Q1 year-on-year, Schleifring had performed better with just a 35 per cent drop – "we can deal with this,"
Dr Kammermeir added, but said that the company would have to get used to a demand that is 30-40 per cent lower during the next few years.

In responding to the challenge, the group's production site concept will see it make better use of synergies; be more flexible; support standard processes; build on core competencies; use capacity more efficiently; gain cost benefits of shared platform design; develop a sourcing strategy – concentrate on its core competencies and outsource other parts; and it will make locally for local markets. Some €25 million will be invested in realising this strategy during the next few years, it was revealed.

Production activities will be concentrated in three sites – Thun, Switzerland; Walter Kurin, Czech Republic; and Shanghai, China. Assembly and customisation of machines will take place within the other group sites, such as those at Hamburg (Blohm) and Göppingen (Jung), Germany, plus the recently acquired Combitec internal grinding company, in Switzerland.

Moving on to technology, the managing director outlined some current developments in brief. He underlined the shared platform technology between Studer and Schaudt, as regards the S22, CamGrind S and ShaftGrind S machines, and also added that the two are working to develop a new external grinding module, from which they can configure task-specific solutions for gear shafts and camshafts. There is also to be greater co-ordination between Blohm and Jung regarding machine and control system development, with an innovative machine project underway that will see new Jung machines developed for the medium technology segment – "something that we have never managed before" – during the next two to three years. This will result in three different size machines with three different controls. For Blohm itself, there won't be so much change, it was added. Studer and Mikrosa will work together on inspection technologies, while a highly precise flat grinding machine will be be made at Thun. In the case of Walter and Ewag, there will be further "consolidation", the machines from these two companies already sharing many common components.

Specific developments highlighted at the symposium took in: a Blohm Jung diamond dressing development, GEOID; the new Ewag Compact Line tool grinder; transmission shaft machining at
200 m/sec on a Schaudt ShaftGrind S; Combitec CT-450L, CT-960 and S120 machines; plus ToolStudio software developments.
DRESSED TO IMPRESS
In more detail, Jung has always been associated with pioneering grinding developments, it was highlighted, with its PA37K continuous diamond dressing device offering 50 per cent cuts in production process times, while setting up the dressers is also fast. For its six-diamond, star dresser, it claims "six minutes for six diamonds", while for a diamond disc it is 10 minutes. This sort of performance is enough to justify Jung technology, it was asserted, but now another major step had been taken to further improve this technology. GEOID takes into consideration the fact diamonds are not round, so, as the contact angle between a diamond and wheel changes, error is introduced. But apart from computing a more accurate path – ±0.005 micron accuracy is now ±0.0025 micron. Benefits also include double the use per diamond (halving tool cost), plus reduced setting times.

The Ewag Compact Line, launched at EMO 2007, was shown in its new PCD/CBN module guise, with an integrated Fanuc robot for loading/unloading of inserts. The Compact Line is intended for the production of smaller batches of inserts – 10s or 100s, not 1,000s. Therefore, short set-up time is the key factor. With a potential for six different types of workholding, set-up time is just 10 mins, and it can be set easily to work with or without robot loading.

Schaudt's ShaftGrind demonstrated high speed peel grinding at up to
200 m/sec, by means of a reduced weight grinding wheel made from carbon fibre, not steel: so 3 kg versus 25 kg. In theory, grinding at wheel speeds up to
300 m/sec is possible, with plunge feedrates of up to 15 m/min and axial rates of 30 m/min operating. Applications highlighted were gearshafts and turbo shafts, with camshafts already a success with customers in Europe and Asia – two cam lobes with different timing could be ground simultaneously, it was further explained.

The acquisition of Swiss internal grinding specialist Combitec, late last year, offered the Schleifring Group the possibility of introducing a new line of grinding machine tools at this year's gathering and it highlighted three units.

The CT-450L – an entry-level model – is an internal and universal cylindrical grinder for new users and is, in fact, the 'light' version of the bestseller CT-450. With a wide range of applications, the CT-450L is equally suited to universal internal grinding applications, grinding collet chucks and machining brittle hard materials. Special features are the linear spindle arrangement, use of either one or two belt spindles (having speeds of between 28,000 and 60,000 rpm), and cross-slide design. The CT-450 provides a range of expansion options, such as a C-axis for grinding all types of threads.

The CT-960 – a high-end universal machine – is an internal, universal and radius grinder, with a B-axis swivel to 91°. A turret for up to four spindles permits efficient grinding of small to medium-sized workpieces. The optimum stability and rigidity of the CT-960 permits grinding die with radii, cones or path contours. The finished workpieces have polished surface quality. An optional CNC-controlled C-axis is available for grinding threads or non-circular shapes. Sim-CT software helps with programming, set-up and simulation.

S120 – a speedy production machine – is an internal cylindrical grinding machine for one or two independent grinding tasks. Optimally suited for efficient machining of high-precision small parts, it is well established in large batch production. Typical applications are in the area of hydraulic components and, increasingly, in medical technology; for example, grinding ceramic balls for hip joints. Different handling systems can be integrated via the loading interface.

Walter ToolStudio developments centred on increased capability, as regards the development and manufacture of complex tools without specialist knowledge, via Wizards and a knowledge database. But while Wizards generate the tools, the user can always edit the underlying system-derived values. Graphic 3D simulations allow for the capture and correction of errors on-the-fly, while there is also virtual probing, particularly useful on small tools, where actual physical probing is not possible. And, importantly, a machine will not start if a collision is detected by the software, even if the operator has ignored it.

Cornerformers for 0.5 to 1.2 thick material

The Multiflex MF25, MF50 and MF100 Cornerformers enables fabricators to cold form corners in thin mild steel or stainless steel with material thicknesses ranging from 0.5 – 1.2 mm.
They have been specially designed for manufacturers of medical equipment, steel furniture, shelving, kitchen appliances and other white goods, where thin materials are commonly used in the fabrication of products.

From smallest part size of 60 mm by 60 mm up to any part size, only the corner of the part is in the cornerformer when forming corners.

As with all ACF flexible tooling, a closed corner can be formed in about 13 seconds, including all manual part handling time. This produces a total cycle time for a finished part (4 corners formed and sheared) of 52 sec.

Robot handling of parts on cornerformers is also possible.

Small air nozzle is precise and frugal

The EXAIR Nano Super Air Nozzle from Good Hand offers the highest performance attainable from a tiny nozzle.
It delivers precision air blasts with a directed, high volume, high velocity airflow. The overall length of the air nozzle measures 20 mm with a diameter of only 6 mm, permitting installation in tight spaces.

The Model 1110SS Nano Super Air Nozzle provides a narrowly focused air pattern that measures 38 mm when positioned 152 mm from the target surface. High amplification of airflow and a blast force of 230 G are achieved, with minimal air consumption of 235 SLPM at 5.5 Bar.

The Type 316 stainless steel construction is suitable for air blasting, cooling and drying applications located in general industrial, high temperature, food, pharmaceutical or corrosive environments.

Safe operation is assured, since the airflow of the Nano Super Air Nozzle cannot be blocked, which meets health and safety standards for dead-end pressure. Sound level is 75 dBA, meeting noise safety requirements.

The Nano Super Air Nozzle can replace existing wasteful nozzles or open pipes. The compressed air inlet is male, M6 x 0.75.

Hainbuch clamping cylinders

Energy-efficient clamping cylinders are the latest addition to the Hainbuch range.
The range takes in normal pressure, high pressure, and bearingless high pressure clamping cylinders.

They feature a patented rotary feed, with self-regulating flat-gap seal, that ensures approximately 50 per cent less leakage, compared to conventional clamping cylinders. Due to the low leakage, a small hydraulic aggregate is all that is required, while less energy is wasted.

With the high-pressure cylinders, users profit from shorter cycle times, higher productivity, and lower energy costs. The reduced oil volume ensures fast clamping strokes, the reduced mass allows the spindles to accelerate and brake faster, and th machine drives have a longer life-span.

The standard cylinders, with up to 80 bar, are ideal for machines with a small overall size. They offer a greater clamping pressure regulating range and thus enable more sensitive clamping. Differential pressure clamping is even available as an option.

The highlight of the clamping cylinder product line is the slim-line, high pressure clamping cylinder without ball bearings, says the company.

Maximum spindle concentricity, higher machine accuracy, long life time, and higher RPM are the claimed benefit.

Quick-change end-stop

Hainbuch has introduced quick-change end-stops to complement it SPANNTOP and TOPlus chucks.
The two systems, Vario Part and Vario Quick, ensure significantly more flexibility.

With the standardised work piece end-stops, valuable time can be saved in work preparation, set-up times are drastically reduced, and the user always has the suitable end-stop to hand.

Vario Part is rcommended for precise and rigid clamping. It functions on the same principle as a gauge block box and can be height-adjusted in 1 mm increments with precision ground plates. With a face run out of < 0.02 mm where the end-stop contacts the workpiece, Vario Part is ideal for finished part machining.

Vario Quick is designed for fast, flexible clamping. It works with a precise trapezoidal thread that allows fast adjustment of the clamping length. A half-turn corresponds axially to 1 mm.

In addition, Hainbuch offers end-stop blanks for workpiece end-stops or front end-stops

VERICUT V7.0 unveiled

CGTech has released the next major version of VERICUT CNC machine simulation and optimisation software, V7.0.
VERICUT 7.0 features significant performance-improving enhancements that reduce the time required for manufacturing engineers to develop, analyse, inspect and document the CNC programming and machining process.

Instead of focusing on new features or add-on modules, CGTech developer resources have focused on diligent code optimisation and customer-driven enhancements.

"VERICUT has been reorganised, with a new user interface for maximum efficiency," said John Reed, managing director, CGTech Ltd. "Not only is the software extremely stable and significantly faster, it has never been easier to set up a VERICUT project. This release will set a new standard for the world's most advanced CNC simulation system."

CGTech sought to reduce the number of pop-up dialogs for day-to-day VERICUT users and eliminate any confusion associated with "Apply", "OK" and "Cancel" buttons. As a result, setting up a new project in VERICUT has been simplified. Items formerly in pop-up dialogs have been moved to the Project Tree, where all projects are now configured by using an intuitive configuration panel automatically displayed as the user selects each branch. Actions are immediate, so "Apply" or "Okay" clicks are unnecessary.

The Component Tree has also been merged into the Project Tree, but can optionally be hidden. Additionally, the Project menu is now much simpler with menu actions moved to the Project Tree. All these updates mean the user can stop hunting through menus to find a function; everything the user needs is now in one place.

VERICUT 7.0's motion processing is all new. Thousands of development hours have gone toward optimising VERICUT's internal code for the fastest, most efficient motion simulation to date. Motion Simulation refers to how VERICUT calculates the motion path from the NC data and animates it. The motion in all view-types is now co-ordinated and tool images are consistent. Collision tolerance and motion display are independent. When set to stop at a travel limit, the simulation continues the motion with axis clamped, while any cuts during a limit error are painted red. A 5-axis NC block is now one motion and simulation times overall are shorter, due to improved efficiency.

All collision configurations is now done via the collision branch in the Project Tree. 5.x and 6.x collision configurations are upward compatible and read into 7.0. This central location for all collision control eliminates any possibility of duplicate collision checks. All current functionality is maintained. The user can define a near-miss collision with cut stock, and all near-miss and actual collision errors are separated in the logger. Components turn red upon first display of the collision contact, instead of at the end of the colliding motion.

VERICUT runs standalone, but can also be integrated with leading CAM systems, such as Catia V5, Siemens NX, Pro/E, MasterCAM, EdgeCAM, Delcam PowerMill and Open Mind HyperMill.

VERICUT can read Siemens NX Part Files directly when NX is on the same computer. NX parts can be referenced either directly from within VERICUT, or via the NX-to-VERICUT interface.

The CATIA V5–To-VERICUT Interface has been enhanced, with many new features for managing tools. The user can merge tools from a template with new tools from the Part Operation, and optionally put all unique tools in one tool library. The user can also use CATIA-referenced STL models. VERICUT holders are now named using the holder names already defined in CATIA. Additional new features include the option to specify work offset subsystems and set model tolerances for the stock, fixture and design models.

Five-axis water jet

The new WARDJet Psy-winder 5-axis cutting head, available from exclusive UK agents Wightman Stewart, is a precision tool designed to cut bevels and undertake weld preparations.
The Psy-Winder can also be programmed to cut any 3D part between 0-90°. This innovation will appeal particularly to manufacturing or sub-contract companies supplying directly or indirectly into the aerospace, oil, gas and power generation sectors, as well as companies looking to offer a differentiated waterjet cutting service to the market, says Wightman Stewart.

The major benefit of 5 axis cutting is the ability to cut a profile from a flat or angled piece of material at a pre-defined angle, anything between 0-90°. In addition, the cutting head can be programmed to cut a contoured profile with the head remaining 90° to the material profile/surface. This makes the Psy -winder ideal for bevel cutting or providing an angle for weld preparation

The cutting of contoured surfaces, which are impossible with conventional three axis cutting, can also be carried out. Taper compensation of the cutting head results in increased geometric accuracy at faster cutting speeds. Up to 12,700 mm /min are achievable on WARDJet Z-Series machines and up to 63, 500 mm/min on the pure water J-Series. The standard vertical travel on the Z-Series Z-axis is 300 mm or an optional 600 mm. Custom vertical travel limits can be requested.

The Psy-Winder is considered a fixed mechanical tool tip cutter. This means that the motion of the additional rotary axes does not affect the spatial position of the cutting point. This approach is claimed superior to alternative kinematically modelled mechanisms, which must offset X, Y, and Z positions based on the angles of the 4th and 5th axes. This can accumulate additional error if the positions of the rotary axes are not perfect.

Dedicated software makes it fast and easy to program bevels on parts or to allow for taper compensation - virtually eliminating the taper commonly found on parts cut by a waterjet.

The optional height sensor feature reduces the potential for broken nozzles, by automatically adjusting the height of the cutting head to maintain a fixed distance between the nozzle and the material. The crash sensor stops the motion of the machine if there is anything in the path of the cutting head that has the potential to break a nozzle or cause damage.

Up to nine Psy-Winder five-axis cutting heads can be installed on one cross beam with single 2D and 3D capabilities. Post-processors are available for both 2D and 3D CAM software.

The Psy-winder can be specified as part of a new WARDJet machine or alternatively can be fitted to an existing WARDJet machine.