The use of a CNC lathe 'Lights-out' package to supplement an existing pair CNC lathes to machine door furniture components has increased output without increasing the workforce.

The use of a Colchester Tornado 90 'Lights-out' package to supplement an existing pair of Colchester Tornado 80 CNC lathes on a new contract to machine door furniture components, has enabled Birmingham-based Paraid to increase production capacity without adding to its workforce and produce groups of parts with extremely rapid change-over. Purchased from Coventry-based Datamach, the Midlands distributor for Colchester, Paraid was able to overcome problems it had always encountered when installing additional new machines that it had to recruit and train two new setter operators. Says manufacturing director Mark Wallace: 'With the Lights-out Tornado package which includes a bar feed, axis torque monitoring for tool wear and breakage and in-built swarf conveyor, we were in the ideal position that the machine only needed part-time operator attention.

This meant that no extra people were needed.' Although the application at Paraid was developed in such a way that the sister tooling replacement was no longer used, tool monitoring has remained a valuable asset and contributes a high confidence factor to allow minimally manned operation of the machine.

Paraid's operations are split into two distinct areas which majors on manufacture and sale of the EVAC+CHAIR, a light-weight foldable chair developed for evacuation of disabled people from high rise buildings.

This ingenious system is ideal for on the level or on stairs, where its tracked runners allow easy negotiation of stair descent angles up to 38 (degrees).

Managing director Barry Scholes explained: 'We set up Paraid in 1986 to manufacture and sell the EVAC+CHAIR in all markets other than North America.

Initially, production was subcontracted but in 1995, with the aid of a Regional Selective Assistance grant, we bought the current factory so we could manufacture in-house and have more control over quality and delivery.

While this was very successful, we found we had spare capacity and so decided to move into subcontract machining.' At the time, the company had CNC milling and tube bending and had recently installed its first Tornado 80 CNC lathe.

By 1998, a second Tornado 80 was installed and the company's skills base expanded.

This led to Investors In People status - while the subcontract capability led to ISO9002-approved quality system and steady growth in the subcontract business.

'The Tornado gave us a well-built, simple to use machine at a very competitive price,' said Mark Wallace.

He felt there was little competition in value for money terms and says: 'It enables us to develop our subcontract machining with a high degree of success and confidence.

Whereas in 1995 we had no CNC capacity, we now have eight CNC machines, including three machining centres.' He describes how the Tornado 90 Lights-out was the ideal purchase.

'We were very familiar with the normal Tornado and found programming has proven to be just as straightforward and because the MBF 1000 bar feed is also programmed at the Fanuc control, it makes the setters life so much easier.

The unmanned running capability was a very attractive feature and this has certainly paid its way.

However, one advantage is that as many of our parts are similar but are made from different materials,' says Mark Wallace.

He describes how for their applications they find the Tornado 90 more productive to set with all the tools installed in the 12 station turret for turning up to three similar parts because they can take advantage of instant changeover.

'Although this precludes use of sister tooling, we still have the advantage of tool monitoring for running under limited manning and the gentle handling of the parts-catcher ensures we never mark a fine surface after its machined,' he maintains.

It was the winning of a contract to supply components for high quality architectural ironmongery, in 1999 that brought a change to Paraid.

As Barry Scholes explains: 'We were initially approached to help develop for production a newly designed range of handles.

Once this was completed, we were asked to supply the components which rapidly filled any spare capacity.

We are now the exclusive supplier of components, as finished kits of parts, and the contract includes our management of subcontracting for any polishing, anodising and powder coating processes.' The Tornado 90 'Lights-out' package was bought mainly to service this contract which, taking finish variations into account, amounts to 50 part numbers.

In terms of actual machined components there are 25 produced from 316 stainless steel, aluminium and nylon and some from mild steel.

Component length ranges from 10mm to 125mm with batches of around 1,000 produced against a monthly schedule.

The company machines most of its door furniture components from 20 mm or 25 mm bar stock.

While the complete range have to be turned, some also need second operation milling and cross-drilling and/or a drifting operation to locate the lock through-bar which actuates the latch.

Says Mark Wallace: 'Tolerances are not tight, but a consistent surface finish is critical as the stainless steel parts are polished and the aluminium parts subsequently anodised.' He then describes a typical operational sequence which involves turning the outside diameter and end spigot, screw-cutting the spigot followed by finish boring and part-off.

A second turning set-up is then used to produce a radius end and any milling or drilling operations are performed on one of the machining centres or the drifting press.

'Typical cycle time is around 90 seconds for aluminium parts and up to twice that on stainless steel,' he adds.

Due to the regular need for machining both ends of the workpiece and for second operation milling and drilling, Mark Wallace had considered both twin- spindle lathes and mill-turning solutions.