Needing to increase its flexibility, remain competitive and widen its market opportunities a subcontractor purchased three sliding head turning centres that could be updated as business grew.
Many subcontractors and general machine shops throughout the UK are concentrating upon survival above all else. Then there are the machine shops like WML Engineering of Swansea that continuously invest in modern technology and strive to be a tier 1 supplier. WML was established in 1970 and since its conception it has been devoted to producing high precision turned components for every facet of the manufacturing industry.

WML has always been committed to sliding head machines for large batch and medium production.

However, with components becoming more complex, the company has needed to increase its flexibility not only to remain competitive but to widen its market opportunities.

To improve flexibility and market opportunities WML purchased a pair of Tornos Deco 20A sliding head turning centres with 25.4mm diameter bar capacity in 2002.

The dramatic improvements in flexibility and productivity saw the company acquire a Deco 26A single spindle sliding head machine with a 32mm diameter capacity in 2003.

All machines were specified with integrated barfeeders and swarf conveyors.

Since acquiring the machines, the confidence on the face of company director Jason Meir is evident.

Meir comments: 'We now have the ability to take on all types of work.

We have never had such sophisticated equipment to brag to the market.

Our next goal is to achieve Tier 1 supplier status in the automotive sector.' One of the main reasons that persuaded WML to purchase a series of Tornos machines was the modular set-up.

Meir commented: 'When we were looking for a machine it was apparent that many competitor machines could not be upgraded or accept add-ons, and what you see is what you get.

With the Tornos machines it is simple to retrofit many additional attachments and options, this is ideal for us as we can add a thread whirling attachment to manufacture a series of screws if we consider entering the medical sector.' The flexibility of the company can be recognised by its work base.

Up to 70% is within the automotive sector with the other 30% split between the white goods and leisure industries, which include components for golf buggies and remote controlled cars.

At present the company is manufacturing handbrake and accelerator cable components along with connector adjustments and steering racks for a major Japanese automotive manufacturer based in the UK.

Since the introduction of the Tornos machines WML has been invited on a weekly basis to provide feedback and input into the design process of products.

The capabilities of the machines enable WML to offer the value added service of designing improvements into the product to 'cost-down the process'.

This is especially the case with older products that do not take into account the sophistication of the modern machine and the possibility of components being produced in one operation instead of 3 or 4.

Working in the cutthroat automotive sector has provided WML with a number of challenges, one of which is working on a JIT basis.

A number of customers have even requested a 24-hour turnaround.

To enable the quick turnaround WML sets 3 machines for automotive work at a minimum blanket load.

If the machine has the capacity for 6 different jobs per week, WML will load 3 jobs and leave the additional capacity for emergency work.

Despite working in this manner the company is still working 24 hours a day, 6 days a week at 85% capacity.

WML currently runs 9 jobs at any one time on a JIT basis; to provide greater flexibility WML may purchase two more Tornos machines in 2004.

The reason WML will take on more Tornos machines is firstly for its flexibility.

The Tornos machine can produce steering racks in one operation, which includes deep hole drilling to 300mm via an attachment with coolant receptors plus surface machining to within a 2 micron tolerance to a ground finish.

Probably the most significant and beneficial component of the machines to WML is the software.

Meir continues: 'Machine tools, like PC's can be out of date within 6 months.

However, with the TB-Deco programs, the software is run from the offline PC and every 6 to 8 months Tornos will send the most recent version of software, which will ensure modern day machine speeds on aging machines.' This not only reduces machine depreciation but has persuaded WML to buy a fourth Tornos machine.

The company bought a refurbished Deco 2000 last summer in the knowledge that the software updates will ensure productivity of a modern machine.

The TB-Deco software enables WML to program a complex job within 20 minutes, which is then ready to run on the machine.

The program is completed via computer simulation, which will run in real-time mode, breaking down every facet of the process to monitor and optimise production cycles.

This also enables WML to provide customers with exceptionally accurate quotes for work.

WML has optimised programs via the software for heavy cuts and loads on stainless steels and titanium by using balanced turning, which uses two tools simultaneously to divide the load between the cutters enabling turning from 25mm to 5mm in one pass.

Using such methods through the software reduces cycle times by up to 40% on the majority of work.

One example at WML is a steering rack shaft that requires cross drilling, milling and heavy turning.

By overlapping the processes WML slashed 30 seconds off the production cycle.

Considering the company produces batches of 5,000 each month, the savings are considerable.

With the program and software stored on the PC, the program is downloaded and processed on the machine in binary code enabling all programming to be completed away from the shop floor.

Removing the programming skill from the shop floor enables the programmers to re-program offline in a suitable environment.

The TB-Deco software integrates all facets of the machine including the barfeeder, swarf conveyor and the tool changes.

The off-line tool pre-set option informs the operator when a change is needed.

This enables the operator to prepare a replacement tool for when the machine stops instead of changing the inserts and re-starting the machine, an option that can save minutes each shift.

With regards to the software integrating machine peripherals like the barfeeder and swarf conveyor, the advantage is considerable to WML.

The TB-Deco informs the operator how many components are left to machine and the specific time the feeder runs out.

This enables the company to prepare for each production run and improves material and stock scheduling.

Even the swarf conveyor plays a significant role for WML; a manipulator arm moves the component to a part bin while the swarf is moved to an isolated bin away from the work.

The coolant sump with a 500 litre capacity is also integrated making the machine and all peripherals one complete and encased unit.

As the company is currently in the process of ISO: 14001 accreditation, enclosing the swarf conveyor and coolant sump into one enclosed unit to ensure tight control over coolant and waste is a major consideration.

Meir concludes: 'The Tornos machines are shaped correctly for our market as they are ideal for the automotive sector.

As well as machining turned and milled features on components up to 32mm diameter, latest CNC sliding head automatic performs deep hole drilling and boring up to a 60:1 length:diameter ratio.
Adding the cost-effective production of turned and milled features to components up to 32mm diameter, which also have deep hole drilling and boring requirements, will determine the ideal user for the latest C32-VII CNC sliding head automatic lathe from Citizen. The new machine, now available from NC Engineering of Watford, is able to produce deep holes up to 60:1 length to diameter ratio which equates to a 200mm depth for holes of 3mm diameter. Power to the 8,000 revs/min main and 7,000 revs/min sub-spindles is high for a sliding head machine at 7.5kW and 3.7kW respectively and the highly flexible tooling arrangement enables very short cycle times to be achieved especially with the advantage of its simultaneous cutting capability using up to three tools.

The C32-VII has two gang tool posts.

One has five turning tool and four, 1kW, 4,500 revs/min driven tool positions while the second gang tool slide will accommodate four front machining tools in conjunction with the main spindle and has five positions for operations at the secondary spindle.

As an example of its simultaneous machining capability, while the current part is held in the main spindle, the outside diameter can be turned from the gang tool post while it is drilled from the second gang tool slide at the same time as the back tool position of the same slide is used to machine a feature at the secondary spindle.

This type of high productivity mill/turning is achieved through Citizen's latest control processing unit and control system which incorporates newly developed high speed macros.

Features of the control include a fast program check capability, high speed threading and rigid tapping cycles.

To maximise the deep hole drilling capability of the machine, program controlled high pressure coolant delivery at up to 2,000 lb/in2 ensures optimised tool penetration rates with good surface finish and extended tool life through precise control over any swarf generated by the tooling.

As an option, a 1kW rotary tool drive can be fitted to the second gang tool post which will enable features on the front face of a component, such as pitch hole drilling and slot milling, to be performed in-cycle.

Manufacturer of cutting and shredding equipment used to subcontract machining until the summer of 2005, but two CNC lathes and a machining centre in a package now do the work.
Brian Purser and son David run a very successful development and manufacturing operation - Mobile Frag Sales - producing and assembling cutting and shredding equipment created from the company's highly successful worldwide patents. For instance, the two versions of the 510 tonne and 240 tonne Rail Cropper that are used in-situ to chop railway track into manageable lengths has been very successful in the UK market and has potential users queuing up from all over Europe. As a result of the increasing production capability at the Cheadle (Stoke on Trent, UK) facility, a new assembly operation is now being established in North America to penetrate the US market.

The success of the Rail Cropper is best described by director David Purser, who maintains that one man with an excavator fitted with the hydraulic powered shear unit can complete a trackside task in under 20 minutes that a team of men with blow torches would spend upwards of 30h to achieve.

And users agree! Said David Purser: 'One of our main problems was to control the Rail Cropper's build and quality.

We used to subcontract machining under licence until the summer of 2005, but due to a few problems, we decided to approach several machine tool suppliers about installing our own equipment to bring this manufacture in-house.

We quickly found it was Colchester Lathe at Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire that was able to 'tick all the boxes' and supply two CNC lathes and a machining centre as a package that covered all our requirements.' Mobile Frag Sales wanted a single source of supply that could ensure a good aftersales support for these machines.

The equipment had to be able to provide a combination of power and capacity, have very simple to use programming software and maintain the ability to machine to high accuracy.

Said Purser: 'We were not particularly interested in cycle times.

Quality and functionality was the order of the day, so we ordered two Colchester MultiTurn combination CNC lathes, with bed lengths of 2000 and 4000mm, and a Richmond VMC 1000 vertical machining centre with Anilam 6000 control.' The company's six man production team, which is currently being expanded to nine, were trained by Colchester Lathe.

As well as 'hot desking' and moving from machine to machine as required to produce batches of between eight and 16 parts, they are also required to produce prototype and development parts for Brian Purser's continual stream of new ideas, as well as fixturing and tooling.

Typical components include ram tubes, hydraulic cylinder piston rods, ram eyes, cylinder glands and hydraulic unions, the largest part weighing in at 270kg.

Said Purser: 'The MultiTurn lathes have proven to be a boon to use because of the high levels of inherent flexibility we can take advantage of.

We do not grind - we turn to size, and the machines are fully capable of holding 0.07mm tolerances on a 272mm diameter cylinder bore that is 1000mm deep, as well as on 600mm long piston rods with a 0.02mm tolerance on a 79mm outside diameter.' Both MultiTurns are flat bed machines which have a common Fanuc 0i-TC control with the simple use Manual Guide 0i conversational programming assistance and electronic handwheels.

The on-screen programming involves direct input of drawing dimensions that is ideal for the large variety of component types produced at Mobile Frag Sales.

There is also the facility to call up the on-board library of macros that are easily customisable to what is specifically required.

This simplifies programming further and presents a very clear representation of toolpath graphics on the screen.

The MultiTurn 2000 has a 250mm chuck size with a 400mm swing and 585mm by 165mm in the gap bed.

The nominal turning length is 1156mm, the eight-station all-electric turret is 30 VDI and the 7.5kW main motor has a speed range of 15 to 2,700 rev/min.

On the MultiTurn 4000 swing is greater at 554mm, with 830mm by 216mm in the gap bed and a chuck size of 315mm.

The nominal turning length is 3000mm and a larger 11kW motor has a speed range of 15 to 2,000 rev/min.

The Richmond VMC 1000 with its Anilam 6000 control and highly rated Machinist Language programming routines has been able to be really exploited.

On a 180mm thick ram eye, for instance, it is U-drilled from solid to 45mm diameter and interpolated to 125mm diameter taking 5mm depths of cut.

It is then finish bored to a 0.075mm tolerance.

The Richmond has a table 1120mm by 510mm, ample for Mobile Frag Sales' machining requirements, plus an 11kW BT40 heavy duty spindle and 20-tool carousel.

The Rail Cropper is a totally self-contained unit that is carried and powered from the hydraulic system of the excavator, making the device mobile and very flexible.

In use, it simply chops the rail line into 6m lengths ready to be lifted by a crane onto suitable transport.

Purser explained how the 'inventiveness' of the unit, which took 18 months to perfect, involves avoiding shock during the cut.

The design enables the unit to be easily positioned so the moving jaw pressurises the rail against a fixed anvil and causes a stress fracture across the 'ball' top of the rail and the steel simply cracks into two.

Indeed, the jaws are the critical area of the cropping device and they have a life expectancy of some 400 tonnes of rail.

They are produced from a special cast ingot specified by Brian Purser that is rolled into a special section ready for machining on the Richmond.

Such has been the success when machining these toughened jaws that Purser is currently ordering another Richmond, this time the latest version to be launched at MACH 2006 that will have multiple pallet loading capability.

It will be turnkey engineered by the Colchester Lathe application team.

An increase in production is planned at Mobile Frag Sales as new business is being won through agents appointed in Holland, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and the USA as well as from two sales offices in Russia.

Further agencies are also being appointed in other parts of the world helping to increase the projected build target to 6,000 units a year over the next 15 years.

However, with Brian Purser's roving eye for new ideas, it is no surprise that several other versions are already under development: for fixed installation in scrap yards; a special request has been made on the continent for cropping rails into one metre lengths which can then be dropped direct into re-melting furnaces; mobile application in shipyards; a special unit for building demolition; and currently in prototype machining is a unit that is able to split rocks.

Visitors from home and abroad viewed CNC lathes, vertical turning lathes and vertical and horizontal machining centres that were shown in Shanghai, China, during April.
RIFA Precision Machinery attended the CCMT2004(China CNC machine tools Show) held in Shanghai. Four models representing respectively the RIFA CNC horizontal lathes, RIFA vertical lathes, RIFA vertical machining centers and RIFA horizontal machining centers were showed on the exhibition and attracted the attention of professionals coming from home and abroad. CCMT(China CNC Machine Tools Show ) and CIMT(China International Machine Tools Show ) are alternately held in China as the most important machine tools fairs there.

CCMT is held for the China manufacturers to show their newest products, and CIMT is held not only for the China manufacturers also for the foreign manufacturers who are interested in the Chinese market.

About 60 companies attended CCMT2004 and they represent the most important of the Chinese machine tools industry.

When one of its principal subcontractors started to become unreliable, a toolmaking company quickly installed an electronic lathe, eliminated grinding and brought work back in-house.
With cost and reliability, two of the key elements in any precision toolmaking business, Redditch-based KFC Engineering knew it had to act fast when one of its principal subcontractors started to become unreliable. To bring control of its production back in-house and also cut the expenditure of subcontracting, KFC selected a DMT 400 electronic lathe from StarragHeckert UK of Brackley. Serving the needs of the automotive, medical and electronic industries for the past 23 years, KFC Engineering is a small but efficient precision toolmaking company.

As managing director, Kevin Creighton explains: 'We are a small firm, and we tended to subcontract a lot of what I would call our 'clever turning' to another company, unfortunately, they started to let us down and in toolmaking there is a low tolerance for any lapse in lead times.

We can't afford to let our customers down so we decided it was time to invest in our own CNC turning facility.' To add weight to the decision, some of KFC's components were being sent outside for grinding as a secondary operation, but as Creighton explains: 'We knew if we could meet the drawing demands from turning we would be able to eliminate grinding from the equation.' The search began, encompassing the full spectrum of new and CNC electronic lathes available.

'We looked very closely at a number of machines, but the DMT 400 definitely proved to be the best option for us.

Its accuracy combined with the tooling package and its ease of programming made it the clear favourite' he maintains.

In fact, the ease of programming became the most important factor behind the decision to purchase because the standard canned cycles it contains are extremely easy to apply and adapt.

He says: 'The combination of teach/repeat and canned cycles on the DMT 400 include threading, rough and finish profiling, undercutting, grooving, tapers and spiral groove type forming, which are just what we needed.' He has found the control provided as much or as little CNC assistance as the operator needed in a well-proven operator friendly style developed by Heidenhain in its 'Manual Plus' control system.

'With a memory capacity for 96 programs, a 96-tool inventory, a good range of macros and terminology that is very familiar to an operator, this means we have seamless program generation - which is ideal,' he says.

KFC produce components out of tool steel in batch sizes no larger than six and here, the DMT 400 is testament to the argument that it is no longer necessary to make a straight choice between CNC or conventional machines, by offering CNC capability on a conventionally configured lathe.

The machine can be used in CNC mode with typical high resolution of the Heidenhain dynamic graphics support, or as a conventional centre lathe with electronic handwheels making it ideally suited for single part followed by automatic repeat cycle turning operations.

The DMT 'electronic' turning machine range has a swing over bed up to 800mm and can be specified with up to 4000mm between centres.

In CNC mode, constant surface speed ensures high and consistent surface finish, while spindle speed and feed rates can be adjusted during machine cycles via the simple apron mounted travelling control panel.

Rapid traverse rates are 5m/min in X and 10m/min in Z.

'Since installation in December 2003 the machine has run perfectly,' says Creighton, 'in fact we haven't had to contact StarragHeckert UK since, as there simply hasn't been any problems.

As a small company we always have to keep one eye on the future and the accuracy and surface finish capabilities of the DMT 400 mean that we have saved both on the cost of subcontract work and especially the problems and costs associated with secondary operations such as grinding.

But what is most important, is that we are in control of our own destiny in terms of what we give and when we deliver to our customers.

General engineering company needs as much flexibility in its machine tools as it can get, which is why it sought a CNC lathe to change over quickly and frequently between bar and chuck work.
South Wales based general engineering company D'Arcy Engineering Co needs as much flexibility in its machine tools as it can get and certainly pushes the capacity right to, and often beyond, the limit. As a prime example, its Colchester Tornado 220 two-axis CNC slant bed lathe is used for both bar work up to 65mm diameter and chucking applications to which the proprietor Nigel Allsop maintains: 'We frequently change the machine over from bar feed to chuck or back again inside 10 minutes and we have even stretched its turning capacity from the specified 260mm to 300mm diameter and that's on steel components.' D'Arcy which is a very successful machinist company has its premises on one of the largest business parks in Europe at Llansamlet, just north of Swansea. That said, it still has to work hard to meet its customers demands for quality and delivery in the medical, construction, automotive and general machining sectors which means choosing the right machine for its needs is critical in its success.

Here, the installation of the Colchester Tornado 220 with its integrated MBF 1000 bar feed package bought from Erith, Kent, the new Colchester Sales Technical Centre partner RK International, was seen as important in the plans for future growth.

With a slightly different operation to most subcontract machinists, Allsop has his feet in two camps.

Not only is his general machining operation very successful in supporting locally based international names such as Sony, Bosch and Morganite it has strong links with a prolific local scientific research and development company where it provides a highly successful design for production service.

Set up some 12 years ago D'Arcy employs six people and moved to its current site six years ago when it outgrew its original premises.

At the time of the move, Allsop invested in several CNC machines.

However, to meet the growing production machining requirements for batches that vary between one and 500 parts and especially the fast turnaround the company has to make to customers.

'We then decided to purchase the newly launched Tornado 220,' he says.

Materials now turned on the Tornado 220 include brass, PTFE, engineering plastics and both mild and high tensile steels and while its regular customer base places scheduled orders giving the 'bread and butter' to the business, they tend to be at the top end of the quality spectrum in terms of tolerances and finish.

Allsop describes a recent automotive schedule for aluminium mounting components to be used on high end audio systems in the executive/luxury car market sector.

'These parts had to be machined for the first tier automotive systems manufacturer and had to be totally compliant with their strict drawing and quality demands.

The Tornado met all the requirements for the job and the project was completed with great success,' he says.

D'Arcy's business involvement with the research and development company has placed significant demands on the machine shop on the back of the burgeoning success of a number of products being brought to market.

Here, Allsop' s experience in machining has led to an important boost to this side of the business especially influencing the design for manufacture element, where he can advise and prove the benefit of cost reduction and simplification.

He is also able to help develop features on a design based on the practicality and advantages gained from a particular machine tool, tooling and control system A prime example, which led to gas nozzels, brass pins and mechanical handling equipment for the medical sector being very efficiently produced on the Tornado came out of the design for production development programme.

One particular project, code named Predator, is a gas scavenging system which is currently under development for high quality manual or automatic MIG or TIG welding.

Predator detects the presence of shield gas allowing welding to continue right up to the point when the gas bottles are empty rather than the normal procedure which requires pre-emptive changing of bottles.' The Tornado 220 is powered by a 22kW AC spindle motor which Nigel Allsops' machine setters use to the full explaining that when over capacity turning the 300mm steel billet, the power meter never even moved from its normal position.

The machine was specified with the 3,500 revs/min lower speed option spindle with rapid traverse rates for the VDI 40, 12 station turret being 25m/min in X and 30m/min in Z.

While swing over the bed is 510mm, the maximum turned length is 540mm which is described by D'Arcy's setter as 'very handy' for the exceptional larger part they sometimes have to turn.

According to Allsop, features of the Tornado 220 that have proven to be an excellent bonus is the basic stability of the machine which he puts down to the Duo-stable engineered polymer concrete filled base.

'Even when we put oversize work or really push the machine it is inherently stable,' he says.

And following on to conclude he maintains: 'The thermal properties of the machine are such that it is able to reach operational stability within 10 minutes of start up.'

One of the main factors for choosing a manual/CNC lathe was that it is very easy to learn to use and also very much quicker than manual lathes, says a subcontractor.
The speed, extra capability and performance of its Harrison Alpha 1400S manual/CNC lathe have powered Wolverhampton company, Shinton Engineering, into new market sectors, just weeks after acquiring the brand new machine from Harrisons main distributor, Datamach of Coventry. Formerly using entirely manual-type lathes, the firm in Ettingshall Road - established around 40 years ago by the current proprietor Tommy Shinton - became highly specialized in producing one-off replacement machine parts, especially for presses and other industrial machine tools. Now, Shinton Engineering, which has a staff of 12 people, is rapidly building on this core business by manufacturing medium-volume batches of small components, such as quality-finished castings for motor engines and other applications.

The company says the Alpha 1400S is perfectly suited to producing 50-100 items with very fast turnaround times and high precision results.

Shinton Engineering manager, Neil Whitaker said: 'One of the main factors for choosing the new machine was that it is very easy to learn to use and also very much quicker than manual lathes.

It will do things in a few minutes that would have taken us a couple of hours of heavy work to complete.

It is a lot quicker and we achieve much better finishes.' Shinton said the Alpha 1400S, which has a 400mm swing and 1.250cm between centres, has much more flexibility than traditional lathes and opens up new niche market areas: 'We are now realizing that there was a lot of work available for our company which we could not have taken on, from customers with a requirement for quantities of 50 or 100 items produced quickly and precisely.

We can now price these jobs competitively.' The 1400S is one of five Harrison Alpha models making up the Harrison S1000 lathe series: 1350S (350mm swing), 1400S (400mm swing), 1460S (460mm swing), 1550S (550mm swing) and 1800S (800mm swing).

All lathes incorporate the most advanced and easiest to use manual/CNC lathe control in the world - the Fanuc Colour Touchscreen control system, with a 10.4 inch wide touch panel with clear, colour step-by-step graphics, Alphanumeric keypad and system selection key to give operators the widest possible range of machining permutations.

From effortless manual turning to sophisticated semi-automatic and full CNC machining, the Alpha S1000 series delivers maximum flexibility to perfectly match the machining requirement, while a major new feature of the S1000's control capability is its Manual Guide System - a touchscreen accessible cutting programme enabling the full generation of simple cutting profiles and complex automatic programmes to be carried out directly at the machine.

The Alpha lathe's integral teach facility allows hand wheel-initiated moves to be recorded as a programme and re-run automatically after completion of the first component, while all new programmes generated can be stored to memory for later use or saved to the integral AlphaLink software.

Additionally, all programmes generated in this comprehensive 'Cycle Cutting' mode can be converted to a full CNC programme.

The Alpha range also incorporates a semi-automatic machining capability for stops, taper turning and automatic thread cutting, plus an off-line CAD/CAM machining facility.

Harrison's sales director, David Smith, said: 'The success being achieved by Shinton Engineering perfectly illustrates how the speed, ease-of-use and flexibility of Harrison Alpha lathes can exceed the expectations of customers and open doors to increased business in new market sectors.

'The latest generation of Alpha lathes are extremely technically advanced, highly equipped and superbly designed and constructed for maximum performance, excellent machining results time after time, very low maintenance and a long, trouble-free operating life.'

A 'lights-out' unmanned turning package enables highly automated production across a range of two-axis and three-axis machines at a very competitive price starting at under GBP 53,000.
The 'Lights-out' unmanned turning package developed by Colchester Lathe is the flagship for its Tornado range of lathes. It enables highly automated production across the range of two-axis and three-axis machines at a very competitive price which starts at under GBP 53,000. The new livery and ergonomic guard design of the Lights-out package comprises the Colchester developed MBF 1000 integrated barfeed, parts-catcher, swarf conveyor, tool monitoring and sister tool replacement.

In-process gauging and production scheduling software are also included in the purpose-developed, competitively priced unit.

The T2 two-axis 60 (degrees) slant bed machine package using Colchester's Duo-stable construction that provides thermal and dynamic stability up to 300 per cent greater than cast iron, has a 42mm bar capacity and 5.5kW, 6,000 rev/min spindle with 12 position VDI 30 turret.

The MBF 1000 bar magazine is fully integrated with the Fanuc control and as a result has no mechanical stops, takes minutes to change over from, say, hexagon to round bar and programming is quick by using dialogue input.

As each bar is measured, the onboard machine software computes the number of pieces from each bar and recalculates when to stop the automatic production cycle.

The production schedule software enables direct on-machine control over workpiece batches while the tool monitoring, based on axis torque loading, will initiate sister tool replacement from the 12 station VDI turret or stop the machine if the problem is deemed more serious.

To help with program generation, on-board Colchester develop COLCAM software gives fast and simple machining cycles.

Automatic alarm generation and call out is included in the event of cycle stoppage from the Fanuc 21i-TB Series control with 10.4 inch colour LCD display.

Through Renishaw's LT02 optical transmission probing technology for comparison against drawing limits and feed-back to control, any deviation for automatic tool offset correction can be made.

A range of strong, reliable and cost-effective production lathes feature a CNC that is is straightforward to program by operator interface or direct on line programming.
Ajax has launched two new ranges of European-manufactured lathes, the manual/CNC Apollo QT series and the Ajax Apollo PD production lathes. The Ajax Apollo PD series is built around robust and reliable European-built lathes combined with the latest Fanuc 21i CNC control, giving a range of strong, reliable and cost-effective production lathes. The powerful Fanuc 21i control is straightforward to program by operator interface or direct on line programming, the operator interface gives advanced machining, tool management and calculation of complex shapes and functions.

Ajax are currently offering the option of a full production package, this includes hollow spindle hydraulic chuck, hydraulic tailstock and an 8 station automatic turret.

Special introductory prices for this equipment range from GBP 3650 to GBP 4950, depending on the size of machine.

With the above package coupled to a lathe swinging 400mm, and 1000mm between centres, with Fanuc 21i control, Fanuc drives and motors, the complete production package is less than GBP 29,000.

The Ajax Apollo QT manual/CNC lathes feature Fanuc's QuickTurn control and Fanuc drives and motors.

The range of Ajax QTs has been developed as a replacement for the conventional centre lathe.

An experienced lathe operator would quickly adapt and start machining immediately when combining his knowledge with the Fanuc QuickTurn technology.

The Fanuc QuickTurn control provides and easy-to-understand, operator-friendly interface, leading the operator through standard turning functions using the touch screen display.

Manual operation is by two electronic hand wheels, with varying feed rates and using the display as a simple 2-axis DRO.

Complex shapes and operations can be programmed using a selection of canned cycles that are accessed through the touch screen display.

Up to 15 operations can be stored in the control.

These operations cover: rough turning and facing cycles; thread cutting cycles, including taper threads; radius and chamfer cycles; grooving cycles and drilling cycles.

Prices range from GBP 12,950 for a machine of 335mm swing, 750mm between centres, to GBP 28,950 for a machine of 620mm swing, 155mm diameter spindle bore and 3000mm between centres.

The range offers the benefit of a lathe with and operator-friendly control for the same price as a fully-equipped conventional centre lathe.

The biggest through bore spindle and a high torque capacity option features the latest addition to a range of precision CNC lathes that employ a massive slantbed cast iron base construction.
The biggest through bore spindle for a Hardinge CNC lathe ever will be launched at the forthcoming MACH 2004 exhibition. With a 250mm chuck as standard and a 78mm through spindle bar capacity, the Talent 10/78 complements the other Talent machines covering the 45 and 52mm bar range with 150 and 200mm chuck sizes respectively. A massive 30deg slantbed cast iron base construction is used providing good accessibility for loading heavy parts and a clear path for chips to fall into the slat type chip conveyor supplied as standard equipment with the machine.

The 10/78 has a powerful 18.5kW spindle drive as standard with 404Nm torque rating at a base speed of 437 rpm.

For those really heavy cutting jobs on big diameters there is a high torque option with 605Nm of torque at only 292 rpm using the latest Fanuc electronic gearbox technology.

An A2-8in spindle is mounted in a combination taper and angular contact four bearing arrangement to produce optimum angular and radial stiffness producing good roundness part concentricity.

With a maximum turning length of 600mm, a VDI-40 12 station turret and No 5 MT fully programmable tailstock the Talent 10/78 takes Hardinge into the big league when it comes to turning capacity.

The carriage and crosslide are both mounted on heavy duty 6 ball contact linear guideway designs driven by 40mm ballscrews with a maximum traverse rate of 30mpm.

Ideal for OEM customers and sub-contractors alike, the Talent range now covers more than 75% of all the turned parts produced on CNC lathes by size.

From small batches to dedicated volume manufacturing the Talent has found its niche for economical part production of turned parts.

A 5.63kW 4,000 rpm driven tooling option is available for the Talent 10/78 enabling complete machining of many parts using C-Axis milling, cross and end drilling and tapping in the same operation.

The fully programmable No 5 MT hydraulic tailstock has 625mm of travel on the base and 150mm of travel on the quill for easy loading of shaft type parts.

Talent 10/78 has Fanuc model OiTB CNC control along with the latest digital Series spindle and axis drives and motors.

A full range of optional and additional equipment is offered for bar and chucking work, including Renishaw automatic tool probe/tool wear monitoring system, part probes, part catcher/conveyor, barfeeds, turret and spindle tooling.

Critical tool breakage monitoring system takes two seconds to check critical tools thus enabling 100% critical tool monitoring to take place without adding significantly to the part cycle time.
Critical tool breakage monitoring system takes two seconds to check critical tools thus enabling 100% critical tool monitoring to take place without adding significantly to the part cycle time. Hardinge have entered an exclusive agreement with Checkmate Sensors for the sales and marketing of the revolutionary new Checkmate critical tool breakage monitoring system. This system has been proved in operation to extend the possibilities for unmanned running on bar-fed CNC lathes by as much as 100%.

The main advantages of the Checkmate system are:- It takes just two seconds to check the condition of each critical tool thus enabling 100% critical tool monitoring to take place without adding significantly to the part cycle time.

Tool breakage can be detected immediately - eliminating the possibility of subsequent tool and machine damage resulting from drill breakages, a turning, parting, or boring tool failure.

One sub-contractor has increased production by 100% using Checkmate which has enabled them to react immediately to increased Kan-Ban customer call offs without adding any labour costs to supply the increased volumes.

Checkmate is fast in operation (2 seconds per tool) and requires no setting from one part operation to the next.

The Checkmate macro is all that is needed to activate the tool monitoring routine everything else is done automatically by the plc linked to the sensor.

Checkmate can be used to monitor parting tools, drills, taps, turning tools and boring bars for most applications, whichever are critical to the particular operation.

As secondary functions, Checkmate can be set up to give audible or visual signals to indicate that a tool is broken or worn beyond a preset limit, for attracting attention to an unattended machine with a tool fault condition.

Checkmate allows for the gaps in operator attendance at the machine to be used for production with the confidence that Checkmate will stop the process safely in the event of a tool breakage.

Lunch breaks and tea breaks can become as productive as normal working hours, with after hours running generating bonus parts and profits at no extra cost.

Being environmentally friendly, Checkmate can be linked into the machine power switch to save power when a tool breakage is detected.

In the first instance, Hardinge will offer the Checkmate system on new Talent, Elite and Quest machines.

Its first public showing will be at MACH 2004, where Hardinge have come up with a truly novel way of exhibiting a Talent CNC lathe using Checkmate.

Instead of using 'trainer' type lathes, model steam locomotive building company purchased a CNC slant bed production lathe, which proved to be a catalyst for company growth.
Three years ago, when 46 year-old ex-toolmaker Andy Clarke gave up his 20-year career in the construction industry to return to engineering and bought Polly Model Engineering, his friends thought he'd gone off the rails! But today, the man and wife business of making miniature steam locomotives up to one metre long and able to carry up to 8 people in carriages that can travel at up to 15 miles an hour, is certainly on the right track and is about to expand by at least a third over the next 12 months. Key to this expansion plan has been the installation of a CNC slant bed production lathe from Colchester Sales of Heckmondwike. Normally, model makers go for bench-top training type machines, but not Andy Clarke.

Alongside a vertical machining centre installed last year in his small workshop in Long Eaton near Nottingham, now sits a full size Colchester Tornado A90 CNC lathe.

And, as a result of the acquisition, he now has the capability to automatically batch machine under his own control all the parts for his locomotives and driving trucks except the boilers which are purchased fully certificated from specialist subcontractors.

Says Andy Clarke: 'As an example of how the business is developing, my wife Jayne and I went to a two-day show in April and sold models equal to almost half my present year's production.

Demand is rising so fast from all over the world that I had to develop batch making techniques, and the Colchester lathe is so ideal for this.

I turn everything, even though I have never been on a CNC course in my life, and the parts include wheels, axles, motion parts, buffers, valves, piston heads and cylinders, steam chests, steam connectors, brakes, smoke box and parts for cabs, tenders and tanks.' When he took delivery of the Tornado he maintains he didn't even know where the on-button was.

'Within a week I was making bits and found the machine so easy to use.

Where I used to buy castings, I can often machine direct from bar now and so far have programmed about 250 different parts, which I can run-off as and when I need them in batches of 100 or so.' There are five easy-to-assemble steam kits in the Polly Model range aptly designated Polly 1 to Polly V.

Polly V is the latest addition and is a 5 inch gauge 2-6-0 tank locomotive some 37 inches long by 10 inches wide, weighs 54kg and is powered by 5 inch driving wheels.

Customers are as diverse as solicitors, a church organ restorer, a retired policeman and a lorry driver in Scotland who bought one for the track in his front garden! And there are currently two women who are building locomotives from kits to which Andy Clarke confirms: 'From my contact with them, they are progressing very well'.

Clarke normally links customer build to production, by selling each locomotive in 12 separate kit packages.

Customers order the engine which can cost between GBP 3,000 and GBP 5,000 and pay a 20 per cent deposit.

The remaining 80 per cent is then split over 11 months in exchange for the next monthly set of parts and build instructions.

Although he admits one young lad does get special treatment and phones him every time he has some extra money and asks 'what can I buy for this?' This 'pay as you go' purchase also helps him organise the batching of parts.

'With the Colchester Tornado, not only do I know that the tolerances, surface finish and quality will be consistent over the batch, I can press the button - make the bits while I get on with something else.

'OK if the part is a casting, I just reload the machine as I pass by but I use a bar puller and machine a batch of parts from bar in one go.' He maintains: 'I'm not after cycle times, it's all about quality.

When you are selling to South Africa, France, Germany, Denmark and very soon the USA, these keen model enthusiasts will not tolerate inferior parts.

My reputation is at stake with every engine I make because enthusiasts are very keen to talk to each other.' He then describes how the Colchester machine has proven its worth.

'Castings for cylinder covers used to cost GBP 2.50 and I always had to wait for delivery.

Today I turn them completely out of bar, along with a host of other parts such as safety valves, miniature boiler fittings and bushes.

Even crank pins are produced out of bar as well as miniature drain cocks a quarter of the size of a small finger nail.' Larger parts such as smoke boxes, which are 8 inches diameter by 4 inches long are all turned from aluminium castings and he claims to machine six months stock of wheel castings in around an hour.

'That would have taken me days before on an ageing capstan and centre lathe installed in a corner of the workshop, and it would have demanded all my skills as a toolmaker to get the parts right.' In particular, the brass dome that sits on top of the boiler is now produced from a lost wax casting.

'I programmed and turned the blank for the casting in under an hour,' and he proudly demonstrates the smoothness and finish of the blend radii of the dome.

Having recently purchased a mail order model engineering supplies company, Bruce Engineering, which is now run by wife Jayne and supplies proprietary model parts such as steam stop valves, injectors and water gauges, the Polly Model workshop is almost bursting at the seams which might mean a move to new premises.

Sales have climbed by almost 75 per cent in the three years he has been trading and Andy Clarke now plans for further growth and diversification of the business.

'Before the Tornado was installed and with just me making parts I could never have improved the business.

Skilled labour is very expensive, sub-contract machining would mean I could lose control and so decided the latest turning technology would give me what I needed.