Mill-turning for partnership sourcing
Even the most complex workpieces are produced in a single setup
Eight Miyano fixed head mill-turn centres are helping Machined Components Systems (MCS) maintain and extend its partnership sourcing relationships with blue chip manufacturers.
Installed over a number of years, the machines are invariably dedicated to the production of specific parts and, in all cases, their ability to produce even the most complex workpieces in a single set-up has immediately enabled cycle times to be cut – sometimes by over 50%.
Based in Redditch, MCS complements these machines with sliding head lathes, machining centres and conventional multi-spindle machines to serve customers in industry sectors as diverse as automotive, petro-chemical, environmental, transport, marine, health care and white goods.
Managing director Warren Gray says: “Our continuous investment in equipment and our people working with a positive 'can do' philosophy sets us apart in our ability to work in close collaboration with customers in providing cost-effective machining solutions.”
The MCS customer commitment, he stresses, is based on long-term supply agreements that often start with product development and design input, and also embraces open book costing. The company was quick to embrace the benefits of one-hit machining.
One Miyano machine, for example, was purchased specifically to machine a casing for an innovative device that helps determine leaks in water pipework. With two spindles and three turrets and a total of 36 tools available, the Miyano’s ability to complete the part in a single cycle – including milling a complex internal clover-leaf feature at one end - has enabled machining times to be halved compared to the former method of separate set-up turning and milling.
Says Mr Gray: “We began producing this part on ‘conventional’ CNC machines in small volumes but as sales improved and the customer ramped up our production, we needed a more efficient method of production.”
The investment in a Miyano LZ-02RY2 with 8 inch chuck and 100 mm turning diameter is another instance of how advanced mill-turn machinery has enabled cycle times to be slashed – indeed, it has more than halved them – in the production of components that were traditionally produced on a fixed head lathe.
Mr Gray explains: “We were doing a lot of chucking work on this machine, and here the Miyano offered the ideal solution: a 10-station turret with five driven positions fixed head machine with fully integrated robotic load system working in conjunction with a conveyor belt feed system.”
Since 2008 another Miyano, this time a BNJ-51SY2, has been dedicated to a Jaguar Land Rover steering column sleeve that incorporates an internal taper. Produced in volumes of 5,000/week, the 30 mm diameter by 35 mm long part (produced from 40 mm EN19 bar), has a 3 mm collar at one end and requires a taper to be produced between 22 mm and 16 mm diameter. The tolerance is 9deg-31 min to 9deg-23 min and, he maintains, the Miyano consistently handles this with ease. The BNJ machine has an 11 kW spindle and 5.5 kW secondary spindle with two turrets and Y-axis.
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
