Case Studies

At the Barnoldswick factory of bicycle aftermarket component manufacturer Hope Technology, nearly all parts are machined from aluminium. Due to the relatively light metalcutting involved, it is not surprising that nimble, 30-taper machining centres are found on the shop floor alongside more powerful but relatively ponderous machines having a 40-taper tool interface. Indeed, works and
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Hailsham, East Sussex-based subcontractor, Dicker Precision, has decided to move its prismatic machining capability forward with the purchase of its first 5-axis, vertical-spindle machining centre (VMC). It is a German-built Spinner U620 Compact, supplied as a turnkey package with tooling, the initial part program and training by UK and Ireland agent, Whitehouse Machine Tools, Kenilworth.
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One-hit turn-milling on Biglia B565YS halves cycle time and eliminates inter-machine handling. Looking at the cuboid aluminium components produced for medical diagnostic equipment by subcontractor AES Precision Engineering (www.aes-engineering. co.uk), one would think they were milled, drilled and tapped on a machining centre rather than a lathe; indeed they used to be, from sawn billet
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At the Hailsham, East Sussex factory of subcontract machinists, Dicker Precision Components, an Italian built Biglia twin-turret, twin spindle CNC turning centre supplied by Whitehouse Machine Tools has streamlined the production of a family of aluminium switch cover assemblies. The savings are so great that the cycle time for producing one part of the assembly
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Subcontractor expands into civil aerospace sector Single-hit production solutions are known to produce significant reductions in cycle times compared with multiple set-ups on several machine tools. However, few applications result in a time saving as great as that being achieved by Plymouth subcontractor, Morris Engineering, during the production of a military aircraft gyroscope part from
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Ilfracombe subcontract machinists, Richmond CNC, has installed its first 30-taper vertical machining centre (VMC) to cope with a steep increase in medical and aerospace work. It is a twin-pallet Speedio R650X1, built by Brother in Japan, and has transformed the speed and efficiency with which parts are manufactured, according to the subcontractor’s managing director, Gary
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A horizontal machining centre (HMC) designed specifically so that it can be expanded easily and inexpensively in the field has eased the growing pains of Adaero, a subcontractor in Crediton whose success in recent years means that its factory is bursting at the seams. The company invested £600,000 in capital plant during 2015 alone. Installed
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Established in Blackpool 21 years ago, Entech Engineering has within the past five years invested in a new, purpose-built factory as well as modern inspection equipment and new machine tools to keep in the forefront of technology. The company specialises in the manufacture of original and replacement manipulation tools for tube in a wide variety
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An Italian-built Biglia CNC lathe with twin-opposed spindles and three Y-axis turrets supplied by Whitehouse Machine Tools has taken over the manufacture of terminal lugs from 38 mm diameter copper bar at the Plymouth factory of subcontractor Morris Engineering. The improvement has been dramatic. One-hit cycle time to machine the component at both ends has
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Diecaster pleased that specifying a big working envelope no longer means settling for a slow machining centre. Largely as a result of receiving new medical and aerospace contracts, turnover has increased by 70 per cent in the last 12 months at MRT Castings, an aluminium diecasting company in Andover. Noteworthy is that the tonnage has
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