UK deep hole machining specialist can gun drill diameters from 2.5 up to 38 mm, to a depth of 2000mm from one end or 3000mm through from both ends.

Premier Deep Hole Drilling, based in the UK, has expanded its specialist deep hole drilling, gun drilling and honing capacity The company can gun drill diameters from 2.5 up to 38mm, to a depth of 2000mm from one end or 3000mm through from both ends

The company operates 22 machines, single and multi-spindle types, to machine central holes in round workpieces.

Four knee-type machines perform prismatic and off-centre work.

* Company expansion - as part of a strategic plan and an ongoing investment programme, the company has expanded its ejector drilling capability.

Managing director, Stuart Grant, said: "We started looking for extra capability in 2006, initially to meet predicted ramp-up demand for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner programme.

The decision was taken to invest in a 2-3m bed machine that could ejector drill up to at least 150mm diameter, because the size suited certain aerospace programmes and we had an increase in the demand for components with larger bores from other industry sectors, specifically the oil and gas sector".

Premier chose a 4m Ryozan machine, sourced from a factory in Eastern Europe.

Yorkshire Machine Tools sourced the machine and were given the project of refurbishing it to a specification set by Premier.

Part of the specification included workpiece counter rotation, so that the machine would duplicate the ability of the company's smaller ejector drilling machines.

Having purchased the machine carcass Yorkshire Machine Tools refurbished the guide ways and fitted new ballscrews.

A new 8000 litre coolant tank was fabricated, and the oil pump and seals were also refurbished to safely handle the high pressure required during the ejector drilling process.

The electrical control system and axis drive motors were renewed to meet current industrial standards and to provide Premier with the level of process control it expects from all of its machines.

As the new drills are capable of drilling up to 250mm diameter by 4m long, Premier extended its overhead cranes and increased lifting capacity to 4 tonne.

Premier has invested over GBP 100,000 in improvements to the facilities.

Grant said: "The new machine was up and running before the end of February and the initial plan is to load it with existing routine work to prove it out.

A new operator has been taken on to cover this area, and is currently undergoing process training due to the specialist nature of the deep hole drilling process".

* Strategy - Premier made a strategic plan to back up the 4m machine with a shorter bed version of the same make, so the company ordered a 2m machine was ordered in September 2007.

The shorter machine will also ejector drill up to 250mm diameter.

It has the same tool interface so that the tool tubes from each machine can be interchanged.

Both machines feature 37kW motors driving the heads and 30kW motors on the counter rotating heads.

The ejector drilled Boeing 787 components make up engine nacelle actuation equipment, which is a 'full control' component.

Premier procure the raw material, arrange heat treatment, drilling and machining to a prepared blank stage for the customer.

Grant said: "The plan is to prove out the work for the Boeing 787 project, which will end up on the 2m machine, taking it to full capacity by the end of the year as the build ramps up.

The machine that this work is currently loaded on will address an increase in demand from a customer in the oil service and exploration sector.

Effectively, the 4m machine will be kept for new business and is particularly suitable for oil exploration/extraction drilling parts such as drill head, feeder tubes and collets, as well as aircraft landing gear parts that are larger than we could previously handle".

The complex nature of the process makes the tooling tubes and drill heads expensive, so they are purchased to suit the application.

Tubes only cover a 2mm diameter range and bores have to be done in several passes.

Grant said: "Even with the power available on these new machines the most they can take out in one pass is 100mm diameter, so its at least three passes to achieve 250mm diameter.

The tool tubes we use offer some flexibility as they can be threaded together to extend the tool, and are compatible with both machines".

* Honing - With 14 machines of various configurations, Premier has also expanded its honing capability, offering internal surface honing up to 250mm diameter by 4000mm long.

The CNC turning capacity has also been increased with two new CNC lathes having also been purchased to meet an increased demand for aero actuation parts as well oil and gas components.

A large bore, long-bed CNC lathe was installed in April to carry out complex external turning operations.

Grant concluded: "Due to the increase in the Boeing project overlapping a current CFM project that will eventually be sent to a lower cost manufacturing base, we will have some spare capacity available by the middle of 2008." Grant. 

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/prx/prx113.html