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Aero parts 35% faster at Staffs Precision
A Star CNC sliding head lathe has cut machining times for titanium aerospace components by 35% at Staffordshire Precision Engineering. This allowed it to win new work where it had previously been 30% too expensive.
The company was also able to reduce cycle times on existing components and bring work in-house that was previously subcontracted.
In the late 1990s half of the company’s turnover came from truck manufacturers, but that type of open-tolerance work has largely disappeared overseas. The company therefore targeted the medical, petrochemical and instrumentation sectors to reduce its reliance on the automotive industry. Furthermore, in May 2009 it received AS9100 registration and has moved aggressively into supplying aerospace parts.
In the past four years, SPE has spent £500,000 on new CNC plant including the Star multi-axis lathe, which has made a considerable impact on the subcontractor’s shop floor.
The 35 percent time saving came on a family of titanium components for a global aerospace customer. These were previously machined in a longer cycle on a fixed-head CNC lathe. In addition, subsequent operations were needed on a centre lathe to de-pip the reverse end after part-off and deburr inside diameter edges.
Joint managing directors Phil Smith commented: “The savings on this family of parts alone are substantial, as we can produce them in one hit on the Star and achieve a better lead-time.”
There were several factors that convinced Staffordshire Precision to invest in sliding-head technology. The most significant was that the company was often 30 percent too expensive when quoting to produce some volume turned parts, especially those of smaller diameter. It implied there was plant being used by competitors that, for certain work, was far more efficient than SPE’s fixed-head mill-turn centres.
The company had considered investing in sliding head technology in the past but held reservations about set-up times.
Mr Smith continued, “We knew of the process but had been put off due to fears about how long it would take to set up jobs. People said it could take five hours to change over a CNC slider to make a new part and then, with batch runs becoming smaller these days, the machine would run for only a day or so. On the contrary, we find the Star quick to set up. Programming a new part at the Fanuc control is straightforward, particularly if it is a variant within an existing family of components, and we are back into production rapidly.”
http://www.engineeringcapacity.com/archive101/2009/december/machined_components/aero_parts_35_faster_at_staffs_precision
Various titanium aerospace components and plastic turned parts machined by Staffs Precision on the Star SR-20J.
The company was also able to reduce cycle times on existing components and bring work in-house that was previously subcontracted.
In the late 1990s half of the company’s turnover came from truck manufacturers, but that type of open-tolerance work has largely disappeared overseas. The company therefore targeted the medical, petrochemical and instrumentation sectors to reduce its reliance on the automotive industry. Furthermore, in May 2009 it received AS9100 registration and has moved aggressively into supplying aerospace parts.
In the past four years, SPE has spent £500,000 on new CNC plant including the Star multi-axis lathe, which has made a considerable impact on the subcontractor’s shop floor.
The 35 percent time saving came on a family of titanium components for a global aerospace customer. These were previously machined in a longer cycle on a fixed-head CNC lathe. In addition, subsequent operations were needed on a centre lathe to de-pip the reverse end after part-off and deburr inside diameter edges.
Joint managing directors Phil Smith commented: “The savings on this family of parts alone are substantial, as we can produce them in one hit on the Star and achieve a better lead-time.”
There were several factors that convinced Staffordshire Precision to invest in sliding-head technology. The most significant was that the company was often 30 percent too expensive when quoting to produce some volume turned parts, especially those of smaller diameter. It implied there was plant being used by competitors that, for certain work, was far more efficient than SPE’s fixed-head mill-turn centres.
The company had considered investing in sliding head technology in the past but held reservations about set-up times.
Mr Smith continued, “We knew of the process but had been put off due to fears about how long it would take to set up jobs. People said it could take five hours to change over a CNC slider to make a new part and then, with batch runs becoming smaller these days, the machine would run for only a day or so. On the contrary, we find the Star quick to set up. Programming a new part at the Fanuc control is straightforward, particularly if it is a variant within an existing family of components, and we are back into production rapidly.”
http://www.engineeringcapacity.com/archive101/2009/december/machined_components/aero_parts_35_faster_at_staffs_precision
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