S and J Precision has invested in a Deckel Maho DMU 50 Evolinear Universal five-axis machining centre to expand its operation cycles.

The managing director of S and J, Sean Patmore, has built the business by progressively increasing company assets, largely via three- and four-axis milling for customers predominately in the motorsport, optical and laser industries.

'The installation of the Deckel Maho DMU 50 Evolinear means we are qualified to expand our motorsport order book and to move into the medical sector,' he said.

'This capability should mean we will be quoting only against two or three competitors at most, instead of being up against 10 or more suppliers offering three- and four-axis machining services.

Following the installation of the first five-axis machine from DMG (UK) of Luton, Patmore is already laying down future investment plans for more machines.

'Once we have built up our experience levels, we plan to extend our subcontract operations into aerospace,' he added.

With new work planned for the DMU 50 Evo, Patmore regards the ability to precisely maintain geometric positional tolerances of features to the machining datum on different faces of a component as a critical advantage.

'Once the program is proven, it takes away most causes of error and especially from relocation,' he said.

In making the decision about which machine fitted his requirement, Patmore checked out possible suppliers using several comparative markers.

'There are so many machines now available at all levels of pricing that claim the same capability,' he added.

'But as an overall package, the DMG machine with its Heidenhain iTNC530i control and a working table area of 500mm by 380mm was an ideal starting point.

Patmore also noted the table swivel of 0 to 108deg, which gave the capability to machine at a negative angle of -18deg in the B-axis and produce compound angle features.

The axis can also rotate at 40rev/min as well as 50rev/min in the C-axis.

The machine, in his view, is built to accommodate the type of work he intends to produce.

'It is very flexible and the 35kW spindle drive has plenty of torque for drilling and milling difficult materials,' he said.

The positioning speed of 80m/min in X and 50m/min in Y and Z, due to the linear axis drive system, was an added bonus, according to Patmore.

'Our motorsport customers are prime users of DMG machines and this helps to build relationships as having the same level of quality machine draws you into the frame of acceptance in what can be a difficult sector,' he added.

As part of the Deckel Maho DMU 50 Evo package, Patmore ordered the optional tailstock to enable the machining of longer work.

He also specified laser tool measurement, digital probing and Hilma five-axis vices.

Following the October 2008 installation, the company is combining what would have been six or more operations on existing machines into two, and Patmore said that overall savings of 30 per cent should be made against four-axis set ups.

Access to the S and J machine shop is described as 'difficult', passing through two sets of double doors, a long corridor with several right-angle shifts of position.

DMG UK's installation team faced a low ceiling height before navigating the machine around existing equipment installations.

This particular model of machine was one of the first of this new DMG design to be installed in the UK, so to ease installation the machine was delivered from Germany partially dismantled.

To ensure the rebuild went to plan, a DMG installation engineer went on a build-study visit at the factory in order to meet the original build and operational specification.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/dmg/dmg291.html