Engineering Capacity Digital Edition May 2021

FOR MANUFACTURERS ABOUT SUBCONTRACTORS

May 2021

INDUSTRY NEWS | SUSTAINABILITY | MEDICAL

MACHINED COMPONENTS: The key to lock making

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robots for medical technology: _optimum solutions for robot-based medical products

While robots are gaining a greater presence in the world of medicine and life sciences, they are not newcomers to these fields. The innovation and software developments in MedTech are driving the industries, but the system’ backbones are well-designed, robust robotic systems.

For over 30 years medical grade robots have been supporting a number of applications. For example, to carry large loads such as X-ray devices, or to undertake processes that require great precision, such as the exact positioning of an instrument, or consistently high precision in scenarios such as surgical operations. Autonomous testing routines, sorting blood samples or even joint replacement; applications designed to simplify workflows and maintain process/ procedure quality and consistency of task delivery, at a time when there is a shortage of skilled personnel.

T: 0121 505 9970 E: sales.uk@kuka.com www.kuka.com

FOR BUYERS OF CONTRACT MANUFACTURING SERVICES Visit our online edition for breaking news, jobs, events, features and searchable directory. www.engineeringcapacity.com Editor: Andy Sandford editor@engineeringcapacity.com Sales Manager: Arfan Qureshi sales@engineeringcapacity.com Tel: 0207 241 4627 Graphic Design: Dave Blake blakey@djbdesign.co.uk Printer: Holbrooks Printers Limited Norway Road, Portsmouth PO3 5HX Engineering Capacity is published six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November SUBSCRIPTIONS Engineering Capacity is available free of charge to UK buyers and suppliers of subcontract manufacturing services.

For non-qualifying readers, annual subscription rates are as follows for 6 issues posted to addresses in: UK £60.00; Europe £80; Rest of the World £100 You can request your copy and sign up to our free weekly email newsletter on our website or contact us via subscriptions@engineeringcapacity.com www.engineeringcapacity.com Tel: O1737 270 648 Published by: Engineering Capacity Ltd Abbey House, 25 Clarendon Road Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QZ United Kingdom Registered in England company no. 10567217 ISSN 0306-0179 COMING UP IN OUR JULY 2021 ISSUE Casting & Forging, Oil & Gas, Forming & Fabrication, Turned Parts, Aerospace & Defence, Composites, Subcon Preview Please send editorial for consideration to editor@engineeringcapacity.com There is no charge or cost involved with having your editorial included in the magazine or on our website

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MAY 2021

Editor’s View The signs are looking good for UK manufacturing. Let’s start with the economy. GDP rose by 2.1% in March, far more than anyone expected, with 5% growth for the quarter a strong possibility. Exports to the EU rose by 8.6% in March, back to pre-Brexit levels.

In manufacturing, the PMI for April stood at 60.9, a 321-month high.

Growth of output and new orders were both among the best seen over the past seven years.

These trends are borne out by the latest Contract Manufacturing Index (see page 9), which shows that demand for subcontract manufacturing services is up by 25% on the previous quarter. Also, the recent Manufacturing Barometer report showed that nearly two-thirds of SMEs are expecting to increase sales between now and October.

The thing that makes it easy to believe that this could be sustainable is the vast amount of cash held by consumers and businesses that they haven’t been able to spend during the pandemic.

You may well say, ‘it doesn’t look like that from where I’m sitting’, but it is claimed that British households have built up £130bn of excess savings during Covid and that UK companies are holding £100bn. This is a mighty reserve of potential energy to drive demand and kick-start the recovery.

But, as ever, a sudden increase in demand creates shortages – so the enemy at the gate is inflation. While we aren’t necessarily seeing much of this in our daily lives, mild steel sheet has gone up from £600/tonne to £1,100/tonne, and the near impossibility of getting some microchips is piling on even more pressure.

The way to address this is to focus on adding value and introducing smart, efficient working practices and production technologies.

Which means that the Government’s Super Deduction initiative could not come at a better time (see page 32).

I’m told by machine tool suppliers that this is already having an effect, with demand shifting to high technology, more productive equipment that will make UK manufacturers even more competitive in international markets.

Andy Sandford, Editor

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3

Contents May 2021

20 SUSTAINABILITY

News

Features

06 Reworking up 73% 06 Pandemic has profound effect

14 Machined Components 06 Transforming lock manufacture Cobot boosts 5-axis output

on working practices

08 Cobots lend a hand in foundry 06 Forgemasters apply

19 Sustainability 06 Get help to achieve Net Zero Riding the green energy wave

collaborative robots

09 Steady recovery for subcontracting 06 UK market up 25% in Q1

22 Forming & Fabrication 06 Thinking inside the box

11 INDUSTRY NEWS 26 Medical 06 Robotics and automation

10 Express mail response 06 Contract manufacturers help upgrade Pitney Bowes printers

30 Moulding 06 All-electric upgrade

11 Smart jigs for fast trains 06 KM Tools put it together for

31 Additive Manufacturing 06 3D composite printing

Hitachi Rail

12 New markets for composites 06 Opening applications in energy, construction and transport 4

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32 INVESTMENT

32 Investment 06 Supercharged investment opportunity MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Castings Technology International (Cti) has cast its largest ever single component in pure titanium, and it is probably the largest titanium part poured into a ceramic mould.

With an envelope of 1000mm square by 600mm high and requiring over 1.2 tonnes (2,650lbs) of metal to be melted, the casting showcases several novel casting techniques developed in-house at Cti. This casting was part of an order from a Japanese OEM and will be used by its client in an industrial pump that handles highly corrosive media at elevated temperatures.

Titanium casting production is complex and requires expertise not only in metallurgy, but advanced foundry methodology.

Involved in the production of this titanium casting were George Appleby who joined Citi as an apprentice in 2018 and his training and development has led to him running the one of the largest Contract heat treatment specialist, Flame Hardeners has made two new appointments to its board of directors. Claire Casswell becomes Commercial Director, while Adrian Smethurst takes on the role of Works Director.

Claire was previously Commercial Manager and joined the company to assume responsibility for operating and monitoring customer satisfaction, quality audits, supplier approval, progressing and customer queries, and the

MAY 2021

Record titanium casting

ceramic shelling rooms in the world. Vilma Klimaviciene whose first role in engineering also started with Cti in 2018 works in the

Titanium Finishing department.

Machining and assembly will take place in Japan.

8 castingstechnology.com

Heat treaters strengthen board administration of quotations and certification of treatments.

Adrian, who has over 30 years’ experience in flame and induction hardening treatment, as well as hardness testing, NDT techniques and QC, was formerly Works Manager.

Managing Director, Roger Haw said: “I’m delighted to welcome Claire and Adrian to the Board.

This will allow me more time to concentrate on sales, customer liaison and the future strategy for the business. As climate change becomes more important, this will lead to the gradual decline of the mining, oil and gas industries.

We will need, therefore, to find alternative markets for our services.”

8 flamehardeners.co.uk

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5

INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity Quality management specialist G&P reworked 27,052,781 parts in 2020 to OEM standard, a 73% increase compared to the previous four-year average as manufacturers and suppliers deal with the profound impact of the global pandemic on working practices.

Indeed, the significant increase in reworked parts in 2020 is despite the total number of parts checked remaining almost level year-on-year over the same time period.

G&P’s offering covers inspection, rectification and technical services. These solutions are united by an inhouse quality excellence model, ensuring root cause identification and rectification of disruption.

Working closely with manufacturing OEMs and suppliers around the world as they adapted to new production protocols, G&P also removed a further 6,805,559 substandard components from the manufacturing process in 2020, a 68% increase over the previous four-year average, even given the recent unprecedented slowdown to manufacturing industries.

Geoff Cousins, chairman at G&P, said: “2020 presented new challenges with a massive disruption to working practices, such as social distancing, travel restrictions, interruptions to supply chains, remote working and different shift patterns, to name a few.

“Under these circumstances it was even more important to maintain robust quality protocols, 6

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Reworking up 73%

2020 presented new challenges with a massive disruption to working practices, such as social distancing, travel restrictions, interruptions to supply chains, remote working and different shift patterns, to name a few

‘‘

and G&P, supporting its manufacturing customers around the world, was able to improve the level of service and results, reworking an increased number of parts to OEM standard.”

G&P’s innovative Quality Excellence Model is a key asset

for the company and its customers as it supports all stages of the product life cycle to deliver quality, efficiency and cost improvements.

A central pillar of the Quality Excellence Model is G&P’s proprietary software system called QTrak.

Geoff added: “G&P’s core focus is to help manufacturers and suppliers increase quality standards and improve efficiency, whether it’s achieved through the utilisation of G&P’s innovative technology, a flexible and rapidly deployed workforce or tried-andtested inspection methods.”

8 gpqm.com MAY 2021

INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity

Cobots lend a hand in foundry Collaborative robots at Sheffield Forgemasters are improving working conditions of foundry workers and increasing productivity in its fettling operations.

It is one of the first foundries in the world to employ the 6A10 Grinding Cobot, from French firm RB3D, which works with operators of heavy grinders to stabilise and take the weight of the grinder, amplify its operational pressure and dramatically reduce the level of vibrations for the operator.

The Cobot initiative is a significant change for Sheffield Forgemasters, which relies heavily on grinders to fettle or prepare the complex 3d shapes of its castings, allowing operators to safely increase their working time on each job by reducing fatigue load.

John Sanderson, Foundry operations director at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “We are conscious that manual grinding tasks are inherently difficult and pose challenges for operators, particularly from vibrations, stress injuries and fatigue.

“The Cobot is a robotic, electric-motor driven arm, which takes the full weight of our pneumatic grinders and is guided by the operator, but does not require any programming.

“Trials of the Cobot have transformed what we can achieve on such tasks, by improving the health and safety environment, reducing the chances of a grinder 8

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slipping from the work surface, and by removing fatigue and vibrations from the process, which dictate how much time an operator can safely work for.”

For manual grinding tasks, vibration levels require a maximum working duration of three hours for the safety of the operator, but the Cobot allows operatives to conduct full days of grinding tasks without any of the associated risks posed by manual grinding.

RB3D designs and provides equipment to assist manual workers and has developed Cobots and exoskeletons, which protect the wearer from lifting and straining injuries and enable heavier loads to be handled safely.

Olivier BAUDET, sales director at RB3D, said: “We are pleased to be supplying Sheffield Forgemasters, one of the world’s leading foundries and an early adopter of our Cobot technology.

“We want to contribute to the challenge of reducing musculoskeletal disorders, which

represent a human challenge because of the suffering caused to the people concerned, and also a financial challenge because of the very high cost of collective social protection within companies.”

The Cobot operates from a mobile cart and is currently configured for smaller, ground level jobs, where it can access around 60% of the work surface compared to an operator manually handling a grinder.

Peter Davies, senior development engineer at Sheffield Forgemasters, added: “The benefits of this initiative are immense and purely from a health and safety point of view, set the requirement for us to further explore the benefits of this technology.

“We are also seeing a 50% uplift in productivity and are now looking at the potential of a jibmounted Cobot to efficiently access larger components and higher working levels.”

8 sheffieldforgemasters.com MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS

Steady recovery for subcontracting The UK market for subcontract manufacturing continued its recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic with a 25% increase on the previous quarter.

The latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) stood at 84 for the first quarter of 2021 (Q1) compared to 67 for the final three months of last year. The quarter started well, with January and February far better than any month in the previous quarter, but fell back in March.

The baseline for the index is 100, which represents the average size of the subcontract manufacturing market between 2014 and 2018.

When we came out of lockdown last summer there was a strong uptick in the subcontracting market and, as we come out of lockdown again, it would be reasonable to expect a similar boost

‘‘

At the end of the first quarter last year, before the pandemic, the CMI stood at 112, so the market is still 25% down.

Fabrication work made up 57% of the contracts, up by 131% on the previous quarter.

Industrial Equipment was the strongest sector in the final quarter of 2020 and not only retained the top spot in Q1 but grew by an impressive 90%.

Commenting on the figures, MAY 2021

Qimtek owner Karl Wigart said: “In the light of what we are seeing in the wider manufacturing economy, we might have expected the figures to have been a bit stronger. But as we noticed in the previous quarter there are still bottlenecks in material and transport that are resulting in projects taking a longer time than normal to come to fruition.

However, we are seeing an

increase in the number of projects awarded to our members, and at a higher average price than we have seen for five years.

“When we came out of lockdown last summer there was a strong uptick in the subcontracting market and, as we come out of lockdown again, it would be reasonable to expect a similar boost.”

8 qimtek.co.uk

Aerospace Oil & Gas Nuclear Defence

Automotive Electronics Hi Fi

Industrial & High Volume Machining

PRECISION ENGINEERING www.thomas-brown-engineering.co.uk Tel: 01484 548903

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9

INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity Contract manufacturer Prima Electronic Services gave a rapid response when Pitney Bowes needed to replace high speed postal printers across a large installation base.

Together with leading product development firm TTP plc, the company was assigned to work on a major project for Pitney Bowes, the global technology company whose sending technology is used by industries all over the world including the postal sector.

Pitney Bowes needed to quickly replace the high-speed printers in some of its mail inserting technologies across its large install base. Acute time to market pressures meant that a quick turnaround was essential - from both a design and manufacturing perspective. TTP was appointed to rapidly design and develop the new print module and asked Prima to support the project.

Prima supplied prototype assemblies in short timescales for test and evaluation. A decision was made for Prima to also be responsible for manufacturing of the print system. The company made use of its experience of supplying the full-system prototypes from an early stage in the design process to rapidly transition to full-scale production.

As Paul Mayhew, Director of Global Procurement at Pitney Bowes, explains; “Time to market was a key deliverable of the program. It required the need to partner with a UK based manufacturing organisation that was agile and able to work at speed to implement changes 10

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Express mail response

through the development phase and ramp up. Prima had an established relationship with our engineering partner TTP plc, so it was a natural fit to engage with them on this program.”

Featuring both electromechanical and pneumatics elements, the printer has a complex design, with a large bill-of-materials (BoM) that comprises close to 400 different component parts.

“For this Pitney Bowes assignment, we needed to partner with an agile contract manufacturer that could respond to sudden alterations, in relation to either the design or process itself. The aggressive timeline that had been set, plus the logistical difficulties resulting from COVID brought extra pressures too,” adds Charles Cooke TTP’s Project Leader.

“Beyond the actual production, the contract manufacturer had to have the resources to take

on a diagnostic role, analysing different aspects of the project then implementing optimisations as and when required. From past experience, we knew Prima could tick all of these boxes.”

“Despite the issues that COVID has caused, we’ve managed to adapt accordingly” states Charlie Colbert, Engineering Services Manager at Prima. “Normally it would have been possible to have TTP engineers on site to observe and offer advice during the prototyping phases and early production runs, but current restrictions prevented this. We figured out ways around this though, with live video links being set up at our site enabling realtime interaction. This allowed us to get valuable feedback and quickly overcome any challenges that arose.”

8 primagroup.co.uk ttp.com MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS KM Tools has delivered smart jigs for the fabrication and welding of high speed trains to Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe production plant.

The contract awarded to KM Tools, a specialist manufacturer of bespoke machinery, covers the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of the jigs.

Neil Harrison, Sales Manager at KM Tools, said: “We are delighted to be awarded this contract from a market-leading OEM such as Hitachi Rail. Our turnkey engineering service for specialised production machinery proved an ideal fit for this highprofile contract. Experience of working closely with other OEMs in the automotive and rail sectors also ensured we had the right engineering expertise and capacity to support large, modern production lines like Hitachi’s in Newton Aycliffe.”

Rebrand for NDI Make UK has re-launched its specialist defence and space Trade Association, formerly NDI, as Make UK Defence.

NDI was launched twenty years ago as the Northern Defence Initiative by the North East Development Agency to help regional businesses to win work on the then fledgling Aircraft Carrier programme.

Since those early days as a regional trade body, Make UK Defence has become one of two national Defence Trade Associations recognised by the

MAY 2021

Smart jigs for fast trains

Hitachi Rail’s advanced facility at Newton Aycliffe is the result of a £110m investment by the company. The facility has already delivered 122 pioneering trains for the Department for Transport’s InterCity Express Programme (IEP) for the East Coast and Great Western Main Line as well as 70 all electric commuter trains for ScotRail. The facility will also build trains for the wider UK network.

The jigs provided by KM Tools allow the main sub-assemblies (floor, sides and roof) to be held in position for welding and finishing.

Each jig has been manufactured entirely in-house by KM Tools in Staffordshire to Hitachi Rail specifications. KM Tools is also providing on-site technical and maintenance support to Hitachi manufacturing teams.

Mark Snowdon, Quality Engineer at Hitachi Rail, added: “KM Tools has been absolutely fantastic from the beginning. The company has been completely professional all the way through, and its engineering capabilities are second to none. We look forward to working with KM Tools again and are already planning future ventures with them.”

8 kmt.tools/

Ministry of Defence (MOD), with nearly 300 members spread across the whole of the UK. In particular, Make UK Defence works across the UK supply chain, especially with SMEs and midtiers helping to make connections and develop supply chains for many of the UK’s most critical defence programmes. It acts as a leading critical interface with the major Prime Contractors in these sectors and has recently become the lead Trade Association for the MOD’s new Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) Working Group with the industry co-Chair drawn from Make UK’s

membership. This Group has an important role in improving engagement between the MOD, major Prime Contractors and the SME and mid-tier Supply Chain, especially as the MOD wants to spend around 25% of its total budget with SMEs by 2022.

Make UK Defence is a division of Make UK, The Manufacturers’ Organisation.

Collectively it represents 20,000 companies of all sizes, from start-ups to multinationals, across engineering, manufacturing, technology and the wider industrial sector.

8 makeuk.org

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11

INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity

New markets for composites A new state-of-the art automated fibre placement and tape layup cell (AFP-ATL) could pave the way to expanding the use of composites in renewable energy, construction and transport.

The innovations provided by AFP and ATL have transformed the aerospace industry allowing fuselage sections and wing spars to be manufactured at an industrial scale, not previously possible using traditional composite manufacturing methods. Currently though, these breakthroughs have almost exclusively benefitted the traditional composites manufacturing industries mentioned. Through collaboration, the NCC believe that AFP-ATL has the ability to reduce the barrier to entry to these game changing technologies and expand the composite market into other areas such as renewable energy, oil & gas, construction and rail.

The cell, created in partnership with Electroimpact (Flintshire, UK) is a uniquely designed capability that combines both AFP and ATL in a single system. The dual system can be used individually or together to collaborate and create large, complex structures with minimal downtime. The robot is intended for medium to large scale manufacturing with high performance and accuracy robotic motion platform.

The new cell is the exciting final piece in an impressive £36.7m 12

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jigsaw of ten new fully digital automated composite manufacturing capabilities that have been installed in the past 18 months.

The Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) process head utilises x 8 tows, each measuring 12.7mm wide, with either an infrared heater to manufacture thermoset composites, or the novel humm3® flash technology which has been developed by Heraeus Noblelight Ltd and tested at the NCC for to manufacture thermosets of low temperatures (30-60 degrees) and high temperature thermoplastics or bindered dry fibre (100-300 degrees).

The Automated Tape Layup (ATL) head can deposit tapes of 75, 200 or 300mm widths using the same heating systems and material processing capability as AFP. Vertical and horizontal rotators allow for complex tools to be used to create geometries such as convex and concave panels, large scale diameter pipes, spars or

barrel/tower structures. The rotators enable components of up to 4.6m diameter, and 7m in length to be manufactured. The cell's flat tables also allow for smaller scale analyses such as material testing or prototype trials to de-risk programs and build knowledge prior to larger scale projects.

Eva Sastres Collardo from the NCC said “The NCC's AFP-ATL capability is a perfect test bed for automated composite manufacturing at a medium to large scale level. The system will enable new and existing markets to build up their innovation platforms from the ground up, from small scale prototyping and material testing through to full scale demonstrators and data analytics.

The output for customers will be the enabling of high-performance products, created at high volume with reduced cost and waste to achieve step change technology in their field.”

8 nccuk.com MAY 2021

SPONSORED FEATURE

A suite of on-line training courses in diecasting technology is now available from the Cast Metals Federation, CMF, and supported by the Diecasting Society and the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers.

The new programme, which has been complied by industry experts and offered on a blended learning basis, will provide participants with a range of courses covering the fundamentals of the process as well as more in depth and detailed topics such as die and process design, die casting defects and how to avoid them, setting process parameters for optimum quality and die layout.

“The flexibility of this programme will be attractive to companies and individuals since the subjects can be accessed at any time,” explained Pam Murrell, CMF CEO. “This is not a new programme, as the compilers of the teaching and learning materials, the Die Cast Training Network, set up the

programme some time ago. But what we are now able to offer to the sector is the support of the Federation, with group workshops to bring the programme to life, as well as direct access to a tutor who has relevant experience from the industry.

Learning in isolation is not easy, so we recognise that these additional support mechanisms will be very important to ensure that learners are able to stay engaged.”

The programme includes courses that will be suitable for production engineers, technicians and designers as well as machine operators and whilst the focus is around high pressure diecasting, there are courses that will be equally relevant to gravity and low pressure companies.

CMF Chairman, Stuart Gregory, agreed saying, “I am sure that this

programme will prove popular. We have all got much more used to working ‘on-line’ in the recent months so the timing is good. We are only too aware of the shortage of diecasting specific training opportunities for those joining the industry as well as those seeking to upskill and progress their careers. To remain competitive, we need to be able to teach the future generations to problem solve and for this they need underpinning knowledge of the process in addition to instruction about how to use their particular machines. We look forward to supporting the Federation and the wider diecasting sector with this new programme.”

For more information about the programme, please contact the Cast Metals Federation on tel: +44 (0)121 809 3500, email: admin@cmfed.co.uk

Developed by industry experts, the programme includes access to on-line teaching and as well as tutor support, mentoring and workshops all aimed at supporting the learner and enhancing the learning experience.

For more information about how to en nrol and pricing options please cont contact: act:

: 0121 809 3500 email: ad dmin@cmfed.co..uk

MAY 2021

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13

MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity

Future-proofed with automation

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Bowmill could run several component variations through the same machine utilising unmanned/lights out operations, which provided a measurable competitive advantage from conventional methods and standard single table machines.

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In the past two years the Bowmill Group has invested in three 5-axis machining centres and moved to automated lights-out operation.

Supplying predominantly to the aerospace industry, the Bowmill Group encompasses both volume and complex manufacturing disciplines; assembly and test, grinding and material surface processing. It employs 180 staff in four UK facilities.

In 2019, after securing a prime contract that required a high accuracy machine that also offered flexibility Bowmill decided to invest in a Matsuura a MX-330 PC10 for its main site in Poole, Dorset. This offered full 5-axis capability and probing, which was critical for the required positional tolerances (3 – 4 microns). The machine also had the benefit of 10 pallets so

m – P la s

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ti c

act ontr s c b Su part ned r in u t mill 5mm 6 o m up t ter fro e diam 300mm rk. and bar illet wo b

After six months of running the machine and improving cycletimes and implementing flexible manufacturing sequencing on not only the new components but also existing components, Bowmill decided to purchase a second Matsuura MX-330 PC10 for its site in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire in March 2020.

The MX-330 PC10 is configured with 10 pallets and 90 tools, offering Bowmill assured and reliably unmanned 5 axis production, a route to growth and returning real value to customers with efficiencies and productivity gained from this investment.

Some months later, the company needed a larger 5-axis machine (500mm cube) for its Tewkesbury Facility and again looked to Matsuura to invest.

Following the success of the first two MX-330 PC10, it decided to purchase a Matsuura MX-520.

8 matsuura.co.uk MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS Euro cylinder locks are some of the most commonly used on the market today and remain in huge demand across the residential security sector. In recent years, APT Leicester has worked to refine and improve a new process to manufacture Euro locks with outstanding efficiency and precision.

Until now, the usual way to make Euro locks has always started from an extruded lock shape in brass. It’s an ideal material for making intricate turned parts due to its versatility and ease of machining.

However, the process is very labour intensive since extrusions need to be pre-cut to the length of a lock before machining on a 5-axis CNC centre. These unmachined brass lock bodies are placed in a jig by hand but there’s some room for error since they might not be positioned correctly, resulting in small inconsistencies in the finished parts.

All in all, manufacturing antisnap Euro locks on a machining centre is a complicated process and one that APT Leicester felt could be drastically improved.

They began to draw on their decades of knowledge and experience to come up with a new and innovative solution.

Since investing in two new lathes, APT has come up with a novel way of machining locks, developing a new technique on a Doosan fixed head lathe.

The lathe works like a CNC machining centre but it has the added ability of rotation and more importantly, can feed an extruded MAY 2021

Transforming lock manufacture

bar automatically rather than needing labour-intensive lock body blanks to be cut first.

The 7-axis state-of-the-art lathe is also able to work on many lock variants, such as key shapes or body lengths, at the touch of a button. With this capability to run different macroprograms, there’s no time lost in setting the machine up to run all the variations needed.

For APT, the result has been a manufacturing process that’s incredibly accurate, flexible and efficient; a fully automated system with the capacity to turn out extremely complex, intricate parts with ultimate precision, faster than ever before.

APT has since applied this knowledge not only to machine

Euro lock bodies but other parts including different pins, outer shells, plugs and housings.

From design to precision machining, assembly and delivery, APT says it can take care of the entire process, looking after their customers and providing the kind of quality and reliable turned parts that is making it into a leader in lock manufacture.

8 aptleicester.co.uk www.engineeringcapacity.com

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MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity

Something to shout about Setting itself up to be in prime position for the expected manufacturing upturn, Skelmersdale subcontractor Kirkham Engineering has invested in three new multi-axis turning/milling machines in the past 12 months.

The new machines include two Citizen sliding head turning centres – an L32-X 8-axis machine and an L20-VIII machine upgraded to 25mm. Both are fitted with Citizen’s LFV (Low Frequency Vibration) system to improve cutting performance and swarf control on difficult materials.

The third machine is a fixed head Nakamura AS200L MYSF twin-spindle single turret turning centre. This joins a similar AS200 that was purchased new in 2017.

Founded in 1955, Kirkham Engineering established its reputation as a specialist in the production of repetition turned parts on CNC fixed head and sliding head machines. With a focus on the oil and gas industries and petrochemical sectors it produces everything from simple to complex parts in material types from ferrous and non-ferrous metals through to exotic nickel alloys such as Duplex, Monel, Inconel, Hastelloy, Titanium and Stellite.

As well as investing in new machines, Kirkham has built up a fleet of high-quality, high technology used machines including 5 Nakamura WT250 twin-turret, twin-spindle 16

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machines, 7 Citizen sliding head machines, 6 Miyano turning centres, including twin-turret, subspindle machines, and two Traub TNC 42 DGY machines that came direct from Rolex in Switzerland.

Director Barry Lynam says that the company has invested over £1.8m in its turning capacity since 2012.

The two Citizen machines had been due to be demonstrators at MACH 2020, but when that didn’t go ahead Kirkham was able to purchase them at a very attractive price.

“The L20 hadn’t even been taken out of the wooden crate it was delivered in, so we jumped at the opportunity,” says Barry.

He adds that the LFV technology really does do everything that is claimed for it in terms of swarf control and machining quality. “You only have to look in the swarf bin to see the difference,” he says.

At the same time as these two sliding head machines, Kirkham also bought a used Miyano BNJ 42SY twin-spindle, twin-turret fixed head machine from Citizen.

All three were delivered and installed within a week.

“We’ve built up quite a Miyano village over the past few years. We didn’t have any and now we have six,” says Barry.

The new Nakamura AS 200 will give Kirkham Engineering more flexibility and fast response times on low-volume, quickturnaround parts.

Supplied as a complete package from Wellesbourne based ETG, the AS-200-LMYSF arrived complete with tooling, a Hydrafeed MSV-65 plus a BSU bar support unit to give 1.5m barfeed and swarf conveyor. The machine also had full fire suppression and an oil mist extraction system. It was also upgraded with a bigger sub-spindle chuck, giving 65mm capacity on both spindles.

Having got the new machine, Kirkham then set the first machine up with a similar configuration.

Barry Lynam says that apart from its compact footprint the AS 200 machine has a lot of similarities with the Nakamura MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS WT 250 twin spindle, twin turret machines.

“It is very much like a WT 250 with one turret, and that is where it is really versatile. Sometimes using a twin-spindle, twin turret machine can be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

When we bought the first AS 200 our WT 250 machines were backing up with work and so we hived off some of the less complex components onto the single turret

machine and that has proven to be very beneficial.

“The turret on the AS 200 is identical to the ones on the WT 250 so we can use the same tooling.”

Barry adds that thanks to the programming and simulation capabilities of the latest generation Nakamura software and Fanuc CNC the AS 200 machines are quicker to set up than the WT 250s.

“This allows us to be even more

responsive to customer demands on low-volume, fast turnaround hobs,” says Barry.

He concludes: “We have invested a lot of money in our mill-turning capabilities for machining complex components in difficult materials, and now we want to shout about it. Oil and gas is a tough market and you have to be equipped with the right tools to survive and stay competitive.”

8 kirkhamengineering.co.uk

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Company Contact Details Phil Smith, Director, Wealdpark Limited Sutton Road, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA9 3DJ Tel. 01744 22567 / 732083 Fax. 01744 451339 E: sales@wealdpark.co.uk www.wealdpark.co.uk

MAY 2021

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17

MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity

Cobot boosts 5-axis output Scottish subcontractor NPI Solutions is using a collaborative robot to maximise machine uptime time and improve output on a 5-axis machining centre.

The Doosan M1013 cobot, which has a 1.3 metre reach radius and 10kg payload, is integrated with a Doosan DNM 350 5AX 5-axis machine that was installed in 2016. Both pieces of equipment were supplied by Mill CNC. Since being installed the cobot has proved its worth by helping NPI optimise spindle up time, minimising operator interventions and dramatically improving the machine’s output.

NPI’s managing director, Kevin Priestley said: “We invested in a Doosan 5-axis machine tool in 2016 to help make us more productive, efficient and competitive. The ability to machine precision parts in one set-up, via 3 + 2 and 4 + 1 machining was the appeal, and the goal.”

However, analysis of the machine’s performance over a period of time revealed that it was failing to deliver the expected results.

“It wasn’t the machine’s fault”, explains Kevin Priestley. “It was directly related to the type of production work we do which is

The versatility of cobots in addition to their safety, their relatively lower investment cost and their ease of deployment were attractive propositions

‘‘ 18

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characterised by low volumes and small batches, and by short part cycle times.”

As a consequence the company began to explore automation as a route to improving the machine’s utilisation and output.

Mr Priestley says: “We looked at automatic workpiece pallet change systems and industrial robots but their cost, floorspace requirements and complexity ruled them out.

“The versatility of cobots in addition to their safety, their relatively lower investment cost and their ease of deployment were attractive propositions.”

Situated adjacent to the DNM

350 5AX which, as part of the installation was fitted with an automatic door opening/closing facility, the cobot is programmed to pick up blanks positioned on a peg table and load them, in turn, into the machine where they are machined to completion.

Once machining operations have been completed the cobot takes the finished (machined) component from the machine and places it back on the peg board in its predetermined position. This cycle is then repeated, with no operator intervention, until all the parts have been machined.

Cycle times can be as short as 2 minutes or up to 60 minutes depending on part size, complexity and features.

Says Kevin Priestley: “The ambition to create a flexible automated manufacturing cell has been realised through the cobot investment.

“During the day the cell is programmed to machine components with relatively short cycle times unattended allowing operators to work on other machines or perform other tasks.

“For parts with longer cycle times the cell is programmed to run attended overnight.”

NPI’s new cobot cell has helped dramatically improve its productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. The DNM 350 5AX is now running at 85% efficiency as opposed to just 50% efficiency prior to the cobot investment.

8 npi-solutions.com MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | SUSTAINABILITY Control Energy Costs (CEC) is helping SMEs become more sustainable by launching a new e-book and short film.

They are designed to be a simple guide to help businesses understand more about renewable energy, how they can start reducing their carbon footprint and why it is important to engage with your employees.

There are also sections covering the differences between Net Zero and carbon neutral.

It comes after CEC made its own commitment to become Net Zero within 12 months, with management working with its 25-strong workforce to review its current carbon footprint, before putting in place a blueprint to reduce energy consumption, purchase energy from renewable sources and rebalance any carbon emissions.“Sustainability is firmly in the news and our Government has an ambitious target for when the entire country will be Net Zero,” commented Phil Ager, Managing Director of CEC. “Our experts have so much knowledge and experience, we decided to package this expertise into an e-book and short animation.

“All sectors need to do more and there is legislation on the way that will make reporting and reducing carbon mandatory. We want to make sure our clients are in a position to comply with the new rules.”

The guide covers five main sections, ranging from the different types of renewable energy you can choose and the risk of falling for ‘greenwashing by companies’ to MAY 2021

Get help to achieve Net Zero

engaging employees, Government legislation/schemes and how you can carbon offset.

It also tackles the importance of having an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) framework in place, which could deliver companies a commercial and competitive advantage when tendering for new work.

“For manufacturers that lead the way in transitioning to a low carbon

economy, there can be significant opportunities,” added Phil.

Control Energy Costs offers an initial ‘no cost, no obligation’ audit review of both current and historic energy arrangements, looking for opportunities to secure retrospective refunds and rebates, reduce non-commodity/third party charges and, where appropriate, advise on future energy contracts.

8 cec.uk.com/greenenergy

Visit our website or contact us for a quote or advice

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19

SUSTAINABILITY | Engineering Capacity Scottish fabricators have completed a new wave energy machine that will take to the seas at Scapa Flow in Orkney for trials.

Wave power specialists Mocean Energy has unveiled its Blue X wave energy prototype, a 20-metre long, 38-tonne machine that will be first deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre’s (EMEC) test site for initial trials and then moved to the EMEC’s large scale Billia Croo test site this summer.

Next year, the wave pioneers plan to connect the device to a subsea battery which will be used to power a remotely operated autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).

The manufacture and testing programme is supported by £3.3 million from Wave Energy Scotland (WES) through its Novel Wave Energy Converter programme.

The Blue X wave machine has been fabricated in Scotland by Fife fabricator AJS Production and painted by Montrose-based Rybay Corrosion services. Numerous hardware and services were supplied by companies who have developed capabilities though the WES programme, including Supply Design, based in Rosyth, and Blackfish Engineering Design.

The machine was unveiled at a ceremony at Forth Port’s Rosyth Docks by WES Managing Director Tim Hurst who said: “This is a significant milestone for Mocean Energy and for WES. The product of five years of the WES programme and three phases of development for the Mocean technology that has seen the Blue X progress from 20

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Riding the green energy wave

concept, through wave tank testing and now to a scaled, real sea demonstrator.

“Against the backdrop of Covid-19 restrictions Mocean Energy and their subcontractors have completed build of the prototype.

The focus is now on commissioning and the learning to be gained from the open water test campaign.

“This demonstration of credible wave technology comes at a time when there is a real prospect of a market support mechanism for marine energy, that taken together, will enable wave energy to make a significant contribution to the future Scottish and UK low carbon energy mix needed to meet our net zero obligations.”

The Blue X will now undergo ballasting and wet testing at Rosyth before being transported to Orkney.

Mocean Energy Managing Director Cameron McNatt said: “As

we drive toward net zero, we will need many forms of renewable energy and wave energy can make a significant contribution.

“Our test programme in Orkney will allow us to prove our concept at sea, particularly that its novel hull shapes will produce more power than traditional raft designs. This enables the development of commercial scale technologies suited to the oil and gas and other industries.”

Last month Mocean Energy announced a £1.6 million project with OGTC, oil major Chrysaor (now newly formed Harbour Energy) and subsea specialists EC-OG and Modus to demonstrate the potential of the Blue X prototype to power a subsea battery and a remote underwater vehicle – using onshore testing at EC-OG’s Aberdeen facility.

8 mocean.energy MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | SUSTAINABILITY Heat treatment specialist Bodycote is targeting the marine renewables sector after securing work with wave energy pioneer CorPower Ocean.

The UK-headquartered firm, which has previously focused on automotive, aerospace, energy and broader industrial sectors, is now breaking into ocean energy after helping Swedish developer CorPower optimise key components in its Wave Energy Converters (WECs) by applying its Corr-I-Dur treatment.

CorPower’s high-efficiency WECs, inspired by the pumping principles of the human heart, offer five times more energy per ton of device compared to previously known technologies.

Incorporating a series of unique features to boost storm survivability and power capture, the WECs also benefit from thermochemical treatment to protect against the harshest marine conditions.

CorPower Ocean Senior Procurement and Quality Engineer Thomas Lindahl said: “After our initial collaboration we have now worked with Bodycote at a number of plant locations across Sweden to develop mechanical components for our WECs using Corr-I-Dur. This thermochemical treatment simultaneously improves corrosion resistance and wear properties by generating an iron nitride-oxide compound layer. Durability and robustness are of paramount MAY 2021

Charting a maritime course importance in the wave energy sector, and effective protection of devices in the hostile ocean environment has always presented a major challenge to our industry.

“Corr-I-Dur has proved a particularly favourable solution being specifically designed for components subjected to a corrosive environment in

combination with wear. From a commercial perspective, solid proof of the long-term resilience of our WECs makes them infinitely more valuable. We believe this collaboration will play a crucial role protecting our WECs during our next phase of testing in the Atlantic Ocean, and for the years to come.”

8 bodycote.com

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21

FORMING & FABRICATION | Engineering Capacity Caunton Engineering has fabricated a 3m cubed ‘blast box’ for testing high explosives using a novel UK-developed modular construction system.

The patented Steel Bricks system developed by Modular Walling Systems Ltd, based in Renfrewshire, Scotland, has been used to construct an Environmental Blast Chamber for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Known as a ‘blast box’, the revolutionary ultrastrong three-metre cubed chamber is now being used for explosives testing as part of a research programme on advanced warhead technologies for the US Department of Defense.

The University of Illinois blast box uses the patented Steel Bricks modular construction system which comprises two steel face plates internally connected to create a ‘sandwich’ panel. The steel structure is then manufactured off-site as a single piece, before being filled with 72 tons of self-consolidating concrete in a continuous pour once installed.

According to Dr. Stewart Gallocher, founding director of Modular Walling Systems, it is this proprietary process which gives the blast box its unique strength as well as vastly reducing on-site time and labour costs - making it ideal for nuclear Small Modular Reactor construction, a market estimated to be worth US $1.2 trillion globally.

He explains: “The Steel Bricks system, with trademark diaphragm holes running through 22

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Thinking inside the box

the webs, has been assembled in such a way that the concrete is poured through holes in the roof, flowing down the walls and filling the base mat before coming back up the walls and lining the ceiling – all in one continuous pour. This is a ‘first of a kind’ concept in the fast-emerging world of steel composite construction and proves that the Steel Bricks system can provide not only the walls and suspended floors or roofs in steel composite but most importantly a base mat.”

The Environmental Blast Chamber was fabricated in the UK

by Caunton Engineering in Nottingham before being shipped to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Now installed, the blast box is expected to deliver some impressive results, as testified by Professor Nick Glumac who leads the explosive testing and weapons research faculty at the University.

He says: “The test facility allows for large scale high explosive testing with advanced imaging, spectroscopic and flash x-ray diagnostics. The system can be operated as a fully enclosed or partially vented structure enabling a wide variety of tests of high explosives, propellant systems and pyrotechnics.

“The chamber has optical access on three sides for multiple views of testing, while internal walls are amenable to instrumentation and fragmentation shields, allowing the testing of heavily fragmenting warheads. The main advantage of the blast box is that it can be ‘dropped-in’ on site, arriving fully assembled and ready for the concrete pour. This means less site preparation, fewer personnel needed for installation and rapid times from delivery to first operation.”

8 steelbricks.co.uk caunton.co.uk MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | FORMING & FABRICATION

Fabrication milestone in the can ECS Engineering Services has fabricated its 300th machine frame for an industry-leading can making machine – CarnaudMetalbox (CMB) Engineering's industry 5000 Series Bodymaker machine.

The machine frame was produced entirely in-house by ECS' fabrication department.

CMB Engineering is a designer and manufacturer of highperformance metal forming and finishing machinery for the production of beverage, food and aerosol cans. The 5000 Series Bodymaker is one of its most successful machines. The 5000 Bodymaker is a horizontal, double-action press for the manufacture of steel or aluminium cans. It is designed to function at high-speed, offering up to 400 strokes per minute (spm). It can produce cans with a capacity of up to 1000ml and up to 84mm in diameter.

ECS has a steel fabrication capability accredited to CE Mark KMF Precision Sheet Metal has expanded its robotic, automatic bending capabilities with the addition of a new bending cell.

The latest addition is a Trubend Cell 7000 complete with Wireless ACB (Automatically Controlled Bend technology).

Terry Stanway, KMF Purchasing and Facilities Director said: “The combined offerings from the current technology will

MAY 2021

Execution Class 4 (EXC4) and is experienced in providing fabrications to support civil infrastructure, water control and construction projects. The company operates its design studios and fabrications department in close proximity to each other, ensuring seamless transition of information and quality assurance. It says this combination of close collaboration and extensive capacity ensures reduced lead times.

Clark Williamson, Contracts

Director at ECS, commented: "We are pleased to have been involved in reaching this milestone for this incredibly successful machine. The food and beverage industry demands the highest quality levels at all stages of the production process, and thanks to our facilities, this is something we can provide from a fabrications perspective. The fact that CMB Engineering entrusts us to produce frames for their flagship 5000 Series Bodymaker illustrates this."

8 ecsengineeringservices.com

Robot bending expansion ensure that we can now investigate lights out production opportunities for larger volume demand, particularly for smaller components, where additional capacity is required.

“The installation of the Autobend Cell represents the first phase of investment in 2021, during which time we also expect to commit to

further technology advancements with an upgrade to our existing automated twin system Laser Cell.

“From initial investigations it is expected that this project is likely to result in production cycle reductions of up to 60% across a range of material types and gauges.”

8 kmf.co.uk/

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23

FORMING & FABRICATION | Engineering Capacity

£100,000 press investment Source Engineering, a specialist in precision pressed parts and machined components has invested more than £100,000 in a new high-speed press line to boost capacity.

The line can do the work or four conventional mechanical presses.

The BSTA 200M 20 tonne stamping press was identified as the ideal solution and is now up and running at the company’s Langage Business Park facility, achieving 300 strokes per minute which represents a 200% increase in production output across a range of products destined for the automotive, electrical wholesale and oil and gas markets.

Engineers at the firm have freed up an additional 500 sq ft of production space to use for the introduction of new projects and to help them cope with an increase in demand for its range of automation solutions.

Andy Dunkerley, Chairman at Source Engineering, commented: “Buying a Bruderer is like buying the Swiss watch of machines¬… you get unrivalled precision, speed and repeatable quality, all wrapped up in a relatively small footprint.

“We already had one in another part of the factory and were fully aware of its capabilities, so when it came to looking at how we optimised the factory floor space by replacing four machines with one high-speed line we called in its technical experts to review the options.”

He continued: “They really 24

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understood what we were looking to achieve in space utilisation without giving up the versatility and the volumes, which basically meant we needed one machine to do the work of four.”

The Bruderer BSTA 200M high precision, high performance stamping press was identified as the preferred option and was fitted with a high-speed Servo Feeder and Pallet Decoiler to help achieve ultimate precision control of material de-coiling and pinpoint pitch control through the progression press tool.

Specified with a tool area of 510 x 400mm, the machine can deliver up to 1800 strokes per minute and is capable of handling a maximum material thickness of up to 2mm and material width of 100mm It has also been equipped with

Press Force Monitor, which ensures protection of the press from overload and limit damages to the tool if any stray material is pulled back up into the process stopping the machine within 1 stroke, even at high speed.

Pablo Gutierrez, Technical Director at Source Engineering, went on to add: “Sales are now back to pre-pandemic levels and we are looking to grow, with our ability to provide design, tooling and manufacturing all in one place driving the need for more production space.

“There are lots of new opportunities domestically and overseas and we are hoping to turn some of the potential into contracts that will see turnover rise by 20% over the next twelve months.”

8 s-eng.co.uk MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | FORMING & FABRICATION Precision sheet metal specialist Fife Fabrications has added a fifth SafanDarley electric press brake to create capacity for growth and increase its capabilities on larger panels.

The new SafanDarley E-Brake 130-3100 ULTRA represents a significant six figure investment for the company.

The first four E-Brake machines installed at Fife Fabrications in 2013 have been a great success story for the business, and this new technology will ensure that the folding capacity of its operations can further support its increasing customer base in 2021.

Based in Glenrothes, Fife Fabrications manufactures precision sheet metalwork, electromechanical assemblies and precision machined components and offers a complete service from design for manufacture support to manufacturing and full customer delivery. The company says the investment in this new technology will ensure it can maintain a clear focus on continuous improvement, flexible customer support and offering the lowest possible acquisition cost, whilst creating further streamlining for its manufacturing operations.

The original 100Ton E-Brake will be replaced by a 130Ton machine, with tooling supplied by Wilson Tool Ltd as Fife Fabrication’s preferred tooling partner. In addition to the higher tonnage, which will allow the machine to perform heavier work MAY 2021

Fifth E-Brake for FiFab

more efficiently, this latest machine has a number of new features such as the E-Mate Plus Bending Aid which will make bending of larger components simpler, easier and even more accurate.

Installed in March 2021, the model features lifting aids as a safety feature for managing larger panels and a larger

opening height to form higher height flanges or parts. Like all E-Brakes, the ULTRA will be fully integrated into the company’s ERP system utilising the dual screen of the ULTRA and the fully 3D CNC Back gauge enables the most complicated of components to be programmed and processed with ease.

8 fifab.com

From design, sampling and technical support to manufacture, Simpson Springs & Pressings Ltd provide the complete service.

Tel: 0118 978 6573 Email: sales@simpsonsprings.co.uk

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25

MEDICAL | Engineering Capacity When the pandemic hit demand in the aerospace sector Trust Precision was able to quickly move to take on new work in the medical sector.

Over the past decade, Managing Director Nick Street has driven the growth of Trust Precision in Eastwood, near Nottingham, which has become one of the leading providers in the Midlands of sliding-head turn-milled components. He said, "With a cando attitude and living up to our slogan 'where reputation is everything', we have established ourselves as a benchmark for quality and reliability."

Last year the company installed a 20 mm bar capacity Citizen L20-XII with a programmable B-axis and low frequency vibration (LFV) chip breaking software, and this soon came into its own.

Until the pandemic took hold in early 2020, up to 60% of turnover at Trust was derived from aerospace contracts, but the proportion is more like one-third of that now.

The current shortfall in commercial aerospace work, due to Covid-19, has been largely offset by winning new business, primarily from the medical industry.

The fall-off in work from the aerospace sector has presented the opportunity to focus more on training, which had been identified as the crucial element for the future development of the business.

Fortuitously, the presence on the shop floor of the L20-XIILFV meant that its superior chip breaking ability could be harnessed for more efficient 26

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Moving to medical

turning of medical parts from stainless steel bar. The material normally forms stringy swarf that wraps itself around the component and tooling, risking damaging both, but programmable LFV avoids the problem by breaking the swarf into a short, manageable length.

In the case of an early medical job whose dimensional tolerances needed to be within ± 25 μm, LFV was switched on for about 25% of the cycle. After 1,000 components had been produced, there was no swarf damage to components or tool breakage, even though a 0.8 mm diameter hole was being drilled and reamed in the reverse end of the part.

Mr Street continued, "LFV is a must if you are buying a Citizen lathe that offers the option. It is a major technological advance, the more so because it can be activated by the part program. So the slightly lower metal removal rate during LFV can be restricted to those elements of the cutting cycle that benefit most from the chip control.

"Although the volume of our aerospace work diminished at the start of last year, just after we acquired the L20, the machine is proving useful for fulfilling medical contracts. The benefits will be felt even more in the future as the aviation sector recovers, as the stainless steels, titanium alloys and plastics we turn-mill for those customers all benefit from the chip breaking technology."

8 trustprecisionengineering.co.uk MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | MEDICAL Crossen Engineering has installed a new spark erosion machine that is being used to produce mould and press tools for a range of medical projects.

The Sodick AD35L spark-erosion machine from Sodi-Tech EDM arrived in December last year.

Belfast-based Crossen Engineering is a full service provider, offering everything from component design and prototyping to complete injection moulding and presswork production. An upturn in medical work over the past 12 months created to need to install a new die-sink EDM. “Medical work has high demands in terms of accuracy, complexity and turnaround time, which we know from experience is ideally suited to the attributes of Sodick machines,” explains Managing Director Paul Crossen.

The medical sector is proving resilient for Crossen Engineering.

Among current projects is the manufacture of aluminium prototype mould tools for colostomy draining solutions, walking aids to improve mobility among arthritis sufferers, and bespoke wheelchair parts for children with disabilities.

“Also, during the pandemic, the demand for PPE has been strong,” says Mr Crossen. “For instance, we’ve already made three injection mould tools for face shields, producing the finished parts on site. We received an order near the beginning of the pandemic to supply 70,000 face shields a week to our local NHS facilities as part of the HeroShield project, which is still running, but on a reduced level.

MAY 2021

EDM for increased medical demand In addition, we have machined a prototype mould for another face covering solution, as well as mouldings for sanitising stations.

“Since installation, the machine has been busy producing mainly medical moulds, both prototype and production [aluminium and tool steel],” says Mr Crossen. “P20 tool steel was used for the mould that makes the mobility product, for instance. The level of surface finish we require, along with mould complexity, means the AD35L is a great solution.” d

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Crossen Engineering offers injection-moulding capacity from 30t to 550t, for parts ranging in weight from 1g to 2.5kg. The new machine can create tools for the largest moulding machine on site, which was an important factor in its selection. The machine also finds use producing press-tool parts. Crossen can provide capacity up to 500t for metal stamping, which it says is the highest in Northern Ireland.

8 crossenengineering.co.uk

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Manufacturers of High Quality Mill-Turned Parts

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MEDICAL | Engineering Capacity From robotic surgery and therapy applications to laboratory robots sorting blood samples and undertaking testing procedures, robotic utilisation within the MedTech sectors is on the increase across a broad range of applications, some of which, when undertaken manually, can be time consuming, monotonous even and also present opportunities for errors to occur.

Workflows in hospitals and laboratories can be simplified by automation, reducing the workload of personnel and ensuring their safety, as well as the safety of the materials being handled in scenarios such as clinical analysis, surgery or even rehabilitative therapy, a process that requires the physical interaction of personnel with patients; lifting, bending, moving etc. Though distinctions should be made between the different fields of applications: • Robots used to carry large loads, such as linear accelerators or X-ray devices.

• Robotic processes that require great precision, such as the exact positioning of an instrument.

• Robots that undertake perennial sequences, requiring consistently high precision.

• Robotics performing repetitive processes over long periods.

The use of robotics and automation within the medical and pharmaceutical sectors is broad, as detailed above, and in order to provide as comprehensive an overview as to what exactly can be achieved and delivered through 28

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Robotics and Automation in the MedTech Sectors: Technological Progress is Presenting an Array of Possibilities.

the implementation of robotic process automation, we should examine all areas in which benefits can be afforded.

When we talk about robots and robotics, many envisage an industrial machine, employed to undertake tasks within an industrial environment; palletising in a warehouse, press tending in a factory, automated welding in a fabrication facility – ‘traditional’ applications that utilise mechanized programmable tools, such as robots. The medical and pharmaceutical/life science sectors conjure a completely different setting in one’s mind, of cleanliness, hygiene, sterility and

sanitation, the exact converse of those environments in which we would naturally assume that a robot would operate. But there are models of robots and applications that exist solely for use within the MedTech sectors and this wide range of high-tech products and solutions have been used extensively, for as long as the last 30 years, from robot-based assistance systems to assistive components. The evolution of MedTech technology means that today, aside from those preexisting applications that are still used to this day, robots and components are now supplementing a wide range of MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | MEDICAL medical technology applications, such as: minimal invasive surgery, bone surgery, non-contact bone cutting and orthopaedic surgery, aesthetic surgery such as hair transplant procedures, monitoring and sorting blood samples and undertaking tests and experiments that could take human researchers months to complete – essentially making a complex process, or sequence of processes autonomous.

The age of medical robotics has only just begun. Sensitive and collaborative robots, in particular, will play a defining role in the future of robotics in medicine, and have already proved themselves in several ground-breaking applications. Consider the autonomous ‘robot scientist’. The Royal Society of Chemistry, based out of Liverpool University, developed a robot scientist, consisting of a KMR (KUKA mobile robot) a flexible and autonomous navigation platform equipped with an LBR iiwa sensitive robot arm.

The robot scientist was instrumental in maintaining vital research and development processes during a time when social distancing measures prevented developers from working on premise. The development of the robot has been hailed as ‘a new digital age for science’ by the organisation, as the robot continued to operate throughout lockdown, undertaking a series of tests on the behaviour of solar cells.

Dr. Benjamin Burger, one of the developers at the University said the robot had transformed the MAY 2021

speed at which he could carry out research. "It can easily go through thousands of samples, so it frees up my time to focus on innovation and new solutions."

The university hospital in Aalborg, Denmark uses a system of lab robots and intelligent transport boxes to automatically monitor and sort blood samples.

Up to 3,000 blood samples arrive in the lab there every day. They must be tested and sorted – a time-consuming and monotonous process which was undertaken manually until now. The pick-andplace application reduces the workload for hospital personnel and gives them time to attend valuable tasks.

“We wanted to automate this process to ease the burden on our employees,” explains Annebirthe Bo Hansen, Department Head at Aalborg University Hospital.

Robotics in MedTech had never been about dehumanizing processes, but about improving

8 Blood sample handling Aalborg University Hospital

quality, safety, and access. The ever-evolving global demographic shift dictates that existing services are going to continue to struggle under the strain.

Current advances are great, but the use of a robot system remains entirely dependent on its acceptance by physicians and patients alike. It is the doctor who, ultimately, decides what the robot does and who has control over the entire medical application. Young doctors, in particular, demonstrate a great willingness to work with such systems.

With regard to patients, however, more educational work is required. The challenge today, therefore, requires a delicate transition and combination of tradition and modernity to ease the minds of those new to these exciting applications.

8 kuka.com www.engineeringcapacity.com

29

MOULDING | Engineering Capacity

All-electric moulding upgrade Essentra Components has embarked on a multi-million pound, long-term investment programme to upgrade its hydraulic injection moulding machine portfolio to become electric by the end of 2031.

The company is working with a small number of key equipment suppliers with global support networks to replace 180 machines that have been operating for 15years or more (and currently heading towards the end of their working lives). The replacement machines will be both all-electric and hybrid electric, the latter using Vireo servo drive technologies.

The transition will result in an estimated 33% reduction of energy consumed, cycle to cycle, and a 25% uplift in cycle time gain, tool-to-tool.

The predicted process and productivity improvements will effectively enable three electric machines to do the work of four hydraulic models, reducing the overall footprint. The increased capacity is complemented by the guaranteed repeatability that electric machines can deliver, ensuring even greater product quality.

Chris Butler, Global Process Development Manager, says there are clear customer advantages: “Although electric machines demand a substantial initial capital outlay, these costs are more than balanced by the increased capacity and reduced energy costs which makes for exciting news for both our business and customers alike.

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“Electric machines are more reliable and last longer than their hydraulic counterparts, with a cost of ownership calculated over a 20+ year life cycle as opposed to 15.

They also deliver significantly greater productive hours per annum. With this performance, and greater automation, we can support even greater efficiencies for our customers.”

Chris says that standardising equipment brings additional advantages: “Standardisation simplifies our training requirement and also leads to better spare parts availability, which in turn converts to even more uptime for the machines installed,” he adds.

“As well as the machines, we are also reviewing our tooling and retooling processes and increasing cavitation for higher yields, enabling us to take on unusual projects that might previously have been considered out of scope.”

Essentra trialled its first electric

machine more than a decade ago, but recent advances in technology and a drive towards a more sustainable future have coincided to make a renewed focus on an electric vision a priority. The new technology will allow for accelerated turnaround times for new lines and faster cycling times, whereas zero standard deviation on electric machines leads to greater accuracy and fewer rejected parts, all of which are essential to attracting and retaining key customers.

Chris says the programme is part of Essentra’s journey towards a more sustainable future: “All major manufacturers will be allelectric within the next decade,” he adds. “Our customers are always looking to do more with less, and electric machines not only give our customers a better-quality product, but they also help them meet their own sustainability agendas.”

8 essentracomponents.com MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Ricoh 3D has introduced carbon fibre composites to its line-up of high-performance materials through a partnership with composite-based manufacturer Impossible Objects.

Ricoh 3D is one of the first AM service bureaus to make 3D printed Carbon Fibre PEEK and Carbon Fibre PA12 materials commercially available in Europe for functional prototypes and small batch production. The unique printing process leverages highspeed 2D graphics technology to create a high performance, reinforced composite part.

The end result is said to be extremely cost-effective parts with impressive strength-to-weight ratios and a performance similar to that of metals. Compared to traditional composite manufacturing, Impossible Objects’ Composite Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) process creates much stronger parts with very few geometric restrictions, at significantly lower prices than have been possible before. This is especially good news for aerospace and drone manufacturers, as fine features and flat parts were previously impossible with FDM and FFF technologies due to the short, chopped fibre formation and lamination between layers, causing parts to fall apart under force.

With powder-based 3D composite, continuous carbon fibre is contained in long fibre printing sheets which allows full homogenous coverage of the fibres – making point features and feathered edges possible. As the MAY 2021

3D composite printing

excess fibres support the unprinted areas, issues with shrinkage, curling or deformation of parts are eliminated.

Mark Dickin, Additive Manufacturing & Moulding Engineering Manager at Ricoh 3D, said: “Composites are set to be an area of huge growth in additive manufacturing in the coming years, so we are proud to be working with Impossible Objects to be at the forefront of the European movement. Carbon Fibre composites are industry-leading when producing lightweight yet strong parts.

“These properties make the materials ideal for tooling and end-use applications in a range of industries, including medical, aerospace, automotive, sport and industrial; creating anything from propellers to gear components, golf clubs to prosthetics.

“It was very important to us that this was a sustainable offering. All powder is recycled by extracting the waste material off the sheet, ensuring nothing is wasted and

making the process even more efficient than SLS. “We are working closely with the team at Impossible Objects on future material developments and our engineers look forward to demonstrating how these new materials can change the game across a range of industries.”

Composite materials are a combination of two or more dissimilar materials – typically a core polymer and a reinforcing material - that are used together in order to combine their best properties.

The end product is usually extremely strong as a result - but traditional composite manufacturing is very labour, resource and capital intensive.

3D printing has allowed production to be automated with minimal manual input, streamlining the process and making it far more cost effective. Ricoh 3D have shared a series of sample parts on its website which demonstrate the cost savings possible with powder-based 3D composite.

8 rapidfab.ricoh-europe.com www.engineeringcapacity.com

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INVESTMENT | Engineering Capacity

Supercharged investment opportunity

Tim Paddison, managing director of Hoffmann Group UK, asks what the Government’s ‘Super Deduction’ incentive means for manufacturing businesses.

After a turbulent year for the manufacturing sector, the government’s 2021 Budget contained several positive developments and promises to businesses. In addition to the announced extension of the furlough scheme until September, and the bonus for hiring apprentices that is now doubled to £3,000, the centrepiece of the Chancellor’s speech is the “Super Deduction” a move that will significantly benefit the sector.

Under the super deduction arrangement, for every pound that a company invests, their taxes will be cut by up to 25p. From the start of April this year, until the end of March 2023, companies can claim 130% capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery investments. Such investments include assets used in the course of a business and, for manufacturing businesses, this could include anything from drills, cranes and machinery to new computer equipment or a 32

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company van for delivering tools to customers.

So, with the growing opportunity and incentive for manufacturing businesses to spend and invest, what benefits could this bring to the sector?

An opportunity to prioritise business growth After a year of disrupted service caused by the complications of the pandemic and the ongoing issues posed by Brexit, the super deduction announcement is a real opportunity for manufacturers to look ahead and prioritise their business growth.

Encouragingly, along with the promise of this announcement, the sector is already starting to

witness growth with the IHS Markit Manufacturing PMI reading for April 2021 reporting that in March of this year, the sector has seen the fastest output growth since late 2020. This reading attributes this growth to recent inflows of new business from both domestic and overseas markets across the sector as developments such as the vaccine rollout, ease buyers’ concern.

To further boost this upward trajectory of the sector, the super deduction also offers manufacturers the much-needed wriggle room to invest in areas they wanted to grow, prior to the pandemic. For example, if the business had wanted to invest in automation to expand its service MAY 2021

Engineering Capacity | INVESTMENT offering, this option is now increasingly attractive with the new support that the deduction offers.

The ability to improve efficiency on the factory floor With the incentive to spend, the super deduction also enables manufacturers to improve their operational efficiency. Having the extra budget to purchase bigger and better machinery, can not only improve the business’s service offering, but it can also free up time for employees that can be placed in other areas of the company – in potentially, more fulfilling roles.

For example, purchasing an automated packaging system under the super deduction allowance could not only maximise labour productivity, but it could also allow workers to be placed on more challenging or stimulating tasks. Whilst the perception is often that automation does not lead to employees completing more stimulating tasks, research by the World Economic Forum in its Future of Jobs 2020 Report indicated that the shift to automation would create 97 million new jobs by 2025. It was also noted that these additional jobs would have an emphasis on skills in analytical thinking and creativity that would be another benefit to the sector.

Equally, alongside the potential increase in jobs and varied tasks for manufacturing workers, these businesses can also place these employees in other areas that the business is wanting to focus on.

MAY 2021

A chance to prioritise pre-pandemic ambitions Understandably, after the huge disturbance posed by the pandemic, very few manufacturers were able to implement their original plans for 2020. Instead, the industry had to deal with immediate issues such as navigating working from home requirements and budgetary concerns in continuing operations.

Similarly, as if the consequences of the pandemic were not enough, the changing regulations posed by Britain’s official exit from the EU at the end of 2020, have left many manufacturing businesses having to act quickly to change their processes. Many have had to align their products to new technical and safety regulations posed by the EU, with importing and exporting requirements changing almost overnight.

However, it is hoped that now, almost five months into Brexit, and with the vaccine rollout success easing concerns for many across the sector, the industry can reanalyse prioritises and focus on moving forward.

The super deduction allows this opportunity for manufacturers to revisit business ambitions and decide whether these can be implemented again in 2021.

One of the largest priorities for the sector prior to the pandemic (and arguably reinforced throughout), is the worldwide attention paid to the climate crisis.

The opportunities in the green/low carbon energy were, and still are, likely to see big growth across the sector. Particularly with the new

US administration’s policy moves to re-engage with the climate fight.That Britain needs its trading friend across the ocean more than ever before, points to a renewed focus on investment in less carbon-intensive activities.

Using the super deduction scheme, manufacturers can reprioritise their environmental commitment by adopting renewable energy resources and using the tax relief over the next two years as a real opportunity to take the step.

Businesses that can take advantage of the super deduction and use it to boost their environmental credentials will be at the forefront, not least because consumers (and employees) are now demanding it.

The governments’ announcement for the super deduction holds extensive opportunities for the manufacturing industry.

Pre-pandemic ambitions, such as boosting green credentials and investing in machinery that can boost efficiency, are just some of the benefits the industry could witness if it takes advantage of the super deduction offering.

According to a survey conducted by Make UK earlier this year, over 48% of manufacturers expect conditions within the industry to either improve or significantly improve throughout 2021. The super deduction could support this progression and those businesses that act now, could be the ones to reap the biggest reward.

8 hoffmann-group.com www.engineeringcapacity.com

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Qualiturn are a very modern subcontract machining service. We offer CNC precision Turned and Milled components to your specifications and quantities. We work with all sizes of customers, offering the same service to all. Supplying various market sectors across the world.

7 Fountain Drive, Hertford, Herts, UK, SG13 7UB Tel. +44 (0) 1992 584499 www.qualiturn.co.uk

LATHES.CO.UK Lathes.co.uk store.lathes.co.uk - where Manuals, Catalogues Drive Belts Books Accessories & Spares are listed The world’s largest machine tool reference archive. Manuals, Catalogues, Books, Pictures Specifications, Technical Guides Wardlow, Tideswell, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 8RP Tel. 01298-871633 (from overseas: +44-1298-871633) from 09:00 to 23:00 UK time www.lathes.co.uk

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www.engineeringcapacity.com

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

MACHINING (5 AXIS) 8

Mini Gears is a subcontract manufacturer of machined components, gears and racks.

Winner of 17 Industry Awards, it has a global customer base, 35,000 sq. ft. facility and over 100 machines.

Top Gear House, Bletchley Road Heaton Mersey Industrial Estate Stockport SK4 3ED Tel: 0161 432 0222 www.minigears.co.uk

DAWSON PRECISION COMPONENTS Manufacturing precision machined components since 1965 Services include: CNC milling, CNC turning, turn/mill machining, sub contracted services, finishing and project management.

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

Qualiturn Products Limited

Mini Gears (Stockport) Ltd

Greenfield Lane, Shaw, Oldham, Lancashire, OL2 8QP Tel: 01706 842311

5 High quality precision machined components 5 Trusted technical support service 5 Complete and bespoke service from conception to completion 5 AS9100D & ISO 9001:2015 approved Oldfield Street, Crosland Moor Huddersfield HD4 5AJ T: 01484 548903 www.thomas-brown-engineering.co.uk

Wealdpark Ltd CNC mill-turn facility using Star sliding head lathes with bar capacity up to 32mm diameter.

Miyano and Doosan fixed head lathes with bar capacity up to 65mm.

Hurco vertical machining centre.

Sutton Road, St. Helens Merseyside WA9 3DJ Tel: 01744 22567 www.wealdpark.co.uk

dpc.co.uk REPETITION TURNED PARTS 8

MACHINE TOOL MANUALS 8

CNC PRECISION COMPONENTS 8

JFL are broach and broaching specialists with many years personal experience. We offer a comprehensive broaching service covering keyways, squares, hexagons and special forms.

Unit 2, Deethe Farm Industrial Est, Cranfield Rd, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK17 8UR Tel: 01908 585103 www.jflbroaches.co.uk

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

JFL Broaches and Broaching

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

BROACHING 8

DIRECTORY | Engineering Capacity

Kirkham Engineering Co Ltd 13 - CNC Sliding Heads up to 1”; 14 CNC Twin Turret Fixed Heads up to 65mm; 5 - Twin Turret Twin Spindle; 5 - Twin Turret with Sub-Spindle and 4 - Twin Turret; 4 - CNC Single Turret Fixed Heads up to 6” Billet.

Centreless Grinding & T/rolling. All materials - Stainless Steel; Nickel Alloys and other exotics a speciality.

Prestwood Place, East Pimbo, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 9QE Tel: 01695 727401 www.kirkhamengineering.co.uk

MAY 2021

TURNING (CNC) 8 Subcontract mill turned parts up to 65mm in diameter from bar and 300mm billet work.

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INDUSTRY NEWS | MACHINING | AUTOMOTIVE | SHOW PREVIEWS

MACHINED COMPONENTS: Prismatic parts from bar

www.engineeringcapacity.com

Call 01737 270648

MAY 2021

Accredited to AS9100 Rev D Unit 2 Brookside Avenue, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3LF Telephone: +44 (0) 1903 776 171 www.precisonproducts.co.uk

Simpson Springs & Pressings Ltd Precision manufacturers of a wide range of compression tension and torsion springs. Also circlips, wireforms, contacts, antennas and light pressings. Quality approved to BS EN ISO 9001:2000.

Unit 1, Latimer Road Industrial Est, Latimer Road, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 2YD Tel: 0118 978 6573 www.simpsonsprings.co.uk

WATERJET CUTTING 8

September 2017

Precision Products (Brighton) Ltd A one-stop-shop for high-quality turned parts

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Get your company noticed with an Engineering Capacity classified profile advert FOR MANUFACTURERS ABOUT SUBCONTRACTORS

CNC turning capacity from 2mm200mm using high precision Fixed and Sliding Head CNC Lathes.

Experience in machining a range of materials, from Low to Medium volumes, to customers specifications.

TURNED PARTS 8

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Batchflow Engineering Ltd

Budbrooke Road, Warwick, Warwickshire CV34 5XH Tel: 01926 492889 www.batchflow.co.uk

Stainles s

With more than three decades of experience and dedication in producing the highest quality products, Grenville maintains its position as the leading precision sheet metal fabrication company.

Unit 3 Newfield Industrial Estate, High Street,Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 5PD Tel: 01782 577 929 www.grenville-engineering.co.uk

SUBCONTRACT CNC TURNING 8

Grenville Engineering (Stoke-on-Trent) Ltd

SPRING MAKING 8

SHEET METAL WORKING 8

Engineering Capacity | DIRECTORY

ICEE Comprehensive fabrication facilities offering complete turnkey solution.

Design, Precision Engineering, Sheet Metal Fabrication and Welding.

Prototypes, one off or batch work.

Waterjet Capacity: 4m x 2.25m & dash; materials up to 230mm depth.

Aluminium Alloy Specialists.

20 Arnside Road, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO7 7UP Tel: 023 9223 0604 www.icee.co.uk

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