Based in Hull, East Yorkshire, Helix Precision Machining was established in August 2003.
Having gained a reputation for the quality of its precision machined components and for delivering projects on-time and on-budget, over the past 15 years the company has experienced impressive levels of growth.
Frequent investments in the latest CNC machine tools, design and manufacturing software and advanced inspection aids has enabled Helix to regularly increase its capacity, expand its machining envelope and broaden its range of competencies. Its quality management system is approved to AS 9100D and having recently been evaluated, the business is now BAE Systems approved.
Encouraged by constantly rising demands for the production of complex, high precision machined components, Helix has recently invested in a 5-axis Haas VF3 YT BT50, equipped with a Lehman 5 axis trunnion table. On the inspection front, a Zenith 3 coordinate measuring machine was purchased from UK company, Aberlink.
Helix Precision Machining director, Lee Sansam explains: “To help prevent non-conformance situations and rework, we apply a company-wide, 'right first time', total quality approach to all of our processes and we make regular strategic investments in the best available inspection aids.
“We also constantly seek to expand our range of proficiencies and the kind of work we are able to undertake. For instance, we have recently invested in a range of BT50 heavy-duty vertical machining centres for cutting exotic materials; we are currently machining Zirconium for a major tier one supplier.
“As far as the Zenith 3 from Aberlink is concerned. we anticipated the expansion of the business and the increase in the machining of complex, accurate components. Due to its large capacity, speed of operation and impressive accuracy specification, it ticked all the right boxes. It’s ideal for our present and future needs.”
He continues: “In addition to its impressive accuracy specification and speed of operation, it helped that Aberlink’s intuitive software meant that the Zenith 3 was the easiest to use of the CMMs that we considered. Also, unlike other brands, Aberlink provide unlimited free software updates. We were also pleasantly surprised that despite being so well specified, the Zenith 3 was the least expensive of the machines we looked at.
“Following the CMM’s installation and training, our quality staff quickly mastered the Zenith 3. To further exploit its automatic CNC inspection routines, our staff will soon be writing part programs for regularly repeated machining work. We will then be able to instantly recall the relevant program, load a single large component or multiple smaller parts onto the Zenith 3, then start a fully automatic CNC measuring routine. On completion, when required, the CMM will also generate detailed inspection reports.”
Designed and manufactured by Aberlink, the largest UK owned CMM manufacturer, the Zenith 3 series comprises 10 machines with XYZ capacities ranging from 1,000 x 1,000 x 600mm up to 1,000 x 3,000 x 800mm.
The range is the design evolution of the Zenith too CMM series combined with more than 25 years of innovative CMM design experience. Thanks to inherent features, such as the use of a wider air bearing separation that results in greater stiffness and significantly improved accuracy, the first term error for the Zenith 3 is more than a micron better than its popular predecessor.
Aberlink www.aberlink.com
Helix Precision Machining www.helixprecision.co.uk
