Feeding time

For machine shops automating the machining of small turned components, Hydrafeed has a range of solutions for handling and feeding components that includes its MultiFeed 3-80 short magazine barfeed system. This barfeed was recently introduced to Finescale Engineering – a prototype and development company that produces anything from rail and automotive components to specialist small parts for model railways and vintage motorcycles.

The Leamington Spa-based subcontractor acquired a small Haas OL office lathe with single phase plug for producing parts from 5mm to 25mm diameter and 3mm to 75mm length in batches from 100 to 1,500. To maximise productivity and implement lights out machining, Finescale Engineering acquired the Hydrafeed MultiFeed 3-80 barfeed system that accommodates up to ten 25mm diameter bars.

However, limited by space, the subcontractor needed a bespoke system with a decreased length to ensure the barfeed fitted into the compact machine shop. To this end, Hydrafeed developed a reduced length MultiFeed with an overall bar capacity of 600mm as opposed to the standard length of 1.65m. Since the acquisition of the MultiFeed barfeed, Finescale claims it has improved its productivity and machine up time considerably. The Hydrafeed system has also enabled the subcontractor to produce batches with no manual input or the need for restocking the machine.

At the other end of the spectrum, Hydrafeed has also installed an automated bar support system at a manufacturer of shafts for the shipbuilding industry on the South coast. The customer specified a new Mazak E500 turning centre and required a system capable of supporting and feeding shafts into the lathe up to 7m long and 150mm diameter. Mazak supplied a turnkey solution that included a bespoke 7m support system from Hydrafeed that is crane loaded with bars that protrude beyond 5.5m outside the turning centre.

A spokesperson from the marine manufacturer, states: “We installed a Hydrafeed barfeed to a smaller turning centre some seven years ago and it has been working remarkably well for 14-15 hours a day, so we were confident when it came to installing a second system. However, the E500 turning centre that was installed in 2008 was a different prospect – machining bars from 80mm to 180mm diameter and up to and even beyond 7m long.”

The bespoke Hydrafeed barfeed has fitted into the production process at the marine subcontract business seamlessly due to Hydrafeed system utilising a single bar holder to eliminate set-up times that often occur when bar sizes are changed. The Hydrafeed barfeed also eliminates the need to adjust roller height to accommodate bars entering the turning centre.

As the company spokesman concludes: “The Hydrafeed barfeed has been designed to give ease of use and user friendliness. As a failsafe, the barfeed also has a backplate that we can remove if we ever need to turn bars beyond the 7m specification.”

Hydrafeed
www.hydrafeed.co.uk