Good as new

Having celebrated its Centenary in 2005, Ideal Boilers has a heritage entrenched in the design and manufacture of innovative products for the global, commercial and domestic boiler industries. To enhance its manufacturing capability the company has recently purchased a reconditioned machining centre from Heller Machine Tools. 

Starting life as the National Radiator Company in Hull, the company has evolved from taking boilers from basement locations into kitchens in the 1920s, through to developing the advanced, high efficiency technology of modern day systems.

With its head office and manufacturing facility remaining in Hull, the company continues to serve the domestic and commercial heating markets – remaining true to its principles of quality, innovation and value, typical of the output from Ideal's R&D department are the company's advanced condensing range. Mindful of the depletion of fossil fuels, the compact boilers are environmentally friendly and efficient – generating much lower emissions than previous generations of boilers.

Much of Ideal Boilers recent progress has been due to the efficiencies gained through its product manufacturing techniques and this is illustrated by the company's recently created advanced flow line, manufacturing cell. The new production unit was designed specifically for the volume machining of parts for two new condensing boiler ranges – one a commercial boiler, the other an advanced domestic unit. As the company anticipate significant levels of global sales for its two new ranges, Ideal's new manufacturing unit has been designed to cater, not only for the projected high throughput of parts, but also to have the flexibility to allow a wide range of components to be manufactured simultaneously.

Pivotal purchase

Pivotal to Ideal Boiler's new high volume manufacturing cell, has been the company's purchase of an MC 25 pallet pool machining centre from Heller Machine Tools. Having enjoyed the benefits of a trouble free machine installation and truncated commissioning period, Ian Faber, Ideal Boiler's production director, comments: “As our new high volume cell will be taking raw casting directly from our own foundry a comprehensive range of plant and machine tools was required to enable the rapid production of high quality finished components.

“Because the largest proportion of our capital expenditure was allocated to the purchase of a new machining centre and mindful of our previous positive experience with an existing Heller machine, we approached Heller Machine Tools with a list of our demanding requirements. Its recommendation was the purchase of a reconditioned MC 25 machining centre.”

He continues: “Although we hadn't previously considered a pre-used option, we were impressed by the assurances received, the machine's extended warranty, its competitive price and not least the promised performance of the machine. We anticipate a rapid payback on our investment of less than 12 months.”

Tip top condition

The comprehensive nature of Heller's factory reconditioning process ensures that all customers receive a ‘good as new' machine and a case in point is Ideal Boiler's MC 25 purchase. The robust and functional machine features a rigid cast iron construction, providing the user with high power and lasting precision. Its T-shaped bed has integrated X and Z feed drives, whilst the axis configuration allows a constant work area volume throughout the Z axis positioning range. Manufactured from high quality SG cast iron, the MC 25's thermo-symmetrically designed gantry column is claimed to be of optimum design in terms of weight and machine dynamics.

The MC 25 has X-, Y- and Z-axis guideways designed and equipped with pre-loaded rolling elements providing low friction and rigidity whilst removing system backlash. The machine's feed drives and path measurement feature direct drives designed to provide high levels of dynamics, plus thermo-symmetrically mounted absolute measuring scales for direct path measurement.

A fixed 360 x 1° rotary table is provided as standard or alternatively the machine can be supplied with a 360,000 x 0.001° NC rotary table. Through the use of fixed indexing pins the MC 25 has high pallet changing accuracy and its manually rotated, 4 x 90° indexing setting station is clearly arranged and easily accessible, whilst an automatically rotated setting station is available as an option. Minimising tool change cycle times, a universal rack type magazine with a capacity of up to 405 tools is available as an option, together with a tool quantity/tool life management system. 

Pooled resources

The MC 25 has a mesh type filter as standard, negating the need for a disposable filter fleece. Coolant delivery options include multiple pressure steps of up to 70 bar, for internal, through the spindle coolant supply. The complete coolant unit can be installed directly behind the machine, or centrally connected for automatic operation. Efficient swarf disposal is achieved via steep chutes in the machine bed.

Through the use of its pallet pool, Heller's MC 25 is ideal for use in a flexible manufacturing cell and has the ability to load independently of the machining cycle. The machine's four position rotary pallet pool, with a total of six pallets in the system, is easily accessible via the operator doors. An extended range of additional Heller developments further enhances the MC 25's flexibility and functionality.

Heller's reconditioning process ensures that each machine's geometrics are restored to an ‘as new' condition, and all other aspects of the machine are also thoroughly overhauled. Also provided are extended warranty options, fixture design capability and a comprehensive aftersales service.

Heller
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