As a manufacturer of highly complex components across a variety of specialised industries, the new addition will see production time reduced and precision maximised – as well as making a vital contribution to the company’s ‘Tr1dan: 1 small improvement, 1 big difference’ campaign.
Now in full operation, the Mazak Variaxis i500 SmoothX twin pallet machine provides over 300 hours of extra capacity a month for the Essex-based precision subcontractor, allowing more work to be completed in one hit rather than transferring from machine to machine. This, in turn, frees up capacity on other machines, allowing the team to adopt a ‘one operator/two machine approach when conditions permit.
“Everything we do is precision focused and this new machine is a truly efficient method of manufacturing,” explained machine shop manager Paul Coupland. “5-axis capability means fewer operations and associated tasks and with the new Smooth X control and faster toolpath processing, we have seen a reduction in set-up and run times without any compromise in quality.”
Since it’s installation in May, the new Variaxis has also made a significant impact on the organisation’s ‘Tr1dan: 1 small improvement, 1 big difference’ campaign.
Inspired by Dave Brailsford, manager of UK professional cycling team, Team Sky, the initiative is focused on ‘the aggregation of marginal gains’ and involves making small, incremental 1% improvements to every constituent element of the business over a period of one year, ultimately resulting in a significant, cumulative benefit for the business as a whole.
Tridan Engineering www.tridan.co.uk www.tridan.co.uk/tr1dan
