5-axis programming gives subcontractor the edge  

With customers in the aerospace, motorsport and medical sector demanding faster turnaround times and tighter tolerances, subcontractor Tridan Engineering says 5-axis work programmed by Edgecam has become a major part of its manufacturing process.

One of the biggest challenges facing the production process is keeping up with ever-changing tooling for a range of components across several industrial sectors. For example, Tridan manufactures aerospace parts including frame racks, wing actuators and wing braces for Bombardier and Airbus; motorsport components such as gearbox transmission systems and differential cases for rally cars; along with a number of medical components.

Machine shop manager Paul Coupland says: “We work with two main tooling suppliers, ITC and Iscar, and they’re improving their tools all the time. Edgecam provides us with the optimum machining strategies every time the cutting tool is updated, including those for powerful 5-axis programs.

“The software programs all our machines to absolute top tolerances – we regularly have a 2µm tolerance on a lot of our work – and we can guarantee that they’re manufactured to that required high precision every time.”

The combination of 5-axis machining with the CAM software’s powerful Waveform Roughing Strategy has been a major influence on how the company now machines its components. Everything is now done with the Waveform trochoidal milling and tooling strategies that have changed to take a full flute length cut.

Lead production engineer Mark Proctor says the subcontractor has had some spectacular results but admits he was nervous at first about the prospect of ramping up feeds and speeds and using the full flute length.

He says: “When we were told we could machine a piece of S143 stainless steel at 8m/minute we thought the cutting tool wouldn’t last two seconds.”

But once he saw the resulting faster cycle times and that the tool was safe from damage, the decision was taken to do all Waveform roughing at the machine’s fastest feed rate.

“For instance, we needed a finished component that’s only 20mm thick, coming from a six-inch S143 round billet, which means there’s an awful lot of metal to cut away. For that job we used a 12mm cutter for a 24mm depth of cut and the job ran for ten hours before the cutting tool needed replacing,” he explains.

Overall the company, which is based in the Essex seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea, ships around 9,000 parts a month to customers around the world – anything from small components to workpieces up to 1.6m, both as single units and in large batches. And almost every part produced goes through Edgecam.

“When we get the model from the customer, normally as a STEP file, we load it into Edgecam, select the stock, devise the machining strategy, add the tools and toolpaths and run the program through the simulator,” Mr Proctor reveals.

“When it comes through that, we use the NC editor to post the program out to the machine via a DNC wireless link, and explain the job to the operator. He then goes to the shopfloor with a set-up sheet which shows which tools he needs, and runs the machine.”

He adds Edgecam is even better since it included a button to unhide the stock underneath: “In earlier releases it wouldn’t see the stock underneath, but it’s now an even better cycle with this option.”

Describing 5-axis machining and automation as the way forward for Tridan Engineering, Paul Coupland says the recent acquisition of the Mazak Variaxis with a Palletech automation system adopts both of those aspects.

“5-axis is definitely the future for us as it enables us to machine much faster than 3-axis can, through the done-in-one’ capability, without the need for additional set-ups,” he says.

“And the automation system on the Variaxis can manage six pallets which is perfect for our needs. We can add six pallets at any stage of the operation to keep it going and it also means we can carry out lights out machining. Depending on the job it can run constantly for between eight and 14 hours without any manual intervention.”

Currently operating from 26,000ft² premises with 66 employees, growing order books mean the company, which was founded in 1968 and now owned by the Langham Group, is now looking to take what Mr Coupland describes as the next natural step.

He concludes: “We’ve recently bought a third of an acre next door, and are planning to double the size of our machine shop.”

Tridan Engineering www.tridan.co.uk

Edgecam www.edgecam.com