Turning capacity gets a boost

However, a recent investment in two turning centres from Yamazaki Mazak has taken the business to a new level the company enthuses.

Under the guidance of managing director, David Fripp, the past seven years have seen AS9100 registered Williams reassess its business and manufacturing capacity. One of the biggest restrictions placed on the business was a lack of space at its Southampton factory. “We have invested heavily in manufacturing systems and machine tool capacity to bring the business up to date,” says Mr Fripp. “The sole aim of this process has been to improve service to our customers, and our two Mazak Quick Turn Nexus machines are a crucial part of that plan.

“The turn/mill capability of these machines has enabled us to achieve much greater output and reduce work in progress and it was vital that we had a capability to finish turn and mill on one machine given our limitations on floorspace. The investment has been fully justified by the increase in turnover generated.”

The machines in question are a Mazak Quick Turn Nexus 200-II M, and a Quick Turn Nexus 200-II MY, both manufactured in the UK at Mazak's European Headquarters in Worcester. The addition of these two machines is delivering leaner manufacturing to Williams through a reduction in set-up time, an overall reduction in set-ups by eliminating separate milling operations, improved cycle times, and less work in progress. A typical example quoted by Mr Fripp is a component that features a six start spline that is now machined complete in two operations on the Nexus 200-II M. “This job used to take 40 minutes to machine using our previous machines. Now we produce them in less than six minutes,” he confirms.

With a customer base that stretches from a vintage car enthusiast with a requirement for a one-off gear through to major customers in the aerospace and nuclear industries, which account for 85% there is only one constant, which is pressure on pricing. “The investment we have made in these Mazak machines allows us to remain competitive and profitable at the same time. The reduced cycle time and set-up time that we can achieve with the Quick Turn Nexus machines is crucial, hence the decision to invest.

He elaborates: “Moving from our previous equipment to the Mazak machines was quite a step change, but it was a process that was straightforward right from the initial visit of the sales engineer. The fact that we could see similar machines to ours being built at Worcester was a big influence in our final decision to buy. The reassurance that this gave us was reinforced once we ordered the machines with five of our employees going to Worcester to undertake training on the Mazatrol control.”
Mazak's Quick Turn Nexus II series of turning centres deliver in the three key areas of advanced technology, productivity and value. Ranging from 2-axis machines through to full turning centres with Y-axis, rotary tool spindles and second spindle, the series provides a versatile solution to modern manufacturing requirements.

The Nexus 200-II M installed at Williams features a 380mm maximum machining diameter with a 65mm maximum bar diameter, a 5,000rpm, 26kW spindle, which is supplemented by a 4,500rpm, 5.5kW rotary spindle for milling operations. The Nexus 200-II MY has identical specification, but with the addition of a 100mm Y-axis stroke, which gives added milling capability to the machine.

In addition to both machines being manufactured at Mazak's manufacturing facility in Worcester, the Nexus 200-II MY was also partially designed in the UK by Mazak's European Design Engineering Group. This was the first major project undertaken by the group, which has since gone on to design several more Mazak machines that are now in production around the world.

Yamazaki Mazak
www.mazak.eu

Williams & Co
www.williams-eng.co.uk