Winbro Group Technologies (WGT) is a leader in the design and manufacture of advanced machines and technologies based on non-conventional processes.
The group’s high-technology machine systems produce holes and forms in components used in the most demanding parts of aero and industrial gas turbines, as well as in high-precision applications in the semiconductor, fuel cell and medical industries.
Winbro's non-conventional machining processes include high-speed EDM drilling, laser drilling, cutting, ablation and welding, in addition to creep-feed grinding and ECM (electro-chemical machining).
Based in Shepshed, Leicestershire, WGT also has a manufacturing centre in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Following seven years of close collaboration, in November 2019, WGT became part of Quaser Machine Tools, Taiwan.
Complementing the group’s sales of machines and technologies, WAM (Winbro Advanced Machining) was launched in 2007. WAM provides a wide range of first-class machining facilities that can be used to manufacture customers’ components. WAM certifications include ISO9001 2015, AS9100 Rev D accreditation with NADCAP for non-conventional processes, in addition to independent accreditation with many blue-chip OEMs.
Given the nature of the industries served by Winbro, the quality of its products and services are of paramount importance. In addition to frequently updating its staff’s skills, the business invests in advanced inspection equipment, including advanced Mitutoyo CMMs. The most recent addition to Winbro’s Mitutoyo CMM collection is a Crysta-Apex V CNC CMM.
Dr Alan Duffield, Winbro Group business development manager, explained the purchase and use of the group’s CMMs.
He comments: “We pride ourselves in being at the forefront of machine and process development, offering a comprehensive range of systems and technologies which deliver the performance and precision demanded by global industry.
“To ensure the continued premium quality of our technologies we use a range of advanced inspection equipment although the high-precision workhorses of our quality function are a collection of Mitutoyo CMMs, including three Crysta-Apex S574 models and the recently installed Crysta-Apex V.
“Since we first started using Mitutoyo CMMs in 2014, we have enjoyed outstanding service from each of the machines and have received excellent back-up from the staff of Mitutoyo UK. When the need arose to expand our inspection capacity to keep-pace with ever rising production levels, we again contacted Mitutoyo.
“We were pleasantly surprised to see the impressive technical developments in areas such as accuracy, performance, speed, and versatility, made in the company’s recently launched Crysta-Apex V models,” Dr Duffield adds. “As it suited the size range of the parts we manufacture, we placed an order for a Crysta-Apex V CMM with an XYZ capacity of 500 x 700 x 400mm.
“The machine is making a major contribution to our quality control processes. In addition to accurately measuring one-off parts, our operators are able to load multiple components, recall pre-written programs and instigate fast, fully-automatic, CNC inspection routines.”
The latest generation of the Crysta-Apex V series is designed to deliver accuracy, speed, and versatility. Thanks to multi-sensor flexibility, including vision, laser, surface finish and scanning probe technologies, the CMMs are able to undertake an extensive range of measurements across a wide variety of workpieces.
In addition, speedy V series CMMs improve users’ overall inspection productivity, leveraging IoT (Internet of Things) for the management of production and quality information. In addition to being ideal for today’s quality control needs, the CMMs are future-proofed and designed with the smart factory in-mind.
As Winbro’s CMM is situated within a production environment it helps that all Crysta-Apex V models use a real-time temperature compensation system. In the past, the accuracy of CMMs could not be guaranteed unless they were installed within temperature controlled environments. Crysta-Apex V CMMs’ temperature compensation feature guarantees accuracy under temperature conditions of 16-26°C. It measures the temperature of the workpiece and that of the measuring machine, then calculates what the measurement value would be at 20°C, before outputting the value as the precise measurement result.
The high drive speed and rapid acceleration of Crysta-Apex V dramatically reduces total measuring times, allowing users to freely set measurement paths along 3D forms and enabling intricate workpieces to be measured along their curved surfaces and contours. High-speed measurements are unaffected by processing accuracy or misregistration by the real-time correction of path errors caused by differences between workpieces and design values.
Complementing the V series’ impressive hardware, Mitutoyo offer an extensive range of application software for generating measurement programs automatically and for performing evaluations using CAD.
Mitutoyo UK
www.mitutoyo.co.uk
Winbro Group Technologies
www.winbrogroup.com
