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A twin-spindle, three-turret, three Y-axis turning centre with up to 72 driven tools allows a standard set-up to produce an extremely wide range of components, said the user

UK machining subcontractor Rotec has acquired a Nakamura-Tome Super NTY3 twin- spindle, three-turret, three Y-axis turning centre. It works alongside Rotec's existing sliding head automatics to produce components up to 42mm diameter from bar faster, and with more milling power, than the sliding head machines can on parts up to 32mm diameter.

Turning Technologies, a member of the Engineering Technology Group, supplied the Nakamura-Tome Super NTY3 as part of a package, which also included a Chiron FZ12KW vertical machining centre supplied by fellow Engineering Technology Group company, Chiron UK.

Based in Evesham, Rotec said it serves a wide range of industries, from the automotive sector to packaging equipment, mining, medical and defence.

The company also makes some unusual things such as parts for harps, cannons for model ships and curtain rails for dolls' houses.

Rotec currently runs sliding head machines and larger fixed CNC turning centres.

Managing director Paul Butler explained: 'The reason we use the sliding head machines is because they are very quick and reliable on small parts, which makes them suitable for unmanned running and, unlike the cam autos they replaced, they are infinitely adjustable'.

He explained that Rotec's problem was that, because of technical limitations, the upper size limit for sliding head automatics is 32mm diameter.

The company bought the Nakamura because it believed that, although it is a fixed head machine, it is effectively going to move the capacity on the sliding head machines from 32mm up to 42mm bar.

Butler said: 'We have actually installed the Nakamura into the sliding head section rather than the fixed head section, because that is the type of work that it is going to be doing.

By using the techniques and philosophies that we have learnt on the sliding heads on the Nakamura we think we will save a lot of time and it will give us a competitive edge'.

He added: 'There has traditionally been a big jump in part prices as soon as you go above 32mm.

From talking in pence per part you start talking pounds as the machining technology changes from sliding head to fixed head.

By applying sliding head thinking on the Super NTY3 we are hoping that there is a market opportunity for us to exploit at that crossover point'.

* Versatile and productive - with three turrets, each with a Y-axis, able to work on either of the twin spindles the Super NTY3 is an extremely productive machine.

And with up to 72 driven tools available at any time it is also extremely versatile, so that a standard setup allows the production of an extremely wide range of components.

'We have always invested in the best possible equipment we could afford,' said Butler.

'And although we are often doing relatively low value work we do it on high specification machine tools.

That way we find we get a robust setup, reliability and quality parts.

We have already established that the Nakamura is very fast, and we expect it to be a good contender with the sliding head technology in quality and reliability'.

One component that has already shown the potential of the Super NTY3 is and actuator for a motor sport fire extinguisher.

It has 26 separate features to machine - including off-centre drilling and threading, internal threads and threaded cross-holes.

Using 28 driven tools it can be produced on the Nakamura in just 4.1/2 min.

* Investment is the key to survival - Butler opined: 'The whole perception of manufacturing is talked down by people in the UK who have this false notion that it is a sinking ship.

We have invested in the machines because we know there is a future for manufacturing in the UK.' He added that his goal is to increase Rotec's turnover to GBP 5 million in order to allow further investment.

Butler explained: 'I want to continue investing in machinery so that we can take the rapid prototyping approach and apply it to manufacturing.

We want to be able to get 90% of the jobs on the machine within hours of getting the order, hit them very hard and turn them round very quickly using the best possible technology.

And we want 100% machine utilisation so that we can compete with all the guys around the world that are trying to nail us on price.

To do that we need to be clever with the way we organise our work, rationalising requirements across our customer base and minimising setup times'.

He concluded: 'The Nakamura Super NTY3 supports that vision because it is a fast and versatile machine.

We can have all the tools we need on the machine so that whatever part we get in we can put it on without changing the set-up.'