Combining operations: Turing centre's one-hit capabilities slash lead times and cycle times

摘要

The installation of the latest Colchester-Harrison Tornado T8MS with C axis, driven tools and a sub-spindle means that Genesis Precision Engineering has been able to combine up to five previous operations into one, resulting in dramatic savings in both lead times and cycle times. The Cambridge-based sub-contractor established its reputation by specialising in the production of complex high-quality machined components for locally based high-tech industries. Installed by RK International of Erith - the Southern Technical Centre for Colchester-Harrison, Shepshed (Tel: 01509 600600) - the new mill-turn centre has allowed parts that were previously machined in a number of operations on three- and four-axis machining centres to be produced in one-hit cycles. Moreover, in some instances the new Tornado has helped Genesis Precision to win back business lost to competitors that were previously able to provide a lower-cost source of supply.