Versatility from VMC March 1st 2010 Five years after setting up a
mould tool making business
Dave Bowyer and Steve
Riddle took delivery of a
ProtoTRAK turret mill, the
first of several CNC/manual
mills and lathes from XYZ
Machine Tools. Sterling
Products' latest investment is
an XYZ 15kW (20hp)
8000rev/min full-CNC 1010
VMC with Siemens 810D
ShopMill control.
Prototype moulds
machined from model resin
are used to produce sample
packaging in-house, which is
sent to the customer for
approval. The process includes
ensuring that vacuum formed
food containers, for example,
when stacked prior to use
can easily be separated, and
transit trials to check that
containers and their contents
can be stacked securely and
transported safely. Once a
design has been finalised, a
production mould can then
be machined in aluminium.
Steve Riddle explains:
"Having a machine with the
capacity of the 1010 VMC
allows us to load, say, a dozen
workpieces on its 1200 by
450mm table, download the
required programs and then
run the machine unattended
overnight and at weekends."
The VMC's 24-station toolchanger
has a 2.5s tool change
time and has extra wide
hardened and ground box
slideways for rigidity and
vibration absorption. X,Y and
Z travels are 1010, 504 and
540mm respectively, with
rapid feed rates of 24m/min
on all three axes. More articles from XYZ Machine Tools Limited: |