Feature Aerospace & Marine


ommenting on this recent shift, Tornos UK accounts manager, John Stretton commented, “Historically Tornos has been a provider of turned parts solutions for OEMs and subcontractors manufactur- ing small to medium size intricate parts. “However, over the last two years, sales have risen sharply to Tier 2 and 3 manufacturers in the aerospace industry. This is credit to our expanded range of products that offer increased dimensional capacities with higher power levels and match- ing rigidity levels. Furthermore, the Tornos R&D team hasn’t only focused on developing products for cycle time reductions but improving the whole production process. One example of this is a dual capability guide bushless or conventional slider system that enables customers to wit- ness considerable material savings. The recent innovations developed by Tornos are geared for the production of hard materials that are familiar to the aerospace sector - these materials are also expensive, so the cost sav- ings from employing a Tornos machine are more prominent.”


With or without the guidebush A necessary component of the sliding head turning centre has always been the guidebush. Tornos has now devel- oped a system whereby the guidebush can be removed to run ‘bushless’. The ability to run bushless gives the Tornos Swiss type turning centres improved concentricity and roundness on components up to 42mm diameter, providing improved precision, extended diameter capacities and rigidity. In a cost conscious market, the material savings are a key aspect. One customer that recognised the potential for such savings was Rugby- based Technoset.


A key factor in the company’s deci- sion to purchase a Tornos Gamma was its ability to work not only as a tradi- tional sliding head machine for long slender parts but also its quick and easy changeover to bushless working for production of short stubby parts. This system cuts material wastage through reduced bar remnant sizes. As a prominent aerospace subcontractor, Technoset works with a lot of very high value materials such as inconel, titanium, monel and aerospace stain-


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New solutions are taking-off C


Extensive R&D work and new product lines at Tornos has seen the Swiss machine tool manufacturer witness a change in its customer base over the last couple of years


less steel grades. In some cases very high value materials can cost as much as £50 per metre. The new Gamma has cut remnant lengths from 10-12” to 1-2” giving Technoset significant material cost savings.


The benefit of the guide bushless system is now available on the existing Delta 38. The Delta 38 offers extra dimensional capacity up to 38mm as a slider and 42mm capacity on the bush- less model, whilst the rigidity allows customers to remove a great deal of material. The new Delta 38/5BL pro- vides additional benefits whilst inte- grating the guide bushless system, making it a step closer to an ‘all pur- pose’ machine. Weighing 4.6 tonnes with a main spindle generating a maximum power of 11kW and a torque of 70Nm, com- bined with 20x20 cross section turning tools, the Delta 38/5BL machine can remove large quantities of swarf. When this is combined with the abil- ity to reduce remnant sizes and thus deliver material cost savings, the Delta offers a mixture of productivity and cost savings that have made it popular with aerospace subcontractors.


A growing relationship


Commenting upon the relationship Tornos UK is striking with the aero- space market, Stretton continued, “The Gamma, Sigma and Delta ranges from Tornos are offering unsurpassed benefits to manufactur- ers that are machining anything from simple to complex parts in high or low batch sizes from some very diffi- cult materials. The set-up flexibility and rigidity of the machines com- bined with the productivity and material cost savings are well suited to the aero industry. “We are delivering ‘engineered projects’ to the aerospace industry. With Y-axes capability available on all our turning centres and large capacity tool platens, many cus- tomers are requesting machine set- ups with flexible tooling options to minimalise the ongoing machine set- up times. Customers are becoming more conscious with the ongoing set- up times rather than the cycle times for individual jobs. We can deliver a ‘master tooling’ configuration that enables customers to eliminate repet- itive tooling set-ups and changeovers


Above: the Tornos Almac CU2007 was demonstrated at Tornos’ recent technology event and it was very well received


whilst giving the machine tool the ability to machine a complete range of parts.” Tornos has demonstrated this phi- losophy with its new turning centres. All new machine solutions include an in-built high pressure coolant system that is integrated into the machine as standard. Tornos can provide high pressure coolant systems from 60 to 340bar that can be delivered to the main and sub-spindle. Tornos has also diversified into the provision of high speed machining centres, as Stretton explained, “Tornos has now developed a new range of Tornos Almac vertical machining cen- tres. The first machine in the UK, the Tornos Almac CU2007, was demon- strated at our recent technology event and it was very well received.” Like other machine tools under the


Tornos brand, the Almac CU2007 con- sists of a rigid cast iron construction and structural durability that allows high load capacities during machining. The Almac CU2007 is as well suited to small one-off complex workpieces as it is to simplistic parts in long produc- tion runs. Regardless of the application, the Almac CU 2007 can be tailored to meet the needs of the end user. Stretton concluded, “The availabil-


Above: the Sigma range from Tornos is offering benefits to manufacturers that are machining anything from simple to complex parts in high or low batch sizes from some very difficult materials


ity of the new line of machining cen- tres fully complements our solutions for turned parts and sits perfectly with the Tornos philosophy of deliv- ering high quality engineered solu- tions. Our penetration of the aerospace sector is continuing to grow and the availability of high speed machining centres is playing a major part in this market growth.”


Tornos www.tornos.com T: 01530 513 100


Enter 202 JULY/AUGUST 2013 Automation


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