of the Siemens ShopMill control is very straightforward and the training provided as part of the package is excellent.” Like everyone at Jota Sport, Mr Thorpe is totally committed during the racing season. “Manufacturing components for the cars and also being involved in the race
preparations is great, and then there is the excitement of seeing the end result in action,” he says. For Mr Hignett, the enjoyment comes from developing the car, staying ahead of the competition and ensuring that every time a car goes out it is set up to be faster than in the previous race.
“It’s all about coming away from each race with fresh ideas for improving our performance in the next,” he concludes. “There’s a lot of data acquisition built into our cars so we can evaluate the performances and think how best to improve. It follows that being equipped to try out new ideas quickly and
cost-effectively is extremely helpful and being able to make or modify components in-house eases the inevitable pressures on our budgets.”
of responding immediately to requests for new, modified or replacement parts. A crucial part of this response is Jota Sport’s machine shop on the Jota Group site in Frant, Kent, where the installation of an XYZ Mini Mill 560 vertical machining centre has enabled machinist Chris Thorpe to take on complex machining work that would previously have been outsourced.
This compact VMC can machine a wide range of components within its 560mm (X) by 400mm (Y) by 500mm (Z) working envelope, which is contained within a 2,000mm (width) by 2,060mm (depth) footprint. The sturdy Meehanite ribbed cast iron construction ensures that full use can be made of the 15hp (11kW)/8,000rpm dynamically balanced BT40 spindle, with induction hardened and ground Turcite-coated box ways ensuring smooth operation at axis travels up to 20m/minute. A 12 station toolchanger holds tools up to 100mm diameter.
“Having this CNC capability in-house means we can save time and money, especially when components need modifying after testing,” says Mr Thorpe. “My previous experience of CNC was limited mainly to turning, but conversational programming
NAKAMURA-TOME
MULTI-TASKING TECHNOLOGY l l l
SEE US AT MACH IN APRIL 2012
01926 818 418
www.engtechgroup.com
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