For a number of years, precision subcontractor Qualiturn has been striving to add value to its services and products. Putting the customer at the forefront of its investment plans has paid dividends with recent company expansion and investment in new machine tools. The value adding process has seen the company acquire metrology and component cleaning equipment as well as production control software and a Rota-Rack rotary part accumulator from Hydrafeed. However, in the three years since this investment, the Hertford-based manufacturer has added two new Star sliding head turning centres and a Miyano ABX51 turning centre to meet demand. The company has also instigated the purchase of a second Hydrafeed Rota- Rack part accumulator for the machine shop.
The reason for the
introduction of the first Rota- Rack was to improve the quality of components manufactured on its turning centres as the diversity of the parts produced includes soft materials such as brass and aluminium whilst components made from steel can be heavier and larger. The Rota Rack solves the marking
problem created when parts collide upon dropping from the machine into the collection bins. As the company runs unmanned machining, a relatively large collection bin sits under each machine with parts dropping up to 12 inches into the bins. This drop compromises component quality and this was the driver behind the initial Rota-Rack purchase.
The success of the first Rota- Rack acquired in 2008 has now led Qualiturn to purchase a second system as Qualiturn’s managing director, Nick Groom affirms: “We produce a lot of components such as bearing and seal faces and flanges that demand high quality surface finishes with tight tolerances. Having high end machine tools to produce high quality parts only for them to fall into bins and get marked is unacceptable. Some customers made comments on the surface finishes whilst some jobs were returned. Despite the returns and comments being minimal when considering our output, it was still unacceptable and as a company that prides itself on its quality, we knew something had to be done.
“There was an issue between production and inspection and the Rota-Rack was the answer.
It proved so successful that when we specified the three new turning centres, an additional system was an absolute must.” Machining average batches of 100 to 2,000 parts in varying lengths with diameters up to 51mm, the collection bins take differing times to fill and this was determined by the size of the component – a situation that needed regular monitoring by an operator. The Rota-Rack has eliminated the need for continuous operator intervention and observation and it allows Qualiturn to produce batch runs completely unmanned to the required quality standard. The Rota-Rack stops parts dropping into bins and the consequent contact between components. This is credited
to its ability to be programmed in sync with the cycle time of the part on the turning centre to ensure that it only rotates when a part enters the system from the machine tool. Ideal for limited space environments the accumulator comfortably accommodates parts up to 254mm long with diameters up to 76mm, covering the majority of Qualiturn’s components. “What initially impressed us with the Rota-Rack is its simplicity and flexibility,” Mr Groom adds. “The compact system has an adjustable height and it can be set at the left or right side of the machine. These attributes enable us to quickly move it between the Miyano and Star machines depending on where the sensitive and more demanding parts are being produced. The single phase power output means we can move the system to any
machine in our facility in a matter of minutes – however we wanted to take this flexibility to a new level with the second Rota-Rack, so we requested it with a scissor lift. The reason for the lift was because of the varying heights between the Miyano ABX and the two new Star machines. “This new system is yet another investment in improving product quality, adding value for the customer and introducing proven technology to our processes,” Mr Groom concludes. “The major benefit is that whilst it improves quality, it also enhances profitability by extending unmanned running. With over 20 turning centres we may invest in further Rota-Racks to extend unmanned machining beyond its current levels.”
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