RAIL
“We do a lot of repeat work, and since changing to hyperMILL, I’ve noticed the improvement in part quality, especially the deburring side of things. It has been much better. You pick the part up, and it’s a lot shinier. The tool paths are a lot easier on the eye, and it just looks a more professional part.” An additional and perhaps less immediately obvious benefit has been improved tool life. By generating smoother, more consistent tool paths, hyperMILL reduces the stress placed on cutting tools, extending their working life even as cycle times decrease. As Johnson adds: “I’m also noticing the longevity of the tool life is increasing with hyperMILL. Even though we’re speeding up the process, we’re extending the life of our tools.”
COMMERCIAL AND STRATEGIC IMPACT Reflecting on hyperMILL’s impact on Howells’ competitive positioning, Johnson continues: “We’re definitely more competitive now, especially on the higher-end work that we do on the 5-axis machines. We’re reducing our machining times and being more competitive. In manufacturing, prices are going up across the board. If hyperMILL can make us more competitive and keep our prices the same – despite tooling prices and material prices going up, then that’s a huge benefit.” Perhaps the most telling indicator of hyperMILL’s impact on Howells’s confidence and ambition is the way Johnson now views the machine shop’s capabilities. “Now we’ve got hyperMILL, I think we can take on pretty much any part that will fit on our machines.”
Barnes says: “hyperMILL makes it easy to go from rough to finish parts because it uses the model to drive the tool path, so I know it’s not going to gouge anywhere along the workpiece. From there, it generates the stock model straight away, so if I need to do some rest roughing, I can easily work to that stock model. For the finishing, it works in the same way, driving up to the surface of the model.” For 5-axis machining in particular, where multi-axis movements create a complex collision environment that potentially involves the cutting tool, spindle, workholding and the machine structure, simulation is a necessity. Barnes explains how hyperMILL’s Virtual Machine addresses this challenge head-on. “The simulation on our 5-axis machines is very important for collision checking and to prevent gouging on the parts. Within Virtual Machine, collisions are automatically recognised, and the system will not let you post the code. I can confidently post the code and know that with every B and C-axis movement that we’re going to have, I’m not going to gouge into the machine itself.” Johnson has observed the downstream impact of this elevated confidence directly on the shop floor. The days of cautious, incremental checking at the machine
UKManufacturing Spring 2026
are giving way to a more streamlined, efficient process. “I’ve noticed a big difference in the simulation. Alex is able to simulate the machining process a lot more reliably and a lot more slickly. When we are bringing the job onto the shop floor, we’re not having to check ourselves as much. We can go straight into machining the part, and there are no issues – and no bangs whatsoever. It’s a much slicker process with hyperMILL.”
OPTIMISED TOOL PATHS
Beyond simulation, the quality and efficiency of the tool paths generated by hyperMILL have delivered measurable improvements. Johnson reports that the software has raised standards at every stage of the process. “We’re noticing big improvements, especially when we are trying to machine complex workpieces. With hyperMILL, we’re optimising the tool paths and eliminating any dead time in the machine.” The benefits also extend to surface quality and the amount of post-machining work required. For a manufacturing business where components must consistently meet stringent rail industry standards, the ability to produce a superior finish directly off the machine is particularly valuable.
LOOKING AHEAD
With hyperMILL now embedded in its workflow for almost 18 months, Howells Railway Products has already seen significant gains in simulation reliability, tool path efficiency, surface quality, tool life and throughput. The ongoing development of hyperMILL adds to the confidence of the team. “I’ve been really impressed with hyperMILL and OPEN MIND Technologies as a business. The support is excellent, and the software is ever evolving. We’ve noticed product upgrades have come through and proven beneficial for our team. I see the future looking bright with Howells and hyperMILL moving forward. Across the board, from roughing to finishing, I feel like we’ve levelled up with hyperMILL.”
OPEN MIND Technologies UK
www.openmind-tech.com
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