SL Engineering purchases further Mori Seiki lathe
Following a complete investment appraisal analysis, SL Engineering decided to purchase an additional Mori Seiki NL2000 SY mill-turn lathe, bringing its tally of Mori Seiki machines to five. Based in Aslackby, near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, SL specialises in the manufacture of rigid tube assemblies and precision-machined components for the aerospace, industrial gas turbine, marine, oil and gas, medical and speciality autosport industries. SL's tube assemblies and machined components are used in a variety of demanding applications, including complex fuel pipe and manifold systems as well as hydraulic, air, water, gas and oil pipe systems.
Committed to the 21st Century Supply Chain (SC21) principles and practices (a collaborative programme to transform the global competitiveness of the UK aerospace and defence supply chains), SL has plans to expand over the next five years, supported by a staged capital investment programme. Shaun Stevenson, director and general manager at the company, said: 'We installed our first Mori Seiki machine in 2004 after extensively evaluating the main alternatives in the marketplace.
'One of the key drivers in our decision to choose Mori Seiki NL machines was their excellent rigidity and build quality, ideal for machining the exotic high-temperature nickel-based alloys we work with,' he added. SL's Mori Seiki NL2000 SY, which was installed just after the recent UK Mach exhibition, includes driven tooling, Y-axis control, a sub-spindle and a 20-station turret that increases the number of live tools that can be used on each job over a standard 12-station machine.
The machine has been designed to provide much greater torsional rigidity and 30 per cent wider guideways than conventional lathes. Oil jackets around the spindle and the built-in turret motor keep temperature rises to one tenth of those experienced in other machines, minimising thermal displacement, while the large castings and built-in turret motor BMT cut vibration levels by 66 per cent. 'They [The Mori Seiki machines] are superbly constructed, extremely rigid and have proved themselves to be highly accurate, consistently holding the very tight tolerances demanded in our business,' said Stevenson.
The latest Mapps III control on the new machine includes enhanced milling functions, faster editing, a calculator function, USB connectivity and improved tool management for faster setup. 'The Mapps control system is very user friendly, with good graphics, which promotes quick setup and programming for the complex components we produce - a critical requirement for our products,' added Stevenson. By choosing Mori Seiki machines, SL has been able to make some improvements in its productivity, in line with the Lean manufacturing methods encouraged by SC21.
The company has enhanced its knowledge through consultation with the machine manufacturer's technicians, enabling it to combine operations and achieve one-hit machining. Now, wherever possible, parts are machined in a single setup. Stevenson continued: 'A key objective of our continuous improvement programme is to reduce the number of multiple setups we have to use. 'The sub-spindle, Y-axis and powerful direct-drive milling heads on our NL machines have helped make improvements to our throughput and reduced lead times.
'Jobs with complex prismatic features that used to take five or six setups are now completed in a single operation, straight off the bar,' he said. SL examined the complete package offered by Mori Seiki when it made its decision to purchase its latest NL2000 SY. As well as productivity improvements and the physical capabilities of the machine, the company considered other elements including reliability, quality of service, residual value and life expectancy.
Committed to the 21st Century Supply Chain (SC21) principles and practices (a collaborative programme to transform the global competitiveness of the UK aerospace and defence supply chains), SL has plans to expand over the next five years, supported by a staged capital investment programme. Shaun Stevenson, director and general manager at the company, said: 'We installed our first Mori Seiki machine in 2004 after extensively evaluating the main alternatives in the marketplace.
'One of the key drivers in our decision to choose Mori Seiki NL machines was their excellent rigidity and build quality, ideal for machining the exotic high-temperature nickel-based alloys we work with,' he added. SL's Mori Seiki NL2000 SY, which was installed just after the recent UK Mach exhibition, includes driven tooling, Y-axis control, a sub-spindle and a 20-station turret that increases the number of live tools that can be used on each job over a standard 12-station machine.
The machine has been designed to provide much greater torsional rigidity and 30 per cent wider guideways than conventional lathes. Oil jackets around the spindle and the built-in turret motor keep temperature rises to one tenth of those experienced in other machines, minimising thermal displacement, while the large castings and built-in turret motor BMT cut vibration levels by 66 per cent. 'They [The Mori Seiki machines] are superbly constructed, extremely rigid and have proved themselves to be highly accurate, consistently holding the very tight tolerances demanded in our business,' said Stevenson.
The latest Mapps III control on the new machine includes enhanced milling functions, faster editing, a calculator function, USB connectivity and improved tool management for faster setup. 'The Mapps control system is very user friendly, with good graphics, which promotes quick setup and programming for the complex components we produce - a critical requirement for our products,' added Stevenson. By choosing Mori Seiki machines, SL has been able to make some improvements in its productivity, in line with the Lean manufacturing methods encouraged by SC21.
The company has enhanced its knowledge through consultation with the machine manufacturer's technicians, enabling it to combine operations and achieve one-hit machining. Now, wherever possible, parts are machined in a single setup. Stevenson continued: 'A key objective of our continuous improvement programme is to reduce the number of multiple setups we have to use. 'The sub-spindle, Y-axis and powerful direct-drive milling heads on our NL machines have helped make improvements to our throughput and reduced lead times.
'Jobs with complex prismatic features that used to take five or six setups are now completed in a single operation, straight off the bar,' he said. SL examined the complete package offered by Mori Seiki when it made its decision to purchase its latest NL2000 SY. As well as productivity improvements and the physical capabilities of the machine, the company considered other elements including reliability, quality of service, residual value and life expectancy.
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