Automated, high-speed milling cuts lead-times by up to 20%

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Demand for shorter lead-times called for high-speed machining

GTM was sparking a lot of small parts for moulds, but electrode manufacture is time-consuming and EDM is itself a slow process. The decision was taken to replace as much EDM as possible with high-speed machining using small-diameter, ball nose milling cutters. It was a move that would save 70% of the time needed for this part of the manufacturing process, according to shop floor manager, Mark Walsh. Every mould that passes through the Galway factory now undergoes some high-speed cutting on one of the Roeders.

“Back in 2007 we asked several potential HSC machine suppliers to make test cuts on one of our moulds. The Roeders machine beat all the others in terms of speed, accuracy and surface finish," Walsh said. “It was noticeably better in all areas, partly because the German machine builder was an early adopter of linear motors for the axis drives."

A Roeders RXP500 3-axis VMC with a 40-tool magazine was duly installed. Despite it having run 24/5 plus extensively at weekends for more than eight years, Walsh confirmed that the machine is just as good today in terms of the accuracies and surface finishes achieved as when it was new.

This level of performance led automatically to the purchase of a second Roeders 3-axis RXP 500 in 2013 to cope with raised production levels. Automation was fitted in the form of an automatic, 8-pallet changer that allows any mix of jobs to be set up and run unattended overnight, or over an entire weekend if longer-running jobs are selected.

During the day, both RXP500s can be attended by one person due to the automation fitted to the second machine. Mr Walsh was palpably enthusiastic when he spoke of how many more hours they were getting out of the spindles for the same number of operator hours.

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