Boosting measurement capability

Image
Media Name: dsc_0109.jpg

Investment in a new milling hall with 3, 4 and 5-axis machining capability boosted capacity at VES Precision and led to a further investment in an Aberlink CMM.

Based in Crewkerne, Somerset, VES Precision was established in 1991 to provide a range of precision engineering and subcontract machining services to local companies, such as Westland Helicopters (now Leonardo Helicopters) and Normalair Garrett (now Honeywell Aerospace), both of which are located in nearby Yeovil.

Prompted by customer demand, over the past three decades the company has considerably expanded its footprint and now operates from a modern 14,500 square feet production facility. Having considerably expanded its range of competences, VES Precision now offers an all-embracing machining service with a wide range of capabilities including CNC milling, turning, EDM Wire Erosion, grinding, lapping and surface blasting. VES is able to produce components from a broad range of materials, including plastics, stainless steel, high-speed steel, brass, copper, bronze, tungsten and aluminium. The company also has considerable experience in machining exotic materials such as Nimonic 90, Inconel, Stellite and MAR-M-247.

Recent substantial investments in advanced, high-yield machine tools have enabled VES Precision to significantly increase its output. As this rise in production had started to place a strain on the company’s inspection provision, VES Quality Assurance Manager, Steve Trigg recently investigated the available, precise and fast acting CNC Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs). After evaluating the merits of CMMs from several leading manufacturers, an advanced, high-speed Axiom Too HS machine was purchased from Aberlink. Steve Trigg explained. “Most engineering subcontractors are either geared-up for high-volume work or for one-offs and small batch work. Our success is based largely on our flexibility and our ability to offer complete, one-stop-shop machining solutions, embracing, from one-off bespoke jobs, through to large, repeat order production. We use a wide range of techniques including 5-axis milling, 3 and 4 axis mill-turning, dedicated CNC milling and CNC turning, EDM wire erosion, surface and cylindrical grinding, lapping and grit/glass bead blasting.

“Prompted by an ever increasing work-load, several months ago we opened a new, purpose-built milling hall that includes an advanced 5-axis machine with a pallet loader, 3 and 4 axis CNC mills and an overhead gantry crane. The additional capacity provided by our new milling hall has enabled us to considerably increase our output.

“Although our inspection system has been able to keep-pace with our increased output, as it was working at full capacity we were aware of the need to boost our measuring capabilities. Having weighed-up the available fast acting CMMs against our list of requirements, we decided that Axiom Too HS CNC CMM was the ideal machine for our needs; therefore we placed an order with Aberlink.

“Not only has the Axiom Too HS satisfied our current inspection requirements, our new CMM’s speed will enable it to handle any foreseeable increases in production. Also, its impressive accuracy specification will enable the inspection of all the most demanding of our high-precision components now in the future.”

www.aberlink.com

www.ves-precision.com

BACK TO ENGINEERING CAPACITY NEWS PAGE