An automation system has helped subcontract machinist Bindon Engineering improve an existing in-house machining process by eliminating frequent, disruptive and costly manual part loading and unloading operations.
The SYNERGi Sprint automated manufacturing cell from Mills CNC has minimised downtime and optimised workflows, resulting in continuous, uninterrupted production and faster turnaround times.
It has significantly improved an existing process to machine high-precision centre activator parts, in small-to-medium batch sizes, on one of its existing multi-tasking turning centres.
The integration of automation system with a 10” chuck Puma TT 2500SY twin-turret, twin-spindle turning centre with Y-axis capabilities, supplied by Mills CNC in 2019, has helped create a new, more efficient automated machining process that is far less labour intensive, with no manual loading or unloading, and is geared to continuous production.
Bindon Engineering, established in 1966, and employing 50 people, is a private, family-owned precision subcontract specialist offering milling, turning and inspection services.
Ian Lawrence, Bindon Engineering’s managing director, said: “Improvement is the name of the game, and we are always looking at ways to increase our productivity and reduce inefficiencies.”
Bindon Engineering machines high-precision valve and actuator parts for customers across a range of processing industries and sectors such as oil and gas, petrochemical, water, wastewater treatment and pharmaceutical manufacture.
These parts, made from steels, stainless steels, aluminium, exotics etc., are machined to tight, tied-up tolerances (+/-0.02mm) and high surface finishes (Ra 0.4μm), and are typically processed in small-to-medium batches – up to 7,000-off at the top end.
Ian Lawrence said: “We regularly monitor and benchmark the performance of our machine shop in order to identify production bottleneck and pinch points.
“So, at the tail-end of 2024, when a long-term customer announced that it would be renewing, and indeed would be ramping up, its requirements for its high-precision centre columns, we reviewed our existing machining capacity and capabilities to make sure we would be able to meet the increase in demand.”
Bindon Engineering determined that the machining process it had previously developed, and that was already in place, using the full multi-tasking capabilities of its twin-turret, twin-spindle TT 2500SY machine could be made more efficient and improved through automating the part loading and unloading elements of the process which were deemed to be ‘too labour intensive’.
The company had a long-standing relationship with Mills CNC, which had supplied the TT 2500SY in the first place, Bindon asked Mills to design and develop a robot load/unload solution for it.
“The investment in automation is really paying dividends. Turnaround times have improved, and we have optimised the production capacity of the TT 2500SY lathe. Furthermore, our SYNERGi Sprint cell is backed by Mills’ remote assistance which provides us with expert advice and diagnostic support should and when we need it.”