The latest addition to capacity at Jones Nuttall Precision Engineering is a twin column vertical machining centre with an 8-tonne load capacity.
Hurco DCX22i twin-column, bridge-type, vertical machining centre has a working volume of 2,200 x 1,700 x 750 mm, and is the largest piece of machining equipment on the shop floor at the Warrington-based company.
The machine has a 40-station tool magazine, 12,000 rpm / 18 kW spindle and rapids of 32 m/min in the X / Y axes and 24 m/min in Z, which is also the maximum cutting feed rate.
The new machine has considerably expanded the size and range of work the firm is able to take on. Much of it is carried out by a separate division for Network Rail, London Underground, ScotRail and other well-known names in the rail industry. Repair, overhaul and testing of mechanical/electrical components are a speciality, as well as the manufacture of new components and assemblies to OEM standards and specifications.
Other customers include Bombardier, Linde Group and many in the pharmaceutical, energy, oil and gas, petrochemical and defence sectors. Overall, more than 60 employees in the Warrington factory supply more than 30,000 different components to over 250 customers every year.
Metals processed include Inconel, titanium alloy, stainless steel, steels, brass, aluminium, copper and even silver. Engineering thermoplastics such as nylon, acetal and PEEK are regularly machined, as well as composites such as Railko, Tufnol, epoxy glass and polyester. Batch sizes range from one-offs to runs in excess of 1,000.
Founded in 1971, Jones Nuttall has been dealing with Hurco since 2000, at which time the subcontractor decided to progress from manual-tool-change mills to machining centres. It opted for Hurco equipment due to the high build quality and spindle power of both the machining centres and lathes.
The constantly changing demands of the railway industry require Jones Nuttall to adapt accordingly. That is why in addition to subcontract machining the firm has a fabrication department with spot, MIG and TIG welding capabilities, plus arc welding machines, punching equipment and guillotines. Many of finishing processes are also completed in-house, including shot blasting, powder-coating, painting and varnishing, as well as heat treatment and a range of plating, polishing and anodising processes.