Airedale Springs has added a new £200,000 Wafios FMU16+ to its range of CNC coiling and wire forming machinery in response to increased manufacturing demands.
The new machine will increase capacity and is part of a broader plan to improve efficiency across the company.
Airedale Springs chose the Wafios machine because it offers the greatest possible product diversity while increasing performance by up to 10% compared to earlier generations of the machine.
The company says this boost in performance allows it to effectively and efficiently meet its customers’ orders within a reasonable timescale, without compromising on the quality of the final product. The Wafios FMU16+ will sit alongside and support Airedale Spring’s wide range of modern CNC coiling and wire-form machines.
Airedale Springs Chairman Tim Parkinson says: ‘The WAFIOS FMU16+ offers a multitude of spring manufacturing technologies at a very high standard. It comes with an optical measuring system that offers 100% quality checking of parts manufactured on the machine.’
The Wafios FMU16+ will provide Airedale Springs with much more than simply an increase in manufacturing capacity. The quick retooling options make it easy to transition between wire sizes, which is ideal for moving between small and large batch sizes. The addition of IQ spring simulation software enables operators to design and program parts away from CNC machines, resulting in faster and more efficient production solutions.
The new machine is also well suited for apprentices and less experienced operators. The simplified programming option serves as a valuable tool for trainees, allowing them to gain confidence and develop the necessary programming skills.
Airedale Springs aims to have the new Wafios FMU16+ integrated with the 123insight system by the end of 2022. Integration with the ERP system – which seeks to automate and streamline processes from start to finish – it will further strengthen productivity, minimise error margins, and reduce the time employees spend doing routine tasks.
Tim Parkinson concluded: “The Wafios FMU16+ complements our fleet of Wafios machines, bringing with it the latest technology with a higher production rate capability. The new camera technology will ensure our customers receive the best products possible.”