As a small subcontract toolmaking and machining business, Precision Engineering Services (Buxton) Ltd has carved a niche in the production of press and mould tools for the construction and DIY sectors.
Producing everything from CNC machining and subcontract wiring of press and mould tools to maintaining and repairing precision tools for its clients, the Derbyshire business undertakes a significant amount of wire EDM work – this is why it has just invested in a Mitsubishi MV1200S wire EDM machine from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).
The Buxton-based manufacturer has a selection of manual and CNC machine tools as well as a die-sink EDM machine and a wire EDM. However, with the company’s 12-year-old Mitsubishi BA8 wire EDM being the busiest machine in the company, its precision levels were sadly diminishing after more than a decade of non-stop operation. It was time for a replacement.
As the Managing Director who has taken over the family business he has worked at for almost 30 years, Chris Barlow says: “Our Mitsubishi BA8 wire EDM has worked fantastically well since the day we bought it. However, after more than 10 years of non-stop running, the ball screws were deteriorating and maintaining precision was becoming more of a challenge. We knew the machine ‘inside out’, so we could build in tolerance errors to maintain precision – but we knew that a new machine would be the best route forward. With linear drive technology and Tubular Shaft Motors instead of ball screws, the new MV1200S has a 12-year accuracy warranty and an Optical Drive System (ODS) that provides circular accuracy within 1μm, so we won’t have this concern in the future.”
The toolmaker took delivery of the new Mitsubishi MV1200S wire EDM machine in May, which replaced the previous Mitsubishi BA8.
With regard to overall cutting time, Chris said that features that would take four passes to finish on the BA8 can now be done in three or sometimes two passes.
“This improves our productivity by 25 and even 50% in some cases. For example, on a hole we would previously take away the slug with the first cut and follow this with a skim cut to take the hole or feature to size. The third and fourth cuts will be finishing cuts to obtain the high-quality surface finishes we need. With the MV1200S, the second cut to size is often of high enough quality – but we may sometimes need a third pass.”
He concluded: “The machine is faster, more powerful and more precise than its predecessor. The more we familiarise ourselves with the machine and the intuitive new control system, the more we find features that can improve our productivity beyond the realms of what we thought possible.”
Precision Engineering Services Tel 01298 871630