Diagrammatic representation of 5 Axis Technology

Advantages of using 5 axis technology versus conventional 3 axis machining include:-

Minimal set ups required

5 axis technology eliminates the multiple set ups required to re-position the workpiece at complex angles when using 3 axis machining.  This results in increased productivity and reduces the time and cost of preparing fixtures to hold the workpiece in place.  In addition, with multiple set ups in 3 axis machining there is always the possibility of incorrect alignment each time the part is moved.  Five axis machining requires minimal intervention and results in higher part accuracy.

Reduced requirement for fixtures and tools

5 axis machining minimises the requirement for fixtures because the part can be held once and rotated so that the geometry is created.  Fixtures are time consuming to design and build and when considered alongside a requirement for special tools and/or tool extensions can significantly increase the overall cost of production.

Superior surface finishes and better part quality

Another advantage of 5 axis machining is that it enables shorter cutting tools to be used since the head can be lowered towards the job and the cutter oriented towards the surface.  As a result higher cutting speeds can be achieved without putting excessive load on the cutter so extending tool life and reducing breakages.

The use of shorter cutters also reduces the tool vibration that can result when machining deep cores or cavities with 3 axis machines.  This results in a higher quality surface finish reducing or eliminating the need for time consuming hand finishing.

CNC Milled Component using 5 Axis Technology

Complex components machined at competitive prices

At Presto Engineering our 5 axis machining capability means that we can be extremely competitive when quoting for your complex components.  We are always looking for new challenges so do upload your drawings and solid models here and we will get back to you with a quote.

If you would like further information on 5 axis machining or any other topic relating to CNC milling of aluminium machined components please get in touch at sales@prestoeng.co.uk or call us on 01865 883508 or contact us via the website.

For more information about Presto Engineering please visit our website here and if you would like a quote or to discuss a project with us please call us on 01865 883508 or e mail Julian at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

The post 5 is the Magic Number – Exploring 5 Axis CNC Milling first appeared on Presto Engineering.

The post 5 is the Magic Number – Exploring 5 Axis CNC Milling appeared first on Presto Engineering.

UK manufacturers are used to working in competitive markets as a result of Political events at home and overseas the UK faces a period of economic uncertainty.  It looks likely businesses will see raw material and component costs rise and the challenge will be delivering the same high quality products at a price the customer will pay.  Optimising product design for manufacture and assembly is a key contributor to managing costs and gaining a competitive edge.

As a manufacturer of machined aluminium parts we encourage our customers to involve us early in the design process.  It is well known that, although design costs consume approximately 20% of the total budget for a new project, typically 80% of manufacturing costs are determined by the design of the product¹.  However, the days of product design taking place in a vacuum are long gone!   Concurrent Engineering, a method of designing and developing products, in which the different stages run simultaneously, rather than consecutively, is the key to achieving a design suitable for cost effective manufacture and assembly.  Here are a few key points to consider²:-

Simplifying the design

Reducing the number of parts increases the probability of a perfect part, and reduces costs.  Fewer fabrication and assembly steps are required which gives the opportunity to integrate processes and reduce lead times.

Standardise and use common parts and materials

To minimise the level of inventory in the system and standardise handling and assembly operations.  An example of this in action is the VW Group³ chassis system which is used across a wide range of vehicles.  Known as the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB)⁴ it is the standardisation of vehicle components and production processes and enables different models and brands to run on the same assembly line.

Design for ease of fabrication

Select materials compatible with production processes.  Working closely with Procurement colleagues can result in optimum material selection and sourcing at the best price.  Design for ease of fixturing and avoid unnecessary part features that involve extra processing effort and/or more complex tooling.

Design for easy and ‘mistake-proof’ assembly

By ensuring that the assembly process is unambiguous.  The ideal scenario is components that can only be assembled one way!  Threaded fasteners such as screws, nuts and bolts are time consuming to assemble and difficult to automate.  It is worth considering the use ‘snap-fit’ attachment methods.

Design for automated production

By ensuring that the product is easily assembled manually.  Automated production is less flexible and considerations vary depending on whether flexible robotic assembly or high speed automation is to be used.

As usual we would love to hear what you think?  Are you working closely with your designers?  Have your raw material and component costs risen since Brexit?  Please give us a call on 01865 883508 or e mail us at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

For more information about Presto Engineering please visit our website here and if you would like to discuss a project with us please call us on 01865 883508 or e mail Julian at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

References   

¹Claudio Favi, Michele Germani, Marco Mandolim, 2016. Design for Manufacturing and Assembly vs. Design to cost: toward a multi-objective approach for decision-making strategies during conceptual design of complex products. [pdf] Available at: http://ac.els-cdn.com/S2212827116305741/1-s2.0-S2212827116305741-main.pdf?_tid=18f28f0a-ed44-11e6-a391-00000aab0f27&acdnat=1486478921_9a20816b1f8c938f9ffd5d9556be447f [Accessed 8 February 2017].

²NPD Solutions, 2014. Design for Manufacturability/Assembly Guidelines. [online] Available at: http://www.npd-solutions.com/dfmguidelines.html [Accessed 8 February 2017].

³Dr James Moultrie, University of Cambridge, 2015. A holistic view of design for manufacture [pdf] Available at:

http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/uploads/News/2012/15_Feb_Design_Icons_event_comes_to_IfM/DfMevent15-2-12.pdf [Accessed 8 February 2017].

⁴Volkswagen UK, 2016. Modular Transverse Matrix MQB [online] Available at http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/technology/modular-transverse-matrix-mqb [Accessed 8 February 2017]

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Is the future of UK Manufacturing in Robotics and Automation?

In 2012 the UK was ranked 19^th worldwide in terms of Robot density in the manufacturing sector with a level barely above the global average.  As an example the UK automotive industry is functioning with half as many robots as used in Germany, often cited as the European gold standard bearer for automation¹.

How has the UK been left behind?  It boils down to a lack of investment compared to other developed economies and the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has stated that the UK’s lack of improvement in post war productivity is “unprecedented”².

Germany and Japan are highly automated in manufacturing and if the UK were at the same level it is estimated productivity would increase by as much as 22% and long term employment by 79%. BMW’s Mini Plant in Oxford and Jaguar Land Rover’s plants at Solihull and Halewood are examples of soaring productivity as a result of heavy investment in robotics and automation³. But they are not the general rule in UK manufacturing.  Bearing in mind this technology is open to all markets what must we do to increase our global competitiveness?

In this article the terms ‘Robotics’ and ‘Automation’ are used interchangeably as businesses will utilise the most effective technology to achieve their goal.

In late 2015 Barclays issued a report, ‘Future-proofing UK manufacturing’ based on economic analysis conducted on behalf of YouGov.  It includes results of a survey of UK and German manufacturers and, by the use of economic modelling, shows the potential future impact of investment in Robotics and Automation¹.  The ‘top line’ suggests that if the UK invested £1.24bn in robotics and automation over the next 10 years it could add £60.5bn to the economy¹.  But how do those statistics impact an average UK manufacturing business and what has stopped them investing in automation?

Some key barriers to investment identified are:-

• Lack of funds for short and long term investments
• Prioritising other capital investment projects
• Concerns over the level and time of ROI
• Lack of support and advice about making the decision to automate

The size of business impacts the number investing, for example:-

• 71% of businesses with a turnover >£10m have invested in Robotics and Automation
• 21% of businesses with a turnover <£1m have invested in Robotics and Automation

Finally the type of business impacted the level of investment.

Sample business sectors with higher levels of investment in Britain:-

• Heavy Industry
• Medical Devices
• Building Products
• Automotive and transport

Sample business sectors with lower levels of investment in Britain:-

• Printing and Packaging products
• Textiles and clothing
• Wood and paper products

The trend is for businesses to increase investment in the next 2-3 years with the focus on improving efficiency and output.  This includes reducing production time, improving quality and plant flexibility which can result in a 20% increase in productivity³. However, overcoming the barriers to investment and implementation can be a challenging prospect in addition to the daily demands of a manufacturing facility.  Businesses want good technical support from their suppliers throughout the process from knowledgeable and responsive staff.

For smaller businesses the dilemma can be identifying the optimum time to invest and accurately estimating the period to achieve full return on investment (ROI).  The Government is maintaining the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) for 2016 at £200,000 which although unlikely to be a sufficient incentive to make a business ‘take the plunge’ it may be enough to make the first years’ tax bill less painful⁴!  What is clear is that businesses, irrespective of size, are looking to the government for financial support in the form of grants and loans.

The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, is promoting a ‘Modern Industrial Strategy’ for Britain with a focus on research and development and she has committed the Government to significant investment.  In addition the Government will launch an “Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund” to back priority technologies such as robotics and biotechnology⁵.  However, many UK businesses believe that the Government should do more to help existing businesses improve their competitiveness in the global arena through Automation.

Is your business automated? If so, how did you find the implementation process?  If not, what are your plans for automation?  We’d love to hear your thoughts so give us a call on 01865 883508 or e mail us at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

For more information about Presto Engineering please visit our website here and if you would like to discuss a project with us please call us on 01865 883508 or e mail Julian at sales@prestoeng.co.uk

References 

 ¹Barclays Corporate, 2015, Future-proofing UK manufacturing. [pdf] Available at: https://www.barclayscorporate.com/content/dam/corppublic/corporate/Documents/research/automation-report.pdf [Accessed 21 December 2016].

²Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2015. Labour Productivity: Q4 2014. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/labourproductivity/bulletins/labourproductivity/2015-04-01 [Accessed 21 December 2016].

³The Manufacturer, 2016, Annual Manufacturing Report 2016. [online] Available at: http://www.themanufacturer.com/reports-whitepapers/annual-manufacturing-report-2016/ [Accessed 21 December 2016].

⁴HM Revenue & Customs, 2015, Annual Investment Allowance: permanent increase to £200,000. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-investment-allowance-permanent-increase-to-200000/annual-investment-allowance-permanent-increase-to-200000 [Accessed 21 December 2016]

⁵Prime Minister’s Office, 21 November 2016, PM Announces major researchboost to make Britain the go-to place for innovators and investors. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-announces-a-2-billion-investment-in-research-and-development [Accessed 21 December 2016].

The post Is the future of UK Manufacturing in Robotics and Automation? first appeared on Presto Engineering.

The post Is the future of UK Manufacturing in Robotics and Automation? appeared first on Presto Engineering.

So what led us to this conclusion?

To put our idea into context it’s useful to look at some background information starting with data comparing global manufacturing output in 2014 in the top 10 countries.

• Chinese manufacturing output was the highest in the world for the first time at $1.9 trillion.
• The USA were literally ’pipped at the post’ by China at $1.8 trillion having held the number 1 spot from 1970 to 2013.
• Japan took the number 3 spot with $1 trillion and the UK came in 9^th with $247 billion, beaten by the other major European economies of Germany in 4^th, France in 7^th and Italy in 8^th. To complete the top ten South Korea was 5^th, India 6^th and Taiwan 10^th1.

With escalating labour costs in China and increased automation, China is no longer the low cost manufacturing option it was.

But how did it become such a powerhouse of productivity for the last 20 years?

A combination of clever policy, hard work, luck and timing all played their part.  For example, in the 1980’s Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan believed that western economies would move away from manufacturing towards service economies and also gave preferential treatment to the financial industry on Wall Street and in the City of London².   This coincided with China opening up and ‘plugging in’ to the global economy and the rest is history!

Although some particularly labour intensive functions or businesses are chasing lower wages in locations such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Philippines an increasing number of businesses see this as the right time to reshore.

Here are some of the reasons why:-

• Declining wage gaps – Chinese wage increases average 12% per annum since 2001
• Technology, for example 3D printing and Robotics³
• Quality
• Security of Supply Chains
• Increasing transport costs
• The ability to rapidly respond to changing market requirements
• Cost of managing overseas operations
• Geopolitical Unrest⁴

As a UK manufacturer producing high quality visible machined parts at a fair price we know we can’t compete if a potential customer is comparing our price to that of a Chinese supplier.  However, it is rather like comparing apples and pears.  Here at Presto, as with other UK manufacturers, we only use European raw material, test everything we receive and have minimal, if any, scrap.  In contrast we are aware that Chinese suppliers are likely to use low quality and untested raw material.  These factors together with lower quality standards contribute to the high scrap rates many customers experience when sourcing components from China.

So let’s be positive as manufacturers and consider the lower value of Sterling an opportunity to lure manufacturing back to the UK.

As always we would love to hear your thoughts on the subject:-

Do you think we can use the current business climate to encourage businesses to reshore?

Have you any experience of reshoring?

Do give us a call on 01865 883508 or e mail us at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

For more information about Presto Engineering please visit our website here and if you would like to discuss a project with us please call us on 01865 883508 or e mail Julian at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

References

¹Chris Rhodes, 2016, International Comparisons of Manufacturing. [pdf] available at  http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN05809#fullreport  [Accessed 6 October 2016]

²Paul Denlinger, 2016, How did China become the manufacturing hub of the world? [online] available at https://www.quora.com/How-did-China-become-the-manufacturing-hub-of-the-world-What-are-some-of-the-things-that-other-developing-countries-can-learn-from-China-to-improve-manufacturing  [Accessed 6 October 2016]

³Sarah O’Connor, 2016, Robots may cut off the path to prosperity in the developing world, FT.com [online] available at https://www.ft.com/content/5d0b1206-36f2-11e6-a780-b48ed7b6126f [Accessed 6 October 2016]

⁴PWC, 2014, Reshoring – a new direction for the UK economy? [pdf] Available at http://www.pwc.co.uk/services/economics-policy/insights/uk-economic-outlook/reshoring-a-new-direction-for-the-uk-economy-ukeo-march14.html [Accessed 6 October 2016]

Useful Websites

ReshoringUK – http://www.reshoringuk.co.uk/

Reshoring Initiative – USA – http://www.reshorenow.org/

The post Reshoring manufacturing to the UK first appeared on Presto Engineering.

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