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In one case, the single-hit machining from solid of a large gearbox coupling, lead times have been slashed from seven weeks down to an amazing seven days!

"Indeed, compared to the two ageing machines it replaces, the new Union is completing in a single shift what used to take a week on the two older Union borers it has replaced," says process coordinator Craig Bill, who adds that the machine has provided the company with an unprecedented level of milling and boring capability and flexibility, with which any other UK company at least, cannot compete.

With complementary Y (Vertical) and Z (Ram) axis traverses of 4,000 mm and 1,000 mm, respectively, plus a 700 mm W axis (Spindle) stroke, coupled with twin 40 and 24 station toolchangers and axis feed rates and rapids of 5 - 15,000 mm/min and 15 m/min, respectively, the machine can accommodate workpiece weights of up to 70,000 Kgs on a traversing and rotating CNC table, so clearly has the capacity to satisfy every machining situation likely to come its way.

But Craig Bill also emphasizes the machine's ability to quickly and easily utilize and change between different machining modes as the factor that, he says, "Effectively transforms what is on paper a six-axis milling and boring machine into an unrivalled and highly productive 11-Axis machining centre".

Also supplied with the machine by ‘Ward CNC' is the automatic accessory changer that comprises:

A linear motor ‘Cytec' gyroscopic 2-Axis milling head with built-in high-speed electro spindle and served by its own dedicated toolchanger;
D'Andrea ‘UT5 800S' CNC facing and profiling head with 1,000 mm facing capacity.
The machine specification is further enhanced with the integration of the 70 tonnes loading capacity ‘Eimeldingen' heavy-duty rotary and traversing CNC table, extensive floor plates and zoned guarding allowing the machine to be efficiently set up for pendulum or three ­zone machining.

Craig Bill emphasizes that such has been the impact of the machine specification and the flexibility offered by the accessory changer system, combined with the inherent power and productivity of the Union machine that, as a result, "we are able to finish machine component features in a single set-up that would have been very difficult, perhaps even impossible, to achieve any other way".

One example of this concerns the production of a hydro power industry 3,200 mm by 3,400 mm by 3,000 main inlet valve (weighing 73 tonnes in finished state) and its accompanying 2,500 mm diameter by 350 mm thick main service seal (reverse engineered and machined from stainless steel). A number of holes are drilled, tapped, counter bored and thread milled in the bore 'outwards'. "Without the flexibility of using a variety of heads, we would find it very, very hard to produce these features," he confirms.

"When we decided to replace the two old boring machines, we looked at other boring and milling machines and their suppliers," continues Craig Bill, "but the Union PCR and ‘Ward CNC' won the contract based on a combination of machine capability, capacity and price as well as on ‘Ward CNC's' ability to provide the level of support we needed.