User report: Flexible 5-axis manufacturing cell for tightly toleranced, operatorless machining

“The Hermle C 22 U machining centre is so precise that it prompted us to question results from our existing shop-floor co-ordinate measuring machines. It led to our purchasing two new Zeiss Duramax CMMs, one for milled components and another for turned parts.” (Kenny Marsden, Reliance Precision)

The company has operated three 5-axis vertical machining centres from a different vendor for several years but wanted to upgrade this area of production to meet customers’ demands for ever higher precision.

Alex Greenhalgh, Estimating Manager, commented, "The flexibility and high level of spindle utilisation possible on the Hermle C 22 U FMC were prime reasons for selecting it. “We wanted to increase efficiency while reducing manufacturing costs, which the automation equipment enables by allowing extended periods of minimally-manned machining.

The Company was already very impressed with the accuracy and reliability of a 4-axis machine from Hermle installed in 2013 for the production of a tightly toleranced part for a customer in the aerospace industry.

In addition, the support offered by Geo Kingsbury (www.geokingsbury.com) with regard to the Installation, commissioning, user support and training had been exemplary and an excellent working relationship had developed between the two companies. These factors combined played a considerable role in the selection of the latest machines.

Kenny Marsden, Reliance Precision’s Milling Department Team Leader said, “Even though the C 22 U has been producing for only a few months, its accuracy is already evident. This has been proved by the on-machine probing, which verifies that tolerances have been achieved.

He added that manufacturing processes on the Hermle are "right first time" and remain with tolerance, from first- to last-off, allowing the machine to be run largely unsupervised.

Most of the 5-axis machining at the factory in Huddersfield, UK, relates to prismatic components, where access to multiple sides of the workpiece with a high degree of accuracy is the primary requirement. It ensures that the tool can machine the component more efficiently in fewer operations, without the need for costly fixturing.

Reliance Precision is so impressed with the successful Hermle Installation to date that it has recently decided to order a third machine. Kenny Marsden said, "Hermle offers the kind of features that you only get with the very best machines".