Turnkey solution brings Precision Magnetics up to speed
May 2006
When Rotherham-based Precision Magnetics
launched an innovative electric actuator for the aerospace industry it took
a bold decision. Even though it had no history of advanced machining it
realised that it had to make these complex and sophisticated products
in-house.
Turning Technologies, the UK distributor for Nakamura-Tome and a member of
the Engineering Technologies Group, provided the turnkey solution and
support that made this possible.
Historically, Precision Magnetics had specialised in the manufacture of
extremely powerful Neodymium Iron Boron (rare earth) magnets. The materials
had originally been developed for small powerful electric motors to be used
in automotive components such as pumps and windscreen wipers and were also
widely used in computer disk drives.
Until a couple of years ago, this was a significant part of the company’s
business, but the production route was becoming unsustainable in a global
market. The Neodymium ore from China was shipped to the US for refining into
sintered bar that was sent to the UK for processing into magnets that were
then sent to the disk drive manufacturers in Singapore.
The solution, a manufacturing joint venture in China, meant that Precision
Magnetics had to look at new applications for the magnets.
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Andrew Myers, Managing Director of Precision Magnetics, said that this move came as no surprise and the company was already looking to develop value-added applications that incorporated the magnets into more complex components, particularly for the aerospace sector. Because these rare earth magnets are so powerful they can be used to make electric motors that, weight for weight, are much more powerful than hydraulic actuators. This makes them particularly attractive for driving control surfaces such as ailerons, rudders and elevators. But having sold the concept to its Tier One customers, Precision Magnetics then had to look at how it would be able to manufacture the actuators. |
“We made the first ones ourselves by buying
in the machined parts from a subcontractor,” says Andrew. “But when you sign
long-term contracts, you get the benefit of long-term business, but you have
to be able to offer year-on-year cost-downs. To be able to maintain the
business we had to take some of the cost out – and the biggest cost element
was the bought-in components. The only solution was to make the parts
ourselves.”
But these were complicated parts in difficult materials and there was no
history of CNC machining within the company.
“We didn’t have any in-house skills so we had to find a partner who could
offer us a complete solution,” says Andrew. “After researching the market
and looking at a number of possible routes we decided that we wanted to work
with Turning Technologies.”
Turning Technologies was able to help because it had the right technology to
produce the parts in one setting – which the required levels of accuracy
demanded, but, perhaps more importantly, Precision Magnetics needed to be
able to put its faith in a company that could take them on from basic
toolroom machines to the latest multi-axis, one-hit machining techniques.
Starting from a Nakamura-Tome WT-300 twin-spindle, twin-turret multi-axis
lathe, it engineered a production-ready manufacturing system complete with
tooling and programs for six components.
“They provided the best technical solution and it was based around a single
machine. That was important for us too. For this application and with our
lack of experience we were much happier having just one machine to
concentrate on,” says Andrew Myers.
The machining requirements were extremely demanding. The actuator shafts are
manufactured from tough stainless steel and with a hollow internal diameter
larger than the through bore, and the sleeves that go round them are even
more difficult to make.
These are machined from solid Inconel to a wall thickness of 0.5mm, so
work-holding and handling are critical. The slightest clamping problem could
result in an expensive scrapped component.
As Richard Turner, Managing Director of Turning Technologies, explains, “We
had to develop a process using a hydraulic steady mounted on the lower
turret, together with quick-release mandrels to suit various diameters of
sleeve on the right-hand spindle so that we could finish machine the outside
diameter to an extremely tight tolerance. Because of the small batch sizes,
changeover times are very important, so we put quick change chucks on both
the spindles too.”
With the system installed and in full production Andrew Myers says the whole
project has been a great success.
“We have shown our customers we are investing in the supply chain and
becoming a partner. That is very important for us. What’s more, we now have
the capacity for future projects and ambitious plans to expand our
manufacturing business.”
Turning Technologies is a member of the Engineering Technology Group.
For more
information please contact:
Polly Taylor
Turning Technologies
Tel: 01926 818 418
E :ptaylor@turning.biz
www.turning.biz
www.chironuk.co.uk
www.engtechgroup.com
Andy Sandford
Sticklebacks Communications Ltd
Tel: 01737 270 648
Mob: 07971 436 644
E :
Andy@sticklebacks.com
www.sticklebacks.com
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