TPT May 2023

TECHNOLOGY

Surface preparation machines that help reduce cutting times and energy consumption

grade noted for its wear and abrasion resistance. Originally manufactured in several operations on a lathe and then a machining centre, this component has six side apertures making it an ideal part for production on a mill turn machine. Ryan Doxey, machine shop supervisor, said: “We installed the XYZ TC 320 LTY in November 2022 as it has a full C-axis and driven tools on a Y axis so we can virtually finish one of these impellers from a solid billet in one operation. Significant savings in handling and setup times and faster machining combine to give us a valuable reduction in cycle times.” As well as the XYZ TC 320 LTY, the company also has a XYZ VL 425 lathe with ProtoTRAK ® control. This machine is used for turning the blast wheel itself. Mr Doxey added: “The blast wheels can be up to 405mm diameter, and we can program them on the ProtoTRAK ®

control on the shop floor with sufficient capacity to hold them in soft jaws to complete the machining. The ease of programming on ProtoTRAK ® and the reliability of this machine gave us the confidence to invest in the XYZ TC 320 LTY and ShopTurn.” With so many different components to make, small batches of between one and 200 parts is the norm. This means that versatility, reliability, ease of programming and setup are essential in the machine shop. The XYZ TC 320 LTY has 12 tool stations, which can all hold live tooling. Maximum turning diameter is 320mm and maximum turned length is 550mm. X travel is 270mm and Y travel is ±50mm giving the machine the capacity to machine some very complex parts in one operation.

UK-BASED Straaltechniek UK Ltd has been manufacturing equipment for the surface preparation industry since 1982, offering a range of blasting and shot peening machines. Its high performance, long life GN blasting wheel technology delivers 25 per cent faster abrasive speeds enabling manufacturers to reduce energy consumption by 25 per cent or increase production output by 25 per cent. The advanced forward curved blades make this possible by reducing collision speeds of the abrasive at the entrance to the blast wheel, decreasing wear on the internal components. Additionally, the technology reduces abrasive usage by 10 to 15 per cent and significantly cuts down on noise levels during the surface preparation process. A key element of the blast wheel is the impeller, which is made from D2 tool steel, a high carbon and chromium

XYZ Machine Tools www.xyzmachinetools.com

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MAY 2023