Innovation Matters 2022: From our shop floor

Describe the low-volume machining and piece part manufacturing operations at Renishaw.

Antony Spill: Introducing efficient and ‘low cost of quality' processes is our primary objective. Low volume is a separate entity to our main machine shop to help introduce new processes with very short lead times for custom and low volume products for all areas of the business.

Typically, we'll create a new process within an eight‑hour shift, which includes using CAM software to create a new piece part program, setting the machine, and manufacturing the piece parts within these tight timescales. To achieve efficient processes with short lead times, we have to ensure our machines are in the best possible condition, which we do by carrying out regular health checks using Renishaw's QC20 ballbar system. We rely heavily on Renishaw products to help maintain healthy machines we know are reliable and can produce correct components first time, every time.

When introducing new components, we focus less time on developing individual processes at the programming stage and more on developing procedures and processes where we know the machine tool is accurate enough to produce correct components every time.

Steve Jay: In 2018, our low-volume operation was expanded out to the Miskin site in South Wales to cater for increasing demand for larger component and additive manufacturing capabilities, along with increasing demand in custom products and specials.

How to maintain machine health

Save on piece part process development and implementation time by investing in the following machine health checks:

• Performance checks: machine calibration, using the QC20 ballbar kit (multiple processes)
• Health check procedure: using an OMP400 spindle probe (on a vertical mill process)
• Error mapping work co-ordinates: using an OMP400 spindle probe (on a mill/turn process)
• Turret-to-turret tool datuming: using an OLP40 probe and stylus assembly (on a mill/turn process)
  

What are the top three challenges impacting manufacturers today?

Improving efficiency

AS: Introducing innovative ideas to improve departmental efficiencies.

Reducing the cost of quality

AS: Reducing the cost of quality, primarily, by targeting setting scrap in low volume with high set to run ratio.

SJ: The increased size, cost and machining time of the average piece part manufactured at Miskin has highlighted this challenge. Cost of quality is an area we'll continue to improve using a variety of engineering solutions, including in-cycle piece part verification.

Ensuring customer satisfaction

AS: We aim for complete customer satisfaction, whether this is the end user or even the next operation within the assembly process.

SJ: Quite often when we supply parts for the very first time for custom or special products, there's an emphasis on ‘right first time'.

Why is it so important to avoid first off scrap, especially with larger parts?

AS: This comes down to a combination of efficiency and reducing the cost of quality. We can use probing technologies to find the positions of features, and to ensure features are cut to size accurately. Some large components can take several hours to machine across multiple operations, and rejecting a component because a feature is either out of position or not the right size is neither efficient nor cost effective. Introducing simple probing cycles can prevent this and targets key departmental metrics.

SJ: Time and money. As our variety of methods and components continues to grow (literally), it highlights the importance of Renishaw's ‘Productive Process Pyramid' concept. Making constant and conscious enhancements on each of the levels will continue to improve our efficiency and cost of quality.

What's it like working in a Renishaw machine shop?

AS: I'm very lucky to have had the opportunity to work in a variety of roles within Renishaw's machine shop. Without the experiences gained in these different positions, I certainly wouldn't be able to contribute as I do now and share my experiences and knowledge with those around me. This philosophy is shared across the machine shop where the teamwork and knowledge-sharing between everyone is exceptional. We all want each other to do well and be successful.

Our machine shop strategy includes streamlining the number of different machine platforms that we use. A high variety of machine types increases training requirements, which in turn can lead to resource issues that can create bottlenecks and then lead to supply issues. By standardising our machine platforms and processes, we have the flexibility to distribute our knowledge and resources more efficiently. This means that we hit our departmental targets and our employees can switch easily between areas.

Which Renishaw technologies do you enjoy using the most and why?

AS: I love a challenge and uncovering issues where we can pull together to implement a solution. We are solution providers and try to ensure this is instilled into everyone in the team. Finding new and innovative ways to use Renishaw products to improve our department is exciting and challenging, but having this technology at our disposal is invaluable.

A recent example, and probably the most rewarding project I've been involved with to date, involved a machine that was almost classed as ‘fit for the scrap heap'. We used Renishaw technologies to uncover genuine machine issues and implement a robust solution, which has given the machine a new lease of life.

SJ: Our additive manufacturing capability; the technology is brilliant. The way it challenges designers' imaginations, and the way in which we've introduced it as a productive workcentre within the department, is fantastic.

Renishaw's Miskin and Stonehouse facilities

Our operations

• Multiple machining processes, including: Renishaw's Automated Milling, Turning and Inspection Centre (RAMTIC) system for manufacture of prismatic components; Millturn machines for one-hit manufacture of medium parts; sliding head lathes for small turned parts; and various low-volume batch production machines.
• Various inspection processes, such as in-cycle gauging systems through to fully automated CMM inspection.
• Process finishing operations, including anodising, laser engraving and deburring, grinding processes for cutting tool manufacture and laser cutting.
• Assembly facilities for styli, additive manufacturing and encoder products, as well as automated surface mount electronics assembly lines (Miskin).

What we make

• The manufacture of parts for all Renishaw products is managed across both Stonehouse and Miskin, using similar processes across the sites for flexibility and contingency.
• From parts for smaller probes, such as TP20 and OMP40, to larger products, such as the REVO^® 5-axis measurement system measuring head and RenAM 500Q additive manufacturing system.

The Renishaw products we use

• Across our machining platforms, there are multiple applications of Renishaw machine tool probes for tooling/part set-up and component inspection, including OMP40, OMP400, RMP60, RLP40, NC4, TS27R, MP250 and various tool setting arms.
• Machine calibration and process foundation is carried out with Renishaw calibration products, such as the QC20 ballbar, XL-80 laser system and AxiSet™.
• Final component gauging and inspection is performed by either Equator™ gauges, or CMMs using probe systems such as PH10, SP25, TP20 and MODUS software.