A recent contract involving the rough machining of a large, heavy mould tool part for the automotive industry shows how Lodestar Engineers' correct combination of CNC machining technology and producti

A recent contract involving the rough machining of a large, heavymould tool part for the automotive industry shows how LodestarEngineers' correct combination of CNC machining technologyand production engineering capability enables the company tocompete effectively with heavy-duty sub-contract precisionmachinists at both home and abroad. Using a large capacitySoraluce SP8000 CNC milling machine supplied by Ward CNC ofSheffield, Lodestar Engineers was charged with the roughmachining of one half of a mould tool for the upper cargo deckfor a planned new sports car. The one-off P20 tool steel blankmeasuring 1,930 mm by 1,170 mm by 310 mm thick and weighing 5,500kgs was hardened and tempered to 230-325 BHN.

The steel wasproduced in Germany and shipped to Lodestar's Sheffieldsite, to be roughed out to within 1.5 mm of finished size - andreduced to 3,250 kgs - then returned for finish machining.

SaysTony Rushforth, general manager of Lodestar Engineers: 'Tosatisfy the customer's exacting requirements for bothquality and delivery, we processed the mould in a single settingon our Soraluce SP8000 travelling column, bed-type CNC millingmachine.

'Using CAD data from a CATIA model fed directlyinto the machine's Heidenhain 426 CNC system, we ran themachine non-stop around the clock, stopping only to changecarbide tool tips.

Indeed, even with the high and constant rateof metal removal, no downtime was incurred for cleaning becausethe Soraluce's swarf conveyor more than coped.

'Thecapability of the Soraluce machine meant we were not only able tomeet the demands of this contract but it also illustrated to thecustomer the wisdom of our 'job in-job out' philosophy.This consistently proves the most cost-effective machining routefor the wide range of medium to heavy machining applications weprocess.' Equipped with indexable head and 40-stationautomatic toolchanger, the Soraluce SP8000 at Lodestar is one ofa range of Soraluce CNC milling machines supplied by Ward CNC.

Ithas a 28 kW spindle and a working area of 8,000 mm by 1,100 mm.Developed under the auspices of the Danobat Group's IDEKOresearch and development facility in Spain, Soraluce machinescombine high-quality build and technologically advanced featuresfor unmatched heavy-duty milling performance.

With characteristicbuild qualities of stability and rigidity based on a heavy-dutycast iron construction, the resultant high-accuracy machining isideal for applications in the heavy machinery, fabrication, powergeneration, equipment, heavy sub-contract and aerospaceindustries as well as mould and press tool manufacture.

WardCNC's Soraluce CNC milling machines are available in threevariants - TL, TR and TF travelling table types; SL, SP and SMtravelling column, bed types; and FP, FS and FR travelling columnfloor types.

Capacities range from 1,500 mm to 16,000 mm plus inthe X axis, from 1,000 mm to 3,600 mm in Y and up to 1,500 mm inZ, with the latest linear guideway technology offering rapidtraverse rates up to 15,000 mm/min.

Of five- and six-axisconfiguration, high-speed models with electro spindle are alsoavailable.

Other options include universal or orthogonalautomatic indexing heads and two-axis gyroscopic head for five-and six-axis applications.

Automatic toolchangers with up to 80stations or more can be provided.