The flexibility offered by a mill-turn centre has enabled a machinist of complex parts to review methods and transfer work from machining centres and reduce cycle times.

Addmore Engineering has built a reputation for manufacturing complex and difficult to machine components to the highest standards of quality and precision. As a subcontractor it produces a wide variety of parts, including spinal implants for medical applications, hydraulic valves for earthmoving equipment and couplings for the oil industry. Frank Vasquez, proprietor of the company, is a committed entrepreneur and has formed and run a series of successful engineering companies, including Kelgate Engineering, which specialises in the manufacture of caliper braking systems for competition karts.

Kelgate brakes have an enviable reputation in the racing world, and out of the 35 runners in 2006 Le Mans 24h Pro Kart Enduro race, 26 were fitted with Kelgate equipment.

Furthermore, the winners in each of the three race categories, 100cc, 125cc Rotax and Biland all used its braking systems.

The complexity of the brake components led the company to re-evaluate its manufacturing methods in order to cut costs and speed up production.

Vasquez and Rob Dewar - managing director of Addmore - chose to install a Mori Seiki NL2500 SY 6-axis lathe with driven tooling and Y-axis, at the Addmore Engineering factory in Stewartby, UK.

Vasquez commented, 'Previously some of our components required six operations.

With the Mori Seiki we were able to reduce this to one.

The innovative milling capability of the machine is unique.

The direct drive in the spindle gives it more power than other mill/turn machines.

Additionally, it is competitively priced and we can achieve extreme quality.

On one part we reduced the cycle time from 1.25h to 15 min.' Reducing the number of operations has generated further advantages as less handling and resetting of the job has reduced the chance of introducing errors between operations.

'With one operation we can immediately see if the job is right.

With multiple operations an error may not be detected until several parts have been partially manufactured.

We are finding that components manufactured on the Mori Seiki are spot on,' he continued.

The Mori Seiki NL2500 SY achieves its accuracy through the rigidity of its construction and active measures to reduce vibration and thermal distortion.

This has been arrived at by static and dynamic analysis of the frame construction, which exclusively uses Japanese manufactured castings; the use of direct drive motors in the turret; and measures to control heat dissipation including oil cooling jackets around the spindle, milling turret and ball screw bearings.

Vasquez added, 'You can see how stable the machine is just from its weight.

We are very pleased with it and have just purchased a second to increase our capacity.' The machines will feed 80mm bar, and have been used to cut parts up to 380mm diameter in the chuck and, thanks to their rigidity, the company finds it easier to machine difficult materials such as Duplex, NiBRON and Marinel 220.

Once the first machine had been installed, Addmore's existing customers realised the possibilities for their components.

One customer has now subcontracted parts to the company which it previously made itself, due to the quality problems it experienced with previous subcontractors.

Vasquez said, 'We have experienced a 20% increase in business as a direct result of installing the two Mori Seiki machines.' The flexibility offered by the new machines has enabled Addmore to examine how it manufactures existing components.

It has been able to transfer significant amounts of work from its machining centres onto the Mori Seiki NL2500 SY's as a direct result of their spindle power and machining envelope.

The change has released extra dedicated milling capacity which the company has already filled up.

Addmore Engineering and Kelgate Engineering both operate at the top end of the quality spectrum, and for them the reliability, rigidity, and accuracy of the Mori Seiki NL2500 SY perfectly matches their philosophy of excellence.

Frank Vasquez concluded, 'Our investment in Mori Seiki machines has been a very good decision.

We have achieved some valuable cost reductions and added considerably to our turnover and profit whilst maintaining our high quality standards.' * About Mori Seiki (UK) - Mori Seiki UK, the UK arm of Mori Seiki Co, services and supports Mori Seiki and Hitachi Seiki machines in the UK market.

Mori Seiki is one of the world's leading manufacturers of metal cutting machines.

With its head office in Nagoya Japan, it employs 3,800 people, and is committed to innovation, quality, and service, with a range of machines to cover all industry sectors.