Performance Technologies Inc.

Performance Technologies wanted to strengthen manufacturing capabilities with a specific focus on increasing throughput and reducing per-part manufacturing costs. Machining operations would need to be reduced and the process reengineered to allow for unattended and after hours production.

Assessment
The existing process used a conventional lathe to rough and finish turn the shank end, with a second lathe turning the ball end and performing milling operations. Cycle time on the second lathe was half that of the first. Parts were batched with significant WIP stacked next to the machines. Two setups were required, one for each machine and parts were loaded manually for both operations, pacing throughput. One operator was required for each machine and part quality was not where management thought it should be.

Solution
Ellison Technologies recommended a Mori Seiki NL1500S sub spindle machine with a custom designed Toellner loading system, a 3J collet on the main spindle and 5C collet on the sub spindle. The loader allows parts to be stacked in 3 or more columns into the chute. When a finished part is ejected from the sub spindle into the parts catcher, the loader pushes a blank into the 3J collet, then retracts for cycle start. The finished part drops into a conveyor and is deposited onto a sloped table for inspection. After the loader retracts, the shank end is finish turned and the part transferred to the sub spindle for processing. Ellison Technologies engineers designed custom machined noses, threaded into the chuck body to provide a positive stop and added rigidity.

End Result
The system allows 4 hours of unattended operation, increasing production capacity 4 hours per day. Part loading time was reduced to 15 seconds and setups were cut in half. Overall machining cycle times were reduced by 50%, and the combining of two machining processes into one supported a throughput increase of 200%.