Our partners at Fast Lane Precision located in Riverside, CA were featured in the June/July 2019 issue of CNC-West! Barry Kitchen, owner, and Kevin Jimenez, head of the mill-turn department, discuss the story of Fast Lane Precision, where it started, where it’s going, and how the productive power of the Doosan PUMA TT1800SY horizontal twin-turret turning center with twin opposing spindles is getting them there. Check out the “No such thing as wasted time with Doosan’s twin turret, twin spindle Puma TT – Fast Lane Precision” article by Sean Buur, writer at CNC-West.
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Fast Lane Precision in Riverside, CA. is a do it all shop geared towards aerospace and defense. From tiny fasteners to full assemblies they take it to the limit. The more difficult the part, the more they like it. “We thrive on the materials other shops hate,” explains Barry. “We run a lot of exotic material like Inconel and A286 along with more traditional metals like titanium, brass, aluminum, plastics, and stainless.” A286 is a favorite go to material for aerospace engineers designing fasteners with threads. Fast Lane Precision machines tens of thousands of A286 fasteners for the aerospace industry every year; it is one of their specialties. “When I invest in new machine tools they have to be up to the task at hand,” continues Barry. “I rely on trusted brands that built their reputations on service and support. Inconel and A286 are difficult to machine, so when Ken Bennett of Ellison Technologies began to talk up the Doosan PumaTT1800SY mill-turn I listened. I wanted a machine that would deliver a finished part and give me the ability to run a larger diameter than we could on the Swiss. The Puma is a dual turret, twin spindle machine with 7 axis and can run 2.6” bar all day long. It fit the bill nicely. This was our first machine tool purchase from Ellison. They are well regarded in the industry for their service and we’ve found that to be true. They are organized and quick to respond. The techs get in and out when you need them and don’t sit around milking the clock on my dime. I like that…
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… “[Kevin] Simultaneous running on the Doosan is like dollar signs flying off the machine and into the bank.” The Doosan PUMA TT1800 series machine is a horizontal multi-turret turning center designed with automation in mind. It has a bar capacity of 2.6” and is equipped with twin opposed spindles and upper / lower turrets. The left and right spindles can process work pieces independently or simultaneously to maximize productivity. Each spindle is equipped with an independent part catcher and unloading system for automated manufacturing. “There are so many features on the Doosan that I utilize every day,” tells Kevin. “Lets just talk turrets and spindles. They are key elements that make this such a popular machine.”
…“[Kevin] With all the available tools on the two turrets it is nice to be able to keep a variety of popular tools always loaded and ready to go. We have a few standard tooling items we utilize and they are pretty much always locked, loaded and ready to cut chips.” A typical run quantity on the Doosan is between 800 and 2000 parts.
The twin spindle Doosan is exactly that, a twin spindle. Two identical spindles are neatly tucked inside the machine ready to tackle jobs in various ways. “The Doosan Puma is two machines in one,” touts Kevin. “The two matched spindles can run independently of each other or in unison. Both are an actual rigid spindle and not a spindle and sub spindle. Anything I can run on one spindle I can run on the other. This gives me great flexibility when it comes to programming and I don’t have to worry if a sub spindle is up to the task.” Kevin programs the Doosan to share the workload in the most efficient manner. Sometimes that is looking at it as two separate machines and other times as one super machine. “Anytime both spindles are cutting parts at the same time the profitability is maximized,” describes Kevin. “You can see by our parts that the ability to run off either spindle and to cut with either turret is a big advantage over traditional turning. The part we have on the machine right now takes us 4 minutes. In comparison on a live tool, y-axis, sub spindle machine it would take 8 minutes. It needs two lathe ops and two mill ops, or one pass through our Doosan. With simultaneous running we drop a finished part in under 4 minutes. We clean it, pack it, and ship it right to the customer. Splitting the part exactly in half is an art form that really yields results. 50-50 is critical to making money and as we continue to add parts to the Doosan that aspect of machining is one of the first things we prioritize.”
In the long run, lights out manufacturing gives Barry a peaceful easy feeling. The automation built into the Doosan fit right in to Fast Lane’s Swiss turning mentality…“[Kevin] If I want to reprogram a part to save us time, Barry says go for it, and I do. That is the great thing about the Doosan Puma is that the more I learn the faster it gets. Here at Fast Lane it is all about automation. Start to finish the Doosan is my baby and anything we can do to increase profits and reduce costs is encouraged. That is why Barry got the Doosan in the first place. It is like having two machines in one.”
Visit www.cnc-west.com to read the full article.