Machines For Still Complex But Larger Parts

Previously, JR Machine Inc. branded itself as a provider of machining services for complex, accurate parts from 1″ to 10″ (25.4 mm to 254 mm) but continued to regularly receive quote requests for larger parts, as well as consultation requests about larger parts from customers who knew the contract manufacturer’s capabilities, according to Parker Tumanic, president of the Shawano, Wisconsin, company.

The level of complexity of the parts JR Machine produces meant satisfying those large-part demands must be done in-house, he noted, because outsourcing production would present too much liability.

Shane Kunschke, vice president of manufacturing, explained that JR Machine produces a large majority of parts that require multitasking, or milling and turning, to create their complicated features in one setup. “All of our machines are equipped with live tooling.”

To pursue larger-size work, JR Machine, therefore, needed to purchase equipment to accommodate it. And because the shop uses machine tools from DMG Mori exclusively, Tumanic said the decision was made to purchase two NLX 4000 CNC universal turning centers, which can machine workpieces up to 18″ in diameter, from DMG Mori USA in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. “We only purchase DMG Mori machines because of the rigidity of the machine and the accuracy of it.”

The machine tool builder offers other turning centers to handle large diameters, but Kunschke said the NLX 4000 best fits the shop’s capabilities.

The turning center has large-diameter ball screws and the largest through-spindle hole diameter in its class to provide a high level of rigidity, according to DMG Mori. In addition, coolant circulates inside the machine’s castings to control thermal displacement and enhance part accuracy. These features are particularly beneficial when cutting difficult- to-machine nickel-based superalloys, such as Inconel, Monel and Hastelloy alloys. Many of the parts JR Machine makes are for industries such as space exploration and energy that require components made of these materials because of their strength, durability and resistance to high temperatures and corrosion.