Quick-change act: Tool Presetting

Camcraft added a flexible manufacturing system to enhance the spindle utilization of its horizontal machining centers.

Maximizing chip-making time is important when operating any machine tool, but it becomes more essential as equipment costs rise.

Camcraft Inc. came to this realization when it started purchasing new horizontal machining centers a few years ago after a long history of operating multiple-axis lathes, Hydromat rotary transfer machines, older generation multiple-axis HMCs and vertical machining centers. A VMC typically costs substantially less than an HMC, said Janusz Ksel, the company’s director of manufacturing. Therefore, Camcraft needed to eventually implement a flexible manufacturing system to reach a high level of spindle utilization for the expensive equipment and justify the capital
expenditure.

An overview of Camcraft’s machine shop, with the MMC2 automated pallet-handling system in the foreground and the two stand-alone Makino a51nx HMCs across the aisle. All images courtesy of Alan Richter

Established in Chicago as Camco in 1950, the Hanover Park, Illinois-headquartered company manufactures automotive and off-highway hydraulic, transmission and fuel system components, such as valves, pumps, cam phasers and injector bodies. “I think we have a few hundred different active parts,” Ksel said, adding that the list of workpiece materials includes cast iron, brass, aluminum, alloy steel, Inconel and Hastelloy.

In addition to its main 120,000-sq.-ft. facility, Camcraft built a 100,000-sq.-ft. facility in Bartlett, Illinois, a little over a year ago. The latter location also houses sister company Matrix Design LLC, which manufactures industrial automation equipment. (For more about Matrix, visit tinyurl.com/ycez74fl to read this author’s article in February 2018’s issue.)

Camcraft has more than 300 employees, plus about two dozen temporary workers. It offers in-house training and has an apprenticeship program accredited by the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.

Going Horizontal

Camcraft’s new horizontal journey began with a pump. The company could have made that part on a VMC. However, Ksel explained, it was more suitable to run the pump on an HMC because of the workholding requirements and the complexity of the part features, which required integrated 4-axis machining. As a result, he narrowed his evaluation to HMCs from five machine tool builders and conducted time studies on various offerings.

In the end, Camcraft selected a Makino a51nx 4-axis 400mm HMC—the first of six he would buy. “They’re very similar,” Ksel said. “I’m very big on getting equipment that is as uniform as possible.”

An operator loads workpieces into one of the MMC2’s two work-setting stations.

Ksel added that it is not sufficient when evaluating machines to look only at their specifications side by side, including spindle speeds, feed rates, rapids and spindle ramp up and down times. In addition, because price should be just a small piece of the equation, selecting the lowest-cost machine among ones with comparable specs isn’t advisable without detailed evaluation.

“When you really start running the machines with a program that is uniform on all the machines, you are going to see the differences between brands, even without cutting chips,” Ksel said.

Of course, cutting chips enables an end user to better determine the rigidity of the machine and its spindle, as well as its accuracy, he noted. “First, you need to know what the machine can do as far as cycle time. Then you can cut chips and see how well it does.”

In addition to the equipment, Ksel said it’s important to evaluate the builders. This process should consider a company’s history, the level of service it can provide, location, the number of service representatives and where they are based.

“When you look at taking a company in a new direction, it takes a lot of time and effort to make sure you are investing in the right company,” Ksel said. “It’s kind of like how we invest in customers. We wouldn’t invest in anybody we didn’t know. We have to check them thoroughly to see what they do, how long they have been in business and how secure the business is.”

He added that Camcraft seeks long-term partners in its customers, with machining challenges “that can take us to the next level. Something that is complex and innovative, perhaps. Something that many people have failed at. Then they come here and ask, ‘What can you do for us?'”

In addition, Ksel emphasized that proper machine selection and integrating new machining concepts are critical in the team environment the company operates in. “We are making sure our employees and the next generation of engineers and machinists have a lot of opportunities to grow the company in the future.”

Gaining Flexibility

After Camcraft purchased its fourth Makino HMC, Ksel said the only way the company could justify the investment in horizontals would be through increased uptime, which could be achieved with a flexible manufacturing system. Numerous systems are available from a variety of sources. Camcraft determined that the best option was an FMS from the company that built the HMCs, so the company acquired a Makino Machining Complex (MMC2) automated pallet-handling system.

Each machining center in the MMC2 is virtually identical, including high-pressure coolant and filtration systems.

“It is coming from one company, so you know you’re going to get the support, you’re going to get all the parts worked out and there’s no finger-pointing,” Ksel said. “They have done the system so many times; we wanted smooth installation without quality mishaps, efficiency losses and demanding production schedules.”

In addition to a spindle utilization rate up to 95 percent, Ksel said the MMC2 enables quick setups, quick changeovers from part to part and unattended operation. “When you start looking at the numbers, everything made financial sense in addition to how rigid the machine is, how well built it is, how well it can hold size and how capable the process is.”

He noted that installation of the FMS took about two weeks. The four HMCs were already correctly positioned and continued to run during the installation.

Besides the machine tools, the system has a rail-guided vehicle that travels between the machines and is supported by a floor rail and upper guide rail for enhanced stability and high-speed movement. The system also has storage space for the 40 400mm part pallets and the master controller. “That’s the master brain that controls all the programs and the vehicle moving up and down,” Ksel said.

Although it is not a mandatory element, he added that Camcraft developed an independent cutting tool presetting system for the MMC2. “If you’re looking at 95 percent spindle uptime, how are you going to get that without having tools prepared and ready to go?” Ksel asked.

Makino reports that its MMC2’s work-setting stations provide easy access for operators to load and unload parts either by hand or crane. Each WSS has 180° pivoting doors to save space and prevent a cluttered work area.