Phirst Precision Carbide, which is based in Southfleet, Kent, has built its reputation on the design and manufacture of high-precision carbide punch-and-die tooling for the automotive, pharmaceutical and electronics sectors, based on its core ‘competency’ of precision grinding.
Since being formed in 1990, the family-run business has worked on the basis of ‘if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right’, and its investment in manufacturing technology and processes reflects this.
The efficiencies resulting from this working principle have allowed the business to achieve cost-effective pricing for over 20 years.
Managing director Peter Davis says he is particularly proud of the company’s tight control of costs, adding that this helps explain its success in maintaining a loyal customer base.
More recently, Mr Davis concluded that he had pushed the efficiencies of grinding carbide as far as he could, so he needed to expand the capabilities of the business if it were to grow.
This realisation coincided with a post-Brexit referendum boost; with most of the company’s output exported to the USA (just 0.6% goes to UK and European customers), the fall in the value of the pound had a positive — and very rapid — impact on business.
“With the growth this brought, along with opportunities in other areas, we saw potential for spark eroding and invested in that technology. This created a need to machine electrodes — a capability we didn’t have, so we initially had to sub-contract this work.
“However, our low-volume and intermittent requirements meant that our work wasn’t a top priority for the sub-contractor, and we were also paying premium prices — both factors that impacted on the service we offer our customers.”
Machining capability
A vertical machining centre was Phirst Precision Carbide’s next investment, but the obstacles in the way of this purchase were a distinct lack of floor space and no experience of CNC milling.
Mr Davis had seen an XYZ bed mill with ProtoTrak control in action at a neighbouring business and recognised the potential of the control, but a bed mill would not fit in the company’s very limited floor space.
As luck would have it, literature promoting XYZ’s 2-OP portable VMC arrived in the post; and looking at the videos of the machine on the XYZ Web site (
www.xyzmachinetools.com), it was obviously the perfect partner for Phirst Precision Carbide’s new spark eroder, both in terms of capability and size. That said, even with its 775 x 1,380mm footprint, the VMC was a tight squeeze to fit in.
Mr Davis said: “We initially looked at a bench-top machine, but sticking with our philosophy of ‘doing it right’, we recognised that this would not give us what we wanted in terms of machining capability, so the XYZ 2-OP became the obvious choice.
Although we have only had the 2-OP for a few months, it is already revolutionising our business and opening up new opportunities.
We have been able to pull back all of the electrode machining in-house, with the 2-OP having no problem machining the copper tungsten that we use, or achieving the surface finish and tolerances that we need.
“Moreover, the cost savings alone of bringing the work back in-house will cover the investment in the 2-OP.
“Furthermore, the added capability that it gives is allowing us to take on work that would normally have been carried out on our grinders; a significant amount of hand finishing has also been removed, adding further to time and cost savings. On one particular job, which is produced in batches of 60, we estimate that there is a labour saving of 3hr per part.”
Versatile manning
The installation of the 2-OP gives Phirst Precision Carbide complete control over electrode production; and the fact that it is sited next to the spark eroder allows one operator to mind both machines.
Mr Davis is also looking at every form tool that the company produces to see how initial machining on the 2-OP can reduce the process time and simplify production by eliminating manual intervention.
“The key benefit is that we can now take on work that would previously have been turned away or sub-contracted, making us uncompetitive in terms of price and delivery.”
The design brief for the XYZ 2-OP was to develop a portable vertical machining centre that could undertake first- or second-operation machining, freeing up valuable spindle time on higher-value machines.
Its portability means that manufacturing cells can be created anywhere in the factory, by taking a second spindle to where it is needed rather than transferring work around the shop.
With its compact footprint and 1,100kg weight, the machine can easily be transported on a pallet truck, although its compact-ness does not detract from its capability.
The ProtoTrak TMX CNC provides three-axis control over a 355 x 305 x 455mm work envelope, and there is a maximum feed rate of 15m/min for the three linear axes. Also featured are an eight-position tool changer and a 3hp 50-6,000rev/min BT30 spindle that accommodates a maximum tool diameter of 50mm.