Some might say that it is not wise for a sub-contract machinist to put all its “eggs in one basket” by depending on a single customer, but it is a policy that has served Body Engineering well since the company was established in 1989; in recent years, it has also spurred an investment of more than £1 million in the latest CNC technology, including five machines from Sheffield-based TW Ward CNC Machinery Ltd (www.wardcnc.com).

Each machine in use at the family-owned company’s County Durham site has been purchased to satisfy particular machining requirements in the production of parts for armoured-vehicle track and running gear. The in-house facilities also include manganese phosphating; only heat treatment is out-sourced.

Body Engineering’s order book shows no sign of slowing down; indeed, the workload — thousands of components each week, derived from a forward annual order requirement — will likely increase further, following increases in the UK’s defence spending through to 2021.

That will mean directors David and Paul Body continuing to run the machines at their 14-employee company ‘flat out’ on 12hr day shifts.

David Body says: “The components we’re machining are of ‘unforgiving’ EN24 cast steel — a high-tensile and very tough material — so we have to be sure that every machine we purchase can withstand arduous machining conditions on a daily basis.

“We do not compromise at all when selecting a new machine; we pick the right machine with the appropriate specification for the job — and not necessarily a machine with all the ‘bells and whistles’, although it’s probably impossible to avoid those nowadays. Likewise, the tooling used, mainly carbide-insert tools, is the best we can find to suit the task in hand.”

Machine availability

That said, the availability of the right machine is a key factor when capacity needs to expand. “It’s often the case that order demand for new parts is immediate, which means we have to be able to react quickly.

“This was certainly the case with the installation of the Hyundai-Wia L230 LMSA turn-mill centre that we are using for the one-hit machining of complex high-tensile-steel workpieces.

“Sheffield-based Ward CNC was able to supply — from stock and to our deadline — a machine that is equipped with C axis, driven tools and a sub-spindle.”

With a 210mm-diameter main chuck and a 65mm bar capacity complementing a 45mm bar capacity in the sub-spindle, the Hyundai-Wia L230LMSA turning centre has a swing over the bed of 550mm and a maximum turning diameter and length of 310mm and 521mm respectively.

The 4,000rev/min machine (the main spindle motor is rated at 15/11kW and the sub-spindle at 5.5/3.7kW) has rapid-traverse rates up to 36m/min, plus 12 tool stations with a driven-tool motor of 3.7/2.2kW. There is also C-axis indexing in 0.001deg steps.

Latest investment

Body Engineering’s latest acquisition — a Ward CNC-supplied Hartford Pro-800 machining centre — was installed specifically to incorporate in the cycle what was formerly a separate roughing operation, thereby effectively reducing the number of operations required on a certain component from four to three.

This is a part that the company first looked at in prototype form 15 years ago (which gives some indication of the gestation period required for certain applications in the defence sector).

With X, Y and Z axes of 800mm (1,000mm), 510mm (600mm) and 630mm, plus a table that can accommodate loads up to 700kg and an ISO-40 7.5/10kW spindle motor, “the machine is more than adequate for the series of roughing tasks — though not heavy milling — required on these parts,” said David Body.

“Generally, however, we find that ISO-50 spindles are essential for the materials we’re handling, so we don’t take heavy cuts at high speeds and feeds.

“We are always trying to exceed customer expectations. In our early days, when there were three or four other suppliers vying for the business we undertake, we were able to supply components within two to three days, compared to the six to eight weeks that was the norm.

It’s that capability that has stood us in good stead over the years, backed up — of course — by ultra-reliable machine tools.

“We have a very good relationship with Ward CNC. This is essential in our business, as we are running machines to their limits and have to be confident that the machine supplier will be there for us, if needed.”