Essex-based TNC Precision Engineering Ltd (www.tncprecision.com) has expanded its sliding-head capacity to produce a prismatic component that was previously manufactured overseas.

The ISO 9001-certified company has a facility in Wickford that can undertake nearly 2,000hr of machining per week.

With its manual and CNC-operated turning, milling and grinding machines approaching full capacity, the company decided to invest in a new lathe to accommodate the new component.

It already had four Star machines on site and a relationship with Star GB (www.stargb.com) dating back nearly a decade, so the supplier of sliding-head lathes was asked to provide a cycle time study and recommend a suitable machine for the project.

A cycle time between 3 and 4 min was needed for TNC to make the component profitable, using aircraft-grade aluminium 7075.

The machine recommended for the project was one of Star’s most advanced guide bush/non-guide bush models, the SV-38R.

This combines the fast processing ability of a traditional platen-type sliding-head lathe with the flexibility of a turret machine to enable simultaneous machining operations.

The turret includes an independent Z3 axis, allowing two different features to be machined at the same time using Star’s ‘super-position’ control mode.

Through a combination of using the machine’s balanced milling capability, specifically selected tooling and comprehensive process development, the final cycle time achieved was just 3min 13sec.

TNC director Stephen Westall said: “We would typically be looking to use five-axis machines for this type of component, but from our estimations, they couldn’t get anywhere near this cycle time.

“The balanced milling capability of the SV-38R is a game-changer, and it’s going to open a world of opportunities for us.”