Fast, versatile machining centre helps win new business

Atomic Precision partners Michael Phillips (left) and Wayne Robins with their Brother Speedio U500Xd1 30-taper, 5-axis machining centre

Michael Phillips, joint owner with partner Wayne Robins of contract machining firm Atomic Precision, describes their recently-purchased, Japanese-built Brother Speedio U500Xd1 as ‘the Swiss army knife of five-axis machining centres’. His comment is due to the 30-taper machine‘s high quality, versatile functionality, compactness, and ability to complete an extensive range of jobs quickly and efficiently. Brother machines are sold and serviced in the UK and Ireland by sole agent Whitehouse Machine Tools, Kenilworth.

Founded in East Hendred, Oxfordshire, in 2020 by the two time-served mechanical engineering apprentices, who both previously worked in the machine shop at nearby Rutherford Appleton Laboratory's space development facility, Atomic Precision specialises in manufacturing components and assemblies for the space and scientific research sectors.

Rapid growth
A succession of 40-taper vertical machining centres (VMCs) from another supplier arrived on the shopfloor over the next four years, a trio of three-axis models and two five-axis machines, and during that time, the sub-contractor enjoyed an impressive growth rate of 50% year-on-year.

Pictured left: Michael Phillips operating the U500Xd1

It was clear to the partners, who work by themselves, that the ongoing rate of growth was unsustainable without progression on the shopfloor to more efficient machine tools, and the adoption of automation to gain substantial periods of unattended production. They operate a single-day shift and working longer hours is not part of their game plan.

As a first step to raising productivity, the high-speed Brother U500Xd1 was installed and commissioned by Whitehouse Machine Tools in September 2024. The partners became aware of the machine at the Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2023. After early hesitation regarding the smaller spindle interface, which later proved to be a non-issue, and benchmarking a couple of other 30-taper machines on the market, the order was placed.

Mr Phillips said: “The area taken up on our shopfloor by the U500Xd1 is half of the space that one of our 40-taper five-axis machines occupies, yet the 30-taper VMC actually produces larger parts. Not only that, but the Speedio finishes an identical component in two-thirds of the time, as the non-cutting elements of cycles are incredibly short, so tools are in-cut for typically 90% of the time during a cycle. The linear axes accelerate at 2.2g up to 56m/min and chip-to-chip time is 1.3sec. Rotary positioning by the trunnion and table are similarly fast and parts come off complete, resulting in really quick floor-to-floor times.”

Remarkably small footprint
The machine installed in East Hendred is a well-specified version of the Speedio model, with a 16,000rev/min 15kW spindle, 28-position tool turret, high-pressure coolant, and Blum tool and part probing. Axis strokes are 500 x 400 x 300mm, but multi-face machining of parts up to 500mm in diameter x 270mm high and weighing up to 100kg is possible owing to the layout of the machining area. Remarkably, this all happens in a footprint of just 1,500 x 2,490mm.

Pictured right: A selection of space and scientific components produced by Atomic Precision on its 5-axis machining centres. Many are being transferred to the Brother Speedio to reap the benefits of more efficient production

As well as producing parts up to the maximum working envelope, the Speedio also machines very small components requiring complex features cut with a 0.2mm diameter end mill, hence the decision to opt for the highest-speed spindle Brother offers. Extensive use is made of towers for fixturing multiple smaller parts to extend walk-away time from the machine if individual cycle times are short. Batch size is normally up to 10-off, although often single prototypes are machined.

In November 2024, Atomic Precision received an unusually large order from a new customer for 400-off aluminium brackets requiring a 3+2 machining strategy, using the rotary axes to position the part. The subcontractor could not have accepted the contract if it had been unable to use the elevated speed of the Brother machine. A five-axis, 40-taper VMC would have been too slow to meet the three-week lead-time, so the subcontractor would have had to turn down the work. If more jobs involving quantities of several hundred start coming in, automating the Brother and indeed other VMCs on-site will go ahead imminently.

A large variety of materials is processed in the factory, including aluminium, stainless steel, brass, copper, tungsten and tantalum. Mr Phillips advises that it is possible to hold ± 10µm dimensional tolerance ‘comfortably’ on the Speedio, even without climate control in the factory.

He concluded: “The service we have received from Whitehouse Machine Tools throughout the sales and installation process has been brilliant – and if we need advice, the company comes straight back to us with an answer.”