XYZ CNC lathe proves to be a ‘life-saver’

Shaun Watkin prepeares another run of the XYZ 1600 TMC

For Stafford Engineering Services (SES) based in the village of Hixon, near Stafford, the manufacturing of specialised bracketry for the mounting of lifesaving defibrillators and life monitoring equipment carried in ambulances has become an increasingly important part of its business. For SES director Shaun Watkin making the right investment in machinery has proven to be not only a gamechanger for his company but in his words “a world changer”.

When the business was approached by Staffordshire Ambulance Service to develop a system of mounting this life-saving equipment in a vehicle transporting critically ill patients to hospital, Mr Watkin developed a secure bracket system that, not only supported the device during transit, but also had the ability to easily release the defibrillator so it could be carried by the crew to the patients location.

Pictured left: Using the large table on the XYZ 1600 TMC allows more baseplates to be manufactured on each cyle run

He said: “We were keen to get involved in this project but knew that the system we designed had to be robust and durable. This is because the defibrillators and associated equipment that was to be mounted on it is quite heavy. We also had to think carefully about how it disconnected from the bracket so that it didn’t fall forward to cause issues for the crew when lifting it away. When doing our initial designs, it was not just producing drawings, there was a fair amount of ‘does this feel right?’ when mounting and unloading the system.”

The early versions of the bracket components were manufactured by a third party, but then Mr Watkin was given the opportunity to buy the XYZ Pro 3000 that its sub-contractor was using to make the components, he immediately jumped at the chance.

He continued: “The purchase of this turret type milling machine fitted with a ProtoTRAK CNC control gave the company the ability to make design changes quicker and easier and it helped to save the life of the business. Without that machine, we could not have developed and manufactured the bracket component parts of those early mounting systems.”

Further investment
As the system was accepted, working closely with a defibrillator manufacturer meant that doors were opening up all around the country. It was when the Scottish ambulance service had a requirement for a mounting device that Shaun had to make further investment to keep up with demand.

Pictured right: The Stafford Engineering Services manufactured mounting plate in-situ on an ambulance

He added: “With volumes increasing we had to look at adding to the Pro 3000 as a CNC machining capability. We looked long and hard at several suppliers but made the decision to purchase XYZ’s LPM machines. These lean production machines were perfect for the work we wanted to do with their tool changing capability and increased performance over a turret mill style machine. The ProtoTRAK control with its conversational software fitted to the machines allowed me to start manufacturing within a day of installation.

With 21 years of manufacturing the brackets under their belt, demand is still increasing which has led to further investment in XYZ products. When Queensland Ambulance Services in Australia came knocking on the door Shaun had to think hard how he was going to increase production from 100 systems a month to 400. After talking with XYZ about his conundrum, the decision was taken to invest in a new TMC 1600 vertical machining centre and a CT 65 HD turning centre.

When questioned why these were the machines of choice, Mr Watkin said: “The 1600 TMC with its table size of 1,660 x 660mm created the possibility to mount more parts on the table at once, therefore reducing the number of times we had to load/unload parts. The X and Y travels of 1,600 x 650mm, backed up our theory. The increase in spindle power over our current machines was also a key point in our decision-making. With 11KW (15hp) available and deciding to go with the 12,000rev/min option with through-spindle coolant our cutting performance has greatly increased.

Significant increase in productivity
We are now profiling the aluminium parts at 6 to 7m/min feedrate greatly reducing cycle times. With up to 20 BT40 tools in the carousel available, we can leave more tools set up and reduce the number of times we have to change over the tools in the machine. Of course, the new ProtoTRAK RMX 15in touchscreen control has allowed us to use the existing programmes but, on some parts, it has been beneficial to reprogramme them to allow us to use some of the new features available, such as clear off to remove material from the outside of the component. With the TMC 1600 installed we have seen production of the base plates go from one every 30min to 10 in 2hr.”

Pictured right: One of the base plates manufactured by Stafford Engineering Services used to hold the defibulators in place during transit

The addition of the CT 65 HD turning centre to the company has speeded up production of the feet used to secure the defibrillators to the mounting bracket. When asked about the turning capacity, Mr Watkin explained: “We have a ProTURN lathe that we have used for these items in the past, but volumes dictated that we needed a more automated system. The CT65HD with its 12-station VDI turret and 65mm bar capacity has slotted into our production capability perfectly.

“The transition to a Siemens 828D control with the Shopturn software has been easy due to its conversational style of programming and the addition of the LNS bar feed now means we can leave the lathe unattended and free up people to do other work. Due to the material we use to manufacture the feet from, the 4,000rev/min spindle speed has allowed us to get great finishes and reduce cycle times.“

With new designs required by the company’s existing customer base and with other medical device manufacturers coming on board, there appears to be no let up for the 11 XYZ machines at SES.

Mr Watkin concluded: “The support from XYZ for my machines has been excellent. Whether its programming or service support, they are quick to respond. We do have our machines regularly serviced by the team at XYZ Machine Tools and this ensures when the demand is at its greatest like with a recent order for Queensland, there are no unexpected surprises and we can ensure that we deliver on time.”