Subcontractor
Capabilities Beyond Engineering has installed its first 5-axis vertical machining centre (VMC), a German-built Spinner U630, to overcome complex manufacturing challenges for an R&D project as a precursor to high-volume production of a space component.
The firm is a multidisciplinary engineering service provider specialising in precision CNC machining, electroless nickel plating and a range of complementary manufacturing services. Operating from a 100,000ft² facility in Chesterfield, the company has an integrated approach that enables customers to streamline their supply chains through a single trusted partner.
The decision to invest in the Spinner, supplied as a turnkey package by sole UK agent
Whitehouse Machine Tools , Kenilworth, was driven by the need for an efficient solution for manufacturing the complex, high-tolerance, aluminium space component that otherwise would have required multiple operations across 3- and 4-axis prismatic machining platforms.
Marie Cooper, CEO of Capabilities Beyond Engineering commented: “While we had the engineering expertise to produce the part, we needed the right machine tool to enable the component to be produced cost effectively.
“The quality and versatility of the Spinner VMC coupled with the technical capabilities of Whitehouse when configuring the machine for our requirements proved to be an ideal combination.
“The success of this project has resulted in our becoming a strategic partner to the space industry customer, which was impressed with how we machine the high-value component accurately in a single clamping.”
The Spinner U630 was set up specifically to meet this demand. It features a 650mm diameter, tilting rotary table with an outer ring that can be removed to reduce the interference profile to 500mm when machining at angles of 90 degrees and beyond. The flexibility allows better tool access and the use of shorter, more stable cutters for producing high-accuracy features.
The machine also features a fast spindle speed commensurate with roughing and finishing aluminium productively, a large 54-pocket tool magazine, enabling the complex program to be completed without in-cycle cutter replenishment, and touchscreen programming functionality. The specification makes the machine a versatile platform for general subcontract work beyond the initial space project, especially with its ability to perform full simultaneous 5-axis milling.
Other attributes of the VMC include generous axis travels of 630mm in X, 530mm in Y and 465mm in Z, linear rapids of 48m/min for short idle times, and a table capable of accommodating fixtured workpieces weighing up to 500kg.
This latest investment is a key part of Capabilities Beyond Engineering’s strategic ambition to grow its revenue three-fold over the next three to five years, according to Ms Cooper. By enhancing its shopfloor with modern machining capacity like the Spinner, the subcontractor has not only become a strategic partner to its space industry customer but has also enhanced its ability to sell advanced services to new and existing clients globally.