#ukmfg #manufacturing #engineering #tooling Dedicated to the hydraulic-adaptors market since 1965, Bristol-based Burnett & Hillman now produces plugs, caps, crimp nuts, ferrules and adaptors for customers around the world in virtually all industry sectors.
Company partner Colin Burnett says: “We manufacture 36,000 parts daily. For smaller orders and specials that are not suited to our 24 multi-spindle turning centres, we have a number of single-spindle CNC machines. This section is often under pressure to produce parts on a rapid turn-round basis for next-day delivery. Just over two years ago, we bought a Spanish-built Unamuno 9-65 to replace one of these machines; the benefits, reliability and support soon led to the purchase of two more.”
The first 9-65 — supplied by Leader CNC Technologies Ltd
(www.leadercnc.co.uk) — reduced the need for secondary operations; and with three tools simultaneously in contact with the workpiece, it allowed Burnett & Hillman to reduce some cycle times from 4 min to 60sec. It also significantly reduced bar remnants.
Qualified CNC machinist Daniel Burnett says: “Our bar waste was anything up to 10in per bar, and none of the leading machine tool companies were interested in solving this issue, but Phil Wilkinson at Unamuno was keen to help us. Our first Unamuno 9-65 and the two subsequent machines feed the bar right up to the transfer point, saving up to 10in of waste and enabling us to get an extra three parts from each bar.”