Boneham & Turner has increased its ability to offer more complex parts within its tooling and precision-engineered component operations thanks to its investment in a Sylvac Scan F60L optical measurement machine supplied by Bowers Group.

A fourth-generation, family-owned precision engineering solutions provider established in 1918, Boneham & Turner serves the aerospace, defence, motorsport, composite and yellow goods industries by manufacturing and supplying drill bushes, dowel pins, simple and complex shims for the manufacture and assembly of jigs and fixtures, work holding, hydraulic systems and machine building.

With previous processes in place, the company needed to decline work, not due to the complexities of manufacturing parts, but limitations on inspection. The inspection of micro-pins had always proven to be a time-consuming challenge for the production and quality teams.

To improve its inspection capabilities, Boneham & Turner applied for funding through the ‘Aerospace Unlocking Potential’ project, provided through the European Regional Development Fund Revenue Agreement, to help fund the purchase of the Sylvac Scan equipment.

Used by quality personnel, machine operatives completing first-off checks, as well as the engineering team for samples and R&D, the Sylvac Scan F60L measures even the most demanding of cylindrical parts.

Stacy Denton-Beaumont, operations manager at Boneham & Turner in Sutton-in-Ashfield, says: “The Sylvac Scan F60L has vastly improved our scope of metrology. As an AS9100 Rev D certified manufacturer, we pride ourselves in offering outstanding quality to our valued customers and core markets. With its Swiss precision engineering, the Sylvac Scan F60L offers an efficient, exact and effective inspection method, complementing the current catalogue of equipment here at Boneham & Turner.”

For further information
www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Following the successful conclusion of its 2021 financial year, the signs at Wenzel Group GmbH & Co KG are once again pointing to growth, despite the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. For FY2022, the company from Wiesthal expects a further increase and a very positive business development.

In 2021, the Wenzel Group was able to increase incoming orders worldwide by more than 30%, which is also higher than in 2019. At Wenzel Metrology in Wiesthal, the growth in incoming orders for both new machines was more than 50% in comparison with the previous year. Based on very good order intake, the sales and revenue figures also increased accordingly.

Numerous orders from the end of 2021 are now in production or delivery and will provide a further boost for 2022 following the positive annual financial statement for 2021.
According to managing director Dr Heike Wenzel, 2021 was again “a very stable year” for the Wenzel Group. “We started 2022 with full order books and are looking forward to a good, successful year.”

The recovery and strong growth based upon it, can be felt worldwide in almost all target industries and product areas. Notably, the development of a new product line for gear metrology and design modelling, as well as the further development of numerous solutions in the area of production metrology and computer tomography, have also had a positive contribution.

For further information
https://wenzel-uk.com/

Typical of loyal Mitutoyo customers that have embraced the recently launched Crysta-Apex-V CNC CMM range is Dorking-based Carville Ltd, a specialist in precision plastic machining.

Carville purchased its first Mitutoyo CMM over 20 years ago, and since that time the business has installed a further three Mitutoyo CMMs in its quality department. After two decades of sterling service, the company’s original Mitutoyo’s CMM was recently replaced with a new Crysta-Apex-V CNC CMM.

Carville managing director Vince Ellis explains: “Carville supplies many clients based in the medical device and in-vitro diagnostics markets, sectors that produce the highest safety class of products (such as Class III medical devices). Our parts are often classed as “critical to function and safety”. We therefore support all of our clients’ ISO13485 requirements with our QMS, including full traceability, testing, measurement and vigilance support.

“Along with several other improvements, we’ve been very impressed with the increased precision, speed and automated nature of our new Crysta-Apex-V CNC CMM,” he continues. “These advantages have already helped to increase the throughput of work in our quality department. Along with our existing two older Mitutoyo CMMs, our new model is now being kept busy measuring components, including first-offs, last-offs and mid-production run samples, and generating SPC data and in-depth inspection reports.”

Unlike earlier generation CMMs, a controlled environment is now unnecessary as the Crysta-Apex-V series machines maintain their accuracy over a temperature range of 16-26°C. An active scanning feature enables high-speed measurement by evaluating discrepancies between design values and actual workpiece dimensions while maintaining the advantages of 3D optimal-path scanning. When compared with conventional CNC CMMs, the V Series delivers higher maximum drive speed and acceleration of around + 20% and + 40% respectively, says Mitutoyo. This rapid movement, combined with typically 60% higher measuring speed, significantly reduces inspection times.

For further information
www.mitutoyo.co.uk

Gibbs Gears produces high-precision gears, shafts and machined components for sectors such as aerospace, motorsport, medical, marine and electric vehicles. In keeping with its enduring quality philosophy, the Stoke Mandeville based business regularly updates its equipment in this critical area. The latest additions to Gibbs Gears’ quality control aids are two newly installed Zeiss CNC CMMs.

As an enthusiastic user of a Zeiss DuraMax CMM for many years, the company placed an order for a Zeiss Contura CMM for use within its temperature-controlled quality department and a latest-generation Zeiss DuraMax CNC CMM for use on the shop floor. Both machines feature rotary tables to provide 4th-axis capabilities and the ability to undertake complex, high-precision gear inspection routines.

Chief inspector Rob Jackson says: “Having enjoyed trouble-free operation from a DuraMax CMM and excellent service from Zeiss UK for the past eight years we have a natural bias towards the brand. However, given the potential major outlay and importance of accurate CMM inspection to our quality function, we also looked at alternative options.”

The Zeiss Contura CNC CMM is now helping to ensure the rapid completion of high-precision, complex inspection routines in Gibbs Gears’ busy inspection department. Notably, the machine is Industry 4.0 ready thanks to the use of a common interface. Gibbs Gears’ inspectors can therefore switch between different sensor technologies, such as optical or tactile probes, in just a few simple steps. The DuraMax is equipped with the VAST XXT scanning sensor so, in addition to undertaking all customary inspection routines, the adaptable CMM can also capture contours and freeform surfaces.

“The impressive speed and accuracy of our new Zeiss CMMs has enabled us to meet the challenges of increased precision and significantly reduce our inspection times,” concludes Jackson.

For further information
www.zeiss.co.uk

New in-machine measurement technologies released by Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division significantly increase the variety of probing and tool-setting options for manufacturers seeking efficiency gains in a variety of production environments. Hexagon’s multi-sensor machine tool measurement capabilities now include compact tactile radio probes and a flexible tool-setter that can be used interchangeably to identify and correct manufacturing problems early in the production process.

While in-machine measurement makes it easy to collect and quickly apply manufacturing data to work-in-progress, integrating probes and tool setters that match the requirements of a specific machining environment can be a challenge. Without access to metrology equipment that can accommodate tight machining envelopes, manufacturers strive for efficiency with limited inspection options, often with mixed results.

With the launch of a new metrology system that offers both compact tactile measurement and tool-setting capabilities, manufacturers gain the ability to design in-machine inspection processes that fit their needs. Hexagon’s versatile new m&h R-400 multi-sensor radio probe system can fulfil both in-machine workpiece measurement and tool-setting requirements. The system is suitable for a variety of purposes in a range of environments, including machining set-ups with any machine tool, the highly accurate measurement of complex freeform geometries with tight tolerances, and the checking of machine kinematics.

Hexagon’s dual-purpose m&h R-400 probe system is the first tactile probe on the market that includes a built-in display. It provides status data at a glance, enables users to save or load settings, and makes it easy to switch between tactile sensor and tool-setting functions. Designed for shop-floor flexibility, the system can be used as a radio probe by equipping it with a probe shank or as a radio tool setter by mounting it on a tool-setter base.

For further information
www.HexagonMI.com/MTM