Precision Technologies Group (PTG) has won an order from Therm Incorporated, a leading USA aerospace contractor, for one of its Edgetek 5-axis super abrasive machines (SAM). The high speed Edgetek CBN machine has been purchased to improved cycle times and increase machinery efficiency in the production of custom-machined critical components for aerospace - commercial and military - and industrial gas turbines. This includes turbine components made from exotic alloys, which are extremely hard to machine.
“The Edgetek is the ideal machine to improve productivity and reduce costs across small batch custom-machined components,” said Steve Benn, PTG Regional Sales Manager for machines. “The inherent flexibility of the Edgetek SAM machines allows them to reduce multi-operation processes, even if the material is difficult- to-machine nickel- based alloys used in aerospace applications, or the powdered metals used for timing gears and sprockets in car engines.”
The customer, Therm Incorporated, located in Ithaca, New York is a supplier of turbine components to all the major OEM's, specializing in LP and HP blades and vanes for aerospace and industrial gas turbine applications.
“Key to our success in winning this order was our ability to demonstrate an excellent track record for Edgetek machines of achieving vastly improved performance in aerospace manufacturing applications,” said Benn. “We were able to demonstrate how a US-based aerospace subcontractor had used an Edgetek 5- axis Superabrasive Machining System (SAM) to slash the cycle time for ‘shroud segment’ production from 150 minutes to just 17- minutes.”
“The shroud segment is manufactured from extremely hard Hastalloy X and had previously been machined using a vertical turning centre. This required time-consuming set-up and involved a configuration which imposed excessive levels of tool wear because of its interrupted cut.”
“Using a 5- axis Edgetek machine has dramatically reduced the overall cycle time for each component, because of its combination of high metal removal rates and simplified set-up. Tooling costs have also been reduced by over 30% thanks to the elimination of the interrupted cut made necessary by the VTL’s set-up limitations.”
“In addition to reduced cycle times, we were also able to show Therm Incorporated how, by using an Edgetek, it could reduce the number of machines required – and hence set up times – for machined blade and vane products. We were able to cite an example in the aerospace sector, where a single 5- axis Edgetek machine is replacing seven conventional milling and grinding machines, providing a reduction in the machine setup time for a complex part from 8- hours to less than 10 minutes.”
Another important advantage of the Edgetek machines is their use of plated Cubic Boron Nitride coated grinding wheels to achieve remarkable metal removal rates on a wide range of ultra hard and exotic materials and carbon-rich metals, unsuitable for high-speed machining with diamond coated grinding wheels.
“Smaller batches and more set-ups, mean that many companies no longer have the luxury to amortise the cost of bonded CBN wheels over extended production runs,” said Steve Benn. “Plated technology fills the need for high metal removal rates with short set-up times and eliminates the need for dressing.”
“Plated wheels also offer the highest levels of consistency: they grind virtually the same profile, from the first cut to the last, across hundreds or thousands of workpieces. As a result, the times associated with set ups, wheel changing, and wheel dressing are significantly reduced or eliminated. Also greatly reduced is the average wheel cost. This is because the wheels can be stripped of worn CBN and re-plated several times.”
About Precision Technologies Group (PTG)
Precision Technologies Group (PTG) includes the well-known brands Jones & Shipman, Holroyd, Binns & Berry, Crawford Swift and Precision Components.
The Group is firmly at the forefront of high precision machine tool design, build and supply. Our range includes surface, cylindrical, creepfeed, rotor, thread and gear grinding machines, superabrasive machining systems, rotor milling machines and lathes. All of which are producing ultra precision components in a diverse range of industries including aerospace, medical, mould tool & die, power generation, oil, gas, steel and high end automotive.
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