Engaging a contract manufacturer in Southeast Asia is no longer as affordable compared to a few years back. While this is partly due to higher operating costs, the ability to produce better quality parts is also a factor.

As Asia makes the transition from a low cost manufacturing region to a destination capable of manufacturing quality components at a competitive price, there is a greater emphasis on productivity and of course, the versatility of the machines used to manufacture the parts. By the looks of it, machine builders have taken heed of this trend.

“The CTX beta 800 TC turn-mill centre is a model, which makes entering the world of turn/mill machining easier. Bringing together turning and milling without constraints, this machine concept enables our Asian customers to upgrade their production to higher productivity and more flexibility,” says Frank Holzheid, product sales manager of Asia, Gildemeister Drehmaschinen.

This upgrade, according to him, is a natural step to take for Asian manufacturers. He said the desire to be competitive in the world has made Asian manufacturers think about technology integration.

“It is a matter of fact that the main advantages of this (machine) are higher quality and an increased efficiency to produce more complex and accurate workpieces,” he says.

Making Financial Sense

For Asian manufacturers to be competitive, their operations and costs need to be as streamlined as possible. It therefore comes as no surprise that investments in machineries are crucial to the success of the business.

With so much on the line, research and time studies are often carried out before making any capital expenditure(s) as investors must make sure they get the decision right. Technical specifications and capabilities of the machine may be important considerations, but ‘softer’ aspects like flexibility and economies of scale are factors that cannot be ignored.

“The entry price in particular makes the decision in favour of a turn and mill machine easy, as the theoretical additional cost is easily outweighed by the advantages of the machine,” says Harry Junger, MD of Gildemeister Drehmaschinen.

According to the machine manufacturer, the turn and mill machine is available for the price of a universal lathe but its possible uses and the target industries are substantial.

While the machine is mainly intended for the classical user of a universal lathe, it is more flexible due to the integral tool changer, as there is no need for time-consuming retooling on the turret with up to 80 tools.

Furthermore, due to the B-axis, only low-cost standard tools are required for machining at an angle. The machine has a stroke in the Y-axis of ±100 mm, a facility which is not available on any universal lathe in this size category.

Giving It A Positive Spin

The centrepiece of any machine tool is quite rightly the spindle and this is no exception for the turn/mill machine. According to the machine tool manufacturer, the B-axis is equipped with a compact turning-milling spindle with integral release cylinder for tool changing and a torque of 120 Nm with a spindle length of 350 mm. Compared with a conventional spindle, there is 170 mm worth of larger work area and 20 percent more torque.

The B-axis is also equipped with a DirectDrive, which enables machining with a swivel range of ±110 deg with rapid traverse speeds of 70 rpm. To facilitate complex milling operations right through to five-axis simultaneous machining, the B-axis has a 12,000 rpm, 120 Nm, 22 kW HSK-A63 turning-milling spindle (Capto C6 as an option). A 20,000 rpm high-speed version is also available as an option.

“The tool clamping system is integral, making the spindle 170 mm shorter than a comparable spindle. The work area therefore provides space for machining even large workpieces with a diameter of 500 mm and a length of up to 800 mm. Chuck-mounted components up to a length of 150 mm can also now be drilled all the way through — with a Z-axis of 750 mm (plus 95 mm for tool changing),” says Mr Junger. Another feature is the spindle bearing with 70 mm diameter and sleeve cooling for temperature stability.

Contract Manufacturers Need To Be Flexible

In Asia, many machine tool buyers are contract manufacturers supplying to the aerospace, automotive and oil & gas industries. Although they tend to specialise in certain industries, it still pays to have a machine that is flexible and customisable. In a changing global landscape, it certainly does no harm to be flexible and have a production line that reflects that.

“Our module provides customers with the option of customising the machine individually to their range of parts. This includes different capacity tool magazines with a capacity of up to 80 pockets. Furthermore, the optionally available counter spindle enables six-sided complete machining even for complex workpieces,” says Mr Junger. It is also said that  with the B-axis, holes and surfaces can be machined from any angle, increasing the machine’s flexibility.

Ergonomics & Energy Savings

The manufacturing industries in Asia may be booming now but it is not without its challenges. For instance, the lack of skilled labour is an issue that is faced by many Southeast Asian nations. For countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, this shortage is arguably more evident as they move from the traditional realm of agriculture and align themselves with regional and global manufacturing markets.

With this shortage, the value of a skilled worker is elevated and the onus is on the companies to keep them fit and happy. While the latter is more or less a human resource issue, keeping fit and healthy is something that can be addressed with the design of the machine that employees work on day in day out. With 350 mm separating the front of the machine to the spindle centre, the machine manufacturer said the CTX beta 800 TC is suitable for ergonomic loading and unloading.

When the labour segment of production is being taken care of, it is time to zero in on other operating expenses like the monthly electric consumption. Bearing this in mind, machine builders have introduced a slew of energy savings initiatives into their machines.

The turn/mill machine is equipped with a number of energy-saving features such as low-friction bearings, regenerative drives or pressure accumulators in the hydraulic system. It is also possible to switch-off the sealing air when a work area door is open.

The manufacturer added that the machine comes with a frequency-controlled hydraulic pump, and a cooling unit with active cooling control to ensure less energy consumption. Overall, it is said these measures collectively reduce the machine’s energy consumption by more than 25 percent.

Cutting Down Processing Time

In addition to eking out savings from overhead expenses, processing time is another significant factor that affects the profit margin of any contract manufacturers. This places a great emphasis on using machines that are able to cut down on processing time.

“The success of our turn and mill machines is also the result of simple and fast programming. The technology cycles also accelerate the process. This increasingly makes the series (of machines) a profitable alternative for a growing number of users compared to sequential machining on different machines,” says Mr Junger.

The possible applications of the turn/mill machine are rounded off by eight technology cycles which are available as an option. These enable up to 60 percent of the programming time to be saved due to the ease of programming.

Based on a conversational entry of the required parameters, the machining functions, for example in off-centre turning and milling or special threads, are generated with the multi-threading cycle, without the need for a CAD/CAM system. A tool selection cycle is also available, which minimises idle times by sorting tools in the chain magazine according to their programmed call sequence.