Broanmain installs new state-of-the-art vertical CNC milling machine to boost engineering capabilities

Broanmain Plastics has recently installed a state-of-the-art vertical CNC milling machine, In an effort to enhance the quality of precision components manufactured on-site and meet customers’ budget and real-time delivery requirements, technical trade moulder.

Combined with a new ZNC spark eroder system, the Broanmain tool shop now has a full range of equipment to undertake complex projects, test customers’ prototypes and take on repeat technical mouldings.

After winning a contract to supply a local OEM of high-end spectroscopy tools, the company says it was able to justify the capital investment in the Hurco VM10i.

This client recently named Broanmain their Supplier of the Year as a result of the moulder’s flexible approach.

Equipped with a 10K RPM spindle and full Renishaw probing system, the mill accomplishes complex and repeatable 3D and 2D geometries, delivering better surface finishes on the most intricate of parts. Accuracy is further enhanced with the assistance of Renishaw’s TS27R tool setter and OMP400 part probe.

Jo Davis, Operations director, said: “It means that one team is accountable for an entire project, from moulding right through to rapid prototyping and milling precise elements into a part.

“Not only is this in-house more customer centric, from a quality control perspective it’s easier to manage and more responsive. It gives us the flexibility to undertake a wider variety of projects. Plus the company can handle materials ranging from polymer to copper, aluminium and other metals, meaning we can now repair and even prototype mould tools in-house.”

Tool shop apprentice Kamil Stec campaigned for the CNC mill, researching and gathering evidence for a business proposal.

“In addition to cost savings, the mill is especially adept at making complex cuts into smaller components, such as copper electrodes,” explains Kamil.

By scaling up its precision business, Broanmain is helping customers to make further productivity gains and manage stock by reproducing components on a regular kanban basis rather than ordering large quantities.

The addition of the spark eroder system enables Broanmain to make precise burns in any conductive material, regardless of hardness. “We use this method to machine shapes and forms into materials that couldn’t be accomplished using a manual or CNC milling machine,” notes Kamil.

The new sinker comprises adaptive burn control. As well as enabling faster set up, machine parameters can be automatically adjusted to reduce burn time and achieve repeatable results. A common scenario.