UK machining subcontractor has purchased its first CNC sliding head automatic lathe, which will replace three existing cam-operated automatic lathes in machining complex work.

While celebrating its 60th anniversary, Chris Colclough general manager of Manchester Automatic Machining Co, UK, ordered its first new CNC sliding head automatic lathe - a Citizen L20-VIII - at NC Engineering’s recent Open House.

The Citizen L20-VIII will replace three of the 19 cam autos installed in the 750ft2 subcontract machine shop that employs nine people in Sale, Cheshire.

Said Colclough: “Finding skilled staff is a growing problem and we want to take on more complex work and combine operations into a single cycle to improve competitiveness.

He viewed the setting on the Citizen L20 being much easier than other sliding head machines and added: “With two years warranty and the level of support being provided by NC Engineering, it was more viable for us to buy new than used”.

NC Engineering - UK agent for Citizen, Japan - informed Manufacturingtalk that Colclough is the third generation family member running the family business.

The company has seen rapid changes to the industry sectors it has supplied over the years.

In particular, batches are smaller and deliveries tighter.

Colclough added: “We are now looking at under 500 to 100,000 parts in a batch and it is no longer economic to spend two days setting a cam machine and then messing around delaying the flow of work with further operations”.

Manchester Automatic Machining Co works a single shift but takes full advantage of running the CNC machines overnight.

Colclough said: “The Citizen machine will be ideal for our way of working: in the supply of parts to customers in the electrical and electronic sectors, gardening, brewing and leisure, printing industry, marine and point of sales equipment linked to textile and vending machinery”.

Originally planning to purchase a 16mm capacity secondhand sliding head auto as a direct replacement for cam machines, NC Engineering told Manufacturingtalk that the decision was made at the Open House to buy a new Citizen and upgrade to the larger 20mm capacity version.

The intention was to gain greater flexibility for machining brass, mild steel, aluminium, stainless steel and plastics materials.

As part of the machine package being taken up by the company, will be initial part programming within the training schedule and an extended tooling consultancy.

These features will enable the user to maximise the utilisation of the machine, replace the cam machines and attract new contracts.

* About the Citizen L20-VIII - the CNC sliding head automatic lathe takes up to 21 tools.

The flexibility of tooling set-ups was seen by Colclough as an important advantage to the 10,000 rev/min main and 8,000 rev/min subspindle machine.

Tools can be set according to the processing priority required for cross-machining, end face features or turning cycles.

When cross machining is the priority, up to 18 tools can be mounted on cross toolholders, which include five turning, six for drilling and seven rotary driven tools.

The three cross toolholders may also be used for end face drilling by swivelling the unit through 90 deg.

Meanwhile, for higher requirements for end face machining, up to 21 tools can be mounted including five turning tools, six for drilling and 10 rotary driven tools.

Further flexibility is available when inside diameter features predominate on a component when a toolholder can be added to the driven tool mounting to create three additional drilling and boring positions.

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