UNICUT INSTALLS NON-CONTACT MEASURING CENTRE TO

 RAISE INSPECTION PRODUCTIVITY

In order to speed up first-off inspection, monitoring of production and to automatically collate inspection reports and statistical process data, Unicut Precision has installed an OGP SmartScope Flash 200 fully integrated with touch probe and non-contact video 3-D inspection centre for its Welwyn Garden City subcontract machining operation.

Said Jason Nicholson, joint managing director  “The type of parts we are now producing in single hit, often unmanned cycles can require 60 or more dimensions to be checked, this can take several hours for a first-off qualification.  Production time is also lost with the machine idle if there are changes to be made and so this installation of measuring equipment will provide a good payback by improving our productivity and further shorten lead times.”

Unicut's SmartScope Flash 200

Unicut’s business is drawing in ever-more complex components where its single operation philosophy ensures good size and geometrical relationship.   Quite often says joint managing director, Charles Kenny:  “We are contouring and producing angles and blends that are difficult to measure conventionally.  Also we can have very critical intersection holes and slots where breakthroughs must be burr-free.  Our inspection processes need to be as automated as our machining cycles and not open to individual interpretation.”

Unicut’s investment programme has seen its capacity increased to 64 mm bar size for mill/turning with 14 Citizen and two Star CNC sliding head automatic lathes, a Miyano ABX-64 and BNJ-42 multi-axis turning centre.  There is also installed a Durr Minio programmable component cleaning system as well as a materials handling system at the Welwyn Garden City plant. 

The company also has fully computerised management and scheduling software.  To which Charles Kenny adds:  “The installation of the measuring centre is one of the last links in the drive to automate our machining operations – our next investments will add further polish to our production processes.”