Quality is paramount, with Silica Sol Precision Casting dimensional accuracy and 0.4mm Ra surface finish required.The machine, fitted with a high pressure coolant system, has proved itself easily capable of achieving the drawing tolerances when machining nickel and steel alloys.Features of the Wele that secure a combination of heavy cutting performance and precision finishing include two-speed, auto change gearbox drive to the spindle, which delivers up to of torque, hand-scraped square-section guideways, rigid construction, up to 10m/minute cutting feed rate and table has plenty of room at one end to accommodate it.Bentley’s operations manager Andrew Kethro comments: “We have been extremely pleased with the performance of our new machine. It is very rigid and the load monitor highlights that the machine can easily cope with the materials and depths of cut specified.
So these machines should be well set to take us into the future, regardless of what the industry throws our way.Our machinists have commented how quiet the machine is when cutting at high torques and low speeds, 1,500rpm being a maximum here when milling our difficult alloys.With limited factory space here, the small footprint of the Wele is supporting our 5S initiative and the continuing improvements we are making on our shopfloor. LB Bentley looks forward to receiving a second, identical machine this Spring.Machine shop supervisor Tracey Harnden was part of the team tasked with sourcing the new capacity.We shortlisted two alternatives to the Wele and asked both potential suppliers to run a trial using one of our existing programs for cutting an Inconel part. The spindle stalled on one machine, while the other company were unable to point us to a single user installation where their equipment cuts our type of alloys.
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