Acquisition extends turning capacity

Woodhey Engineering of Bacup, Lancashire, has expanded its capacity to produce high quality components with the acquisition of a Harrison Alpha 1550S manual/CNC lathe.
Specialist turning, milling and machining company, Woodhey Engineering of Bacup, Lancashire, has expanded its capacity to produce high quality components - and opened up important new market sectors - with the acquisition of a Harrison Alpha 1550S manual/CNC lathe. Woodhey, a well-established family-owned business for more than 100 years has successfully operated a Harrison Alpha 550 lathe since 1996, and the new Alpha 1550S has already had a positive impact on the company's business. Woodhey was required to quote for producing a large quantity of isolators for an existing customer which manufactures vibro-piling equipment for ground-breaking machinery, used in the construction industry.

Previously, Woodhey had produced the parts which make up the isolators in either one-off or small batch quantities.

Woodhey's Works Manager, Adrian Briggs, says: 'We wanted to do the work faster.

An existing customer asked us to quote for a larger quantity - between 75 and 100 off items over 12 months, and this was only possible for us with the Alpha 1550S.

The new machine represents a saving of about two hours for each unit compared to a conventional lathe.' He said the new machine had proved 'very easy' for operators at Woodhey to use following their initial training and was already opening up new opportunities.

'We always had good results from the Alpha 550 lathe but we always used to keep away from bulk work.

Now we have the capability to take on new types of orders and customers.

It is an important step forward for our business.' Part of Harrison's world-famous and best-selling Alpha 1000 series which has become the industry standard for manual/CNC lathes, the Alpha 1550S has 550mm swing over bed and up to 3 metres between centres.

Yet just like all other Alpha 1000 machines, it is extremely simple to operate, highly versatile with a wide choice of turning options and manufactured to tool-room standards (DIN 8605) for ultimate precision in large turned components.

Like all Alpha 1000 Series lathes, the 1550S incorporates the unique 'Key to Success' which enables the operator to switch between three separate turning options, namely Alpha mode, Manual Guidance or CNC modes: Alpha mode - the machine's unique software, developed by Harrison, opens up a world of simple semi-automatic machining for stops, tapers, threads, box cycles and contour shapes.

Alpha can be learnt quickly by conventional lathe operators, many of whom have used it to more than double their output.

Manual Guidance - this is ideal for operators who require to produce small batches of complex parts or to generate on-screen graphic representations of the turning operations which can be quickly converted to full CNC programs.

The 'Teach' mode allows movements made using the hand-wheels to be recorded as a program and re-run automatically, while 'Single Cutting' means simple profiles can be generated line by line at the control.

'Cycle Cutting' provides automatic generation of a comprehensive range of cycles which can be linked to develop full programs.

During program development, 3-D graphic simulation allows tool-paths and component profiles to be viewed.

Full CNC mode - enables the Alpha 1550S to operate as a fully functional CNC lathe with a large machining envelope.

CNC programs can either be generated by data input on the keypad or generated off-line (by Harrison's AlphaLink software).

Like all Harrison Alpha 1000 lathes, the 1550S is offered with a wide range of accessories which includes manual, high-accuracy four-way indexing toolpost and automatic bi-directional 8-station disc turret.

The Alpha 1550S, which is available with centre distances of both 2m and 3m, is equipped with 104mm bore spindle mounted in Gamet heavy duty high-precision taper roller bearings and fitted with D1-11 camlock spindle nose to accommodate either manual three- or four-jaw chucks or hydraulically-operated chucks from Pratt Burnerd.