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Award winning van's transmission housing machined in UK
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27/12/2006
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The new intelligent All-Wheel-Drive Ford Transit has been awarded the prestigious International Van of the Year 2007 and its transmission housing is being cast by M J Allen (Non Ferrous Founders) Ltd at its foundry in Ashford, Kent and is being machined by M J Allen-ENC Ltd using the Heller MCi 16 horizontal machining centre.
Production machining of the new All-Wheel Drive transmission system for Ford is a complete and deliberate departure from the company’s traditional portfolio of work. “It has represented something of a challenge,” Group managing director Tim Allen said. “Our area of expertise is to take a drawing and turn that into a machined casting. We are accustomed to small batches and one-offs. We wanted to complement that type of work with regular, scheduled production. The Ford All-Wheel Drive transmission system is our ideal opportunity”.
Patterns and castings for the transmission housing are produced easily within the company’s existing facility, though a new gravity die casting system has been installed in the non-ferrous foundry. Additional machining capacity is necessary because the M J Allen machine tools have been selected specifically for the precision machining of large castings in low volumes so are not ideal for production machining. M J Allen engineers sought a machine tool partner which could – and would – help it develop a production system capable of meeting Ford’s notoriously rigorous demands.
The company selected a Heller MCi16 horizontal machining centre for the work. The machine suits ideally M J Allen’s production requirement, as well as providing capacity for ramp up, but the choice of machine was made because of the response by Heller’s engineers to the initial enquiry. “Production machining is a radical departure from our traditional areas of expertise and understanding and as such takes us outside of our natural comfort zone,” said Mr Allen. “We wanted a machine tool supplier which would give us time and understanding, and in whose expertise and engineering capability we could trust absolutely. Heller have given us that. From the outset, they have given us excellent assistance, designing the production process for us, recommending manufacturing techniques, designing the fixtures to give us the best and most versatile machining system. They have worked with our engineers to create the tooling package. We could not be more pleased, and their work so far has inspired us the assurance that however fast this project develops and whatever complexities we face in that development, Heller’s engineers will be ready, willing, able, and enthusiastic to work with us”.
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Author
Andrew Allcock
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