HAMEC, which is to open early next year, has invested in a DMU 50 5-axis machining centre with Heidenhain control, an NLX 1500 SY turning centre with Mitsubishi control and CELOS CNC interface, an ecoMill 600V vertical machining centre with Siemens control, an ecoTurn 450 turning centre with Mitsubishi control and a UNO 20|40 tool presetter.
DMG Mori also supplied a full suite of simulators for Heidenhain, Siemens and DMG Mori APL, which will support the new CADCAM and simulation suite, along with SolidWorks CAD and SolidCAM CAM systems. The company also facilitated the supply of a CMM from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.
In establishing needs for the facility, 5-axis simultaneous CNC machining, laser measurement and lean manufacturing were all seen as key. Working with an advisory board of 40 employers, Harlow College has developed a curriculum aimed at meeting employers’ skills needs. In selecting equipment, the college set three main criteria, which were: the ability of the supplier to offer machines that met the needs of the project; value for money; and the ability to develop a deeper relationship through an ongoing partnership. Says college executive director, business development Will Allanson: “DMG Moris’s ability to meet all our requirements, and especially its technical partnership expertise, made it the obvious choice for us.”
HAMEC’s home will be a new 2000 m2 building that has two floors and houses a central machine shop that all offers a flexible manufacturing space for students and local employers. HAMEC will focus on three areas: advanced manufacturing engineering; operational and plant maintenance engineering; and aerospace maintenance. The facility will train students for local companies and also retrain staff, as well as offer facilities allowing companies to carry out feasibility studies and development new products, explore lean processes and offer emergency extra manufacturing capacity. Adds Allanson: “There will be considerable value for the HAMEC, students and local companies in working on real projects, and we anticipate that the interchange will rapidly build the skills of everyone involved and ensure that the centre covers its costs.”
The technical partnership with DMG Mori will offer an opportunity for HAMEC students to benefit from the company’s relationship with other centres in the UK, such as the MTC in Coventry, DMG Mori’s own technical centres in the UK and Europe, and from visits to prestigious customers, such as Red Bull. DMG Mori will also offer ongoing support and training, and plans to organise local events, bringing in its technology partners, such as Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence and coolant specialist Jemtech, tapping into their customer bases, to provide educational and networking opportunities for local businesses. In addition, DMG Mori will use HAMEC as a showroom for its products in the south of England and, where appropriate, loan additional machinery to the centre.
Says DMG Mori UK managing director Steve Finn: “Vocational training in engineering is something that we are very keen to support, so working with HAMEC to make it a success is a high priority. DMG Mori has been supporting the WorldSkills and WorldSkills UK competitions for several years and Harlow College is planning to develop some of its students for the competition. We will be offering them maximum support as part of our technical partnership.”
Concludes Allanson: “Employers are looking for people that are work ready. In line with employer demand, we have taken a 36-week programme and condensed it down to 26 weeks, where students work a five-day week, starting at 8.45 am. It is an intensive practically based programme, also concentrating on English, maths and employability skills, enabling local companies to take students for three to five weeks after just one term of training to assess their suitability. Already 11 out of the 13 people who have been through this process have started an apprenticeship. Our success is measured in outcomes for our students. We record destination data for the young people six to 18 months after college and we are confident that HAMEC, its technical partnerships and links with local industry will make a considerable contribution to their long-term success.”
