When faced with a decision, whether big or small, it seems to be human nature to ask our peers for advice. And when they reply, it is those recommendations that often carry the greatest influence.
So it was for two relatively small manufacturers who consulted the ‘bush telegraph’ about which brand of machine tool to buy. They heard, independently, the same answer: Haas Automation (01603 760539).
“From everything I’d heard about the Haas lathe, I knew it was the right machine for us. Word of mouth is a very powerful thing,” says Dean Rogers, co-founder of Steam Traction World, a manufacturer of kit-sized steam trains for hobbyists. He was speaking about the ST-10 Y-axis lathe that the company recently installed alongside eight other machine tools at its 11,000 ft2 Daventry factory.
Rogers elaborates: “We bought the Haas with a particular part in mind – a brass star that goes on the [Burrell Scenic] Showman’s engine. We’d previously been producing the eight fingers needed for each star on a mill, but I worked out that this could be done far more efficiently and quickly on a lathe with live tooling.
“The brass fingers used to take four separate operations on the mill, but now we load the bar feeder, press cycle start and the lathe produces a perfect star in minutes, rather than hours. Of course, we use the lathe to make many other parts that used to have multiple set-ups on the mills. And because of the bar feeder, it runs unattended.”
That star is just one part out of hundreds for each model engine, most of which are sold piece-wise in kits that arrive at fixed intervals to enable customers to build as they buy.
As for the product development process, the owners take a hands-on approach. “We produce our models by copying original full-scale engines,” explains Rogers, an ex-production manager and machinist. “When we find an interesting example, we’ll crawl over it, taking hundreds of photos and measurements. We track down the original plans for the engine. Our models are around 95% true to the original.
“We will then begin building a control model. If a part fits the control model, we know that because it’s been machined using CNC, it will fit a commercial kit model. So we will start producing them in batches of 50.
“I write the lathe programs directly at the Haas control. The Visual Quick Code is excellent and user friendly. We’ve been really impressed with our Haas lathe and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it,” Rogers concludes – thus spreading the word even farther.
PLASTICS CHALLENGE MET
Another firm that got the message about Haas is engineered plastics manufacturer Plastim. General manager Warren Ironside explains that it came to be a customer of Haas Automation thanks to the company’s reputation: “We have upgraded our existing equipment as a proactive strategy to support our customers’ more complex requirements and future-proof our operation. After a great deal of research, we found that Haas gave us the best value for money. There were some machines at the same price and capacity, but when I asked people about their machines, they weren’t happy with the service they were receiving. Word of mouth told us that with Haas, service and reliability would never be an issue – and it hasn’t been.”
Plastim machine operator Matt Beach, no longer with the company, operates the Haas VF-4 to cut plastics
Plastim supplies semi-finished engineering plastics in standard thermoplastics and customised materials. Its customers, ranging from the food industry to aerospace, require machined plastic parts because moulding them is either too expensive or not accurate enough, the general manager states.
Plastim’s workshop is home to a large stable of Haas CNC mills, among other machines, including a couple of VF-2s and a VF-4 – both machining centres – a Toolroom Mill and a Mini Mill. The company also has a pair of Haas lathes, including an ST-30 Y-axis lathe. All machines are directly connected to its OneCNC CADCAM software (01902 373054), so production can be switched from one machine to another, if needed, thereby avoiding production bottlenecks.
In recent years, Haas has developed its CNC lathes to perform milling operations in addition to traditional turning duties. The ability to turn and mill complex parts and perform multiple operations on one machine increases throughput, reduces handling, improves accuracy and saves floor space.
These advantages appealed to Plastim, states Ironside: “We decided on a Haas Y-axis lathe so we could start manufacturing whole components in one set-up. This reduces cycle times and a more cost-effective component is produced. Moving a component from one machine to another introduces the possibility of misloads; allowing the Y-axis machine to cut all operations without additional set-ups eliminates the opportunity for these errors to arise.”
The machined components division is now the company’s fastest developing. Ironside credits part of its success to one supplier in particular: “On-time delivery of top quality components is of prime importance to us, as we are totally committed to customer satisfaction and long-term relationships. Through having a reliable partner in Haas we, as a company, have been able to grow. Its support and reliable machinery have ensured that Plastim has been able to meet deadlines, and for that we are thankful.”
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New premises for Haas Automation Ltd
Along with installing 417 machines in 2015, Haas Automation Ltd (locations in Leicester and Norwich) has also invested in new offices during the year. The new building will be 2.5 times larger than its current premises, and is to house Haas’s ever-expanding support team. Following a refit, the new site will be unveiled and occupied early 2016.
The year will also see the launch of new machines, while the new Haas F1 Team motor racing endeavour will give a company profile boost, with the Haas name set to appear on the starting grid of April’s Australian Grand Prix. The Haas F1 Team has its European base in Banbury, Oxfordshire, and Haas Automation Ltd has been awarded exclusive access in order to showcase a selection of Haas machines.
Haas Automation Ltd managing director Nick Remington says: “Whilst the market remains challenging, we are pleased with the progress and increase in market share 2015 has delivered. New products and the Haas F1 Team have undoubtedly raised our profile further amongst UK engineers and brought more enquiries that have ultimately turned into orders.”
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Bullish on growth in Europe
The new 5-axis UMC 750 machining centre and the ST range of turning centres are driving strong sales on the Continent, says Haas Automation Europe. Managing director Jens Thing, into his second year at the company, is bullish about continued growth in European markets, though he says that China, India and Russia are difficult markets, due mainly to the strength of the dollar. However, Haas Automation will continue to manufacture in the US and has no plans to build machines overseas, it is stressed.
New Haas Factory Outlets (distributors) in Italy and Spain opened over the past 24 months have increased sales and provided new and existing customers with better before- and after-sales service, the company says. In addition, more than a dozen new Haas Technical Education Centres, operated in cooperation with local schools or colleges, are planned for opening in 2016, taking the total in Europe to more than 90.
