Immediate unmanned production following Citizen turning centre installation

The 32 mm bar diameter M32-V turning centre was ordered with IEMCA bar feed, a special LNS Turbo swarf conveyor able to accept both stringy and chipped swarf, Absolent filtration, fully programmable robotic unload coupled to a parts conveyor, plus a Coolblaster 2,000 psi high pressure coolant system. "If you plan to run unmanned then you need confidence the machine will repeat its cycle," said managing director John Cable. "You do not want to come in the next day and find the night's production wasted." His company has already installed two M32-V machines over the past two years, following earlier purchases of smaller capacity Citizen M16 and M12s. The decision to add the third M32 was, Mr Cable said: "Simple! We had a rising order book for up to 32 mm components involving complicated milling operations that we could complete in single machining cycles and for which the machine is ideal." The Citizen M32-V is able to carry up to 80 tools, 20 of which can be driven. It is able to cut with three tools simultaneously at the main and sub-spindle, an important feature that significantly reduces cycle times. C&M Precision, formed in 1992, is a £1.5 million turnover precision subcontractor with a 4,100 ft² machine shop in Maldon. It employs nine people, six of which are machinists.