A leading aero-engine component manufacturer has made a significant investment in its plant, equipment, processes and people to maintain its competitive edge in the global aerospace sector.
West Midlands based Electro Discharge Ltd, which is part of the MJ Sections Aerospace Group, is a recognisable market-leading sub-contract specialist with a reputation in the market for innovation, technical excellence and customer service.
The company, as its name suggests, is a pioneer in the use and application of EDM technology and ever since the company was first established in 1980, has become a leading manufacturer in its sector. Throughout the last 39-years, the company has regularly invested in the latest EDM wire, die-sink and hole-drilling machines to improve its competitiveness in the market.
Part of this continuing development is an investment in new technology. One such example was in 2018 when the company made a significant investment in new technology with the purchase of its first £1m state-of-the-art laser cutting and profiling machine.
The machine called a TRUMPF TruLaser Cell Fibre 7040 5-axis CNC industrial laser cutting system has a large working capacity (X-axis - 4000mm; Y-axis = 1500/2000mm; Z-axis = 750mm) and is ideally suited to laser cutting high-strength, heat-resistant materials, like the ones used in the aerospace and other high technology industries.
A key strength of the TRUMPF machine, and a major reason as to why Electro Discharge purchased it is due to its solid-state laser beam which is guided through a fibre cable. This makes the machine more accurate, more consistent, faster and more efficient than the CO2 equivalent machine.
The TRUMPF Machine has full 5-axis capability enabling it to machine complex high-precision 2D and 3D parts quickly and accurately in a single set up and, for additional productivity, the working area can be partitioned into two separate work zones allowing either one large, or a number of different sized, workpieces to be machined at the same time.
The machine was installed at the company’s 24,000 square foot facility in Cradley Heath in September 2018 and is now being used to laser cut and trim a range of high-precision aero-engine components.
These include different diameter aero-engine rings made from tough and difficult-to-machine materials that include titanium, Inconel, Nimonic alloys etc.
This is a huge advantage to the company, as before the arrival of the TRUMPF machine these rings were machined on the company’s high-performance EDM (wire and die-sink) machines. Whilst the use of EDM technology for such applications did deliver the high accuracies and surface finishes required, machining processes were both long and labour intensive and involved multiple and frequent set-up operations.
General Manager at Electro Discharge, Rupin Vadera spoke about the arrival of the new machine, saying: “To compete effectively in the aerospace sector you need access to the latest and most advanced technologies. We have always invested in the latest EDM technology and have a total of over 40 machines at our disposal.
We push these machines hard and operate 24/7 operations (Monday to Saturday morning). However, despite running the EDM machines unattended and overnight - we believed we weren’t being as productive as we could, or needed to be.”
But what’s the value of this investment? As a case in point, Electro Discharge showcased the dramatic productivity gains available from using a laser cutting over EDM technology in the example of machining 24 slots in a 1-metre diameter aero-engine ring. If the ring was made from a Nimonic material, using EDM technology would take nine hours to complete whereas the same part, using a laser machine, took just minutes!
Speaking about the new increased productivity, Rupin Vadera; “To machine, the ring using EDM technology required us to first make complex jigs and fixtures. The ring had to be held vertically in the EDM machine and only 6 slots out of the possible 24, could be machined at one time. This meant that the ring had to be repositioned and set up four times before it was completed.
With the laser machine, the ring was laid flat on the machine’s bed and, after set up, was machined in one hit.”
However, like a puzzle piece, the investment into the laser machine plays only one small part of the wider investments made by Electro Discharge over the past two years.
In addition to investing in the new laser machine and five new EDM machines - 2018 was a landmark year for Electro Discharge as it involved a complete relocation of the company to new and much larger premises in Cradley Heath.
Speaking about the companies move, General Manager at Electro Discharge, Rupin Vadera said that, “Since the company was taken over by its new owners John Harding and Paul Jordan in 1999, our premises in Dudley, were becoming a bit cramped and were proving to be unsuitable.
We recognised back in 2017 that this shortage of space would only become more acute as we grew, increased our headcount and invested in new technology. As a consequence, we set about looking for new premises.”
For the comapny, all aspects of the move were managed by a specially-created company task force headed up by Paul Jordan (Group Chairman), Tracy Jones (Finance Director) and Rupin Vadera (General Manager). However, for Electro Discharge the relocation presented several issues over and above the ones associated with moving everything from the plant, people and equipment to a new facility.
Speaking about the issues associated with the move, Rupin Vadera spoke about the impact the move had on the company; “There were lots to do - and that’s an understatement. For example, we knew the move would interrupt our production processes. As a consequence, we had to build up in advance buffer stock of customer parts and components to ensure that the move did not adversely affect customers’ operations and production schedules.
We had to inform customers and awarding bodies that the relocation would mean that previously held accreditations and certifications (i.e. ISO 9001, NADCAP, Rolls Royce SABRe 9000 etc.), would need to be re-applied for.
Once we had identified suitable premises we needed to undertake a strategic and accurate assessment of the new facility - and what needed to be done to ensure it met our immediate and future requirements.”
You can read more about the company over on their website, here, and you can keep unto date by following them on Linkedin.