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Noranco hits new heights with Mazak machines |
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by Jerry Cook
When Noranco Manufacturing Ltd., Pickering, ON decided in the late 1990s that it wanted to move into CNC machining, it didn’t take the aerospace manufacturer long to determine that the Mazak line of equipment met its needs.
Up until 10 years ago, Noranco focused primarily on sheet metal fabrication, says John Nicholson, director of new business development with Noranco. “At that time, the company decided to move into the machining side of the business. Initially, we had four machines and they were all Mazak. From 1988 to 2007, we went from having four Mazak machines to 23 Mazak machines,” he says.
However, Noranco’s roster of Mazak equipment increased significantly earlier this year, when the firm acquired two Woodbridge, ON-based aerospace manufacturers-MBM Tool and Machine and Excentrotech. Both firms, which are now divisions of Noranco, were also users of Mazak equipment. Consequently, Noranco now has 59 Mazak machines including two Palletech systems at the MDM division. Nicholson estimates that Noranco’s investment in Mazak equipment is approximately $12 million.
Noranco, which has been in business for over 30 years, manufactures high precision machined parts and fabricated sheet metal parts and assemblies for the aerospace industry. Including MBM and Excentrotech, Noranco has 410 employees at three facilities totalling 210,000 sq. ft.
The company’s part runs range from prototypes up to 25 to 30 pieces. Noranco manufactures a variety of parts for the aerospace sector including stringers and rails, brackets, components and assemblies, and more.
Typically, Noranco is working with a variety of materials including different aluminum grades, low and high carbon alloys, titanium, Inconel, and more. In general, the firm works to tolerances of plus or minus 0.005 in. and as close as plus or minus 0.0005 in. Noranco’ quality system is certified to both the ISO 9001-2000 and SAE AS9100B standards. As well, the company has NADCAP accreditation for special processes such as fusion welding, torch brazing, resistance welding, chemical film processing, and painting.
According to Nicholson, there were a number of reasons behind Noranco’s initial decision to install Mazak equipment and its subsequent decision to stay with Mazak machine tools over the years. “When we bought new machinery over the years, we would go out and get competitive quotes but we frequently came back to Mazak primarily because we knew the equipment and it satisfied our needs. The Mazak machines lent themselves to the product that we were making,” he says.
In addition, Noranco’s operators were familiar with Mazak equipment which made training simple and straightforward, he adds. “We already were familiar with Mazak machines from a cross-training perspective. As a result, most of our employees in the shop could move from one machine to another. Also, because of the commonality in programming systems, it gave us the ability to use any of the machines. For example, if one machine was down for maintenance, we wouldn’t be stuck for a machine. We wouldn’t have to reprogram or retool (another machine) to put that product on a different machine.”
Nicholson was also impressed with the Mazak control package. “The Mazak machines were user-friendly from a programming perspective. At that time, we didn’t have the CAM system that we are currently using, which is Mastercam, and Mazak’s Mazatrol control was very user-friendly which allowed our operators to program directly at the machine. The quality of the Mazak machines was good for the price.”
The firm’s most recent Mazak machine installations include an Integrex 300-IV ST multi-tasking machine, FH5800 horizontal machining center, and two Variaxis five-axis machining centers. The Mazak equipment was supplied by A.W. Miller Technical Sales Canada, Mississauga, ON (awmiller.com). There were different reasons that prompted each of Noranco’s most recent Mazak machine installations, says Nicholson.
For instance, the installation of the new Integrex 300-IV machine actually grew out of Noranco’s experience with an earlier model of Integrex that the firm installed approximately five years ago. “We had bought an Integrex machine without a subspindle approximately five years ago. We had the bought this machine for one particular job but once we had that machine we realized that it would lend itself to other parts (that could be done) more efficiently. The natural progression was to install the newer version of the Integrex with the subspindle and lower turret which gives you even more capability,” explains Nicholson.
According to Nicholson, the latest Integrex machine was installed in order to be more cost effective in making a part for a contract that the firm had recently been awarded. “Capacity was an issue. We had recently received work that we knew we could do more efficiently on the new Integrex with the subspindle then we could on any of the other machines we had. The new Integrex gives us the ability to almost complete a part in one setup. That was a big driver.
“We had received a package of work that the customer was making with a machine that employed a subspindle and they had indicated to us the cycle times they were achieving using the machine with a subspindle. Consequently, we based our quote (for the work) on using a similar machine with a subspindle. When we decided to (install a machine with a subspindle), we selected the Mazak Integrex which gave us the same capabilities as the customer’s machine,” he says.
The Integrex 300-IV multi-tasking machine is nine-axis and offers main spindle speed of 4,000 rpm and rotary spindle speed of 12,000 rpm. The main headstock features an integral spindle/motor designed for a wide range of applications, from heavy duty cutting at low speed to high speed cutting of aluminum and other nonferrous materials at high spindle speeds. The Integrex marries a high-powered turning center and full-function machining center to deliver maximum versatility and throughput for complex parts, allowing them to be done in one setup. Because of the multi-tasking capabilities offered by the Integrex, the user can be competitive on round parts with secondary operations, fully prismatic parts from solid or castings, or sculptured parts such as aerospace components and molds.
In the case of the Variaxis machines, it was a matter of Noranco wanting to move into five-axis machining. “We hadn’t been involved in five-axis machining previously and we felt that the next step in the evolution of our machining cycle was to go to five-axis machining. The Variaxis machines fit (with the work) we are doing right now. However, I would suggest that this is just the beginning stage for us,” states Nicholson.
The Variaxis machines have also brought benefits in terms of setup reduction, he adds. “We’ve been able to put parts that previously we were doing on three-axis machines, with multi setups, on the Variaxis machines and reduce the number of setups.”
As well, the Integrex and Variaxis machines have expanded the range of work that Noranco can handle on a cost effective basis. “I think the machines have given us the ability to search for more complicated work and be able to price the work at a price where we have more chance of winning the product because of the extra capabilities that the machines offer.”
awmiller.com
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