Toolmaker branches out into 5-axis machining and subcontracting

Located in the centre of Birmingham, press toolmaking company Tooling 2000 was established more than 50 years ago. Since 1996 it has focused mainly on the design, production and tryout of tools for the automotive industry, notably for Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Rolls-Royce / Bentley.

With a view to strengthening its position in the industry and also to break into providing subcontract machining services to other sectors such as power generation, especially renewable energy, the company has invested £1.8 million in the last two years in new plant and hiring extra people.

A significant proportion of the spend has gone on acquiring new machine tools from Hurco, notably a TM12i CNC lathe with a 12-inch chuck and the toolmaker’s first two 5-axis machining centres, models VMX60SRTi and VMX42SRTi.

The SRTi configuration is rapidly becoming Hurco’s most popular 5-axis model. The torque motor-driven, swivelling B-axis spindle head and 600 mm diameter C-axis set flush into a fixed machine table create a compact, high-capacity platform that can be used as a large-capacity 3/4-axis machine whenever the need arises.

Tooling 2000’s manufacturing director Brian Abbott said, “In recent years, there has been a growing demand from customers for the supply of more complex components that require 5-axis machines to produce them cost effectively.

“The technology was a step into the unknown for us, so we needed to know that we would be supported by the machine supplier. As an existing Hurco user, we were comfortable with sourcing our first 5-axis machines from them, particularly in view of the user-friendly, twin-screen controls.”

Machine operator Dean Henning added, “Hurco machines are best suited to our type of work because the conversational control with WinMax software is easy to use and we can program most jobs on the shop floor. Even on the 5-axis models we can use the Hurco control to program 3+2-axis cycles.

“For more complex work, the option of inputting a DXF file from CAD into the Hurco control and using the drawing as the basis for creating the part program is especially useful and fast.

“Once the features are extracted, the WinMax software automatically generates cutter paths to complete the cycle in the quickest possible time.”

He also likes the functionality of the interrupt button, which when pressed causes the cutter to retract from the job during the cycle and stop. It is then an easy matter to check that the program is progressing as planned and press cycle start again to resume metalcutting from the same point as the tool was stopped.

Additionally, a large, 3-axis DCX42i travelling-column machine with X / Y travels of 4.2 / 2.6 metres and a maximum table load of 16 tonnes was installed in 2020 to provide capacity for producing larger press tools and components. Currently the largest machine available from Hurco, it has a 10,000 rpm spindle with BT50 interface and a 40-position tool magazine. The availability of this capacity sets Tooling 2000 apart from much of the competition in the area.

Mr Abbott confirmed, “Not many suppliers offer this size of machine at an affordable price. We visited Hurco and it was our operators who chose the DCX because they like the flexibility of the control.

“It helps them to program parts without making mistakes, which would be costly in the case of these large components. The machine also has excellent swarf removal and holds very tight tolerances.”