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Case story – Non-contact tool setting H-3000-1141-01

Complex tool setting at the speed motor sport demands - 5200 Complex tool setting at the speed motor sport demands

Renishaw’s automatic tool setting and tool breakagedetection systems recently installed at Hewland EngineeringLtd, are proving to be highly successful in raising productivityof transmission part manufacture for motor sport vehicles worldwide. Hewland has also used the Renishaw QC10 ballbar to provide the quality assurance requested by customers, by guaranteeing the performance of its machines. Competitiveness essential Hewland Engineering Ltd is a world-class supplier to the motorsports industry, with such success and reputation that founderMike Hewland has been hailed as ‘the father of modern motor racing transmission’. Hewland has a list of competition successes in every form of motor sport, its extensive customer list including such marques as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Honda, Lola, Mercedes Prodrive and Subaru.However, it is not enough that Hewland Engineering maintains itsreputation for design superiority, supreme product quality andreliability. It must also stay competitive in a world market. Hewlandoperates an impressively modern and spotlessly clean transmission manufacturing plant at White Waltham, Maidenhead. Elimination of arduous, time-consuming manual work Manual tool setting and inspection for breakages is a skilled andlabour intensive business at the best of times, so any opportunityto eliminate it, if taken, will quickly pay dividends. Dave Radley, Hewland’s operations director, heard the fully automated NC1 could make significant time savings, identify tool breakage without any chance of further component damage and guarantee a consistent process. Mr Radley first saw the NC1 laser system when it was launchedat the previous MACH exhibition, and was sufficiently impressed tohave it installed on a busy twin-pallet Matsuura VMC. The most valuable aspect of the non-contact NC1 system is its ability to check the diameter and length of each of these delicate tools totally free from any operator involvement. With cycle times per load as short as 35 – 45 minutes, and with the company running atwo-shift system, the time saved with the automated system isconsiderable. Fast tool setting is made possible through the use of this Renishaw NC1laser system. With the transmitter and receiver mounted outside theworking volume, easy tool checks during machining are achieved on thistwin pallet VMC. The business end of a typical half-shaft entails a lot of detailed machining,which is made much easier by the use of a Renishaw NC1 laser toolsetting system