Aldermans expands and upgrades its CNC milling capabilities.

It’s always an exciting moment when new metal fabrication machinery arrives at our Plymouth factory.  And this time, it’s not just one piece, but two!  We have invested to expand and upgrade our CNC milling capabilities, taking ownership of a Vertical Machining Centre for the first time.

CNC milling is one of the CNC machining services we offer in our toolroom, alongside CNC turning.  We are often asked what the difference is between the two processes.  With milling, the metal workpiece generally remains fixed while multi-point cutting tools move across or around the piece.  With turning, the tooling is fixed and the workpiece moves around it.  Our article explains more about the difference between CNC milling and CNC turning.

Breaking new ground, we have invested in an XYZ 500 LR Vertical Machining Centre.  LR stands for linear rail, a robust and durable movement system which allows for high-precision positioning, plus efficient load bearing of the workpiece.  This highly capable machine boasts easy and quick set-up times, making it ideal for production runs of any size.  It can easily handle a range of materials and workpieces up to 510 x 400mm.  As well as vertical milling it offers boring, drilling, tapping and thread cutting.

The second new arrival is our XYZ KMX SLV Turret Mill.  The largest and most robust of the KMX range, it offers vertical machining of workpieces up to 1m in length and 410mm width.  The range of CNC programmes allows it to easily handle complex components; and with fast and easy programming, it is ideal for one-offs and smaller batches.  It can also be used in manual mode, which gives our skilled toolroom engineers the option to take control and feel the cutting process when required.  This turret mill is a replacement and upgrade for one of our existing SMX turret mills (these mills are so incredibly versatile, we actually have four of them around the factory!).

Both new investments are part of our continued plan to ensure we offer an optimum suite of CNC services.  These will help to maximise our efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and provide new manufacturing options and approaches to best serve our customers.

To find out more about our CNC machining services or request a quote for a project, get in touch with our sales and technical colleagues.