Walter Machines
Not only has the installation of a Walter Helitronic Power tool grinder and Helicheck Basic 2 tool measuring machine enabled Leicester-based A & S Tooling to keep pace with its rising order book for bespoke cutting tools, but the new equipment is also an invaluable endorsement for the quality of the work produced by this long-established tool manufacturer.
According to Managing Director Jeff Smith, the company’s continued success at providing a wide range of special-purpose tools to customers in industry sectors including aerospace, medical, motor sport, automotive and general engineering has led to the recent investments supplied by WALTER Machines UK of Honiley near Kenilworth.
“In addition to the fact that I know that the Helitronic Power is of proven reliability – I’ve been using our existing Power for about four years – there is no doubt that the machine brand itself is an endorsement of quality when potential customers approach us.
“The Walter brand is immediately associated with high integrity manufacture; in terms of both production (with the Helitronic Power) and the undisputed accuracy of finished, inspected parts (with the Helicheck Basic 2 - which accommodates tools of 1 mm-220 mm diameter and up to 420 mm long).
“The marketplace knows that because we use Walter machines we are manufacturing and inspecting to recognised high standards.”
Other machining and inspection alternatives were considered, adds Jeff Smith, but the Walter machines also came out tops in terms of their cost-effectiveness.
Installed for the production of a wide range of tooling in batches from on 1- to 1,000-off, the Helitronic Power is capable of processing tools of 320 mm diameter by 350 mm long. The 11.5 kW drive machine has a rapid traverse of 15 m/min over the 460 mm in X, 320 mm in Y and 660 mm in Z.
“Importantly,” says Jeff Smith “the machine features the latest version of the Helitronic Tool Studio software.”
The software has 47-operation functionality, including the production of K-Land on profiles and straight drill gash, as well as probing for facing, Integrated Measuring System (IMS) probing, wheel dressing and the facing and grinding of eccentric necks, to complement existing Feedrate Optimiser and Tool Balancer options. “Such functionality is proving indispensable,” he adds.
With a history that extends over 20 years, A & S Tooling also provides a highly-successful regrind service for HSS and carbide tooling.