Because it’s the best in its particular field. The market leader in any particular field is always perceived to be the most expensive. If we investigate further and take all the cost factors into consideration, Makino in most cases, works out to be the cheapest.

Here’s how the scale-of-economics works in Makino’s favor;

1. Savings in cost of cutting tools. Better spindle quality enable tools to cut at higher speed or rates which improve tool life.
2. Generates more work than other machines per hour – therefore more profit per hour
3. Less rejects. Makino’s are more accurate and rigid than its competitors
4. Less downtime. The more productive the machine is, the more profitable it is
5. Retains value over a long period of time
6. Higher quality parts means a higher hourly rate can be achieved
7. The Makino a51 is around the same price as comparable capacity machines from Japan

Makino for Die-Mold Applications

How can a Makino help business owners prosper?

The one thing I notice the most about Makino owners is that when I arrive at their factory, I see the same philosophy that they apply to their business (premises, systems in place & business models), also apply to their choice of equipment. Makino customers make informed buying decisions which means they look at more than the price of the machine at the start, and concentrate on the “Total Life Cycle Cost”. In the end, Makino customers end up saving, and more importantly, making more money.

How has the CNC machine tool industry changed over the past years?

The CNC Machine Tool Industry has changed dramatically over the past ten years.

1. Ten years ago, we had a buoyant automotive component manufacturing industry. This segment has been reduced to almost zero. Even though we still have companies doing this type of work, they cannot afford to dedicate their product offering to just one type of product for long periods of time.
2. Ten years ago we had a successful automotive component plastic injection die making industry, this has also been decimated and most of the new plastic injection die’s for the industry are coming from China, India and Korea.
3. The Aerospace industry 10 years ago was starting to fire but international terrorist turmoil has had a major effect on the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry. During the last ten years, this industry has steadily grown to the point where we see significant growth opportunities for Australian manufacturers going forward. Makino is also an Aerospace specialist, with a very successful track record in supplying machining systems to the global Aerospace industry over a long period of time. Makino have developed a range of machines specifically aimed at delivering drastically reduced machining times, massively increased metal removal rates and reduced cutting tool costs (in most cases reduced by over 50%).
4. The potential CNC Machine Tool industry in Australia and New Zealand is now very diverse. We are seeing applications that are very different to what we saw in previous times. With the product range and the infrastructure we have at Headland, we are very well positioned to support these very diverse industries.Industries are engaged in applications that tend to be more complex and demand more accuracy as the more simpler or less complex work has already moved offshore to cheaper labour markets.When we look at the products that Headland are supporting, they are all specialists and leaders in their fields. Products such as Makino (Machining Centers, EDM & Wire Cut Machines), Nakamura Tome (Multi Function CNC Lathes), Toshiba (Large Bridge Type and Large Horizontal & Vertical Boring Machines) & Breton (High Speed 5 axis Aerospace Industry & High Performance Industry Machines) can all support the ever-changing landscape of the CNC machine tool industry.

Makino 5-Axis Machining

You currently hold a Makino a51 in stock. Who do you think would benefit from this type of technology?

Not only is the machine available off-the-shelf, but the Makino a51 can offer the diverse range of applications needed for the market today. People looking for a machine that can bring all the above mentioned benefits, and have an open mind to the long-term investment opportunity that this machine brings, should definitely talk to me further and see how it can help their business.

For more information about the Makino a51, or any of our CNC machine tool range, please contact Kieran McNamara on 0403 457 554 or email kieranm@hedland.com.au

5 Station tool changer

The latest in high speed drilling the Advantage 2 utilizes three drill spindles each accompanied by an optional 5 station automatic tool changer. Automatic tool changing paired with carbide drilling of up to 2250 RPM and 27 IPM / 685 mmpm feed rates make this machine unmatched in speed for profiles up to 447 kg/300 lbs per ft.

Features of the Peddinghaus Advantage 2 drill line include:

• Carbide drilling but also capable of accepting HSS inserts, or twist drill tooling allowing for a wide array of tooling options in any situation
• Optional five station automatic tool changers eliminate operator intervention increasing efficiencies and decreasing potential safety hazards
• New Peddiflex3D CAD programming, batch nesting, and production reporting software. This new 3D software package is offered first on the Advantage 2 drill line
• Complete electronic motion and spindle control as a part of Peddinghaus’ green initiative
• Sophisticated Siemens 25 HP / 18.5 kW spindle specific electronic drilling motors for unmatched electronic spindle control and feedback
• And much more…

Distance encoder

“Our entire company is proud to release this modern drilling machine after extensive research working with our customers, service technicians, global engineering department and international sales force. We feel as though this machine puts our level of technology far above the rest in software efficiency, enhanced productivity, and mechanical reliability.”

- Jim Sutliffe, Vice President of Engineering, Peddinghaus Corporatio

DOWNLOAD PDF (2.5MB)

For more information, please contact Darren Harmsworth – Fabrication Sales on 0413 832 087 or darrenh@headland.com.au

Headland - KUKA training facilities in Burwood, Victoria.

Attendees commented, that they “Learnt a lot and Loved the hands-on aspects, they were impressed with the basic robotic theory, and happy they can apply their learning to all types of robots”.

Our next course is scheduled to run next month, contact Stuart Simmons for more information on stuarts@headland.com.au or 0423 799 827.

Di Kloe Update – CEO of Headland

“It’s great to see our first KUKA Training Seminar has been received well. We are also developing a training seminar in our new factory in Sydney. This will ensure companies can easily access Robotic training and other training programs to come. We are focused on ensuring the Manufacturing industry has the skills they need to propel their companies forward through understanding new machinery technology and how best to apply to their businesses”.

Robot Arm F1 Simulator

Click here to download the full report (PDF)

Brett, what was the main driver for this new machine purchase?

“Barden purchased the TRUMPF TruLaser L5030 with an automated lift master mainly due to the greater efficiencies required by our business. More and more we are finding that our existing equipment cannot keep up with demand. We are getting more new contracts for laser cutting and with tighter deadlines. We needed the confidence to know that we could meet these demands, it offers us greater flexibility, whereas previously, we would have had to put on more staff or do more overtime. We also required a new machine, as the existing laser machine we have is now over 7 years old and just not able to keep up the pace of the work coming in.”

Left to right: Jason Burton (Laser Programmer) & Brett Stokes (Director)

How will the TRUMPF L5030 change your business?

“It will mean less overtime and reduced labour costs; it also means that we can say yes to more work, as we now have the ability to meet their demands. We are what you would call a one stop shop, we do everything from overflow of fabrication work to contract laser cutting. Having this machine also means that we overcome many problems associated with finding the right skilled people to do that work, this machine just requires set up and then we can let it run over night or during the day.”

TRUMPF TruLaser L5030 with LiftMaster

What other machines did you consider when looking at the TRUMPF L5030? Why did you choose the TRUMPF L5030?

“I choose TRUMPF machines over the others mainly due to the support I get from Headland, they have a good coverage of service engineers with the right skills. It’s more about the relationship with Headland; we use them for marketing as well as service and look to them for the knowledge in what the latest technology is to help my business. It’s not just about the machine for us.”

TRUMPF TruLaser first cuts

About Barden Fabrications

Barden has over 30 people full and part-time and theymainly do work for other fabricators within the automotive industry, furniture and building and construction industries.

Brett has been in the business for over 20 years, he started off doing manufacturing for his father, the business started out as a roofing production company, producing light gauge sheet metal products.

Barden’s main advantage over their competitors is attracting and keeping skilled people. They focus on incentivising good employees through the intense training program they offer, the program ensures they are developed right from apprentices through to on the job training and formal education. They like to incentivise through paying above the market rate and also offering other benefits and career planning.

TRUMPF LiftMaster in operation

To read more about TRUMPF lasers, please visit our laser section on the Headland website.

Interplay between designer skills and the art of engineering

The KUKA Ronotics KR5 Arc

The renewed distinction is the result of a close alliance between design know-how and the art of engineering. In the development of new KUKA products, industrial designer Mario Selic is consulted at a very early stage. The outcome of this collaboration is that the robots not only look good but are also the best of the best in terms of mechanical engineering. The design form gives the robots high stability and stiffness, for example, which are of decisive importance for KUKA’s customers. The Augsburg-based technological leader does not consider functionality and aesthetic appearance to be mutually exclusive.

For more information about this story, please visit the KUKA Robotics red dot press release.

Call Stuart Simmons on 0423 799 827 or email stuarts@headland.com.au for more information on KUKA Robotics.

Instead of acquiring another vertical, PR-CA approached HMC builders with a sample program to determine which horizontal machining center (HMC) could meet specified criteria. This included reduced cycle times, fast cutting rates, high capacity and repeatable quality with very little dimensional variation from the first part through the millionth part.

Makino Horizontal machining centres at work

While the company cooperated in tests with several different machine suppliers, Eric Fisher, manufacturing engineer at PR-CA, reports they ultimately selected the Makino a51 horizontal machining center.

Achieving Results

Makino introduced the a51 in late 2001 as the first of its 1-Series HMC line, a family of economically priced machines for high-production applications. The a51 has a 15.7-inch (400-mm) pallet and utilizes a high-performance spindle that can accelerate to 12,000 rpm in 1.1 seconds. PR-CA put their Makino a51 HMC into operation in early 2002. Since they began using it, the company has significantly increased production capabilities and has saved thousands of dollars of production costs, according to Fisher. At the same time cycle times, preventative maintenance costs and machine downtime have been reduced.

The a51 has decreased PR-CA’s operational cycle time by approximately 12% in producing an automotive component. Production cycles on 20 parts produced with seven tools have gone from 7 minutes and 47 seconds on their newer, high-performance VMCs to 6 minutes and 50 seconds on the Makino a51.

Makino horizontal spindle

“Buying a horizontal machining center gave us more flexibility than ever before,” Fisher says. “And because of our new investment in the a51, we are definitely reducing overall manufacturing costs. The a51 saves us at least $1,000 a week. The timesavings and extra production justifies the increase of going vertical to a horizontal. We’ve seen savings on cycle time and increased production.”

For more information about cutting costs with Makino, read the press release on the Makino website.

A truly amazing piece of engineering that bring together all aspects of manufacturing engineering and innovation.

A66E-5XD: Full 5-Axis Machining in Titanium

5-Axis Center Point Control on a MAG-3 5-Axis Horizontal Machining Center

0.9 Second Tool Change on a Makino Horizontal Machining Center Automatic Tool Changer (ATC)

Automotive Part Production on a Fully Integrated Lean Machining Cell with Gantry Robot

Orthopedic Implant Machining on a Makino Horizontal Machining Center with 5-Axis Table

Contact Kieran MacNamara on 0403 457 554 for more information on Makino Machining Centres.