Cyclone scanning machine in use at toolmaker

Peter Breen (Toolmaker) Ltd, a precision toolmaker is investing in technology which now includes Renishaw's Cyclone scanning machine and probe systems for machine tools

Peter Breen (Toolmaker) Ltd, is a company that has evolved many times since its conception in 1905, from a car sales and repair operation, to specialist engine re-conditioning, to precision toolmaker.

"We have always believed in the skills of our people and continual investment in the 'right technology' has established a reputation for precision mould tools, predominantly for the burgeoning health sector here in Ireland," stated Director, Robert Thornton.

That technology now includes Renishaw's Cyclone scanning machine and probe systems for machine tools.

"Although we had established ourselves as a good pattern maker and were producing 2D work, the medical companies wanted flowing 3D surfaces and forced us to look at machine tools that could interplay the third axis constantly," explained Mr Thornton.

"We looked to the future at that point and purchased Licom's AlphaCAM system and had it dedicated to a tool and cutter grinder, which was utilised as a temporary VMC, milling epoxy resin.

A Harrison Alpha and Chiron VMC, purchased second-hand in 1995 followed, but we found ourselves needing more speed and purchased a 3-axis Haas VMC with 10,000rpm spindle-speed, and a rotary 4th axis to do the more complicated parts.

On buying the machine, we also took the opportunity to reap the benefit of Renishaw's tool setting and inspection probing systems.

We had tried to bring probing into the machining equation earlier, but found the controls lacked the required RAM to accommodate probing and the complicated work.

When you're setting up extremely awkward one-off parts, it used to take an age to 'clock' the part, find a corner accurately, move and constantly repeat the action.

Also, when resetting a tool on the VMC, you would start machining your surface and put a positive surface offset in place, in case your tool was too long.

Using trial and error to establish position takes up valuable machining time, whereas Renishaw probing is so fast and aids our principles of producing a quality product in the fastest time," continued Thornton.

"On the Haas", Thornton explained, "we primarily use a Renishaw MP12 for part set up, although we can utilise it for part verification, such as checking the dimensional accuracy of a bore in a plate.

Additionally, Renishaw's TS27R tool setting probe has really been a bonus and comes into its own when machining complicated 3D surfaces.

You can be in serious trouble if your bullnose cutter slips off when you are machining surfaces where all the blends come together.

Unless you are able to change the tool and with an exact known length tool continue machining, you will see a surface deformation of 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm over a distance of 0.04 mm to 0.05 mm.

There is also a saving of 75% in milling cutter costs from a reduction in breakage, mis-set tools and diameter of wear." Breen's client base is split equally between Design Consultancies, who require one-off prototype injection moulds or small product runs, and the medical sector requiring moulds to 0.01 mm tolerances.

One particularly complex job, has been the production of a mould for breast implants.

Made from heat treated aircraft-grade aluminium, with low silicon content, its manufacture has required Mr Thornton to write complicated macros, to deal with multiple datums which help check the rotation of the part.

This way, either the CAD file can be rotated to suit the part in the machine, or the part can be rotated or moved, picking up on the surface within 0.02 mm maximum deviation.

It previously took 45 minutes to set up one half of the mould tool.

Now, using Renishaw probing, the set up time is just two minutes - an 86 minute saving for the whole tool.

"We can produce up to 300 parts per month and apart from the time savings, we could not have achieved the quantity without probing.

Even with fancy fixturing we could not get the set-up time below 30-minutes," concluded Thornton.

It was work for breast and muscle implants, not produced from one specific mould, that led to Breen's investment in Renishaw's Cyclone scanning machine.

With over 7,000 possible forms, a surgeon supplies the company with a master part made of epoxy resin.

The master is digitised using Cyclone, and surface data is manipulated by Renishaw's Tracecut software, approved and then a machining program created to produce an individual mould tool.

The Cyclone machine has opened up many other areas of opportunity, particularly where a mould is required, but no drawing exists.

"We look to reinvest the profit here at Peter Breen's and our next investment will be to purchase a 5-axis vertical machining centre and a gantry mill.

Whatever the model or spec', it would have to come with Renishaw's probing and scanning systems," concluded Mr Thornton.

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