Produmax has recently invested in a Jones & Shipman Ultramat 1000 CNC B universal grinder to replace 3 older J&S machines.

This gives Produmax a range of new grinding options while significantly reducing manufactureing cycle times on a number of components.

With Produmax becoming the first company outside of the USA to achieve the latest AS9100 revision D quality standard and the first company globally to be accredited prEN9100-2016 – the machines help adhere to the robust QMS system expected.

With wing flat actuations being a key production specialism – it requires assembly of a number of componenets where concentricity and a good seal between surfaces is essential for unblemished operation. The new Ultramat CNC has proved highly adept in this grinding operation while reducing cycle times from 25 minutes to around five.

Produmax Production Director – Paul Birtles explained “Having a machine with such capability and capacity means the technical team are continually finding new projects for it in addition to those we had initially allocated on its installation. This has given greater flexibility when reviewing methods of manufacture”

“Also, while the 1000mm grinding length capacity is more than adequate, with new applications coming in all the time, having future proofed the machine is a huge bonus.

The new machine is a highly specified grinder with a variable rotating B axis, Renishaw probing, Heidenhain “Absolute” linear scales, a full Fanuc 0i CNC and J&S’s own software to minimise set up times and maximise output.

Birtles added “We are a highly regulated business and as validation processes on componenet manufacture became even stricter, we feel that keeping our grinding operation in house gives us 100% control of every process