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TURNED PARTS SUBCONTRACTOR
Aldershot subcontractor B.G.T Automatics, established in 1965, is another good example of a precision turned parts manufacturer that is graduating from cam automatics to CNC turning, predominantly by investing in sliding-head stock, multi-axis CNC lathes from Star Micronics GB.
In 2007, BGT increased the number of Star machines on its shop floor by 30 per cent following the installation of two new mill-turn centres. One is an SR-20RII with extensive facilities for driven tool work, while the other is an even more capable SV-32 that extends the subcontractor’s sliding-head capacity to 32 mm. The other Stars on site process bar of 12, 16 or 20 mm maximum diameter.
At the same time, the larger sliding-head lathe bridged the gap between the smaller machines and a fixed-head CNC turning centre on site, which produces parts up to 52 mm diameter.
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B.G.T has an additional string to its bow in that it has only replaced half of its cam auto’s. So it still has eight on which to produced relatively simple components very cost-effectively, reducing the workload on the Stars so that they can carry out the more complex, close-tolerance work
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Customers are spread across many engineering sectors. Stainless steel (303, 304, 316, 321) accounts for two-thirds of throughput, while aluminium (HE30, FC1), steel and brass are also turned. The Aldershot facility runs 24 hours a day, producing batches ranging between 100- and 50,000-off.
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Tolerances down to 10 microns total are routinely held. Few second operations are needed owing to the twin-opposed-spindle configuration and extensive driven tool capabilities of the Star lathes, and of the fixed-head lathe, all of which are able to perform in-cycle cross and reverse end machining.
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