Nu-Tech Manufacturing Manager Ron Horner says the company focus on teamwork led to the development of a revolutionary process for milling titanium. "We first took on the development of an aircraft component part from Boeing, and ran it conventionally in approximately 12 hours. We realized this was going too slow. We now run that same part in only one and one-half hours with various methods our team developed using the horizontal milling capabilities of the Makino A77. We have a process improvement of 700 percent."

Nu-Tech brought in their first Makino A77 in 1996 after seeing it perform at a major trade show in Chicago. "Makino trained us on high speed machining of titanium. That's the main reason we bought the machine," says Horner. "We took Makino's instruction, and through our own continuous improvement, we actually have developed a process which does the job better."

Using the Horizontal Capability

Horner noted that Nu-Tech has developed an expertise in high speed titanium milling for global customers in the aerospace marketplace. "A family of three titanium parts for Boeing was chosen to develop our high speed methods. They all look very similar, but have specific features that test the capability of the process.

"You can probably best refer to these parts as structural ribs. They look like small H-beams, and are used to tie inside regions to the outside regions of the enginer thrust reverser. These aircraft parts are made from titanium 6-2-4-2 alloy, which is abrasive and hard."

According to Horner, the current fast process for manufacturing these titanium parts would be impossible without the versatile and high speed operation of the Makino. Though he is quick to add, "The success of the process is not strictly related to pure high-speed operation. It is a mix between conventional and high-speed milling. We save a lot of time through this approach and improve production quality. Deviations which were approximately 11 or 12 percent initially were reduced to less than one percent. And, they are even less now. The method our team developed with the Makino A77 does not distort and warp the parts like conventional methods."

Nu-Tech Operations

"We do as specific and detailed work as any company in The Triumph Group," says Horner. "We are a high-tech precision shop, supplying aviation and defense work with quality on-time parts."

Nu-Tech work is divided up into internal business units. These are machine tooling, extrusion, and aircraft on ground (AOG) services. The horizontal milling of the titanium ribs with the Makino A77 is done by the precision machining group.

The extrusion services unit produces components such as clips, sheer ties, and other small extruded parts that fasten to the frame of the aircraft allowing for skin and other component installation. Nu-Tech operates five-axis extrusion milling machinery that most aircraft manufacturers don't own. The majority of these parts are for the Boeing 737 new generation aircraft.

AOG is a specialty service provided to certain major airlines. Nu-Tech prioritizes and expedites aircraft parts through production which are needed immediately to replace broken parts on damaged or inoperative aircraft which are grounded. Many of these parts are also milled by the precision machining group on the Makino A77.

These AOG parts take on a paramount priority over any other job in the Nu-Tech production process, with the ultimate goal to get the plane airborne again in a quick, safe and efficient fashion. Nu-Tech is one of a very few companies in aircraft parts production and support that will offer such prioritization to customers in the aviation market.

The quality and reliable production of the Makino A77 makes it easier to offer this specialty service. "The first part out of the machine is a good part. That saves money and especially time."

Production Speed and Quality

"The feedrates that we use for roughing approaches 100 IPM on the titanium 6-2-4-2 alloy," says Horner. "Titanium alloys with a good machinability rating, such as titanium 6-4, will have higher feedrates and surface speeds.

"We are machining titanium at approximately 600 SFPM, on the 10,000- RPM standard spindle. At these surface speeds, cutter life is shortened, so it is imperative that maximum work be done while in the cut, prior to cutter replacement."

Horner adds that this speed, along with the quality improvement of the new milling process on the Makino A77, cuts down on time as well as cost. The deviation rate is improved, and the cycle times slashed according to Nu-Tech data.

	NEW PROCESS	CONVENTIONAL
Deviation rate improvement	1,875%	---
Deviation per thousand	2	87
Cycle time hours	1.75	12

Quality, Installation and Maintenance

When Nu-Tech looks at a new machine, Horner says they examine a combination of quality, performance, reliability and price. All of these aspects are taken into consideration when deciding to make the purchase. "In today's market we have a lot of machines many companies would refer to as antiquated. But they are all in very good mechanical condition, especially those manufactured by Makino.

"We have two MC100 Makino's that still meet factory specs today, and they're a 1979-1980 vintage. They just do not break down. But, they won't do what today's machines will do. The linear ways, high spindle speeds, and through spindle coolant just wasn't available on the old machines. And the older machines are box way type machines, they just won't move fast. A77s are quick and rugged"

"Installation is a key factor in the equation," says Horner. "The A77 has three-point leveling, which makes it very easy to install. There are no special foundations for installing their machines. Not like old verticals or horizontals that had to be anchored, leveled, and set to the N'th degree.

"Maintenance and down time are definitely the top consideration points in doing preliminary research on whether or not to buy a machine. We do more shopping than any other company I know in trying to buy the best machine possible through previous customer evaluation and maintenance reports."

"There are other machines like the A77 that will do this type of work, but Makino is our choice,"says Horner. "One primary reason is because of their maintenance record. The Makino's maintenance performance is better than anything else we own. They are certainly up and operating more than anything else in our shop. And, our Makino field service rep is close at hand and very responsive to any of our potential needs should we require maintenance assistance."

Initial and Continuous Training

Once they are installed, Horner says the training provided by Makino helps ensure operational and process success. "We have been to two Makino seminars and have learned a lot from both trips. They do some very nice things there, and the people are also more than willing to work with anybody who wants to ask a question. You don't have to even know the machine that well; they'll work with you.

"We also constantly improve and work toward on-site training every day. And Makino is very helpful in assisting us with this pass-down knowledge. The training provides everything Makino says it will provide. If you need help with something they can show you the best technique."

Process Impacts Cost of Ownership

Nu-Tech also took cost of ownership into consideration when purchasing the A77s, according to Horner. "Makino's are not inexpensive, but we know we have a real machine once we have bought one. We know what it is going to do for us over the long-term. We are not going to have to worry about a major replacement. That adds up over the long-term lifecycle of the machine.

"When it is running it is making money. I can now put five times more titanium through my shop than before. The two A77's we own are the most profitable machines we have in the house. They continue paying you back. Our experience with Makino says that it is a great long-term investment. Just because it is so reliable and repeatable. Makino has definitely improved the process."

"We track price per piece production costs," says Horner. "We keep very close track of all production costs by part. Our internal documents are written precisely to the minute how long it is supposed to be taking for a given part. The financial improvement difference on milling titanium on a Makino A77 is directly due to the change from old technology to new technology.

"As I control the plant layout, I have a CAD scale drawing of the plant that I constantly rearrange. I have penciled in two more A77s in the very near future. They simply get the job done."

Good management and great operations lead to fantastic cycle time improvements in the milling of titanium when the right machine is used. Like the Makino A77.

Nu-Tech Industries, Inc., a Triumph Group Company, is located at 4020 East 138th Street in Grandview, Missouri, 64030, can be reached at 816-763- 8600 or at www.ntihc.com.

Triumph Group, Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs and overhauls aircraft components. It serves a broad spectrum of the aviation industry on a worldwide basis, including commercial airlines and air cargo carriers, as well as original equipment manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft components.

Triumph also distributes, processes and fabricates metal products. Headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania, Triumph employs over 2,500 people in fifteen states and twenty-four operating locations around the United States.

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