Blog
COMBINING CNC TURNING WITH HAND DRILLING AND FINISHING
At Woodley Engineering, we have installed and operated a precision hand finishing department over the past five years specialising in the production of targeted spray balls for cleaning mixing tanks. Each ball is designed to exactly target inlet and outlet valves as well as delivering a general spray pattern to clean tanks using the minimum amount of cleaning product, cutting costs and reducing waste. Combined with our CNC turning capabilities, we can turn blanks, hand drill, weld and polish to create a food safe finished item, supplied with original mill
ADJUSTABLE GUIDES TO SAVE TIME ON CHANGING PARTS
Woodley Engineering’s fabrication skills are in demand to design, modify and build change parts for carton folding lines in order to minimise lost production when changing from one carton type to another. Our engineers have inspected existing lines to draw up guides that can be adjusted to accept different sizes and shapes of carton to suit new packaging as required. This avoids investing in expensive change parts that require the line to be stopped, stripped and rebuilt before new product lines can be packaged.
TABLET FEEDERS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTION LINES
In our work for the pharmaceutical production industry, Woodley Engineering have designed and manufactured tablet feeder tubes and blister pack templates to ensure the smooth delivery of finished tablets and capsules onto the blister pack lines. In avoiding jams in the feeder and delivering the product at the correct speeds, we have eliminated lost production whilst clearing breakdowns. We can provide design advice to exact measurements to modify existing lines or create new enhanced features to speed up production and avoid waste.
REDESIGNING ROLLERS FOR CONVEYOR BELTS TO SAVE MAINTENANCE TIME AND REDUCE COST
The design and manufacturing departments at Woodley Engineering have developed improvements to the design of driven roller conveyors for one of our customers. The original design employed driven rollers with an internal motor. The entire assembly required removal and replacement at regular intervals as a result of wear and tear. We have designed and built rollers that take an external motor which can be demounted, replaced with a spare, refurbished and rotated regularly. The roller itself has a much longer shelf life and can be left in place throughout the
DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW ROLLERS TO SAVE WEIGHT AND WEAR
Work at Woodley Engineering on modifying driven rollers on conveyor lines has been extended to modifying carrier rollers supporting the conveyor belts. Original passive rollers were solid steel. The weight of the rollers caused wear in the bearings and bearing bushes, necessitating frequent replacement. We have designed and manufactured hollow coned rollers with a bearing cap at both ends. Their reduced weight elongates the life of the bearings and reduces replacement schedules, saving time and cost of replacement rollers. The hollow coned rollers can be refurbished to take new caps
RECREATING PARTS TO ORIGINAL SPECIFICATIONS IN THE CLASSIC CAR INDUSTRY
Our machining skills at Woodley Engineering have been much in demand from the classic car industry in recent years. Suppliers of spares for cars and motorcycles that can no longer rely on the original manufacturers for replacements have been happy to find that we can reverse engineer parts from original examples, or where drawings can be supplied, we can manufacture new parts to the exact specifications, tolerances and with the same material as the original. Classic vehicles can be repaired and maintained with no loss of originality as a result.
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF PIPELINE METERING PARTS
Over many years, Woodley Engineering have been manufacturing metering stations for the pipeline industry. Using valves to measure the upstream and downstream pressure, it is possible to calculate the volume of liquid passing the metering station. We have been able to assist with the design of different sizes and types of fitting to match changing pipeline standards in global markets.
PARTS PRODUCTION AND REPAIR TO MAINTAIN OLDER PRODUCTION LINES
Many manufacturing and production facilities face the problem of maintaining older conveyor lines, packaging systems, cartonners and their various associated parts. These are often expensive to buy and install and equally expensive to dismantle and remove. Here at Woodley Engineering, we have provided a maintenance facility that can revers engineer parts, manufacture to drawings, redesign and modify parts to enable production on new product streams and can also provide material certificates for food and pharmaceutical production standards. If you need a part, contact us.
How Costly Is The Repair Of Production Line Machine Parts?
When it comes to production line operations, the problem of wear and tear arises on a regular basis. The manufacturer faces the choice of either repairing or replacing a worn out part. Usually, the decision depends on the cost and the time at hand. Production line breakdowns can lead to inspection bottlenecks, delays, missed deadlines, and more. Taking the right approach to spare parts repair can minimise your expenses and improve output. How do the costs weigh up for different faults? Quick Fixes In case of a circuit board or integrated component
CNC Turning Or Manual Turning – When Should I Use Them?
“We're going to become caretakers for the robots. That's what the next generation of work is going to be.” - Gray Scott Artificial intelligence is becoming an integral part of many industries. When it comes to spare part manufacturing or prototyping, computer-controlled machines are now widely used. The benefits of CNC turning over the manual turning process are numerous. However, manual turning is still applicable to many projects. So, what is the difference between them and when should you choose one over the other? What Is CNC Turning? CNC stands
CNC Milling Vs Manual Milling – Which Is Better For Batch Production?
An experienced milling machine operator has one answer to this question: for large batch production, always use CNC milling. If you ask a group of experienced milling machine operators which method is better, manual or CNC, you’ll hear hours’ worth of arguments. Let’s look at the benefits of each manufacturing method when it comes to spare part production for any industry. Benefits Of CNC Milling CNC milling is an advanced method of spare part manufacturing, especially when it comes to complex components and batch production. High precision – CNC milling is precise
CNC Turning Vs Semi-Automatic CNC Turning – What’s The Difference?
CNC turning is a common approach to creating detailed and complex parts at high volumes. Today, the majority of parts manufacturing is done by CNC turning or CNC milling. However, some companies still use manual and semi-automatic lathes. Why would a company want to use a semi-automatic turning machine rather than CNC turning equipment? Let’s check the difference between the two and find out. CNC Turning – the process is fully automated. The machine feeds the new material into a chuck and uses different tools to shape it. Semi-Automatic CNC
5 Things To Consider When Looking For CNC Machining Services
The lathe is one of the oldest machines on Earth. In design and function, lathes have come a long way from what the workers used in ancient Egypt to what we have available today. As simple manual lathes have evolved into high-precision CNC machines, the number of companies offering machining services has grown dramatically. After all, the fully automated CNC process doesn’t seem to require too much human expertise. Does this mean that you can choose any old company that has a CNC machine for your next project Let’s find
What Are The Costs Involved In Part Prototyping?
When new equipment is being developed or an old part requires updating, prototyping is an integral part of the process. Building a prototype is never as costly as creating a finalised spare part only to find out that it doesn’t fit. The processes involved in spare part prototyping are complex. However, the materials used may be cheaper for the sample than they are for the final model. The costs involved depend on the purpose of the prototype model and its intricacy. What Is Part Prototyping? Part prototyping is creating a model
What Is Involved In The Fitting & Assembly Section Of Production?
Fitting and assembly are vital stages of production regardless of the project’s complexity. No matter how accurate the manufacturing process, there is always the chance of a mistake occurring during the fitting stage. Fitting and assembly involves bringing the parts together to create the final product. Sometimes, this stage is left to the client. At Woodley Engineering, we offer a full spectrum of services, including fitting and assembly. Finishing, Fitting, & Assembly: What Tools Are Involved? Different methods and tools are required to put the finishing touches to a component. Welding
Programming Technology: How Does CAD Design Eliminate Production Errors?
Computer-aided design (CAD) is employed in numerous industries, including spare part manufacturing. Over the past several decades, CAD design and programming has revolutionised the production process by improving precision, reducing human error, and increasing manufacturing speed. CAD didn’t just change the approach to design. It moved it to a new level. How Is CAD Used In Product Design? The use of CAD in product design dates back to the 1950s and 1960s when Sketchpad first appeared. The first generation of design software evolved into the complex programs we use today.
3 Benefits Of Implementing CNC Turning & Milling In Your Projects
CNC turning and milling have become an integral part of many spare part manufacturing processes. While manual manufacturing is still employed, the benefits of automation can no longer be ignored. What Is CNC Milling & Turning? Before listing the benefits, let’s define these two processes. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling and turning involve the use of computers to control the machines during part manufacturing. A CNC specialist programs the computer by entering the necessary parameters. The software application then directs the CNC turning and milling machine to produce the required item. The
How To Diagnose A Problem On Your Production Line
Production line problems are unavoidable. The earlier they can be diagnosed, the fewer delays during repairs and the less downtime. Predicting potential faults and knowing how to diagnose them can substantially reduce your maintenance and repair costs. It’s up to each manufacturer to start the prevention process as soon as their equipment begins its work cycle. One of the most common problems with a production line is the lack of real-time information. Being faced with a mishap after it has already affected the end product is costly. Real-time information allows the manufacturer to
How A Manufacturer Can Benefit From Reverse Engineering
Equipment breakdown during the production process can lead to unfortunate consequences, starting from delays and ending with wasted materials. Ideally, you have a replacement part at hand. In the worst case, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) may have left the market. So, what do you do if you need a spare part which is no longer manufactured or readily available – or is extremely expensive through the OEM? That’s when reverse engineering comes into play. What Is Reverse Engineering? Reverse engineering involves learning information about any man-made component without having access
5 Common Production Line Problems & How To Tackle Them
At one time or another, every manufacturer will face production line problems. Most businesses work hard to set up a proper maintenance schedule, while others may overlook regular servicing. In both cases, problems can occur. The question is how quickly problems can be identified and solved when they happen. Being ready to solve production line problems immediately is the key to avoiding backlogs and reducing unexpected expenses. Below are the common troubles manufacturers face with their production lines. 1. Poor Safety As production lines increase their speed of operation, safety becomes