03:02
Abespoke robotic handling cell has been retrofitted onto a DMG MORI 5-axis VMC at the Redditch factory of Optimal Manufacturing, a contract machining company established in December 2022. Supplied by Whitehouse Machine Tools, the Tezmaksan CubeBOX is unusual for a 6-axis robot cell in that it is designed to exchange components mounted in vices on pallets, rather than the billets, castings, or forgings themselves.
Joint owners and Directors of Optimal, Will Cooper and Tom Slimm, decided to adopt this method of automation, which requires a robot with a 70kg capacity, due to the frequent need to hold tolerances of less than 10 microns. In their opinion, it would not be possible to achieve the necessary level of repeatability if the individual components were handled manually, especially if they need to visit a turnover station before a second operation.
Instead, workpieces are secured in vices mounted on zero-point pallets, which are positioned into a pneumatically actuated clamping station on the table of the DMG MORI CMX 70 U machining centre, one of two 5-axis models on site. In this case, the workholding and positioning equipment was supplied by CERATIZIT UK.
Tezmaksan made significant modifications to the CubeBOX Blues DR MAX, one of the more heavy-duty plug-and-play setups in its product range. The three storage shelves, which would typically remain fixed and hold unclamped workpieces, were equipped with motors and actuators, allowing them to slide horizontally towards the robot and back again. This change facilitates manual loading and unloading of fixtured parts.
The machine tending cell was installed in August 2025. Six months later, Mr Cooper remarked: “Robot handling has enabled us to automate the production of high-precision prismatic components to match the way our bar-fed lathe allows unattended, around-the-clock turn-milling.
“Shortly after Brown & Holmes Automation finished configuring the turnkey installation, we received an order for a large quantity of stainless-steel valve manifolds. It was ideal for automation, and we ran the cell 24/7 for three months, unattended every night, allowing us to produce the parts to short lead-time deliveries.”
The choice of the Tezmaksan handling solution was based on system flexibility and cost, along with the directors’ confidence in Whitehouse as a supplier of machine tools and production equipment. When they previously collaborated at an engineering firm in Birmingham, Whitehouse delivered a Brother 30-taper machining centre, which turned out to be a valuable asset.
For more open-tolerance machining, they decided six months after the inauguration of the cell that it would be more efficient to load and unload raw materials individually rather than using pallet-mounted vices.
As with all CubeBOX installations, the Blues DR MAX was supplied with Tezmaksan’s RoboCAM intelligent automation software.
It is possible to load a DXF file directly, from which the software reads the part geometry and automatically calculates grip points and the positioning cycle. The system also tracks where workpieces are in real-time, enabling built-in collision protection. The software calculates and reports on cycle duration to establish production efficiency.
In addition to serving the oil and gas industry, Optimal regularly supplies OEMs in the automotive, aerospace and medical sectors, as well as elsewhere, keen to diversify its client portfolio as much as possible. Prototyping to high-volume production is catered for, although generally batch size is in the 20- to 50-off range.
Mr Slimm concluded, “With some machining cycles lasting well in excess of two hours and our ability to gain 14 hours’ production overnight virtually for free, we are not pursuing small reductions in cycle times.”
