Bumotec solves medical production puzzle

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Bumotec solves medical production puzzle for Dawnlough Precision

Dawnlough Precision is a subcontract manufacturing business that has travelled a relentless journey of growth since it started manufacturing tooling for the aerospace and medical industries back at the start of the millennium. The ascension to success over the last 20 years has arrived through an aggressive growth strategy and investment in high-end machine tools. Part of this high-level investment journey has included the arrival of two Bumotec 191neo turn/mill centres from Starrag.

Initially founded in 1987, the turn of the millennium has seen the Galway manufacturer gain accreditation to ISO: 9001, ISO: 13485 and AS: 9100D, establish a design department and increase its manufacturing facility – firstly to 20,000sq/ft and then to 50,000sq/ft in 2018. Underpinning this growth is a robust business strategy and the adoption of advanced production tools such as FMEA, PPAP and SPC. The robust management of processes and production is a necessity for the Irish manufacturer to succeed in two of Ireland’s core manufacturing sectors.

Keith Kennedy Aerospace Production Manager, Dawnlough Precision

“The big thing about Bumotec was the flexibility. It offered everything we wanted.”

To maintain its growth trajectory, Dawnlough has invested in the most flexible, capable and productive machine tools – and this is why it has recently taken delivery of two Bumotec 191neo machines. The world-class production facility on the West Ireland coast has more than 54 CNC machine tools run by a highly skilled and experienced workforce dedicated to providing premium manufacturing solutions. Recently acquired by the Acrotec Group, the 110-employee business is still run by longstanding Managing Director and previous owner Brian McKeon.

Looking at the path the business is taking, Keith Kennedy, Aerospace Production Manager at Dawnlough says: “We manufacture high precision components for the Aerospace and Robotic Assisted Surgical Industries as well as tooling and production aids for the medical device sector. When I started in 2006, tooling was the main business focus, but as the Aerospace and Medical Device industries have expanded locally this presented many opportunities. Our Aerospace work started with seating components for Rockwell Collins, which led us to 5-axis machining. We then progressed to Flight Critical components for the likes of Spirit Aero Systems and Pratt & Whitney. Similarly, we progressed from manufacturing medical tooling and instruments to producing complete assemblies.”

As Europe’s largest employer of medical device professionals per capita, Ireland is renowned for its medical industry expertise. As a country with a medical sector that employs more than 42,000 people in more than 450 businesses and exports more than 12.6bn € of medical equipment, Dawnlough is well positioned to serve this continually expanding segment.

Discussing the expansion in the medical industry, Keith continues: “Our core business has predominantly focused on Vascular work and from this, we have expanded our offering. We now produce an array of components for our RAS Customers as well as consumable instruments.

The First Bumotec on the Emerald Isle

It is here that the search for a suitable machine led Dawnlough to purchase a Bumotec 191neo FTL-R in June 2022. Discussing the acquisition, Keith recalls: “We had several components we initially targeted for this type of machine.”

“We needed a machine with very high levels of accuracy, short cycle times and incredible efficiency because it’s a very competitive market. We visited many companies reviewing high accuracy ma- chines, but it’s only as you look closer and purchase one of these machines for this type of work – you really see the ’value-add’ they bring. We were looking for repeatability, flexibility, high spindle speeds, the ability to machine hard material and 2-3µm precision on production runs. We had very specific requirements and we were not sure if it was going to be achievable.”

“Some of our initial trial parts were 46HRc and we are using tools from 0.1 to 0.5mm. We needed repeatability of 2 to 3µm, but we needed to hold that overnight. Some of the functions of the Bumotec machine such as the software for monitoring the machine, the cutting load, the contact cutting time and the large 90 tool ATC that enables us to have sister tooling in the machine is incredible.”

It was a huge investment for our business. It was an unknown risk, but the Bumotec ticked all of our boxes and end goals. The big thing about Bumotec was the flexibility. It offered everything we wanted. It’s an exceptional machine with accuracy that takes our business to a different level.”

As well as machining 46HRc parts, there was also a need for specific RAS parts that were a key driver to the first Bumotec installation, Keith says: “We were machining these parts in batches of 200-off up to six times a year and there are 6 different parts in the family with a projected ramp-up of 200 – 300% a year. So, we wouldn’t have been able to support the customer with our existing method. There was also a fallout due to accuracy, as we couldn’t 100% meet the GDT accuracy.”

“We needed to put a bar diameter in the machine up to 1.5 inches whilst also running high precision production runs of small instrumentation parts. The Bumotec also had the sub-spindle and a robotic unit which was important, as we need traceability for every part we make. We took demonstration parts and gave Bumotec our end goal. We went to Switzerland in April 2022 and we received the machine in June.”

Success Brings Machine Number 2…

Following the remarkable success of the Bumotec 191neo with FTL-R configuration, the Galway company then added a second Bumotec 191neo in March 2023. Supplied with an FTL-PRM configuration, the second Bumotec 191neo was introduced with complete automation and a 20-position pallet station for lights-out production. Discussing the arrival of the second Bumotec machine, Keith continues: “When it came to the first machine, we had a vision and a target and Bumotec delivered on that. What they offered us with the second machine was a complete turnkey solution for our instrumentation components. We had given them a target of for producing instrument parts from a much harder material. This still required extreme levels of precision and production volume with the flexibility to produce families of parts.”

“We needed to machine materials from 46 to 52HRc such as 17-4 and 420 stainless steel as well as titanium. The instrument parts for use in invasive robotic surgery include tools like grippers, cutting instruments and scissors. We have made many instrumentation components as well as parts of the robotic unit that actuates the instruments. We are producing the parts in medium to high volume runs across two different parts in various quantities per month.”

Keith Kennedy Aerospace Production Manager, Dawnlough Precision

“The Bumotec 191neo is an exceptional machine with accuracy that takes our business to a different level.”

Some of the parts had very long cycle times on the 5-axis machines and this needed to be reduced to below 30 minutes with 48HRc material. Not only was the cycle time a challenge, but once again Dawnlough had to attain extreme precision levels in a production environment with the flexibility to produce upwards of 30 different components. Initially machining 20 to 50 parts a month, the schedule was set to rise rapidly to 200 parts per month before reaching production volumes – numbers not possible on a 5-axis machining centre. “It was a learning curve to move from aerospace work to the niche market of medical instrumentation. We didn’t have the machine technology to produce the parts to the specifications and production cycles required, but our Managing Director works on the philosophy of ’build it and they will come’.”

“We have also made considerable savings on tool costs and change- overs in comparison to our machining centres and this is a credit to the 40,000rpm spindle.”

Eddie McHugh, General Manager, Dawnlough Precision

“On the purchase of the second machine, we knew exactly what Bumotec could offer, so we worked with them remotely. Based on what we had seen previously – we knew they were the best option. What Bumotec offer is exceptional and way beyond anything we had anticipated. With the original Bumotec 191neo FTL-R machine, we had the sub-spindle, but with the next set of parts we needed the Bumotec 191neo FTL-PRM. With this machine, we had the option of the vice, a 3m bar feed and also a robot loader. We needed the robot loader for traceability. It also expanded the capacity of the machine where we could go from 50mm barfed stock to 80mm billet loading and unloading from the robot.”

“The sub-spindle option we had on the FTL-R wasn’t feasible for the parts we needed, whereas the FTL-PRM gave us two vices. Without the vices, we would have needed to undertake secondary machining, which would have been difficult with the required, so to be able to pick up the component in the vice and conduct the second operation in a single cycle was key to finishing the parts – it was another turnkey solution.”

Contributing to the conversation, Dawnlough’s General Manager, Mr Eddie McHugh adds: “We were machining parts on our 5-axis machining centres and we needed to increase output by 400%. We were machining around 400 parts a month on two different products with a cycle time of 45 minutes. This was tying up two machines and one man permanently every month. On second and third shifts with fewer staff, we had concerns about machine tolerance drift, so output was reduced and it also made inspection labour intensive.”

With 54 CNC machine tools from 10 different manufacturers, Dawnlough has one machine alongside the two Bumotec 191neo that is commonly used in the medical industry. Comparing this machine to the Bumotec, Keith continues: “In comparison, the Bumotec has increased capacity, it has a larger tool library, higher spindle speeds, a larger diameter bar capacity and a lot of other features that just offers so much more flexibility. It’s not only a better and more flexible option, it’s a more robust machine which is what we need – especially as we machine everything from very small medical components to 42mm bar from hard materials.” Referring to the robust build of the Bumotec 191neo compared to the alternate machine in the small part machining department, Keith recalls a story saying: “One night, we were machining 42mm diameter aluminium between centres on the Bumotec 191neo and a tool broke. When trying to pick the part from the sub-spindle, the machine bent the 40mm bar. The next morning, we spoke to the service team, re-set and re-calibrated everything and started running the machine at our 2 – 3 micron tolerances. On the competitor machine, we had a 6mm tool that chipped off a vice and tripped the machine out – the machine was subsequently down for 3 weeks and cost us 15,000 € in service, as the whole machine had to be disassembled and rebuilt. That is when you know to buy the second Bumotec machine because the stability, rigidity and overall build quality is second to none.”

Eddie McHugh, General Manager, Dawnlough Precision

“The service from Bumotec is probably the best we have had.”

The Future

Looking to the future, Dawnlough has plans for more Bumotec machines and continued expansion, which will certainly continue with the ambition of the Acrotec Group. “The machines are extremely flexible with a large 90-tool capacity. This means we can just change the programmes over, the jaws and collets and it is ready to go in less than 2 hours. For our high-precision business that manufactures mid to high volumes with a high mix of complexity – the Bumotec is the perfect machine for our business.”

Service

As a company located on the west coast of Ireland, Dawnlough is well positioned to serve its customers – but its machine tool suppliers have not always served Dawnlough with a level of customer support that a leading manufacturer would expect and deserve. Referring to the service and support from Bumotec, Keith concludes: “The service is exceptional. There is absolutely no comparison to some of our other machine suppliers. Starrag is a brand with a limited footprint in Ireland and I believe our Bumotec was their first machine in Ireland. Despite other brands having a larger footprint in the area, the Bumotec support is second to none. The after-sales support is unbelievable. I don’t think there is another machine brand we have at Dawnlough that offers the same after-sales support – and we work with at least 10 brands.” Eddie concurs by adding: “The service from Bumotec is probably the best we have had. If you need engineering support they are there straightaway, whether it’s engineering support, post-processors, technical queries or anything else. The support has been fantastic.”