TTL invests in Heckert X50

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aerospace

TTL invests in Heckert X50 for high-value aero engine work

For a company that has built its reputation entirely on software, ordering a Heckert X50 5-axis machining center might seem like a change of direction. For TTL, the Buckinghamshire specialist in adaptive machining and digital manufacturing, it is the logical next step for a business whose customers now trust it with projects where components can reach six-figure values per part.

Founded in 1987 and based near Aylesbury, TTL has spent almost 40 years solving the problems that sit between a CAD model and a finished part. It develops customized CAD/CAM/ CNC solutions built around Siemens technology, specializing in adaptive machining, digital twins and in-process control for aero engines, defense, nuclear, medical and precision manufacturers worldwide, with around 85% of its customer base outside the UK. TTL has been owned by Starrag for more than 15 years but operates as a standalone business unit with its own structure and IT systems. “TTL is an independent business unit which deals solely with software, and our solutions are all around Siemens NX and dealing with adaptive machining,” says Simon Rogers, Vice President at TTL. In December, the company will take delivery of a Heckert X50 5-axis horizontal mill/turn machining center – the sixth machine at the Haddenham facility, and the first TTL has bought from its parent group.

The reason for the investment

“Jet engine components, repairing HPC blades, repairing blisks – that is something we’re deeply embedded in, so we needed to invest in the best technology available, and the choice was a machine from Starrag. The Heckert X50 mill/turn capable machine is going to be at our facility later this year. It wasn’t purchased because we’re part of Starrag, it was acquired on its technical attributes and the fact that a lot of our global customer base has invested in Starrag technology.” The driver is the changing value of the components that TTL’s customers ask it to process. Automating the repair of a single blade is one business case; an integrated bladed rotor is another entirely. “With components being repaired which are single blade, you can imagine it could be a $500 part, but $1,500 in cost. Now, with the complex integrated bladed rotor (IBR) or blisk component, those numbers could be 10X and $50,000 to $150,000. To automate the repair of those components with our technology and the Heckert X50 is a significant commercial advantage,” adds Paul Whistance, Finance Director at TTL. A major factor in the purchasing decision was a multi-machine adaptive machining requirement for a major US defense program, on which TTL is working alongside Starrag as process and software partner. The US defense program has made a significant long-term investment in the Heckert X50, so purchasing the same machine enables TTL to develop, prove and optimize the customers’ processes at Haddenham rather than at the customer sites worldwide.

“ To automate the repair of components with our technology and the Heckert X50 is a significant commercial advantage. “ Paul Whistance, Finance Director, TTL

The gap in the business

TTL’s five existing machines are small to medium-sized 5-axis platforms, acquired from outside the group to suit lower-value repair work while also operating a range of different CNC control systems. As components have grown in value and complexity, that installed base has reached its limit. “We’ve historically opted for non-group machines because our customers required a lower-cost, entry-level multi-axis machine,” says Simon Rogers. “A $500 part repair is a different business case from remanufacturing or manufacturing higher-value components. This is where our need and interest in Starrag machines have sparked. The business case drives us towards the technology, and as our technology becomes capable, we have to move towards more capable machines.”

The machine

The Heckert X50 is a horizontal machining center with a trunnion table, giving short force paths, high structural rigidity and complete 5-sided machining from a single clamping as well as turning capability. For TTL, that trunnion arrangement is the most important feature on the machine. “It’s a trunnion-type machine, so that gives us the ability to move the components, which is huge for us in terms of dynamic capability,” says Simon Rogers. “The speed at which we can keep the tool tip in contact with a component, such as an aerofoil, is significantly improved. Additionally, the diameters we can reach are nearly twice those of the other platforms we have. This is significant for TTL.” The machine also delivers considerably greater component height, opening up the mid-sized casings TTL previously could not accommodate, including the flanges and ports involved in casing remanufacture.

“The machine has an 18,000 rpm motor spindle, 5-axis milling and turning capability, and the ability to tap into all of those functions, with the added ability to mount an angle head and the security of the hybrid bearings, is what makes this the ideal machine. It has very high precision, incredible resonance control and unparalleled dynamics. That is why we’ve selected it. We honestly believe this has capabilities that far exceed what other machines can provide.”

The machine is supplied with the latest Siemens Sinumerik control, which matters for a business whose entire toolset is built on Siemens technology. TTL can develop and validate a process end to end, from the CAM environment through to the control that will run it on the customer’s shop floor.

The benefits

TTL’s work typically divides into two streams. One is new part manufacture from castings and forgings where the challenge is best-fit alignment in six degrees of freedom; and the second is MRO, where the component no longer matches the model from which it was produced. “Components in service are obviously not the shape they were when they were manufactured by design, so they’re not the same as the CAD model,” explains Simon Rogers. “This is where we have to adjust for deviation or shape change caused by stress or heat deformation, using an automatic measurement workflow that can scan and utilize probing data. By measuring, we can then auto-calculate the new CAD model shape in the software to make new tool paths, new post-processor code, new simulation, and then new G-Code that’s going to successfully process that part. The prize is the elimination of hand finishing.” “Very simply, you can machine so far, and then you have to stop; otherwise you’re going to scrap the component. So you have to leave some stock, and that means high blends or high stock levels. Then you have to go to a manual hand blending or die grinding process, and that means RSI. It has health and safety challenges, especially with Inconel and titanium polishing and grinding processes. We have some customers that have applied the technology and no longer need hand finishing processes for their product to get back into service. This is a significant benefit.”

The perfect fit

The X50 is the smallest machine in the Heckert X series, which is precisely why it suits TTL – a development and turnkey specialist rather than a subcontractor, with a facility sized accordingly. “TTL has a geographical limit with our building, so we typically use small to medium-sized machines,” says Simon Rogers. “For us, the Heckert X50 is a large machine for our facility, and it allows us to handle a medium-sized gas turbine component, as it has a big swing with certain configurations. When it comes to a customer program, we can align very quickly with an X70 or an X90 for the larger component types.”

That scalability matters as processes proven on the Heckert X50 at Haddenham transfer directly onto larger machines in the same family at customer sites. It will also serve as a test bed for machining hard metals. “It’s a decision not made just by TTL; it’s a decision made by customers,” says Simon Rogers. “We like to follow what the end users choose. They’ve chosen Starrag for reasons based on cutting trials, based on assessments and specifications, and ultimately, I agree with them in this case.”

The bigger picture

The order marks a broader shift in TTL’s relationship with its parent. “Five years ago, more than 90% of of our business was outside of Starrag, now it’s 50%,” says Simon Rogers. Many of Starrag’s global target audience in the aerospace, marine, defense, nuclear, medical and luxury goods sectors are standardizing on Siemens NX. This is where TTL’s expertise in applying that technology has become a route back into accounts for Starrag brands across the group. The Heckert X50 machine will also serve as a showcase. Starrag UK will offer open access for demonstrations and customer visits, giving prospective buyers the chance to see the Heckert X50 running real aerospace processes rather than sample cuts. “We use our skills, our experience, our engineering knowledge to solve problems that others cannot solve. By having access to these machines locally, we can increase the capability both for us, and for the wider group, taking business to the next level. We now have that capability in-house, and we can be a center of excellence to use this machine at a higher level than anybody else,” concludes Simon Rogers. The Heckert X50 arrives at Haddenham in December, ahead of TTL marking its 40th anniversary in 2027.