Accelerating Productivity With the H550Xd1:Improved Machining Efficiency Through High Rigidity and Process Reduction

Ozawa Kinzoku Kogyo Co., Ltd.

(Headquarters: Nagoya, Aichi)

Ozawa Kinzoku Kogyo Co., Ltd. is a company specializing in machining aluminum with a history spanning over 70 years.

The company started its business in 1948 with anodizing, a surface treatment for aluminum. Later, aiming to create more value-added products, they expanded into press working and buffing. Then about 40 years ago, they ventured into machining, with the view that the time has come to move away from labor-intensive manufacturing and into automated manufacturing.

The company's long-standing relationship with Brother Industries dates back to this turning point.

Before the tapping center, SPEEDIO's predecessor, was released in 1985, Chairman Ozawa recalls, "We had actually cooperated in parts production during its development stage." This led to the company's adoption of the first TC-211 model.

The company's strength lies in its integrated production system, encompassing everything from material procurement to machining and press working, as well as surface treatments such as anodizing, hairline finishing, and shot blasting. They are also highly regarded for their ability to propose solutions that leverage their extensive knowledge and deep experience. Many new projects have arisen from these consultations. By working together with customers to create the best products, they have built a wealth of experience and achievements.

Experiencing the Potential of the H550Xd1 in the Showroom

The company has five production sites: the head factory in Nagoya and Factories No. 1 to No. 4 in Kanie. Of these, machining centers have been consolidated at Factories No. 2 and No. 4 in Kanie, where the focus of operations is on machining. In particular, Factory No. 4 has been designated as a dedicated factory for SPEEDIO, with 14 machines currently in operation.

Along this trend, they recently adopted the horizontal compact machining center H550Xd1. With regard to their reasons for the purchase, Chairman Ozawa said:

"We already owned horizontal machining centers before this, but they were getting old and required frequent repairs. Furthermore, the machines at the time were too slow to adequately meet customer needs for high-mix, small-lot production at high quality, low cost, and short delivery times. At this point, Brother Industries announced the release of the H550Xd1."

The work area, ATC speed, spindle speed, indexing feed rate, power savings, and other performance features closely matched the company's needs. They said they decided to adopt the machine right after seeing the actual unit at the showroom. Consequently, they became a first model user of the H550Xd1 as well. Chairman Ozawa laughs about this, saying, "I like new things."

Outstanding Rigidity and Reduced Machining Time With One-Time Chucking

H550Xd1's introduction not only solved the problem of aging equipment, it also led to an evolution of their production system. Mr. Okabe, who supervises site operations, talked about its benefits:

"Before implementation, workpieces that took three steps to process using a 3-axis vertical machining center now could be done in one chucking by multi-face machining using a 4-face tombstone. We were able to significantly reduce the number of processes."

He says that he was particularly impressed by the H550Xd1's high rigidity.

"For deep hole drilling, we can now perform machining under conditions that we hesitated to accept with the W and R Series. We have also broadened our range of cutting conditions by about 20%. I was honestly surprised by its rigidity."

These performance improvements have greatly contributed to reducing machining time. Mr. Okabe added, "Chip evacuation is better compared to vertical machining centers. This also reduces scratches on the design surface, which is a big help."

Its ease of operation also received high praise.

"It's as easy to use as a mobile phone. It's also easy to set the zero point and set up tools. Visibility is good, and even our foreign trainees can use it without any problems."

Going for the Cutting Edge, Next-Level Manufacturing Through an Integrated System

For future prospects, Chairman Ozawa acknowledged that market conditions are fluctuating in semiconductor-related industries, their main customer base, but stated, "As a pioneer in aluminum machining, we want to continue actively incorporating the latest equipment and technologies to enhance our integrated system." While the company flexibly responds to customer requests, including questions on drawing notations and surface treatments, he also emphasized their pursuit of efficiency, stating, "How can we shorten production time? Answering that question leads to cost reduction."

He also raised particular requests and expectations for Brother Industries. One of these is "to further expand the capabilities of the BT30." Mr. Okabe elaborated on this point.

"For example, while the BT40 spindle is primarily used for machining molds, I feel that the BT30 may be sufficient. The Deburring Center DG-1 uses a BT15 spindle, and I believe robots will also continue to become smaller in the future. With the prospective shift to smaller diameters, I have high expectations for the evolution of the BT30 spindle."

Ozawa Kinzoku Kogyo has long pursued the possibilities of manufacturing and continues to convey their requests from the forefront of the industry. Their feedback, sometimes critical, definitely impacts the technological development of Brother Industries. As our valuable partner, we look forward to working together with them to go for the next level in manufacturing.