Newcastle based rail maintenance equipment manufacturer Melvelle Equipment Corp makes more significant investments in world-class manufacturing capability.
CEO of Melvelle Equipment Corp, Andrew Melvelle (right) with Peter Jarvie (left) from the John Hart Newcastle branch in front of the Mazak HCN-8800.
Melvelle Equipment Corp has recently invested in a high speed, high accuracy horizontal machining center, a Mazak HCN-8800.
The Mazak HCN-8800 follows a December 2020 investment in a Mazak Integrex i-200S multi-tasking machine equipped with a Mazak GL-150F gantry loader enabling Melvelle to extend shifts and run “unmanned” so they could compete in the global marketplace.
Melvelle Equipment Corp continues to choose Mazak because the Newcastle based John Hart branch takes the time to develop a thorough understanding of Melvelle’s unique part challenges to ensure the best Mazak technologies can be chosen to make machining these complex parts easier and more efficient.
Another important selection factor for Melvelle is the timely and reliable support provided by the local team of highly experienced and qualified application, mechanical and electrical engineers.
In fact, John Hart is devoted to providing the best overall support of any machine tool company in Australia, boasting an Australia-wide Mazak service network offering a range of scheduled preventative maintenance programs, breakdown repairs and a comprehensively stocked Mazak Spare Parts Department.
Melvelle’s new Mazak, the HCN-8800 delivers unsurpassed performance, precision, reliability and production value for high-volume large heavy part operations.
The machine features a spacious work envelope and pallet size as well as a fast rapid traverse speed and a rigid, reliable spindle.
The Mazak HCN-8800’s standard two pallet changer provides Melvelle with the option to duplicate jigs for higher production levels of components or to machine different components in the same machine.
The machine was optioned with probing to allow measuring, as well as Mazak’s Orbiturn function which has reduced the number of fixed boring bars and set-ups needed to produce many of the bores in Melvelle’s products.
The Mazak HCN-8800 was also optioned with a full NC rotary table, allowing infinite positioning for special angles or jobs that need fourth axis work.
We caught up wth the CEO of Melvelle Equipment Corp, Andrew Melvelle to discuss his long term vision and what the new capabilities have meant for Melvelle Equipment Corp.
“Our long-term vision is to continue expanding into new markets while we maintain our focus on the rail sector,” said Andrew.
“With the installation of the Mazak HCN-8800, we have realised an improvement in cycle times and therefore a reduction in job costs, due to the speed and flexibility of this machine. For example, one of our components which was previously taking over 2 hours to manufacture, is now being completed in 20 minutes.”
“We are also loving how easy it is to generate programs on the Mazatrol Smooth CNC, and the advanced programming functions, all of which allow our operator to be programming at the machine while running the machine.”
The productivity gains from these two recent investments have encouraged Andrew Melvelle to continue looking at what improvements Melvelle Equipment Corp could gain with further equipment upgrades.
“An upcoming upgrade includes a Mazak Integrex i-450H S with an Agile Modular machine loading system featuring two pallets and a Fanuc R-2000iC/270F robot for handling part weights up to 100Kg. Both are due for delivery in January 2024,” Andrew continued.
“The new Mazak Integrex i-450H S and Agile Modular combination will allow us to improve both productivity and safety for handling larger components that are currently being manually loaded into our Mazak Integrex i-200S as they are too large for the gantry loader tending that machine.”
“The incredible ease of operation of the Mazatrol Smooth CNC control also means our Integrex i-450H S will hit the shop floor running, providing us with immediate payback on this investment,” Andrew concluded.
Melvelle Equipment Corp has built an enviable reputation in the rail industry for the unique rail track maintenance equipment they manufacture. The “Trackpack” is a modular platform with multiple capabilities comprising a hydraulic power unit with boom arm and rail trolley, designed to allow the use of multiple hydraulic work heads without the need for numerous power supplies. The system is powered by two lithium battery cells, and can be coupled with nine different work heads or other hydraulic hand tools.
Andrew Melvelle is loving how easy it is to generate programs on the Mazatrol Smooth CNC.