Kajul getting great value from their E range VMCs
The E range is called that because they’re economical to buy. However, Harry Hamlin from Kajul is so impressed with their 1000E and 1350E machines that he feels they’re far from an eco-purchase.
MDTCNC went to talk to him about the machines and he really sang their praises, revealing that they have all the hallmarks of high performance, heavy duty machining centres.
Much more than ECO machines
The E machines on site at Kajul have really been put to work, and they’re exceeding all expectations. Described as excellent value for money, with very few breakdowns, it’s not hard to see why they’ve become such a popular range for Dugard. Kajul have started to experiment with their E machines, and are amazed to report how increasing in their depth of cut has really sped things up in the workshop. Harry points out:
“With an economical costing machine you wouldn’t think you’d get that. We’ve started taking 1.5/2mm cuts and running them at 8-10,000 feed which I think, for an economical machine, it doesn’t seem to match up really.”
They’re also pleasantly surprised by how much extra they can get out of their 1350E. It’s the biggest machine in the range, with a 1350mm X axis travel, 11/15kW spindle drive, 10,000rpm speed range and 30/30/25 m/min rapids. An already generous working envelope has been pushed to the limits with Kajul listing the extra clamping area on either side of the bed as a bonus. Noting how this gives them an extra 100mm either side, they’ve been able to hang jobs quite far over the edges, really getting every last millimetre out of their machine.
Kajul have have a broad spectrum of work
They’re in a great position in Leamington Spa, just 10 miles from Coventry, and an awful lot of potential customers. So, to meet the demands of all those customers, Kajul really need to be flexible, which is exactly what their large selection of Dugard machine tools enables them to do. They’re covering all bases, with the large working envelope of the 1350E, their 1000E has a Nikkon 4th axis table, and they have a further 4 machine tools all from Dugard. The wide variety of machine tools means they are able to take any programme and run it through any one of their machines. They don’t just have machines with Fanuc and Siemens controls, but also Heidenhain and an old Acramatic machine so all bases are covered.
The video above shows a job Harry’s working on – cutting a block of mild steel for a weld fixture for a local customer who does a lot of pressings for the automotive industry. Kajul also do a lot of work with pattern equipment, cutting model board, as well as more adventurous jobs making carbon fibre lay-up tools, then bonding pieces on top of each other to be the size of a car. The pattern equipment is then sent off to a foundry to be cast, and all that is brought back to Kajul for further machining. With such an involved process, the margin of error has to be small, and Harry says they’re working down to an impressive ±0.01mm on hold diameters.
Dugard supplies the machines Kajul need
When asked if they’re happy with the range available from Dugard, Harry’s response was very positive:
“Oh definitely, more than, absolutely. We have looked at other machines and eventually made the decision again and again to buy Dugard.”
And those E range machines have really made a big impression:
“The Fanuc and this Siemens here, they’re E ranges but they’ve still got 12,000rpm spindles, so you can run a 1mm bore nose cutter 12,000rpm, you know, what more do you need really?”
It’s always great to see how well Dugard machines are doing in the field, and how happy our customers are. If you’d like to be just as happy as Kajul with one of our E range machines, just give us a call on 01273 732286 or email [email protected]