Engineering Services
The Centre offers workshop areas which are equipped with a range of high specification equipment for the demonstration of milling, injection moulding, rapid prototyping, wire erosion and metrology.
Engineering Services
Training and education in practical advanced engineering disciplines is a key function of HEC. The impressive portfolio of machines and equipment used is available for hire.
HEC’s leading edge CNC machine tools:
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HAAS machines:
TM-1 Toolroom CNC Mill
TL-1 Toolroom CNC Lathe
VF-2 5-axis CNC Mill
VF-4SS Super speed CNC mill
VF-6/50 CNC ill
MiniMill
SL-40 CNC lathe
TL-15 CNC lathe; twin spindle, live tooling, C-axis and barfeed
Wire Erosion:
Mitsubishi RA90 wire erosion machine
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Injection Moulding:
Arburg 225
Inspection
:
Quantum 6104 CNC controlled CMM
CADCAM
Solidworks (+ DWGeditor)
CAMworks
Rapid Prototyping machines:
Prodigy Plus FDM
Z Corp Z510 3D printer
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Equipment Hire
The Centre’s fully equipped machine rooms house a range of premium specification machine tools for the development of engineering and manufacturing solutions. This equipment can be used to provide training courses and also a troubleshooting /development service to external and internal clients.
Customers will be able to complete a formal certificate of competency to operate each item of equipment (or an individual machine). The certificate requirements will be set out by HEC in conjunction with the equipment manufacturer or a suitable professional body – the purpose of the certificate being to ensure first class health and safety and ensure the machinery is used to its maximum potential. Once qualified the individual is then free to use the equipment – subject to availability and chargeable at £10 to £15 per hour.
Rapid Prototyping
Rapid Prototyping (RP) can significantly cut new product development times and cost. RP can also be a fantastic selling tool by putting parts and assemblies in your customers hands during sales negotiations.
There are two ways to access the equipment:
Option 1: Pay per Project
Send over your 3D CAD files and the staff at Hethel will run the
rapid prototyping and simply post you the finished item. Charging
is based on an hourly technician rate of £60/hr plus equipment time and materials. Typically the average complete price for a small item e.g. microplate, would be less than £100.
Option 2: Become a consortium member
If you have a regular flow of work, it may be worth becoming a consortium member. Membership allows you to book time on the
equipment yourself. Following training you will be able to operate the RP systems thereby reducing the cost of production.
• Annual membership fee £1,000 includes one full day’s training for a member of consortium personnel plus one
delegate place on the RP Masterclass Day at HEC.
• Materials used are supplied at cost plus a 10% handling charge
• Hourly charge rates for equipment of £10
Please contact Derek Hillyard, Engineering Manager at Hethel Engineering Centre who will be happy to discuss Consortium membership with you.