MCHND machines in CAD/CAM and CNC in ADL
MCHND is a South Australian engineering workshop focused on precision machining using 3D CAD/CAM software and multi-axis CNC machines. The team at MCHND are dedicated to creating intricate components for the exacting demands of space, medical, aerospace, and defence sectors. MCHND is based in Richmond, an inner-west suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.
Business partners Jimmy Jolly and Mike Harding admit they work well together. They completed the last half of their toolmaking apprenticeships together at the same company and their friendship flourished. “We are both very different people, but our work ethic is the same,” says Jimmy. “We push each other and get along quite well. It has been a fruitful partnership, something that has been extremely successful for both of us.”
Mike’s career spans a few diverse industries including a three-year tenure in the UK’s Formula One sector. He has honed a comprehensive skill set encompassing CAD design, 5-axis CAM machining, 9-axis multitasking machining, manual machining, and astute business management.
Jimmy was brought up in an engineering family. His father was a Toolmaker with his own machining business, building historic racing motorcycle engines as well as general engineering on their farm in the Adelaide Hills. After completing his Toolmaking apprenticeship, Jimmy spent 10 years in Melbourne as a machinist gaining expertise in multi-tasking, multi-axis machining and CAD design.
Mike and Jimmy had their own ‘after-hours’ small businesses making aftermarket cycling and motorsport components. This involved hiring third-party CNC machines to make these parts, so in 2015, they decided to change how they manufactured their own products.
“We decided we should buy a couple of our own CNC machines to make these parts, so we did and put them in my garden shed. I don’t think we ever set out to be a job shop,” Jimmy explained. But at the same time, he said it was an easy transition from having a couple of machines in the shed making our own products to doing paid jobbing work.
After a two-year tenure part-time, Mike and Jimmy decided to move MCHND out of the garden shed and into a dedicated factory, committing to the venture full-time.
Since the start of 2019, MCHND has expanded their repertoire from basic CNC milling and turning, to automated 3-, 4- and 5-axis machining, automated multi-axis mill/turning, laser engraving, quality reporting and recently adding an in-house anodising and chemical conversion line. All this is run under their ISO9001:2015 quality system gained in 2021.
Yes, Robots
Having barfed lathes, it was concerning the team that their mills weren’t being used to their full potential. “We had a production job come up that warranted us investing in a robot to feed our two new OKUMA GENOS M450-5AX and a GENOS M560V mills and it was a complete game-changer,” explained Jimmy. “We now have two new OKUMAs, 4- and 5-axis vertical machining centres being run by robots. We are getting continual run cycles on both machines, plus the ability to run jobbing work during the day and production at night.”
The MCHND duo have recently been heavily investing in tooling up their pallets so that they can now easily be setup for 3-, 4- and 5-axis short-run production jobs using multiple 5-axis vices, fixtures, and chucks. Now with a solid, highly skilled, and dedicated team of five engineers, they have achieved this goal.
“When we put the robot in,” Jimmy went on to explain, “it’s like we gained one and a half machines. Initially, we were spreading this job over three machines. With the robot, we didn’t need the extra machine. So that machine is now available for additional jobs during the day. On top of this, we’re getting another full day of jobbing work on the 5-axis machine. It’s awesome!”.
To reduce the changeover time, the team have tooled up their jobbing pallets with ten dedicated 5-axis vices and four modular precision vices supplied by SEI Australia. “We did a run of just ten parts on five vices the other day,” said Mike. “It’s all super easy to set up. The changeover on the pallets is maybe a few minutes. All the offsets are already set, and the pallets are stored as a template in our CAM System. It takes all that manual labour out of the equation. It’s amazing for production, and great for jobbing work as well. Jimmy and I ask ourselves how we went all these years without a robot?”
Jimmy presses the point that a robot can be the equivalent of two to three people manually loading machines. This mundane labour is something the team have been trying to reduce. While it is a big investment, when the robot cell is kept busy, there is a good payoff.
Final frontier
MCHND has had a healthy relationship with Australia’s local space sector. Around 80% of their workload is space-related, be it with satellite chassis, solar array components, steering and navigational system componentry, ground modules and much more.
“With cutting-edge machinery our highly skilled machinists relish the challenges some of these intricate parts present. I reckon it’s evidence that our team’s skills have earned us such a great reputation with some amazing space technology companies,” said Jimmy. “Anything in that industry, we’re keen to get involved in.”
MCHND have just started sponsoring the ARES rocket team by providing them with all their machined components for the Space Port America Cup 2024 competition. “We also want to see the developing local rocket industry thrive so anything we can do to accelerate the skills and knowledge base here in Australia is a good thing,” said Jimmy.
Automation
“When you come into work in the morning and you have machines still running from the previous day and making good parts, it doesn’t get any better than that,” says Mike. “It’s great to be backed up by suppliers like Automated Solutions Australia with their robot cell and Okuma with their machines, they just run faultlessly, it’s just incredible.”
“As machinists we have had a great working relationship with Okuma for the last 15 years. As customers now, it has been so easy working with Okuma, the machines speak for themselves and the customer service is second to none, it’s no surprise to see their continual growth as the best machine tool supplier in Australia.”
“Okuma and ASA have had a long-standing relationship together and integrating the Fanuc robot to the two Okuma mills was seamless. A credit to Pat Green, Director at ASA and his fantastic team, so easy to work with and the cell has run like a dream from the word go.”
“We have had strong growth every year since we started, this last year in particular has been extremely busy, and things are still very positive work-wise. New enquiries have gone up and we have a good amount of work from our repeat customers.”
“Some of the onshoring of work we saw during COVID has lessened but there is still quite a strong demand for locally manufactured items. This gives us confidence to keep investing in new equipment and staff…. And more robots!”