The Machine Shop Within Mclaren's New Technology Centre,Woking
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GREAT BUILDING; GREAT PEOPLE; GREAT THINGS Magic formula The machine shop within McLaren’s new Technology Centre,Woking, Surrey blends in so well with its surroundings, you could almost miss it. Andrew Allcock explains ands up all those working in a their hands raised,while another 11 machinery rests.Which is why when Hmachine shop designed by renowned destined to join the exclusive club. casually walking along the adjacent architect Lord Norman Foster.Well,if Okay,Lord Foster didn’t actually corridor,you might well not notice you you’re not in Woking,Surrey and,more design the machine shop specifically,but are approaching a machining specifically,not working at the new the building and environment of which it environment. McLaren Technology Centre,put your is a part are his company’s work.And the The new machine shop has two hands down (or give Machinery a call).As machine shop is entirely in keeping with levels: the main machine shop at of 19 March,a select 30 the rest of the building. From the outside ground level and where the Mazak and will have it is just like any other office in one of the Charmilles machines are located,and a building’s seven so-called ‘fingers’(see lower level operation where other CNC box,opposite):part-glazed floor-to- and manual machinery is located. But ceiling partitions separate it’s the main machine shop that is the corridor from office and focus of investment and attention here. office from office,with It’s some five years since McLaren essentially white and installed the Mazak machines that contrasting shades of populate its current machining grey fixtures and fittings facilities,and in the intervening period, within. But the white says machine shop manager Graham fixtures and fittings in this Ching:“Mazak has introduced a range of ‘office’include 15 Mazak machines that we didn’t have.” machine tools plus four Charmilles wire-cut EDM units. MULTI-AXIS; MULTI-FUNCTION Of similar colour scheme are And so a complete suite of 15 new the tool cabinets which surround Mazak machines has been installed at the cells of machine tools.And the Technology Centre,with an very nearly white is the tiled floor emphasis on 5-axis and multi-functional on which the production machine tools (see box,page 17). Previously the company had only one MACHINERY 6 March 2004 ● www.machinery.co.uk 14 COVER STORY An environment to encourage the best “We all want our company to win, and I’m not just talking about winning Grands Prix. To win we need highly motivated, dedicated people, and such people can only exist if you provide them with an environment in which they can aspire to be the best. Great facilities attract great people, and that’s where the story of this project has its roots,” said Group chairman and chief executive officer Ron Dennis. And the UK’s Arena magazine recently placed the Technology Centre as one of the “45 greatest buildings in the world”. Set in 50 hectare, landscaped grounds, it has office space of 57,000 m2 and will house 1000 people when all of the previous 18 locally dispersed McLaren activities centralise here. On site are McLaren Racing, McLaren Automotive (including Cars and Composites divisions), McLaren Electronics, McLaren Marketing, and Absolute Taste – the latter provides the onsite catering facilities (see later). A new company, McLaren Applied Technologies, is being established to offer wider access to Group technology. 2 Kimi Raikkonen in the new Viewed from the air, the kidney shape building and its adjacent 17,000 m McLaren MP4-19,Valencia lake form a circle. Inside, a main boulevard is separated from the lake by a glass façade (see 5-axis Integrex machine,for example. picture, below and left). Above this main boulevard at first-floor level is an “Our parts are becoming more elevated walkway and along which are the various companies’ reception desks. A complex in shape,often featuring 3D separate large circular office (far left), also at first floor level and accessible from surfaces,and 5-axis machines lend the elevated walkway, fronts onto the lake and is home to McLaren Group’s themselves more to that sort of part,” management team. confirms the machine shop manager. At the opposing end of the building is another boulevard. A service road – for And while 3D surfacing might imply F1 team truck access, for example – backs onto this and beyond that are the staff aerodynamic external parts,the truth is and visitor car parks. Staff and visitors pass under the service road through it applies to both internal and external tunnels, not across it. items.“It is mainly to do with weight and Running between the two boulevards are the seven so-called fingers – quite often it relates to distributing effectively the working spaces and which have two levels, ground and first floors. stress around the component. Often Separating the fingers are walkways connecting the boulevards and allowing the there is an aerodynamic element, viewing of, for example, the assembly of Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren vehicles. however,”he explains. Because of the part-glass partitioning, it is possible for all workers in all And McLaren Racing’s designers fingers to see across to and through the other fingers – this is intended to foster a will,he adds,fully exploit the new sense of community. machinery’s capabilities.“They are very There’s no eating at workstations, so peppered around the place are eateries aware of what capability we have.We of smaller or larger proportions – hence the onsite presence of Absolute Taste. talk to the design office to see what they This aims to encourage interaction between staff in the various departments. would like to do and so provide them There’s a 400-odd seat restaurant looking out onto the main lake, and a with the capability to allow them to basement level café with widescreen for weekend F1 event viewing for design it. So we look ahead to see what employees not lucky enough to accompany the team to a race. machinery we need in the future to Other facilities include a gymnasium, swimming pool, an auditorium with make those parts.” around 250 seats, and a visitor and learning centre. 15 COVER STORY The machines can not only tackle new,more complex parts but also reduce operations on existing ones.“A good example of this is a front axle. Predominantly titanium,it would have been turned on a lathe before moving onto a machining centre to have features such as hole facets,drive pegs and other holes for securing parts to it produced,for example. On an Integrex we can now complete all the operations on one machine,leaving just the grinding of bearing journals. But,arguably,it is possible for the Integrex to do that too,”Mr Ching offers. Parts are quicker to make, McLaren’s Mazak machinery Aluminium disc bell with titanium front axle ❐ Four Variaxis 500-5X 5-axis machining centres with 80- within from a MP4- tool magazine, high-pressure coolant, die/mould software, 17D F1 car. Both 12,000 rpm spindle; parts can now be ❐ Two Integrex 100 IIY multi-tasking machines, machined in one on 5-axis simultaneous movement (x,z,c,y and b), an Integrex 40-tool magazine, high-pressure coolant, auto parts catcher; there’s reduced ❐ Two Integrex 300 IIY multi-tasking machines, fixturing and tooling,plus 5-axis (x,z,c,y and b), 80-tool magazine, high- the one-hit approach pressure coolant, auto parts catcher; positively impacts accuracy, ❐ Three 3-axis FJV 250 vertical spindle machining centres, which can be compromised double-column-type, 30-tool magazine, high-pressure coolant, by multiple set-ups,he adds. 12,000 rpm spindle; This is important,as tolerances ❐ Two Super Quick Turn 200MY mill-turn lathes, 4 axes (x,z,c and y), have tightened with the average 16-station turret, auto parts catcher, programmable tailstock; figure now around 0.02 mm. A ❐ Two Super Quick Turn 250MY mill-turn lathes, 4 axes (x,z,c and y), 16- constant temperature is maintained in station turret, auto parts catcher, programmable tailstock. the machine shop throughout the day, ❐ 5-axis machinery is programmed offline using Catia software, while simple parts and the Mazaks are reckoned to be will be programmed online via the Mazak Mazatrol control. Offline generated ISO capable of cutting parts that call for code can be mixed with Mazatrol language in a single program. tolerances as low as 0.01 mm,with the Charmilles wire-cut EDM units www.machinery.co.uk ● MACHINERY 6 March 2004 17 COVER STORY Wacky facts ❐ To confirm that the building’s glazed façade would remain in place in strong winds, a jet engine was used offsite to direct a blast of air at it; ❐ Partitions can be sheer glass up to 4.2 m in height. They do not move even when doors are opened and closed; ❐ The 12 m ‘windblades’ that support the glass façade fronting the lake, and which also run between the vertical columns supporting the roof, are modelled on the rear wing support struts of the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours-winning McLaren F1 sportscar; ❐ Because of their size, these blades were manufactured using the expertise of Team McLaren Mercedes Technology Partner BAE Systems in similar manner to Airbus wing frames; ❐ Due to building height restrictions – no more than 11 m above ground - no chimney to vent engine exhaust could be built, so an air column 3 m in height transports fumes into the air at high speed; ❐ The lake is a receptacle for water used for wind tunnel cooling purposes (6000 litres/min).