Irvine, California – CGTech has released the next major version of VERICUT CNC machine simulation and optimization software. VERICUT 7.0 features significant performance-improving enhancements that reduce the time required for manufacturing engineers to develop, analyze, inspect and document the CNC programming and machining process. Instead of focusing on new features or add-on modules, CGTech developer resources have focused on diligent code optimization and customer-driven enhancements.

“VERICUT has been reorganized with a new user interface for maximum efficiency.” said Bill Hasenjaeger, Product Marketing Manager. “Not only is the software extremely stable and significantly faster, it has never been easier to set up a VERICUT project. This release will set a new standard for the world’s most advanced CNC simulation system.”

VERICUT Product/Function Overview:
VERICUT is CNC machine simulation, verification and optimization software that enables users to eliminate the process of manually proving-out NC programs. It reduces scrap loss and rework. The program also optimizes NC programs in order to both save time and produce higher quality surface finish. VERICUT simulates all types of CNC machine tools, including those from leading manufacturers such as Mazak, Makino, Matsuura, Hermle, DMG, DIXI, Mori Seiki and Chiron. VERICUT runs standalone, but can also be integrated with leading CAM systems such as Catia V5, NX, Pro/E, MasterCAM, EdgeCAM and GibbsCAM.

GUI UPDATES
CGTech sought to reduce the number of pop-up dialogs for day-to-day VERICUT users and eliminate any confusion associated with “Apply”, “OK” and “Cancel” buttons. As a result, setting up a new project in VERICUT has been simplified. Items formerly in pop-up dialogs have been moved to the Project Tree, where all projects are now configured by using an intuitive configuration panel automatically displayed as the user selects each branch. Actions are immediate, so “Apply” or “Okay” clicks are unnecessary.

The Component Tree has also been merged into the Project Tree but can be optionally hidden, depending on the user’s requirements. Additionally, the Project menu is now much simpler with menu actions moved to the Project Tree. All these updates mean the user can stop hunting through menus to find the dialog the user need; everything the user needs is now in one place.

MOTION CHANGES
VERICUT 7.0’s motion processing is all new. Thousands of development hours have gone toward optimizing VERICUT’s internal code for the fastest, most efficient motion simulation to date. Motion Simulation refers to how VERICUT calculates the motion path from the NC data and animates it. The motion in all view-types is now coordinated and tool images are consistent. Collision tolerance and motion display are independent. When set to stop at a travel limit, the simulation continues the motion with axis clamped, while any cuts during a limit error are painted red. A 5-axis NC block is now one motion and simulation times overall are shorter due to improved efficiency.

It is now possible to pause VERICUT in the middle of an NC block. Pressing Pause halts VERICUT immediately. The busy light is yellow when paused in the middle of an NC block, and displays green when stopped at the end of an NC block. If paused mid-motion the user can complete the current block by pressing the Step button. If paused mid-cycle, pressing the Step button will finish the multi-motion cycle. Several new Step options are available by right-mouse clicking the Step button. These allow the user to step into, over, or to the end of any subroutines used in the user’s NC program sequence.

Users now have more control over Drill Cycles. Options for “Full Motion” & “Bottom Only” add the same cycle time and only control the animation display. “No Motion” removes material and adds cycle time but without any animation, and “Ignore” skips the cycle with no added time. Drill, turn, and pocket cycles stop immediately, and can be continued to the end with Step or Play, while turn cycles prompt the user to finish the cycle or jump to the end.

COLLISION DETECTION
All collision configuration is now done via the collision branch in the Project Tree. 5.x and 6.x collision configurations are upward compatible and read into 7.0. This central location for all collision control eliminates any possibility of duplicate collision checks. All current functionality is maintained. The user can define a near-miss collision with cut stock, and all near-miss and actual collision errors are separated in the logger. Components turn red upon first display of the collision contact, instead of at the end of the colliding motion.

CAM INTEGRATION
VERICUT can read NX Part Files directly when NX is on the same computer. NX parts can be referenced either directly from within VERICUT, or via the NX-to-VERICUT interface.

The CATIA V5–To-VERICUT Interface has been enhanced with many new features for managing tools. The user can merge tools from a template with new tools from the Part Operation, and optionally put all unique tools in one tool library. The user can also use CATIA-referenced STL models. VERICUT holders are now named using the holder names already defined in CATIA. Additional new features include the option to specify work offset subsystems and set model tolerances for the stock, fixture and design models. The interface optionally remembers the last options used. When working with multiple setups, the design model is only output in the first setup and moves with the cut stock.

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS

* VERICUT and the VERICUT license server are now Vista compatible
* Option to automatically set working directory to current project’s folder
* Optionally write and display thumbnail images in the project and machine files
* Include visible CSYS in Report images
* Adding a new setup renames the currently selected setup and increments its number
* Minimum Cutter Extension option: Do not shorten
* Polar measure in X-caliper
* X-caliper measurement markers stay on screen
* Save machine images and display thumbnail images in both the file selection dialog and in the choice list
* A configurable tool bar gives the user the ability to add/remove individual icons and display them in the order that works best for the user

Altenstadt, Germany, September 3, 2009 --- CNC multi-axis grinding machines using NUM's NUMROTOplus 3D simulation and control software are helping Miller Präzisionswerkzeuge GmbH to manufacture a new series of high-performance MAPAL-brand solid carbide twist drills. The new drill tools employ complex optimised profiles to accelerate cutting speeds.

The NUMROTOplus software allowed Miller Präzisionswerkzeuge to visualise and optimise the complex machining process required to produce the new drills in 3D, before putting the new drill range into volume production.

"The NUMROTO features helped during the development of our latest MAPAL drill products, and we made extensive use of the advanced 3D simulation capabilities of NUMROTOplus software, including its tool collision monitoring procedures, to optimise our manufacturing process," says Ulrich Krenzer, Technical Director of Miller Präzisionswerkzeuge. "We have used NUM's CNC software for a number of years, and are now in the processing of running it out across all our machines. By effectively standardising on this one package, with a consistent user interface, we will reduce our personnel training costs and help maximise productivity, while maintaining the product quality for which we are renowned."

To cope with demand, Miller Präzisionswerkzeuge recently doubled the size of its R&D and manufacturing operations at Altenstadt in Germany, culminating in the opening of a new 7000 m2 production facility in November 2008. The facility contains more than 40 CNC grinding machines equipped with the NUMROTOplus software - which operate for three shifts per day, 365 days of the year - making it one of the most modern solid carbide tool and drill production plants in the world.

It is widely acknowledged that more than 30 percent of productive machine time is nowadays taken up by drilling operations. Typically, these include pilot drilling and pre-centring, drilling, reaming, countersinking, boring out, de-burring and thread cutting. By combining some of these operations in a single step, it is possible to decrease machine time significantly, but only if the drilling tools feature task-optimised profile geometries - factors such as chip removal, heat dissipation and tool stability are critical.

The new MAPAL 'Mega Speed Drill' is designed for high speed drilling of steel and iron. It features an asymmetric tip, with reinforced cutting edges. The 3 margins are designed in such a way that the drill will slightly oversize the holes and the friction between the margin lands and the workpiece will be minimised. This geometry makes the drill relatively insensitive to high cutting edge temperatures and corner wear. The specific, polished flute geometry guarantees a free flow of chips. The drill can be applied with a very high cutting speed of about 200 m/min when machining steel, enabling drilling times to be reduced by as much as 70 percent compared to conventional products. For example, when used to drill annealed 42CrMo4 under these high performance cutting conditions, the tool has a typical lifetime of 60 to 70 m, reducing the production cost per bore by as much as 50 percent.

Miller Präzisionswerkzeuge has also just developed a twist drill which produces a bore with a flat 180 degree bottom. Normally, this would require two machining operations, one to drill the bore to the required depth and one to perform counter-boring. A special tip profile on the new 'Mega Drill 180' effectively combines the two operations in a single machine cycle. The drills are ground with an S-shaped point thinning, which delivers good chip control and a profiled concave flank to produce a flat bottom hole. The tool can also be applied for piloting at inclined surfaces. The flat point reduces here the radial forces compared to conventional drill points with a 140° point angle.

CGTECH has released version 7.0 of its VERICUT CNC machine simulation and optimisation software.According to CGTech, VERICUT 7.0 include performance-improving enhancements that reduce the time required for manufacturing engineers to develop, analyse, inspect and document the CNC programming and machining process.
CGTech claims VERICUT 7.0 is more stable and significantly faster than previous versions. As a CNC machine simulation, verification and optimisation software, VERICUT helps users eliminate the process of manually proving-out NC programs, reducing scrap loss and rework.
VERICUT simulates all types of CNC machine tools, including those from Mazak, Makino, Matsuura, Hermle, DMG, DIXI, Mori Seiki and Chiron.The software runs standalone, but can be integrated with CAM systems such as CATIA V5, NX, Pro/E, MasterCAM, EdgeCAM and GibbsCAM.

September 1, 2009 - Utilizing FHSS technology, Touch Probe Systems allow automated job set-up and in-process measurement of all sizes of CNC machine tools. Model RMP40, measuring 40 mm in dia and 50 mm long, is suited for multi-axis and mill-turn applications in which line-of-sight between probe and interface cannot be maintained. Designed for hostile turning environments, Model RLP40 is sealed to IPX8 and further protected by eyelid that prevents high velocity swarf and chips from causing damage.

New Ultra-Compact Radio Transmission Touch Probes Bring Probing Benefits to a Wider Range of CNC Machine Tools

Renishaw adds to its market-leading range of probe and software products with new touch probe systems for machines, including lathes, where line-of-sight issues cause difficulties or optical signal transmission.

Renishaw is making waves with the introduction of new touch probe systems that use its unique frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) probe signal radio transmission technology to allow automated job set-up and in-process measurement on all sizes of CNC machine tools. The new ultra-compact RMP40 probe is especially suited to multi-axis and mill-turn applications, whilst its variant, the RLP40 touch probe, is specifically designed for more hostile turning environments. A transmission only module RMP40M is also being introduced.

Wide range of touch probes with radio transmission

These new products reinforce Renishaw's world leading range of probe systems and probing software, which bring a range of user benefits including reduced set-up times, reduced scrap, reduced fixture costs and improved process control. The range of radio-based inspection probes already includes the multi-award winning RMP60 touch probe, and the class-leading high accuracy RMP600 probe with Renishaw's patented Rengage(TM) 3D strain gauge technology.

Measuring just 40 mm in diameter and 50 mm long, the RMP40 probe system pairs the compactness of Renishaw's award-winning OMP40 optical transmission probe system with the robustness and versatility of Renishaw's unique FHSS radio transmission. This combination means that the RMP40 is suited for use on all sizes of machine tools, particularly multi-axis and mill-turn applications in which line-of-sight between the inspection probe and its interface cannot always be maintained.

Unique probe signal transmission system

The RMP40's FHSS radio transmission is the same unique yet tried-and-trusted system used by Renishaw's existing RMP60 and RMP600 probes in thousands of applications worldwide. It pairs with the standard Radio Machine Interface (RMI) and utilises the 2.4GHz frequency band, allowing it to be 'worldwide legal' so that machine tool builders and users can specify and operate the same types of probes wherever they are located. It also delivers unrivalled levels of robustness and flexibility through frequency diversity, whereby the probe and its interface continually hop from one transmission channel to another. This eliminates 'dead spots' within the working environment and allows the system to avoid radio interference, both of which are common problems for other fixed-channel and non-hopping radio transmission inspection probes.

Naturally the RMP40 touch probe incorporates Renishaw's patented Trigger Logic(TM) set-up and mode selection menus. This allows users to quickly and easily configure their probe systems to their own specific requirements, without tricky disassembly routines or changes to tiny switches.

New radio touch probe for CNC lathes

Sharing many features in common with the RMP40 touch probe, the RLP40 is a radio transmission inspection probe system for lathes, whilst the RMP40M is a radio transmission module that incorporates an industry-standard M16 adaptor for use with Renishaw's proven LP2 family of lathe probes.

Although it incorporates all of the key features and benefits of the RMP40, the RLP40 touch probe has been specially packaged to withstand the extreme environments more typical of lathes and turning centres. Like all Renishaw probes it is sealed to IPX8, but is further protected by a user-serviceable eyelid that prevents high velocity swarf and chips from causing damage.

The RMP40M module also gives all the benefits of the RMP40 system, allowing the flexibility of its FHSS radio transmission system to be applied to those situations in which the LP2 family of touch probes, adaptors and options are necessary.

Retrofit to existing machine tools

With a combined package of user-friendly operation, robustness, extreme flexibility and proven reliability, both the RMP40 and RLP40 probe systems are highly desirable and versatile additions to Renishaw's ever-growing family of inspection probes, and can be retrofitted to existing installations. Importantly for user confidence they are also backed by a trusted worldwide network of service, support and applications expertise.

Renishaw's range of tool setting probes, inspection probes and probe software caters for the complete cross-section of machine tool probing applications, from the setting of tools and workpieces through to process control and complex On-Machine Verification tasks, whether on simple milling machine or a complex multi-axis machine tool.

Find out further information about Renishaw's market-leading range of CNC machine tool probe systems and software

Two new tools, two patents filed, one purpose - thanks to the innovations of the roller deburring tool and the deburring MultiTool, sheet metal parts come out of the punching machine burr-free. This means that reworking in a separate manual stage, which was often necessary, is no longer needed. In the case of coated sheets and formed parts, this significantly reduces throughput times.

Both tools have something in common: they displace the burr and chamfer the edges (about 0.1mm).

The roller deburring tool uses a specially formed embossing roll for long edges and contours with a radius of more than 20mm.

In connection with the MultiShear tool (punching tool for outer and inner contours without disruptive nibble marks) the tool produces excellent edge quality as a result - for example in service openings of finished parts.

The three-way deburring MultiTool is suited to handle smaller radii, intricate geometries and corners in a single stroke or in nibble mode.

Various embossing contours take over this task as inserts in the die.

Both tools are suitable for sheet thicknesses of up to 2.5mm in steel, stainless steel and aluminum.

They are controlled by the TruTops Punch programming system.

The innovations submitted for patent protection have an additional benefit: the risk of injury is reduced when handling parts.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/tru/tru255.html

Mate Precision Tooling announces the expansion of its range of MPG grinders designed to precisely and automatically regrind punches and dies in order to maintain optimum condition for the highest quality punch press fabrication. Easy to set up and operate, Mate MPG grinders feature multiple user-specified grinding programs for grinding consistency. Highly accurate, the grinders allow for material removal in increments as small as 0.0002in to provide precise sharpening while avoiding overgrinding.

Precise roughing and finishing feed and speed controls ensure optimum grinding conditions for a full range of tooling applications, from the narrowest punch to the largest die.

A typical grinding cycle takes just 2 to 5 min for perfect re-sharpening.

The Mate MPG Grinder is available in two versions.

The original MPG grinder allows manual adjustment of the grinding wheel relative to the top of the tool component.

The new MPG grinder features a laser sensor to automatically detect the wheel position relative to the tool.

Both models feature a fully enclosed work area, which make them ideal for use in close proximity to punching machines.

Each version is equipped with long-lasting CBN grinding wheel for optimal grinding finishes across a wide range of tool steels.

Additional Mate MPG Grinder features include: universal grinding fixture that locates the widest variety of tool styles and station sizes; graduated angle plate to allow punches with shear to be ground; ergonomically designed keypad facilitates fast programming; control panel with touch pad has easy-to-read LCD screen; automatic coolant control delivers coolant to the grinding wheel; universal design accommodates all tooling styles including thick and thin turret, Trumpf style, multi-tool systems and more.


http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/mep/mep128.html

A NEW CNC punching machine, available through Advanced Sheetmetal Technologies, can reduce standard manufacturing time, realise complex work pieces, and provide maximum exploitation of the tool loaded in the machine.

The Tecnoindex 30 from Technology Italiana provides a workshop with efficiency and flexibility in punching through precision, reliability, and fast working modality.

Swiftness and accuracy is mainly achieved through the machine's rotating tool on the C-axis (from 0° to 360° with centesimal accuracy), so it reduces standard manufacturing time and handles complex work pieces.

Within the Tecnoindex range are three different machines: 1050mm x 1550mm, 1550mm x 1550mm and 1500mm x 2000mm, each of which allows a high level of customisation in production.

A C-shaped frame, characteristic of all Tecnology Italiana's punching machines, ensures a greater flexibility in use, thus maintaining stability and stiffness in order to obtain an optimal precision.

Plate references for both axes located on a single bar allow a precise zero setting and the loading of the metal sheet anywhere along the working range.

A front tipping table is equipped with a depressor for the releasing of the single workpiece or scrap obtained from multiple machining.

Continuous numeric control is achieved using Technology Italiana's own CNC Tecnocontrol GE Fanuc 18pi-PB with MS Windows graphic interface, which is easy to use and clear to see.

It allows simultaneous management of five absolute axes, is touchscreen operated, has a multitask function to allow programming even during the machining process, and permits entering of data from network, floppy disk, and CD ROM.

The Technoindex 30 is simple enough to operate so even a less frequent user on the machine will not normally reduce manufacturing time.

An indexed tool which eliminates manual operations to change the tool orientation facilitates faster execution speed with a higher flexibility. It reduces unemployed times, gross productivity, gives better quality and lesser wear of tools and allows the machining of any workpiece.

JETCAM Expert programming software is optional in four different configurations. This allows standard automatic functions including: automatic tool positioning, automatic nesting, complete simulation and automatic repositioning. There is also a possibility to install a CAD 3D software to design and develop sheet metal machining.

Tools

The Tecnoindex 30 has four different sets of tool holders: series 15, series 40, series 70 and series 100 which exploit to the utmost the metal sheet and consequent work on its entire workspace.

The nibbling tool has a continuous lubrication system. Special tools can be made on request based on a customer's drawings (also for special buckling and multiple drill) and it is possible to use special bent tools (whisper tools) to exert a cut similar to shearing but with less stress, less power and less noise, without affecting the performances (this is particularly suited for thick materials).

A large connection surface and a stable fixing system allow a better precision during the cutting. Its tools are compatible with all Tecnology's punching machines. Compensation for reground tools is up to 5mm.

The Multimatic system

This tooling system allows the possibility to house no. 5 series 15 standard tools of any shape. It lets the user operate the machine as an automatic tool change with five stations and provides automatic station change.

From 0.1mm to 8mm

Machining is possible up to 8mm of thickness, repositioning can be achieved to machine sheet sizes larger than the operation range on the X axis, and the unit can work on sheet edges, bars and plane surfaces, from copper to stainless steel material.

There is also the possibility to make any kind of forming operation and vary the tool penetration during the machining. As an option, threading can be done with FIL-MATIC.

M achining of work pieces with folded edges

A special configuration of the clamps allows the punching of pre-filled components (even on all four sides). This same clamp arrangement allows for the punching of L and U shaped sections.

T echnical features include the following (based on the Technoindex 30 TCNX 2000 model):

Rated power capacity is 300kN, X-axis work range -40 ÷ 2000mm, Y-axis work range -40 ÷ 1500mm, X-axis work range has a repositioning of -40 ÷ 4000mm, maximum positioning speed on the X-axis is 85m/min, on the Y-axis it is 60m/min, and on simultaneous axes 104m/min.

Position accuracy is ± 0.1mm, maximum shearing diameter is 100mm, maximum punching and nibbling thickness is 8mm, compensation for reground tools is 5mm, adjustable stroke length of 0 ÷ 20mm, maximum weight of metal sheet during working is 150kg, and minimum time for tool change is five seconds.

Tool rotation (C-axis) is 50rpm and tool rotation accuracy on the C-axis of 0.01 degrees. When machining a workpiece with folded edges with standard clamps, the edge h is 20mm; with special clamps the edge h is 30mm.

Pneumatic feeding is 6 bar, minimum compressed air capacity is 200l/min., absorbed capacity is 14kW, overall dimensions measure 3950 x 4050 x 2450mm and overall weight is 8000kg.


http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/cf/0c042ecf.asp

CNC bed-type milling machine has than paid for itself in the machining of the 32 tonnes of steel for tooling plates used in the robotic fabrication of prison cell doors.

Fern Engineering Systems is using an XYZ SMX 5000 manual/CNC bed mill to machine various sizes of steel tooling plate for a self-contained robotic welding cell The bed mill, with solid Meehanite ribbed cast iron construction and induction hardened and ground slides and Turcite-B coated ways, has been in continuous use since its installation

Owner of Fern, Andrew Beckley said the bed mill had more than paid for itself in the machining of the 32 tonnes of steel needed to produce tooling plates for the robotic welding cell.

The welding cell is for Cell Security, which will produce different designs of cell doors destined for prisons, police stations and other security applications worldwide.

At Welding Security, the tooling plates can be changed in 10 min or less, allowing various designs of cell door to be fabricated quickly and accurately in a wide range of sizes.

Located at Whitebirk, Blackburn, Fern was set up by Andrew Beckley and Paul Jackson in January 2004.

Fern has always had a company policy to control the entire manufacturing process, which is why Fern took delivery in 2007 of the XYZ SMX 5000 manual/CNC bed mill.

The SMX 5000 has a 5.75kW (7.5HP)/5000 rev/min main spindle serving a 1930mm by 356mm table having a load capacity of 850kg.

X- and Y-axis travels are 1524mm by 596mm.

These specifications made the SMX 5000 an ideal choice for the machining of the various sizes of steel tooling plate used in Cell Security's robotic welding cell.

* Robotic welding cells - on average Fern Engineering Systems builds and ships a bespoke automated welding cell every 8.6 weeks, each one designed as a skid-mounted unit for ease of transportation and installation.

It took less than 12 weeks - from the initial enquiry from Cell Security to delivery on site - and just over 4h for the welding cell to be fully operational.

Before welding cell installation it took up to 10h for Cell Security to construct and manually weld each security door.

The robotic welding cell does the job in as little as 40 min.

Fern employs eight people and Beckley said it is important to maintain the flexibility and fast response of a small business.

This, he adds, requires every member of the team to be multi-skilled.

So, although a control engineer by training, he is equally at home developing and refining the company's proprietary Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software or machining components for the latest project.

He said: "Engineering companies that we know do good work have XYZ machines and we took note of their recommendations when it came to our choice of machine tool".

XYZ told manufacturingtalk that it was a demonstration at XYZ Machine Tools' regional showroom in Blackburn that provided convincing evidence to Fern of the manual/CNC bed mill's metal removal capability and the ease of use of its ProtoTRAK SMX control.

This latest-generation CNC is deesigned for 'one-off' and low volume production.

The CNC uses plain English prompts and requires no learning of codes, allowing an operator with little or no CNC experience to operate the SMX 5000 within a day, said XYZ.

"It is this ease of use that really appeals," said Beckley, "As it is in line with our own business practice. Request a free brochure from XYZ Machine Tools ...

We were, for example, awarded a contract by a major automotive parts manufacturer for a system to control 71 automated welding cells after we were able to demonstrate conclusively the flexibility and cost savings achievable with our custom-written Production Management Tools software compared with more expensive off-the-shelf SCADA packages.".

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/xyz/xyz239.html

In spite of the complex machining and demanding materials used by subcontractor Crownfield Engineering, the company said ITC tool life is good, and surface finish impressive.

Buckinghamshire, UK-based Crownfield Engineering said it had founded its machining success on the use of cutting tools supplied by ITC, which supplies most of milling cutters used Crownfield Engineering was established in 1966 as a precision subcontract machinist

The company specialises in what it describes as 'high end' machining that few other subcontractors will attempt.

Industries served include aerospace, defence, instrumentation and medical.

The 24-employee, family-owned Crownfield said it had relied on a large range of milling cutters supplied by ITC.

These include the following.

* 2001 and 2041 Series two-flute carbide cutters for high metal removal rates.

* 2052 Series two-flute ballnose end mills specifically for machining aluminium.

* 3011/3021 Series three-flute HSS high performance end mills.

Managing director of Crownfield, David Bird, said: "ITC ensure that our essential needs are covered and that stock is replenished on a Kanban-type system.

The ITC representative calls by on a regular basis and liaises directly with the machine operators to make sure everything is in hand".

He continued: "Placing the responsibility on ITC means there is one thing less for us to worry about in what is a very busy machine shop.

Our customers are increasingly demanding a 'total' service from us, so we don't see why things should be any different for our suppliers".

Materials processed at Crownfield range from aluminium and steel through to titanium and more 'exotic' alloys such as aluminium-bronze for certain defence jobs.

Many of the parts feature complex geometry that require the services of one of the various multi-axis CNC Matsuura machining centres used at the 10,000ft2 Crownfield facility.

"Having a machine tool with the capability to offer high speeds and feeds that are compromised by inappropriate or inadequate tooling is not far short of a crime," opined Bird.

"Or, put another way, if you spend GBP 300,000 on a machining centre and it's labouring because of incorrect tool selection then it's a pretty sorry state of affairs".

He explained: "It's imperative we achieve maximum productivity from our investments and that is one of the reasons why we continue to use ITC.

The cutters they supply never fail to respond to our demands".

In spite of the complex machining and demanding materials, Bird said that ITC tool life is good, and that surface finish is impressive.

Many of the parts machined by the company have faces to accept seals, gaskets or O-rings where it is vital to attain a superior finish.

"Crownfield's unique selling point is that we never compromise on quality," said Bird.

"Quality has to be 100%, which is why we invest in high quality machine tools and high quality cutting tools".

The ISO9002-accredited company handles all types of work from prototype and pre-production engineering through to complete production schedules (from urgent response to long term collaborative planning), which also involves moving beyond machined components into the supply of complete assemblies.


http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/itc/itc163.html

Midas Pattern has invested in the latest CorreaAnayak Diana 25 Universal CNC Bed Milling Centre to manufacture even larger polyurethane RIM moldings.

Based in Bedfordshire, UK, Midas Pattern Company manufactures high quality polyurethane RIM moldings and PUR castings To produce even larger mouldings while still maintaining the highest accuracy, Midas has invested in the latest CorreaAnayak Diana 25 Universal CNC Bed Milling Centre

The Diana 25 has an overall length exceeding 6m, a width of 5m and a height of 2.8m, and is fitted with a 2.3m table.

Midas told manufacturingtalk that the CorreaAnayak Diana range has been designed specifically for applications requiring complex and accurate milling and boring operations of the type that Midas is often called upon to perform to manufacture large moulds for its customers.

The bed of the Diana 25 machine is constructed in heavy duty GG-30 cast alloy to support the table, which can carry loads up to 3500kg.

The machine is fully compliant with CE directives and the spindle working area is enclosed with splash guarding to protect the operator against swarf and coolant splash.

The auto-indexing 360 deg double swivel milling head, which has an integral spring-loaded tool retention system, allows for vertical and horizontal milling as well as other intermediate positions.

The milling head offers a maximum cutting speed of 3000 rev/min.

To ensure that indexing positions are maintained under strong cutting conditions, whole auto indexing positions are locked into position by a Hirth-type radially toothed coupling in conjunction with a combined hydro-mechanical clamping system, controlled by a high precision rotating encoder.

Midas managing director, Alan Rance, said the investment in the Correa machine allows the company to offer its customers greater speed, reactivity and flexibility on rotational mould tools, PUR tooling, models and patterns.

He said: "The size and flexibility of the machine meshes perfectly with our range of CNC machines and truly enables Midas to compete with the best on all machining fronts".

Director for DTS (UK) main UK agent for Correa, Gary Sanderson, said: "Midas selected the Diana from a wide range of available machines and the investment will add fantastic flexibility to their existing portfolio of machines".


http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/mvi/mvi104.html

The latest Gildemeister Sprint50linear slant bed mill-turn centre with optimised access and improved visibility, provides three independent 12-station turrets and each position having a driven tool capability. A major advantage is that either three driven tools or fixed tools can be engaged simultaneously for competitive cycle times.

The slant bed machine design provides a Y-axis cross-feed as standard to the third turret slide and, as an option, to the two lower turrets. Each of the 36 driven tool positions has 3.7 kW of power available and 5,000 rpm with a maximum torque of 18 Nm for effective chip removal when milling or drilling.

The stroke of the Y-axis on the upper turret is ±30 and ±25 mm when applied as an option to the other two lower turrets. Fully integrated main and counter spindles both have 15 kW, 6,000 rpm motors and full C-axis interpolation or positioning with a pneumatically controlled fast-acting clamping system.


http://www.machinery.co.uk/article/

The latest Gildemeister CNC slant-bed mill-turn centre has three independent 12 station turrets so that either three driven tools or fixed tools can be cutting simultaneously

DMG said that the latest Gildemeister SPRINT50linear slant bed mill-turn centre, using three independent 12 station turrets, allows either three driven tools or fixed tools to cut metal simultaneously to shorten cycle times. The mill-turn centre provides optimised access and improved

The Gildemeister SPRINT50linear has two 15kW integrated motors driving the main and secondary spindles.

High speed 40m/min rapid traverse rates are achieved with an acceleration of 10m/sec2 using the latest linear drive technology.

This specification, said DMG of Luton, UK, provides significant increases in productivity for complete machining of a whole range of components from bar up to 51mm diameter.

* Machine rigidity - rigidity of the 7.5 tonne mill-turn centre makes it ideal for small batch to continuous/unmanned production, said DMG to manufacturingtalk.

The slant bed centre has a Y-axis cross-feed as standard to the third turret slide and, as an option, also to the two lower turrets.

Each of the 36 driven tool positions, has 3.7kW of power available and spindle speed of up to 5,000 rev/min.

Maximum torque is 18Nm for effective chip removal when milling or drilling.

The software can carry out highly precise thread whirling cycles too, said DMG.

The stroke of the Y-axis on the upper turret is +/-30mm and +/-25mm when applied as an option to the other two lower turrets.

Fully integrated main and counter spindles both have 15kW, 6,000 rev/min motors and full C-axis interpolation or positioning with a pneumatically controlled fast-acting clamping system.

A part pick-up device has two pneumatic axes to interface with an outfeed parts conveyor that ensure finished parts are controlled and to prevent damage during unloading.

* CNC system - control is through a Fanuc 300iS system, which is ergonomically positioned with a large screen display that forms part of the Gildemeister Group's latest modern design.

The new enclosure gives full height access to the working area and excellent vision through a large scratch resistant safety glass panel in the door guard.

The control can also be linked to the Gildemeister range of 'Power Tools' innovative software such as the DMG Production Manager and DMG Netservice.

The new guarding design has ultra-modern flush surfaces of hard coated reinforced material and brush chrome.

Incorporated in the design is DMG's LIGHTline, a highly visible machine operational status indicator that can be seen around the entire machine.


http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/dmg/dmg276.html

Vol 16, Issue 3
Rapid manufacturing and prototyping specialist, Ogle Models, has introduced a flame retardant plastic to the range of materials that it uses to produce components for customers. Designated PA 2210 FR, the powder is produced by EOS for use in its laser-sintering machines, of which Ogle operates three, two of which were bought in June 2008 as part of a £1 million investment.

The company believes it is one of the first RM/RP bureaus in Europe to run the fire resistant material in its machines. Already it has produced two sets of parts for the cabin and fuel tank of an aircraft in quantities ranging from 50- to 200-off, said sales and marketing director, David Bennion.

The polyamide PA 2210 FR was especially designed to meet the flammability, smoke and toxicity standards for the civil aerospace industry. Airplane manufacturer like Boeing, Dassault, Embraer and others have successfully tested the new material. PA 2210 FR typically qualifies for "flying hardware" with wall thicknesses down to 2 mm.

In the telecommunications industry, Ogle has for some time been producing a fire retardant, fibre optic tray for communications towers using a combination of stereolithography (SLA) and vacuum casting. The process used to be time-consuming and relatively expensive. The same

part is now laser-sintered in one operation using PA 2210 FR in quantities up to 180-off, without the need for tooling, resulting in a 30 per cent cost saving for the customer.

Recent investment at Ogle’s product development service centre in Letchworth has seen a near doubling of floor area, giving more space to develop both the traditional model making and CNC prototyping sides of its business. Clients include many blue chip organisations such as Bentley and GlaxoSmithKline as well as leading design, building and architectural firms including Laing O’Rourke, Arup and KPF.

The first EOS plastic laser-sintering machine, an EOSINT P 385, was installed at Letchworth in 2000, but for the last 18 months it has been working to capacity, 24 hours a day. Ogle’s rapid prototyping director, Steve Willmott, commented that the machine has been upgraded twice by EOS to take advantage of improvements in laser-sintering. The result has been a 30 per cent increase in productivity and a 50 per cent improvement in component quality.

A step-change in performance came with the installation of the two latest machines, a larger EOSINT P 730 with 700 x 380 x 580 mm build volume and a smaller 200 x 250 x 330 mm capacity FORMIGA P 100.

Said Mr Willmott, “New control software makes these machines much easier to operate, as no guesswork or experience is needed to set the scaling factor that allows for shrinkage of the part. “There is less of a problem in X and Y as shrinkage is linear, but it is non-linear in Z. The latest EOS software applies compensation in all three axes automatically, making it quicker to set up a new job.”

He went on to say that the twin-laser P 730 is 40 per cent faster than earlier laser-sintering machines, producing components that look as though they have been moulded and with better dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Key to the improvement is the 0.12 mm standard layer thickness, down from 0.15 mm on the P 385.

Similarly the FORMIGA P 100 does everything that the large machine is able to, but within a smaller work volume, yet to even higher accuracy thanks to the 0.1 mm layer thickness. An early contract fulfilled by Ogle using this machine was for a customer in the medical sector, whose fine tolerance, nylon parts were previously made by SLA and vacuum casting in a longer lead time and at higher cost.

Series production of laser-sintered plastic components is becoming the norm at Ogle, in addition to ones and twos for prototype applications. A good example is the manufacture of parts in batches of several hundred for a thermal imaging camera used in search and rescue work.

From a CAD model supplied by the customer, laser-sintering is used to make the chassis that supports the thermal imaging screen and the electronics. No hard tooling is required, so any alteration in design is easily accommodated without additional expense.

A big advantage of additive layer manufacturing by laser-sintering is that the process is fully self-supporting, allowing parts to be built within other parts and with complex geometries that could not be realised any other way. These attributes lower the cost of production and at the same time offer unfettered freedom of design. Moreover, the resulting components are strong and rigid enough to be used in places where they may be subjected to mechanical and thermal stress.

By way of illustration, Mr Bennion described a project that Ogle carried out for a rally team. Prototype under-bonnet parts previously machined from aluminium and composites, specifically for the air inlet catch tank and head breather, were replaced by laser-sintered, aluminium-filled nylon, reducing both the weight and cost of the new car. The integrity of the parts was maintained during seven days of rigorous endurance and reliability tests in Europe, during which the car clocked up 1,400 km.



http://www.tctmagazine.com/x/guideArchiveArticle.html?id=10425

Trumpf will be showing the superior marking quality of its latest laser marking systems at Interplas in the UK and laser welding and marking at MEDTEC in Ireland, later in 2008.

The Trumpf TruMark marking lasers are characterised by superior mark quality and a high level of application flexibility The marks are fast, abrasion-resistant and durable At Interplas - to be held at the NEC, Birmingham, UK, September 30-October 2, 2008, Trumpf will show its extremely compact and versatile TruMark 3020 on stand J132.

In Ireland, medical manufactures can visit Trumpf on stand 132 at MEDTEC in Galway, September 24 and 25, to see the TruMark Series 6000 marking laser.

It is characterised by superior mark quality and a high level of flexibility, allowing seamless traceability of medical instruments and implants.

* Interplas - the Trumpf TruMark marking lasers are characterised by superior mark quality and a high level of application flexibility.

The marks are fast, abrasion-resistant and durable.

Visitors will see marking achieved even when the product is moving, or if the mark has to be performed on several levels without moving the laser or the component.

High-contrast marking on plastics materials is achieved by Trumpf's superior beam quality and very stable pulse-to-pulse stability.

The Trumpf TruMark product programme now includes models with wavelengths in the IR range from 1064 - 532nm up to near UV with 355nm.

All are designed for easy programming and operation and available with a range of software options to suit a variety of marking tasks.

TruMark may be specified for integration into an automated production line or as a stand-alone workstation with Class 1 safety enclosure and integrated fume extractor.

* TruMark 3020 - one of the most recent additions is the TruMark 3020.

It is extremely compact and versatile, and is uitable for all marking tasks in the infrared range.

The TruMark 3020 has high beam quality and high pulse peak power enabling it to mark almost any material, said Trumpf.

Trumpf told manufacturingtalk that this marking versatility is complemented by the unit's ability to operate in ambient temperatures of up to 40 deg C without a problem.

It is also cooled by air rather than water making it self-contained and virtually maintenance free.

Extras such as a pilot laser and optical focus adjustment can be specified but even with these additions the total laser package still weighs less than 10kg.

The TruMark 3020 is less than a quarter of the size of the VectorMark compact laser, allowing it to be easily integrated into other systems.

It also uses comparatively little power: Trumpf said that its latest generation of marking lasers uses around 80% less power than its predecessors.

* MEDTEC - Trumpf pulsed solid-state lasers are easily customised owing to their modular optics design and extensive choice of focussing optics.

Beam splitting allows one laser unit to undertake simultaneous welding at up to six locations.

Typical of this range is the TruPulse 124 laser that has been specifically designed for high pulse-to-pulse stability and especially suitable for closing the titanium housings of pacemakers, defibrillators and implanted pumps.

Precision welding of thin foil, fine wire and thin-walled tubing are also possible with the advanced pulse energy of the TruPulse lasers.

The PFO 20 programmable focussing optics typically complete this system ensuring high beam on time and increased productivity.

The Trumpf TruMark Series 6000 marking lasers are characterised by superior mark quality and a high level of flexibility allowing seamless traceability of medical instruments and implants.

The marks are fast, abrasion-resistant and durable.

MEDTEC visitors will see 'marking on the fly' and when the mark has to be performed on several levels without moving the laser or the component.

High-contrast marking on most materials - metals, plastics and ceramics - is achieved by Trumpf's superior beam quality and very stable pulse-to-pulse stability.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/tru/tru293.html

Early to recognize the advantages of CNC bending, Northern Tube (Pinconning, Michigan), a tier two supplier of tubular products for light, medium and heavy duty trucks, was also quick to see the benefits of robotic laser cutting over traditional mechanical drill/pierce equipment in hydroform applications, including increased quality and productivity.

Northern Tube recently replaced its original robotic laser cell system installed in 1995 with two new cells featuring FANUC (Rochester Hills, Michigan) robots mated with TRUMPF lasers, supplied by the TRUMPF Laser Technology Center (Plymouth Township, Michigan).

The system consists of two identical cells, each featuring two laser cutting robots and a ferris wheel-type part-indexing device. The system also incorporates two material handling robots, an incoming conveyor, a flush booth, an operator console and a main power panel. A key upgrade for the company is the new system's ability to verify the presence of the holes cut during the process versus the post-process probe method of the old system. A beam switching capability allows the supplier to fix any problems during the cutting process, providing high uptime.

The laser portion of each cell comprises two HL 1003 D 1-kW Nd:YAG lasers, proven to perform reliably in hydroforming applications. The HL 1003 D laser has a beam quality of 12 mm-mrad, said to be an optimal level for cutting. The focal diameter and position of the beam remain constant, even when the laser power is changed, allowing consistent processing results every time.

Key to the successful operation of lasers in a tough frame plant environment such as that at Northern Tube is minimizing the amount of time the laser cavity is opened so that contaminants have little access to reflective surfaces. The model HL 1003 D has a modular design that protects the internal laser cavity. Each laser cavity has its own power supply, which, like the cooling and control systems, is designed as a slide-in, module for easy service and maintenance.

Flash lamps are in the lid of the laser resonator. When the top is opened, the laser cavity is easily protected by simply placing a cloth over the chamber to shield the minors. Not that the lamps require frequent replacement--current lamp life ranges from 700 to 1,000 hours on these systems. Northern Tube has found the HL 1003 D resonator to be very reliable, operating with no water leaks, pumping chamber faults, rod failures or fiber faults.

The Nd:YAG lasers offer fiberoptic beam delivery through Z-axis cutting nozzles that use capacitive (non-contact) height sensing. Two six-axis FANUC M161 robots manipulate the nozzles of each system. Each robot moves to a specific point where the laser beam is activated to produce the specified hole shape in the part.

A dual-trunnion ferris wheel part indexer that transfers the parts in and out of the laser enclosure holds the frame rails. Both trunnions have the ability to manipulate the rail during processing to allow ideal positioning to the robots.

Frame rails are delivered to the robotic cells by two-tiered rail conveyors, which deliver both right and left rails. A material handling robot then transfers the rails to the ferris wheel indexer and the flush booth. A second material handling robot then grabs the rails and stacks them in a pallet.

Each frame rail weighs about 40.5 kilograms and is made from 4-mm thick cold rolled steel. The cutting speed of the lasers is 3 m (120 inches) per minute with hole-to-hole repeatability of plus or minus 0. mm. The holes be cut vary in size from 6 to 72 mm an come in a variety c shapes such as circles, slots, square and hexagons. Th two robots in each system cut 60 hole and trim the rails to length, processing left and right pair in 5 minutes.

An added value of the system, according to Northern Tube is the availability of remote diagnostics offered by the TRUMPF Laser Technology Center. Should the system experience trouble, the company's operator can dial into TRUMPF's online troubleshooting service. Up to 600 actual system parameters can be monitored and accessed at any time. Connecting with a modem permits remote transmission of all operating and control data, allowing a TRUMPE laser expert to analyze and quickly provide fault correction, eliminating unnecessary downtime.


http://findarticles.com/p/articles/

For prototype under-bonnet parts, Ogle Models replaced machined aluminium and composites parts with EOS laser-sintered, aluminium-filled nylon, reducing car weight and cost.

Rapid manufacturing and prototyping (RM, RP) specialist, Ogle Models, has introduced EOS PA 2210 FR flame retardant plastics to the range of materials it uses to produce components The powder is used in Ogle's three laser-sintering machines, two of which were bought in June 2008 as part of a GBP 1 million investment The UK company believed it is one of the first RM/RP bureaus in Europe to run the fire resistant material in its machines.

Already it has produced two sets of parts for the cabin and fuel tank of an aircraft in quantities ranging from 50- to 200-off, said sales and marketing director, David Bennion.

* Automotive - Bennion described a project that Ogle carried out for a rally team.

Prototype under-bonnet (hood) parts previously machined from aluminium and composites, specifically for the air inlet catch tank and head breather, were replaced by laser-sintered, aluminium-filled nylon.

The laser-sintered RP parts reduced the weight and cost of the new car.

Bennion said that the integrity of the parts was maintained during seven days of rigorous endurance and reliability tests in Europe, during which the car ran 1,400km.

* Aerospace - the EOS polyamide PA 2210 FR meets the flammability, smoke and toxicity standards for the civil aerospace industry.

Airplane manufacturers like Boeing, Dassault, Embraer and others have successfully tested the new material, said EOS.

PA 2210 FR typically qualifies for 'flying hardware' with wall thicknesses down to 2mm.

* Telecommunications - in the telecommunications industry, Ogle has for some time been producing a fire retardant, fibre optic tray for communications towers using a combination of stereolithography (SLA) and vacuum casting.

The process used to be time-consuming and relatively expensive.

The same part is now laser-sintered in one operation using PA 2210 FR in quantities up to 180-off, without the need for tooling.

The benefit is a 30% cost saving.

Recent investment at Ogle's product development service centre in Letchworth has nearly doubled floor area, giving more space to develop the traditional model making and CNC prototyping sides of its business.

Clients include many 'blue chip' organisations such as Bentley and GlaxoSmithKline as well as leading design, building and architectural firms including Laing O'Rourke, Arup and KPF.

The first EOS plastic laser-sintering machine, an EOSINT P 385, was installed at Letchworth in 2000, but for the last 18 months it has been working to capacity, 24h/day.

Ogle's rapid prototyping director, Steve Willmott, said that the machine has been upgraded twice by EOS to take advantage of improvements in laser-sintering.

The result has been a 30% increase in productivity and a 50% improvement in component quality.

A step-change in performance came with the installation of the two latest machines, a larger EOSINT P 730 with 700 x 380 x 580mm build volume and a smaller 200 x 250 x 330mm capacity FORMIGA P 100.

Willmott explained: "New control software makes these machines much easier to operate, as no guesswork or experience is needed to set the scaling factor that allows for shrinkage of the part".

He continued: "There is less of a problem in X and Y as shrinkage is linear, but it is non-linear in Z.

The latest EOS software applies compensation in all three axes automatically, making it quicker to set up a new job".

He reported that the EOS twin-laser P 730 is 40% faster than earlier laser-sintering machines.

It produces components that look as though they have been moulded.

They also have better dimensional accuracy and surface finish.

Willmott believed that the key to the improvement is the 0.12mm standard layer thickness, down from 0.15mm on the P 385.

Similarly the FORMIGA P 100 does everything that the large machine is able to, but within a smaller work volume, yet to even higher accuracy thanks to the 0.1mm layer thickness.

An early contract fulfilled by Ogle using this machine was for a customer in the medical sector, whose fine tolerance, nylon parts were previously made by SLA and vacuum casting in a longer lead time and at higher cost.

* Series production - series production of laser-sintered plastics components is becoming routine at Ogle, in addition to ones and twos for prototype applications.

A good example is the manufacture of parts in batches of several hundred for a thermal imaging camera used in search and rescue work.

From a CAD model supplied by the customer, laser-sintering is used to make the chassis that supports the thermal imaging screen and the electronics.

No hard tooling is required, so any alteration in design is easily accommodated without additional expense.

EOS told manufa cturingtalk that a big advantage of additive layer manufacturing by laser-sintering is that the process is fully self-supporting.

It allows parts to be built within other parts and with complex geometries that could not be done in any other way.

These attributes lower the cost of production and at the same time offer unfettered freedom of design.

Moreover, the resulting components are strong and rigid enough to be used in places where they may be subjected to mechanical and thermal stress.


http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/eos/eos161.html

For those fabricators looking to move away from employing sub-contract plate profiling services, a co-ordinate gas cutting machine is being offered at a low 'entry level' price

For those fabricators looking to move away from employing sub-contract plate profiling services, the Ultrarex UXB co-ordinate gas cutting machine is being offered at 'entry level prices - an economical way of bringing plate profiling in-house. Esab Automation, Andover, said the machine has low capital investment cost, low maintenance needs, high speed cutting and precise guiding accuracy.

It is offered with photo-electric tracing or can be fitted with CNC.

Capacity is for cutting metals from 3mm to 200mm in thickness, depending upon the model purchased.

The tracer control system copies outlines or silhouettes on a 1:1 basis.

The drawings are not needed for linear cutting or rectangular bevelling of plates.

Up to four oxy-fuel gas torches can be fitted.


http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/eab/eab101.html

Following a retrofit using Heidenhain's (Schaumburg, Illinois) Positip 880 six-axis readout on a partial machine rebuild of a vertical milling/boring machine, UKAEA Fusion Special Purposes Workshop in England is now benefiting from greater flexibility on existing machinery.

The BOKO WF1 vertical milling machine has been a machine shop favorite because of its integrated rotary table, swivelling head and Z-axis capacity from either the head or quill. This translates to four axes of linear movement and two rotary axes.

Retrofitting an encoder to the rotary table allows the rotary movement of the table to be shown on the readout, which offers greater positional accuracy and ease of positioning. On the BOKO, however, this usually requires the removal and re-engineering of the underside of the table to accept the encoder. When the Special Purposes Workshop of UKAEA Fusion decided to get some rebuild work and have a new five-axis readout fitted to its 20-year-old machine, Eric Clarke from Promtech Services (Milton Keynes, United Kingdom), Heidenhain's regional retrofit distributor in the United Kingdom, suggested a new approach. This approach incorporates an encoder retrofitted to the end of the rotary table's worm gear, combined with some reworking of the existing worm gear to remove excessive backlash.

“We are now positioning the rotary table to within 5 arcseconds, with backlash of less than 10 arcseconds,” comments Dave Langridge, workshop supervisor at UKAEA. “A recent job involved 40 holes around a flange at a nine-degree pitch angle. Having the angular display on the readout made the job much quicker to produce.” Mr. Langridge described the ability to sum both the head and quill movements into one Z-axis display, which allows either the head or the quill to be used without losing the Z-axis display value, as “fantastic.”

Specializing in R&D work for the fusion research program worldwide, the Special Purposes Workshop provides the machining expertise for the UKAEA (Fusion) Special Techniques Group based at the Culham Science Center near Abingdon. Gordon Harrison is the manager of the Special Purposes Workshop.

“Promtech had previously undertaken two Bridgeport Interact CNC upgrades with Heidenhain controls—both with four-axis capability,” Mr. Harrison says. “This gave us the confidence in its ability to undertake the work on the BOKO that has now returned the machine to ‘as good as new' condition with the retrofit, adding more flexibility in the type of work undertaken on the machine. This helps us to be competitive in bidding for work in our specialist field.”



http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/0305bp3.html

The ProtoTrak(R) EDGE is a two-axis CNC retrofit for knee mills which has been designed to give you all the features you need to be productive without all the bells and whistles that make other CNCs complicated.

Sold as a complete kit, which includes: ballscrews, computer, motors and all the hardware. Easy to install, most people can be trained to use the EDGE in two hours or less, the company claims. Ideal CNC for tooling and fixtures, molds, dies, prototypes and many other applications.



http://cnc-info.blogspot.com/search/label/cnc%20retrofit

For many shops, the first step into CNC can be difficult. It's not just the apparent complexity of a computer-controlled machine tool that concerns them, it's also the expense. If you've never been there before, putting down such a large sum of money can seem a very large risk. That's why more shops these days are taking their first step into CNC with low-cost retrofit packages. Moreover, as the retrofits continue to improve, veteran CNC shops are finding them to be a cost-effective way to reclaim manual machines that no longer provide the productivity they need.

A good example of this kind of package is the Slant-8 CNC turning attachment from Scan-O-Matic Inc. (Racine, Wisconsin). Equipped with a tool turret and a two-axis slide, the attachment is designed to convert manual lathes to full CNC capability at low capital outlay. The retrofit can be conducted in the field by the builder's own technicians who provide operational training as well.

The durable Meehanite slides are lined with Tetralon to improve slip-stick performance. Mounting bracketss for the control slide are provided for each individual make and model of machine to which it is to be adapted. The brackets are positioned off the rear way of the lathe and are further supported along the bed casting. An automatic lubrication system is also provided with the slide assembly to deliver lubricants to the ballscrews, slide ways, and bearings. The slides are driven by two Fanuc servomotors capable of delivering 52 inch-pounds of torque through two one-inch diameter ballscrews.
Mounted to the X-axis slide is a bidirectional, eight-position tool turret with an octagon tool disk. The turret is available in three different sizes which appropriately span lathes ranging from 12 to 24 inches of swing. The turrets provide coolant distribution for each station and accommodate shank sizes from 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches.

The retrofit package includes a Fanuc O-TC computer numerical control, designed for shop floor programming. The control is designed to help new users of CNC. Step-by-step prompting guides the operator through the procedures of setup, cycling, programming, editing, and complete machine functions and operations. Also, a manual pulse generator (MPG) is provided for high-efficiency manual positioning of the slide. By rotating the MPG handle, the operator can control each axis independently for tool positioning and setup.

Options for the package include a full enclosure and a coolant delivery system. The seven-gallon capacity system includes a 1/2-hp pump capable of generating 30 psi.

http://cnc-info.blogspot.com/search/label/cnc%20retrofit

Monitor Aerospace Corporation of Amityville, New York, is a producer of aerospace structural components for companies such as The Boeing Company. The company invested heavily in the 1970s in large expensive machinery, but more than 20 years later these aging machines were no longer keeping up with productivity demands. The older controls on these machines had limited functionality, and operators had to continuously tweak the machines to compensate for wear. Moreover, maintenance costs were soaring and downtime was increasing.

Gary Kahrau, director of manufacturing engineering, and Chris Nagowski, facilities manager, had a dilemma. They needed to address the machines’ performance problems, but they did not have access to the enormous capital outlay necessary to replace them. Mechanically the machines were in fairly good condition, so they decided to explore retrofitting the machines with new controls as a solution to their problem. They knew that new controls would provide more flexible functionality, higher reliability and less downtime, but they also hoped that newer error compensation capabilities would help make up for some of the machines’ wear related tolerance problems.

As Mr. Kahrau and Mr. Nagowski explored their retrofit options, their first task was to decide on a control. They wanted a control that would give them ease-of-use, high reliability, and sophisticated capabilities such as five-axis movements and advanced error compensation. Just as importantly, however, they wanted an open control that they could integrate into their existing plant system architecture and that would be poised for integration with undefined systems of the future.

Traditional controls offered the motion and compensation sophistication they were looking for but did not offer the flexibility and integration capabilities they wanted. On the other hand, purely PC-based controls, which offered the integration and operator flexibility they wanted, did not offer the motion sophistication they needed.

As their search went on, Mr. Kahrau and Mr. Nagowski spoke with CNC Engineering, Inc. (Enfield, Connecticut) and learned about CNC Engineering’s PC-based Open Vision HMI system for the GE Fanuc series of controls. This system provides a hybrid solution that ties together a flexible and powerful PC-based front-end with the motion and compensation capabilities of a GE Fanuc control. Based on GE Fanuc’s HSSB, and using an industrial PC for the operator interface, Open Vision HMI provides access to all of the control’s native functions through intuitive touch screen menus. And, since the operator interface is on a PC running Windows NT, custom screens and options are readily available, and advanced network and system connectivity is fully supported.

The first machine Monitor decided to retrofit was a three-axis Cincinnati Bridgemill. This was a sound machine, but the X-axis gearboxes were worn, and the machine was not holding tolerances well. Rebuilding the gearboxes would be an expensive undertaking, and Mr. Kahrau and Mr. Nagowski thought that this expense could be avoided by applying some of the advanced error compensation functions available in a newer control. Working with CNC Engineering, a specification was developed for the control. For this application, Monitor decided to use a GE Fanuc 15MB control with CNC Engineering’s standard Open Vision HMI Software. (The front-end software would run under Windows NT Workstation, and the PC initially would be connected to Monitor’s Local Area Network via a standard Ethernet topography.) Since the GE Fanuc control had many options that might help compensate for the worn gear boxes, it was decided to add compensation features one at a time and perform accuracy tests after each feature was implemented to quantify the results.

Monitor has tight production schedules, and it could not spare the machine for the protracted period of time associated with a full in-field retrofit. CNC Engineering’s CPR (Certified Pre-assembled Retrofit) package solved this problem. Under the CPR program, engineering and design specifications were worked out in advance during an initial site visit. During the site visit, detailed measurements were taken of the machine, and new component placement was finalized. The engineers at CNC Engineering spent considerable time working with Monitor to specify the optimum operators’ pendant for the application. In this case, the original operator console was removed, freeing up a large amount of floor space, and a new three joint operator pendant was designed for maximum operator convenience. With the information from the site visit the entire retrofit package was engineered, designed and assembled at CNC Engineering’s facility. During the engineering and assembly phase all necessary electrical schematics, cable lists, panel layouts, mechanical prints and ladder programs were developed. The exact equipment that was to be installed at Monitor was then assembled, wired and powered up. All parameters were loaded into the control, and the entire package was then tested exactly as it would be on the machine—right down to servomotors with their custom length servo cables. Once testing was finalized, the package was shipped to Monitor for field installation. For this machine the installation took 3 weeks.

When the new control was in place, it was time to test the impact of various error compensation capabilities. Laser measuring was performed along each axis. The results of the laser measurements were input into the Pitch Error Compensation Tables, and a circle-diamond-square test was performed. This test part was compared to a previous test part cut before the retrofit was done. The comparison showed a significant improvement in accuracy as well as finish. After analyzing the laser results for the X axis, a definite cyclic error, every 0.750 inch, could be seen—probably the result of worn gears in the gearboxes. The cyclic compensation function was added, the proper parameters were set, the machine was re-lasered, and a circle diamond square was cut. Again further improvement was made. The wear in the rack and pinions of the X axis was also contributing to bi-directional errors. By implementing bi-directional error compensation, further improvements were once again realized. With these three compensation options applied, Monitor was able to avoid the expense of dual gearbox rebuilds while improving part quality and increasing productivity.

http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/1000bp1.html

Mounted directly on machine frame next to motor, X67 Stepper Motor Modules offer 2 control possibilities and integrated motor detection. Module X67SM4320 controls up to 4 stepper motors, with rated voltage of 18-30 Vdc at motor current up to 1 A, while module X67SM2436 controls up to 2 stepper motors, with rated voltage of 18-48 Vdc at motor current up to 3 A. It also has 6 digital inputs. Both offer 20 kHz max step frequency and stall detection.

B&R X67 Stepper Motor Module

Controlling stepper motors with IP67 protection
The new B&R X67 Stepper Motor Modules provide machine builders a more cost effective solution to controlling stepper motors. Stepper motors are still very popular among machine builders for various reasons including: high degree of torque, operation without feedback, and holding the last position when power is disconnected just to name a few of the special features of the stepper motor. The X67 stepper motor module is available in two variants based on the customer's requirements. The highlights of the new X67 stepper motor modules can be summarized as follows:

* Integrated motor detection

* 64 microsteps

* Stall detection

* Extremely compact

* IP67 protection

Two performance classes with IP67 protection
The stepper motor module X67SM4320 is used to control up to four stepper motors with a rated voltage of 18-30 VDC at a motor current up to 1 A (1.5 A peak). The maximum step frequency is 20 kHz. The second stepper motor module variant X67SM2436 is used to control up to two stepper motors with a rated voltage of 18-48 VDC at a motor current up to 3 A (5 A peak). The maximum step frequency is also 20 kHz. Additionally, this module has six digital inputs that can be used as limit switches or as encoder inputs. Both variants are ground-breaking in their compact design. Because of their IP67 protection the modules can be mounted directly on the machine frame right next to the motor. Advantages include reduced space requirements and lower thermal loads in the switching cabinet as well as less wiring. With an input voltage range of up to 48 V, peak performance can be achieved in the range of 200 W.

Technical Data

The X67 Stepper Motor modules offer the following two control possibilities: Either using position settings from the B&R Soft NC or Soft CNC. The current position values can be checked cyclically by the PLC and be reacted to using the control program.

Microstepping

Conventional stepper motors usually have a stepping angle of 3.6 to 0.9 degrees. Although this is sufficient for many positioning tasks, a more exact division is frequently necessary. At this point, it's currently not technologically feasible to reduce the stepping angle of the stepper motor indiscriminately. Besides that, each additional gradation increases the cost of the motor considerably.

The microstepping solution

By dividing the current in the coils, just about any division can be achieved for the stepping angle. This doesn't just increase the positioning accuracy; the micro steps also result in smoother operation. Other measures for reducing resonance are no longer necessary.

Automatic microstep adjustment

Depending on the step frequency, the module always carries out the maximum number of possible microsteps. The internal current controller works with a maximum frequency of 40 kHz, which also makes it possible to reach a frequency of 20 kHz in half-step mode.

On a motor with a 1.8 degree stepping angle, the result is 3,000 rpm, which is generally more than sufficient for conventional applications.

Configurable motor current

By individually adjusting the coil currents, the motor is only operated with the current it actually needs. This simplifies the selection of the available motors and prevents unnecessary heating. Because the latter reduces the energy consumption and thermal load, the effects are positive on the lifespan of the entire system.

Complete flexibility is achieved by using the values for holding current, boost current and continuous current, which are completely independent of each other. The current for the microsteps is automatically adjusted to the configured current values.

Additional features

An enormous help is the automatic motor detection system at standstills. The stepper modules can identify the connected motors using their coil characteristics and generate feedback in the form of an analog value. This makes it possible to detect not only wiring errors, but incorrect motor types being used mistakenly as well.

A stall detection mechanism is integrated to analyze the motor load. The stall is recognized using a configurable threshold. This allows an overload or motor standstill to be detected precisely in many different types of applications.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PIL/is_2006_June_26/ai_n16499665

Having invested in CNC automatics, a manufacturer of machined complex plastics parts has found it can take smaller batches and diversify into other areas.
Plastic turned components as small as half the size of a matchhead with an intricate and accurate profile and a central drilled hole for use by children with ‘glue-ear’ and PTFE insulators for fly-catchers used in restaurants, are typical of the sort of work Tefloturn pass through their citizen cnc sliding head automatic lathes. The company, which is based near to Hertford, has two Citizens, an L16 bought second hand from NC Engineering of Watford which has been followed up with a new B20. It processes a wide range of plastic materials including PTFE, PEEK, nylon, acetal and other ‘engineering’ plastics in quantities from a single component to batches of 250,000.

Customers include electronics, medical, steam management and bearing manufacturers.

Managing Director Mick Finney describes how accuracy and repeatability of tolerances can be quite tight especially given the properties of the materials being machined.

‘Bore tolerances of +/-0.025mm often apply while the general machining tolerance is +/-0.050mm.

Likewise, surface finish is usually very important while the degree of complexity of some parts can be considerable,’ he says.

He describes how medical applications especially demand high finish and total freedom from burrs which demand good machine and setting techniques.

‘We also make a lot of plain rings and seals and there is a large demand for threads, knurling and some cross-drilling and slotting on plastic turned parts,’ he says.

Tefloturn was formed in the mid-1990s on the back of a pair of cam actuated sliding head machines.

By 1998, however, the company had reached the limits capable from these machines and started to look for a more flexible solution.

‘We couldn’t afford a new sliding head machine at that time,’ Mick Finney admits, ’so we approached a couple of suppliers to try and source a good secondhand machine.

‘NC Engineering came back to us quite swiftly with our L16, which was already five years old and since it was installed it has proved to be a very good buy.

Reliability has been very good and NC’s back-up in terms of both training and service/maintenance has also been above reproach.’ ‘One of the first components we ever machined on the L16 required multiple operations, and we could never produce more than 30 an hour.

When the L16 was set up, the part was turned complete in a single operation in under 28 seconds.

Now that was a massive increase in productivity for us,’ Mick Finney maintains.

The combined performance of the machine and support by NC Engineering paved the way for Tefloturn to select a larger capacity five-axis Citizen B20 which was justified against one particular contract.

However, the additional capabilities with 10,000 revs/min spindle, 12 tools and extended unmanned running with an improved accuracy has been the catalyst to draw in even more work.

‘Accuracy and consistency are much easier to maintain on the Citizen B20, and it’s also much faster than the L16,’ Mick Finney admits.

‘Availability of an additional powered tool station means that its second operation capabilities are extended.

Together with a conventional CNC lathe, which we bought in between, the citizen machines provide us with the ability to supply exactly what any customer wants up to 300mm diameter.’ Although virtually all of the plastic materials processed by Tefloturn are free machining, the company always uses coolant to help maintain stable temperatures and overcome the influence of thermal growth which is significantly greater than with metals.

And although most materials can be machined using high speed steel, some of the more abrasive ‘filled’ materials have to be cut using carbide.

‘Machining plastics is quite a specialised business,’ says Mick Finney, ‘but the Citizen machines have allowed us to apply our knowledge across a wider range of work.

With the B20 we have the option of lights-out running, something that we’ve never had before.

Although some plastics cause a problem due to swarf and have to be overseen, those jobs where we can use the unmanned capability, make a huge difference to our manufacturing efficiency.

We have also found on short batch work we can program, set the machines and produce the parts in less time than it would take us to perform a cam change on one of the old machines.’ Mick Finney describes how the Citizens have made a very big difference to the way Tefloturn works.

‘When we had the cam machines, if we hadn’t got a suitable cam set, then we couldn’t make a part unless the volume was either very small, or large enough to justify commissioning a new set of cams.

That meant that we had to turn away quite a lot of small to medium volume business.

We also had a substantial amount of work that required secondary operations and it was rare to be able to complete a job in one set-up.’ ‘Investing in the Citizen machines has certainly allowed us to move the company forward quickly.

Our minimum batch quantity is now much smaller while the level of component complexity that we can competitively handle is so much higher.

This has allowed us to diversify the business along lines that we would never have thought possible before,’ he says.


http://www.cncmachinesinfo.com/articles/category/cnc-stepper-moter/

Advanced Micro Controls (AMCI), a Connecticut based industrial controls company, has developed a novel stepper motor control module for Allen-Bradley's Point I/O. Boasting seamless integration into Allen-Bradley's distributed I/O network, the 3401 module is ideal for applications where low-cost of ownership are key for successful control system design and operation. Exploring the module's other benefits, Sales Manager Leo Brennan explains: 'The 3401 has the lowest per axis cost of all the motion control modules available for Allen Bradley PLCs'.

'We found customers were looking for a motion control solution that provided all of the functionality of a standard motion controller but had some of the cost advantages of the Point I/O system'.

'AMCI responded by designing the 3401'.

'The unique design of the Point I/O system allows the I/O to be distributed throughout the machine instead of being located in one central panel'.

'This provides overall savings in wiring and can lead to a more modular machine design'.

The 3401 Point I/O card marks AMCI's fifth stepper motor controller module solution for Allen Bradley PLCs.

When asked how AMCI is able to develop so many integrated PLC module solutions, Sales Engineer Matthew Tellier stated: 'As the original third party supplier with Rockwell Automation, AMCI's long standing partnership with Allen Bradley enables our company to quickly engineer solutions for new platforms, providing a more complete control system for our customers'.

'This close relationship guarantees a finished product that is 100% compatible with Allen Bradley PLCs for true plug and play functionality'.

AMCI's 10 years of experience in developing stepper modules has led to an efficient programming structure that capitalises on user-friendly commands that are simple to implement.

A relative move, absolute move, or a manual move can be executed with just one rung of logic.

Additionally, the 3401 module has two sinking inputs, which can be used for homing and limit switch operations, and step and direction output signals that interface to any of AMCI's SD stepper drives or the recently released SMD family of integrated stepper drive/motor packages.

By using standard output signals, the 3401 module can also integrate with other manufacturers' stepper drives and even servo systems, such as the Allen Bradley Ultra series of drives that can be controlled by step and direction signals.


http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/amn/amn104.html

A system architecture for integrated manufacturing engineering is emerging from the point solutions now in use after three decades since the inception of APT. Today's conventional process planning, NC programming, documentation, offline and CMM programming, and other applications offer powerful functionality but encourage compartmentalization that results in errors, rework and duplication of effort. There are normally two parallel and concurrent process threads, one for "parts" and one for "assemblies," that simultaneously move from the virtual to the real spheres. There is little or no integration of the manufacturing engineering functions in either of the two process threads.

Fragmentation of manufacturing engineering systems in the part and assembly process threads.

Today's fragmentation of manufacturing software into dozens of different heterogeneous applications is an inevitable result of niche-based strategy of most software CAM system developers. While all three major automobile manufacturers have designated a single CAD/CAM system, the reality today within each company is the existence of a wide range of CAM products for core and niche applications. As a result, new copies of the original design model must be continually generated for each of the multitude of downstream operations required to define the manufacturing process. A body panel, for example, typically involves three to five forming operations, each of which requires die structures, die face, machining of casting and the associated patterns, checking fixtures, welding fixtures, process documentation, and so on. The irony is that manufacturing engineering has only 20% of the CAD/CAM seats yet they generate 80% of the data.

The result is that the design model is duplicated for various manufacturing and documentation functions, usually with no updateable links in place between the various disciplines. This explosion of data generated by various manufacturing engineering applications has overwhelmed the rudimentary data management infrastructure currently in place. More and more energy has to be devoted to communicating engineering revisions to downstream processes, yet the number of errors continues to grow. While the niche applications do a good job at capturing the geometry of parts, assemblies and tooling, little has been achieved to date in standardizing the concurrent engineering process. The result is a lack of repeatability in concurrent engineering and the persistence of substandard practices in many areas of the organization. The emergence of new niche applications and the isolation of engineering from the shop floor has further encouraged the splintering of manufacturing engineering into specialties that are more and more divorced from the shop floor.


The continual duplication of the design model for downstream processes means that manufacturing engineering typically generates four times as much data as the design.

These problems are on their way to being solved by an emerging architecture that incorporates: (1) a manufacturing model consisting of an associated design model, raw material and the basic process outline; (2) detailed set-up instructions to define the machine tool, tooling and operations that produce the part; (3) libraries of raw materials, operations templates, tools, etc. that serve as reference for the process definition; (4) application software for verification, simulation and optimization purposes; and (5) processors to generate the actual NC code and shop documentation.

Enablers Emerge.
The last several years have witnessed the emergence of key enabling technologies for the integration of manufacturing engineering under a single unified systems architecture. The crystallization of the STEP standard and its incorporation into leading CAD/CAM systems means that it is now possible to transmit solid models between different systems. The ability to convert process instructions, also part of the STEP standard, will become a reality in the future.

The new integrated systems architecture for manufacturing engineering developed by EDS Unigraphics can integrate the process threads, such as those illustrated for an automotive inner door panel.

New tolerant modeling functionality allows manufacturing applications to work with existing solid and surface models without the need for modifications that were previously required to clean up gaps, overlaps, holes, etc. This innovation has the potential to allow manufacturing engineers to attach toolpaths to and perform other operations on the original solid or surface model generated during the design process, avoiding the need for duplicating the model. Another important new development is manufacturing templates that incorporate an outline of various standardized machining processes and can be attached to the part geometry to streamline and standardize the CNC programming process.

While software used to generate CNC code was the first and is still probably the most mature CAM tool, a significant new development has recently occurred. That is the availability of complex general-purpose processors that can be easily simplified so that a machine operator can use them with minimal training. The fact that they operate within the context of the core CAD/CAM system eliminates the geometry duplication problem. Another recent improvement in processors is the ability to keep track of material left uncut due to tool clearance issues so that it can easily be cleaned up on a subsequent pass.

Machining time can be reduced and accuracy increased by exporting NURBS surfaces to controllers that are equipped to take over interpolation responsibility.

The PDM Connection.
Data management capabilities have also been substantially improved. New library structures have been developed that can be linked to the shop floor for direct distribution of CNC programs and manufacturing documentation. Data management systems originally developed to manage subassemblies and assemblies now have the intelligence to update all affected subassemblies and assemblies whenever a component changes. Product data management (PDM) systems, just now beginning to see widespread implementation in the automotive industry, provide a means to access design and manufacturing models throughout the organization. These advancements have provided the foundation for a new integrated manufacturing engineering systems architecture that has the potential to pull together all of the fragmented systems of the past. A key requirement of this architecture is that it be able to handle the "process thread" from beginning to end with each step of the process leveraging the information contained in the digital "master model."

Perhaps the most basic capability offered by the new systems architecture is a tight link between the design and the manufacturing models. By the very definition of concurrent engineering, the design model continues to evolve during manufacturing process definition, and the new architecture maintains control of and updates the manufacturing model to reflect these changes without the need for manual intervention or book-keeping. The "master model" concept, an extension of the associative approach, enables an automotive manufacturer and its suppliers to work concurrently and collaboratively by giving the data management system the responsibility for insuring that each group is using the latest version of the part and assembly geometry.

With the power of the new architecture inevitably comes complexity, which is the reason why it is important that the system be scalable and configurable to offer a simple, icon-driven interface tailored to specific applications. An example is a die machining system that allows users to navigate step by step through the machining process. A system of this type is installed at an automotive component manufacturing plant in Detroit; it is being used by more than 100 machinists, die and tool makers.

More generally, constructing scalable products from individual architectural elements provides the ability for automotive manufacturers to extend the general system to cover specialized tasks. The result is applications that are fully integrated with the core architecture at a minimum expense.

What's Required.

The new architecture must be flexible enough to adapt to new manufacturing processing techniques. For example, high-speed machining technology requires, in addition to new cut patterns, a new gentle part entry method known as "helical engages" to avoid the potential for the damage to the rapidly advancing cutting tool. Another recent innovation is the development of NURBS-based toolpaths that take advantage of the ability of a new generation of controllers to take over responsibility for converting curved geometries into thousands of line segments needed to provide instructions for the machine's servo motors. Reductions in machining time of up to 30% have been achieved by eliminating controller wait time and unnecessary cutter slowdown at path discontinuity. A sixteen-fold improvement in accuracy has also been accomplished.

A key part of the new systems architecture are focused products designed to provide simplified user interfaces for specialized applications.

Key requirements of a systems approach include the ability to handle the complete "process thread" from concept through to production; full associativity between design, tooling and manufacturing models; and an open architecture that can be extended to handle new manufacturing technologies. It's important to note that while this discussion has focused on the part and tooling examples, the same architectural elements are applicable to the assembly process engineering. Implementation of this architecture does not require throwing away the existing systems; it can proceed in steps and is easily scalable from a single department to the enterprise level. These features make the "systems" view for integrated manufacturing engineering the most promising concept now emerging in the CAD/CAM systems used in the automotive industry.