Able to control up to 5 axes and a spindle, Advantage 400 includes 32 digital inputs, 2 analog inputs, 16 digital outputs, and variety of programming features. Product also includes ability to send torque or step and direction command formats. Dual-processor control utilizes dedicated DSP based CPU to service motion control tasks, and Pentium-based PC is at heart of user interface. Unit comes with 8.4 in. color LCD and can include Ethernet and USB utilities.
Chatsworth, Ca. - Delta Tau Data Systems, Inc. has released the Advantage 400 CNC control system. Created for the machine tool builder and retrofitter who require a powerful, feature packed control, which sets up quickly and whose price does not limit performance, capability, or flexibility.
The Advantage 400 will control 5 axes, a spindle, includes 32 digital inputs, 2 analog inputs, 16 digital outputs, and all the programming features customers would expect from a high-performance control package, all in a standard configuration and at a very reasonable price. The Advantage 400 includes the ability to send torque or step and direction command formats.
The Advantage 400 is a dual-processor control utilizing a dedicated DSP based CPU to service the motion control tasks. A Pentium based PC is the heart of the user interface. The DSP motion control CPU ensures the machine is accurate at any speed. The Pentium based interface allows Delta Tau to include utilities such as Ethernet and USB at no additional cost to the user. The control comes standard with an 8.4" color LCD.
The Advantage 400 is a perfect example of how intelligent design and technology is bridging the gap between software and hardware and bringing unprecedented levels of performance and value to the shop floor.
About Delta Tau Data Systems
Delta Tau Data Systems is the global leader in high-performance machine control products. By developing and manufacturing a full range of motion control products, software, and accessories, Delta Tau delivers motion control solutions that solve the simplest to the most complex positioning applications. Products are marketed through a worldwide distribution network and application engineers are located globally to provide timely customer support.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Vertical turning debut boosts productivity in aerospace application - Better Production Spotlight: Turning - Thomson Machine and Tool installs Webster
Thomson Machine & Tool (Somerset, England) required a large-capacity turning center for machining aerospace components with diameters of up to 2,000mm, in a range of materials including titanium and nimonic alloys. Although this operation had previously been performed using a traditional horizontal lathe, the nature of the application suggested that a switch to vertical turning would provide advantages leading to significant improvements in productivity.
"After considering a number of options, we decided that a vertical turning center offered the right combination of capacity, rigidity and versatility for this application," explains Thomson Machine & Tool's managing director, Allan Thomson. "We chose a Webster & Bennett (Coventry, England) machine because of the company's expertise in vertical turning, coupled with the unrivalled reputation for performance and build quality enjoyed by its products."
Webster & Bennett supplied Thomson Machine & Tool with a two-axis vertical turning center with 72-inch table and 8-inch square ram, suited to machining large cylindrical components thanks to a maximum height under the cross rail of 57.5 inches, a ram stroke of 48 inches and maximum swing of 84 inches. The machine incorporates a range of features designed to maximize productivity while maintaining the quality of the components being machined.
With a maximum load capacity of 11,363 kg, large and heavy components can be supported on the machine's table and held in place using Webster & Bennett's four-jaw independent chuck, a setup that eliminates inaccuracies associated with the effect of gravity on horizontally clamped components. This inherent advantage of vertical turning, complemented by the inclusion of a Timken table bearing and ballscrews on the X and Z axis, has enabled Thomson Machine & Tool to achieve levels of machining accuracy and consistency that they could not match using horizontal lathes. Operators at the company have also noticed a significant improvement in the surface finish of components manufactured on the Webster & Bennett machine.
"Every aspect of the vertical turning center's design and construction contributes to its overall rigidity, resulting in a superior machining performance, which is reflected in the quality of the components we produce," says Mr. Thomson.
The machine's 18-station automatic tool changer enables multiple machining operations to be performed in a single setup. This is crucial in the manufacture of large and awkward components at Thomson Machine & Tool, and this benefit has contributed to a typical reduction in product cycle times of 20 percent. Another significant benefit of this versatility is the scope for product diversification it has provided. "The machine's ability to perform a wide range of machining operations quickly and efficiently has helped us to reduce throughput times while increasing our scope for diversification into new products and markets," Mr. Thomson explains.
Optimum metal removal is assured by the machine's wide speed range of 5-167 rpm, provided by a two-speed gearbox and 37.5 kw main drive motor, specified by the customer in order to provide the low-speed, high-torque machining required for the successful production of aero engine components. CNC controlled servodrives add to the machine's operational speed and ease of use and contribute to the consistency of its machining accuracy.
Another factor in the vertical turning center's overall appeal has been its trouble-free integration into manufacturing operations at Thomson, made possible by a combination of the machine's easy-to-learn Fanuc l8Ti CNC control system and integral swarf conveyor with coolant system. Mr. Thomson also drew attention to the high level of technical support provided by Webster & Bennett, which enabled the installation of the machine with minimal disruption to Thomson Machine & Tool's manufacturing operations.
Full working area guarding and ease of use have also played a part in the machine's popularity among operators at Thomson Machine & Tool, Mr. Thomson explains. "Those operating the machine have been amazed by the ease with which it can perform a number of high precision machining operations quickly, safely and with a minimal amount of setup, helping to streamline this particular manufacturing process in a way that traditional horizontal turning couldn't match."
"Making the switch to vertical turning with a Webster & Bennett has proved a major success for this demanding application, providing significant improvements in productivity and component quality, while simultaneously creating considerable scope for us to enter into new markets."
"After considering a number of options, we decided that a vertical turning center offered the right combination of capacity, rigidity and versatility for this application," explains Thomson Machine & Tool's managing director, Allan Thomson. "We chose a Webster & Bennett (Coventry, England) machine because of the company's expertise in vertical turning, coupled with the unrivalled reputation for performance and build quality enjoyed by its products."
Webster & Bennett supplied Thomson Machine & Tool with a two-axis vertical turning center with 72-inch table and 8-inch square ram, suited to machining large cylindrical components thanks to a maximum height under the cross rail of 57.5 inches, a ram stroke of 48 inches and maximum swing of 84 inches. The machine incorporates a range of features designed to maximize productivity while maintaining the quality of the components being machined.
With a maximum load capacity of 11,363 kg, large and heavy components can be supported on the machine's table and held in place using Webster & Bennett's four-jaw independent chuck, a setup that eliminates inaccuracies associated with the effect of gravity on horizontally clamped components. This inherent advantage of vertical turning, complemented by the inclusion of a Timken table bearing and ballscrews on the X and Z axis, has enabled Thomson Machine & Tool to achieve levels of machining accuracy and consistency that they could not match using horizontal lathes. Operators at the company have also noticed a significant improvement in the surface finish of components manufactured on the Webster & Bennett machine.
"Every aspect of the vertical turning center's design and construction contributes to its overall rigidity, resulting in a superior machining performance, which is reflected in the quality of the components we produce," says Mr. Thomson.
The machine's 18-station automatic tool changer enables multiple machining operations to be performed in a single setup. This is crucial in the manufacture of large and awkward components at Thomson Machine & Tool, and this benefit has contributed to a typical reduction in product cycle times of 20 percent. Another significant benefit of this versatility is the scope for product diversification it has provided. "The machine's ability to perform a wide range of machining operations quickly and efficiently has helped us to reduce throughput times while increasing our scope for diversification into new products and markets," Mr. Thomson explains.
Optimum metal removal is assured by the machine's wide speed range of 5-167 rpm, provided by a two-speed gearbox and 37.5 kw main drive motor, specified by the customer in order to provide the low-speed, high-torque machining required for the successful production of aero engine components. CNC controlled servodrives add to the machine's operational speed and ease of use and contribute to the consistency of its machining accuracy.
Another factor in the vertical turning center's overall appeal has been its trouble-free integration into manufacturing operations at Thomson, made possible by a combination of the machine's easy-to-learn Fanuc l8Ti CNC control system and integral swarf conveyor with coolant system. Mr. Thomson also drew attention to the high level of technical support provided by Webster & Bennett, which enabled the installation of the machine with minimal disruption to Thomson Machine & Tool's manufacturing operations.
Full working area guarding and ease of use have also played a part in the machine's popularity among operators at Thomson Machine & Tool, Mr. Thomson explains. "Those operating the machine have been amazed by the ease with which it can perform a number of high precision machining operations quickly, safely and with a minimal amount of setup, helping to streamline this particular manufacturing process in a way that traditional horizontal turning couldn't match."
"Making the switch to vertical turning with a Webster & Bennett has proved a major success for this demanding application, providing significant improvements in productivity and component quality, while simultaneously creating considerable scope for us to enter into new markets."
Spain's big splash - Scanning the Horizon - Spanish machine tool industry and BIEMH 2002 - Industry Overview
In the worldwide arena of manufacturing, Spain isn't widely known as a top contender. But the numbers from Gardner Publications' 2002 World Machine Tool Output & Consumption Survey tell a different story. Spain's population is less than one-seventh that of the United States, but Spanish machine tool builders annually produce a number of machine tools equal to nearly one-third the total volume produced by American builders. Furthermore, at the same time that production has declined in the United States, the Spanish machine tool industry has experienced gradual but continuous growth since 1995. For example, in 2001, Spain's machine tool production increased more than 6 percent from the previous year.
The heartland of this dynamic industry is the beautiful and rugged Basque section of northern Spain near the Atlantic coast and the French border. As the commercial center of the industrious Bizkaia region, Bilbao is the host city for one of Europe's largest machine tool shows, the biennial BIEMH. In the past, Bilbao was known primarily as a gritty center of heavy industry. But after undergoing an impressive renaissance, this city of 400,000 residents has emerged as a place of alluring charm.
When the 22nd BIEMH exhibition opened at Bilbao's International Trade Fair on March 11, the Spanish machine tool industry had some important accomplishments to celebrate. For example, Spanish builders currently manufacture more than 2,000 different machine models. Many of these products feature innovative technology that was developed in Spain.
The rapid improvement of Spanish technology in recent years is primarily the result of strong investment in research and development. On the average, Spanish machine tool builders allocate 5 percent of their annual turnover to R&D. For the country's largest builders, this investment may represent 10 percent or more. The success of this industry has been greatly facilitated by inter-company alliances in the areas of process development, marketing, distribution and supply chain management. Many of these cooperative efforts have been coordinated through the Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association of Spain (AFM) and its sister organization, the Export Trade Association of Spanish Manufacturers of Accessories, Component Parts and Tools for Machine Tools (AMT).
Strong investment and effective cooperation enable Spanish machine tool manufacturers to compete aggressively in global markets. Spain's principal machine tool builders offer products for high speed milling, turning, grinding and EDM that incorporate advanced capabilities. As a reflection of the growing reputation of Spanish technology, Germany was the largest customer in 2001 for Spanish machine tools, purchasing more than 18 percent of all the country's exports.
The defining characteristic of the most prominent Spanish machine tools is flexibility in meeting specific user requirements. Thus, many of the large machining centers exhibited at BIEMH 2002 are designed to suit the production systems of important automotive and aerospace clients. At the same time, however, Spanish builders offer a wide range of conventional and CNC machine tools that are suitable for typical job shop applications.
Spanish-American Market
While Spain's largest machine tool builders have established solid marketing networks in the United States, economic conditions during the past 12 months have created a slump in the market for Spanish exports. Because the United States currently accounts for less than 8 percent of Spain's total export trade, however, this doesn't represent a serious problem by itself. Because the appetites of American consumers continue to drive manufacturing activity around the globe, however, many Spanish builders are experiencing the impact of a softer American economy on their customers in Europe and Asia. As a result, AFM predicts that the steady growth its members have enjoyed since 1995 may be interrupted when the final figures for 2002 are recorded.
In this vein, AMT president Ramon Cenar-ruzabeitia recently discussed some of the difficulties that his member companies face in penetrating the American market. AMT recently attempted to put together a consortium of firms to market products in the United States. The combination of a weak machine tool industry, firmly entrenched competitors and unresolved inventory/delivery issues, however, have frustrated this effort. Unlike Spain's larger machine tool builders, the relatively small firms of AMT are still searching for an effective strategy to tap the American market.
Show Highlights
BIEMH 2002 featured the sixth edition of Spain's National Machine Tool Design competition. This year, the award was shared by Kondia Urbano Conde S.A. (Elgoibar, Spain)--in recognition of its P60-V2 high speed precision machining center-and ONA Electroerosion S.A. (Durango, Spain and Dayton, Ohio)--for overall product design strategy. Kondia manufactures a complete line of conventional, CNC-operated and high speed milling machines. ONA is the world's oldest manufacturer of EDM equipment and also the leading EDM builder in the European Union. ONA ram- and wire-EDM machines feature advanced spark-control and automatic programming technologies.
The heartland of this dynamic industry is the beautiful and rugged Basque section of northern Spain near the Atlantic coast and the French border. As the commercial center of the industrious Bizkaia region, Bilbao is the host city for one of Europe's largest machine tool shows, the biennial BIEMH. In the past, Bilbao was known primarily as a gritty center of heavy industry. But after undergoing an impressive renaissance, this city of 400,000 residents has emerged as a place of alluring charm.
When the 22nd BIEMH exhibition opened at Bilbao's International Trade Fair on March 11, the Spanish machine tool industry had some important accomplishments to celebrate. For example, Spanish builders currently manufacture more than 2,000 different machine models. Many of these products feature innovative technology that was developed in Spain.
The rapid improvement of Spanish technology in recent years is primarily the result of strong investment in research and development. On the average, Spanish machine tool builders allocate 5 percent of their annual turnover to R&D. For the country's largest builders, this investment may represent 10 percent or more. The success of this industry has been greatly facilitated by inter-company alliances in the areas of process development, marketing, distribution and supply chain management. Many of these cooperative efforts have been coordinated through the Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association of Spain (AFM) and its sister organization, the Export Trade Association of Spanish Manufacturers of Accessories, Component Parts and Tools for Machine Tools (AMT).
Strong investment and effective cooperation enable Spanish machine tool manufacturers to compete aggressively in global markets. Spain's principal machine tool builders offer products for high speed milling, turning, grinding and EDM that incorporate advanced capabilities. As a reflection of the growing reputation of Spanish technology, Germany was the largest customer in 2001 for Spanish machine tools, purchasing more than 18 percent of all the country's exports.
The defining characteristic of the most prominent Spanish machine tools is flexibility in meeting specific user requirements. Thus, many of the large machining centers exhibited at BIEMH 2002 are designed to suit the production systems of important automotive and aerospace clients. At the same time, however, Spanish builders offer a wide range of conventional and CNC machine tools that are suitable for typical job shop applications.
Spanish-American Market
While Spain's largest machine tool builders have established solid marketing networks in the United States, economic conditions during the past 12 months have created a slump in the market for Spanish exports. Because the United States currently accounts for less than 8 percent of Spain's total export trade, however, this doesn't represent a serious problem by itself. Because the appetites of American consumers continue to drive manufacturing activity around the globe, however, many Spanish builders are experiencing the impact of a softer American economy on their customers in Europe and Asia. As a result, AFM predicts that the steady growth its members have enjoyed since 1995 may be interrupted when the final figures for 2002 are recorded.
In this vein, AMT president Ramon Cenar-ruzabeitia recently discussed some of the difficulties that his member companies face in penetrating the American market. AMT recently attempted to put together a consortium of firms to market products in the United States. The combination of a weak machine tool industry, firmly entrenched competitors and unresolved inventory/delivery issues, however, have frustrated this effort. Unlike Spain's larger machine tool builders, the relatively small firms of AMT are still searching for an effective strategy to tap the American market.
Show Highlights
BIEMH 2002 featured the sixth edition of Spain's National Machine Tool Design competition. This year, the award was shared by Kondia Urbano Conde S.A. (Elgoibar, Spain)--in recognition of its P60-V2 high speed precision machining center-and ONA Electroerosion S.A. (Durango, Spain and Dayton, Ohio)--for overall product design strategy. Kondia manufactures a complete line of conventional, CNC-operated and high speed milling machines. ONA is the world's oldest manufacturer of EDM equipment and also the leading EDM builder in the European Union. ONA ram- and wire-EDM machines feature advanced spark-control and automatic programming technologies.
2004 machine tool consumption
According to AMT--The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA), June U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $236.93 million. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 19.5 percent from May and up 0.9 percent from the total of $234.79 million reported for June 2003. With a first-half total of $1,249.68 million, 2004 is up 31.9 percent compared with 2003.
U.S. machine tool consumption is also reported on a regional basis for five geographical breakdowns: Northeast, Southern, Midwestern, Central and Western. For more information on these regions, as well as other USMTC data
U.S. machine tool consumption is also reported on a regional basis for five geographical breakdowns: Northeast, Southern, Midwestern, Central and Western. For more information on these regions, as well as other USMTC data
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Spain steps it up: the country is now home to the world's fourth largest machine tool show. That fact, combined with Spain's long metalworking history
This year's Spanish machine tool show was big in many respects. Known as BIEMH, the 2004 edition of this biennial show was its largest in terms of number of attendees and exhibitors. In fact, BIEMH now ranks as the world's fourth largest machine tool show, behind EMO, IMTS and BI-MU.
Show organizers and Spain's association of machine tool manufacturers, known as AFM, have made strides to generate greater interest from the international metalworking community. It seems this effort has paid off, because this year's show drew visitors from 54 countries and featured 1,894 exhibitors from 34 countries. Of course, these numbers would not have been attainable were it not for a new, larger exhibition center. The show's new home is the Bilbao Exhibition Center (BEC), which offers 60,000 square meters of exhibition space (41 percent more than the previous venue) and a layout that features six column-free exhibition halls.
Show organizers and Spain's association of machine tool manufacturers, known as AFM, have made strides to generate greater interest from the international metalworking community. It seems this effort has paid off, because this year's show drew visitors from 54 countries and featured 1,894 exhibitors from 34 countries. Of course, these numbers would not have been attainable were it not for a new, larger exhibition center. The show's new home is the Bilbao Exhibition Center (BEC), which offers 60,000 square meters of exhibition space (41 percent more than the previous venue) and a layout that features six column-free exhibition halls.
US machine tool sales soar in June - Materials Outlook - Brief Article
U.S. machine tool consumption totaled an estimated $244.6 million in June, up a whopping 67.1 percent from a revised $146.4 million the previous month but just 3.3 percent higher than $236.8 million in June 2002, according to a joint report by the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA), Rockville, Md., and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), McLean, Va. Noting the first monthly year-on-year increase since November 2000, AMT president Albert W. Moore said that "a single instance does not constitute a trend, but a trend must have a starting point." Machine tool consumption in the first half totaled $952.9 million, down 17.9 percent from $1.2 billion in the same period last year.
CAM software for probing: software for creating probing routines off-line promises to make machine tool probing easier to use. As a few examples show,
Shops and plants that are thinking of investing to realize a more automated process may be overlooking an automation tool that already waits in the machining center.
Through the use of a machining center's spindle-mounted probe, a shop can save time and effort in a variety of ways. Prior to machining, probing can be used to automatically confirm that the correct part has been loaded to match the program. Probing can also locate that part, wherever it sits on the table, so time-consuming setup might be eliminated. During machining, probing can check the semi-finished part to see how much of a finishing pass is needed. And after machining is done, probing can be used to perform certain inspections right at the machine tool, before the part is unclamped and taken away.
In fact, because probing can improve efficiency in so many different ways, it is probably sate to say that the probe is underused in almost every shop that owns one.
The shops themselves are not entirely to blame for this. Part of the reason probing is underused is the awkwardness that often comes with adding probing to the process. Shops generate milling and drilling tool paths with ease, using any of a variety of CAM systems. But probing calls for macros that are often either added to the NC code through manual editing, or else entered right at the CNC.
Some recently introduced software tools attempt to address this shortcoming. The systems described in the following pages make it more practical to program probing operations off-line. They could all be thought of as "CAM for probing," in that they generate machine-independent probing routines that can be postprocessed for individual machining centers. However, the three examples of probing software included here also represent three different ways of thinking about the way that probing is used.
One of the systems recognizes the probe-equipped machine tool as a metrology device. This system allows programs to be shared seamlessly between CMM and machine tool, and it allows the same analysis that is applied to CMM data to be applied to data captured with a machine tool probe.
Another system emphasizes the role of probing in specialized machining challenges, seeking to coordinate probing with the machining moves in cases where an important part of the job is unpredictable.
A third approach, and the first one described below, is intended simply to make probing in general a more natural part of the typical machining process. By operating as a plug-in within the CAM software that is used for tool paths, this utility expands the reach of the shop's primary CAM system to include probing moves.
Probing As A Plug-In
Productivity+, pronounced "productivity plus," is a CAM software plug-in from Renishaw (Hoffman Estates, Illinois), the maker of probes and probe accessories. Currently, the plug-in is available with GibbsCAM software from Gibbs & Associates (Moorpark, California).
The point of this plug-in is to allow the CAM software that uses it to call upon the probe as easily as it might call up any cutting tool in its library. That means probing no longer has to be a separate programming consideration apart from the tool paths. In addition to the convenience this provides, improved confidence is another benefit. Like the tool paths, the probing moves can be verified using the CAM software's own verification capability.
This utility supports probing for part setup, identification and inspection. It can also be used with the stationary tool setting probe to automate tool length and diameter measurements.
There is another version of the utility that is not a plug-in. Productivity+ Active Editor is a stand-alone software product. For existing CAM systems that do not include functionality for probing, this software lets the programmer import and modify NC programs, so the programmer can add probing moves as a follow-up step.
Probing The Unknown
PS-Fixture from Delcam (Windsor, Ontario) is part of the company's Power Solution family of integrated CAD/CAM products. That same family includes PowerMill software for generating NC part programs, and also PowerInspect software, which is capable of equipping these programs with probing routines. The focus of PS-Fixture lies between these modules. Its purpose has to do with putting probing to work in ways that overcome unknown variables in the machining of certain complex parts.
Exactly what variables are addressed can vary, depending on the application and the shop. For an ordinary part program, three things can be treated as known. They are: the precise position of the workpiece, the precise shape of the stock before machining and the precise shape that the machining program is supposed to create. When any one of these three aspects of the job cannot be known, PS-Fixture can potentially fill in the gaps.
Here are examples:
* Unknown work position. Plenty of production applications use dedicated, customized fixturing to lock a part in place precisely where the NC program expects to find it. But as the part size gets bigger, setting up the work that precisely becomes more difficult to do. Shifting and rotating a large workpiece can be time-consuming, not to mention fraught with error. It would be easier just to move the program instead--and that is what PS-Fixture attempts to do. After probing a complex workpiece in numerous locations, the software can use best-fit calculations in conjunction with a CAD model to determine the part's location and orientation in space. The software then sends a variety of offsets to the CNC that both shift and rotate the program's coordinate axes so that the program aligns with the part.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool Moves into Larger Facility & Adds New Equipment
Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool has recently moved to a new facility in Wright City, Missouri Oust west of St. Louis) and installed new CNC equipment and expanded its capabilities.
The 25-year-old firm produces, tools, dies and special machines as well as offering custom CNC machining and fabrication. The company also produces its own lines of products for the racing industry.
The Mittler brothers (Mike and Paul) started their business with the two of them as the only employees in a 2,500-sq.-ft. facility. They eventually grew into 30,500sq.-ft. of space across three adjacent buildings in Foristell, Missouri.
The current and planned growth of the company led the brothers to move to a 3year-old facility with 50,400-sq.-ft. in neighboring Wright City.
"The opportunity to consolidate our operations under one roof with room for expansion is tremendous," stated Mike Mittler.
Since the facility had been designed for manufacturing it has been a great fit for us," commented Paul
Mittler. "We haven't found anything that we would change in the layout or design."
With the larger space and growing business, the company quickly started adding new equipment. Two major pieces of CNC equipment have been added since the move took place.
One is an Okuma MA-40H horizontal machining center with a 10-pallet Fastems automatic loader. It features a 100-tool changer, a 40-taper 15,000-rpm spindle, and a table capacity of 24" x 28" up to 880 pounds.
Another new piece is a Haas SL20 CNC lathe with a magazine-style barfeeder. It features a 5hp motor with 3,000-rpm; a full C-axis on the spindle; a capacity of 24" between centers and live tooling.
"This equipment, with all the advanced technology, will allow us to improve our efficiency and expand our 'lights out' production," stated Mike Mittler.
Other new capabilities at the company include wet painting and shot blasting. Both booths were already in the facility. "The booths will enable us to improve our turnaround time and finish quality," noted Paul Mittler.
Mittler Brothers works with steel, tool steel, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, bronze, titanium and other exotic metals.
It serves such industries as automotive, medical, heavy transportation and automation.
Other equipment at the company includes: four CNC vertical machining centers; a 4-axis horizontal machining center; four CNC turning centers; an Okuma lathe with a Westech gantry loader (for unattended operation) and a CNC high definition plasma cutter.
CAD is used on all software and Virtual Gibbs CAM software is used for programming.
The 25-year-old firm produces, tools, dies and special machines as well as offering custom CNC machining and fabrication. The company also produces its own lines of products for the racing industry.
The Mittler brothers (Mike and Paul) started their business with the two of them as the only employees in a 2,500-sq.-ft. facility. They eventually grew into 30,500sq.-ft. of space across three adjacent buildings in Foristell, Missouri.
The current and planned growth of the company led the brothers to move to a 3year-old facility with 50,400-sq.-ft. in neighboring Wright City.
"The opportunity to consolidate our operations under one roof with room for expansion is tremendous," stated Mike Mittler.
Since the facility had been designed for manufacturing it has been a great fit for us," commented Paul
Mittler. "We haven't found anything that we would change in the layout or design."
With the larger space and growing business, the company quickly started adding new equipment. Two major pieces of CNC equipment have been added since the move took place.
One is an Okuma MA-40H horizontal machining center with a 10-pallet Fastems automatic loader. It features a 100-tool changer, a 40-taper 15,000-rpm spindle, and a table capacity of 24" x 28" up to 880 pounds.
Another new piece is a Haas SL20 CNC lathe with a magazine-style barfeeder. It features a 5hp motor with 3,000-rpm; a full C-axis on the spindle; a capacity of 24" between centers and live tooling.
"This equipment, with all the advanced technology, will allow us to improve our efficiency and expand our 'lights out' production," stated Mike Mittler.
Other new capabilities at the company include wet painting and shot blasting. Both booths were already in the facility. "The booths will enable us to improve our turnaround time and finish quality," noted Paul Mittler.
Mittler Brothers works with steel, tool steel, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, bronze, titanium and other exotic metals.
It serves such industries as automotive, medical, heavy transportation and automation.
Other equipment at the company includes: four CNC vertical machining centers; a 4-axis horizontal machining center; four CNC turning centers; an Okuma lathe with a Westech gantry loader (for unattended operation) and a CNC high definition plasma cutter.
CAD is used on all software and Virtual Gibbs CAM software is used for programming.
Machine Tool Consumption Up 38.4%
In August, US machine tool consumption amounted to $225.52 million, according to AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology (McLean, VA), and the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA, Rockville, MD). This number, reported by companies that participate in the US Machine Tool Consumption program, was up 6.4% from July and up 54.2% from the total of $146.27 million reported for August 2003. With a year-to-date total of $1778.59 million, 2004 is up 38.4% compared with 2003.
Jointly compiled by the two trade associations, the USMTC report provides regional and national consumption data on domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Machine tool consumption in the US is also reported on a regional basis for five geographic breakdowns.
August machine tool consumption in the Northeast Region totaled $31.39 million, up 5.0% when compared to July's $29.89 million, and 20.6% ahead of August 2003. At $259.45 million, year-to-date machine tool consumption has increased 48.0%.
In the Southern Region, machine tool consumption in August was $32.62 million, 17.6% less than July's $39.59 million, but up 34.8% when compared to last August. Year-to-date, the total consumption of $270.92 million is a 5.4% drop when compared to the same time last year.
At $80.96 million, the August machine tool consumption in the Midwestern Region was 1.6% higher than July's $79.72 million, and 58.9% higher than the total for August 2003. With a year-to-date total of $710.59 million in consumption, the year 2004 is running 46.5% ahead of 2003 at the same time.
Central Region machine tool consumption in August, at $44.06 million, was 20.8% ahead of July's $36.49 million, and up 67.3% from the August 2003 report. Totaling $309.22 million, year-to-date 2004 machine-tool consumption was 47.3% higher than the comparable figure for 2003.
In the Western region, August machine tool consumption reached $36.48 million, up 39.1% compared to the $26.22 million total for July, and 94.4% higher than the August 2003 total. At $228.40 million, year-to-date 2004 is an impressive 77.9% ahead of the same period in 2003.
Jointly compiled by the two trade associations, the USMTC report provides regional and national consumption data on domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Machine tool consumption in the US is also reported on a regional basis for five geographic breakdowns.
August machine tool consumption in the Northeast Region totaled $31.39 million, up 5.0% when compared to July's $29.89 million, and 20.6% ahead of August 2003. At $259.45 million, year-to-date machine tool consumption has increased 48.0%.
In the Southern Region, machine tool consumption in August was $32.62 million, 17.6% less than July's $39.59 million, but up 34.8% when compared to last August. Year-to-date, the total consumption of $270.92 million is a 5.4% drop when compared to the same time last year.
At $80.96 million, the August machine tool consumption in the Midwestern Region was 1.6% higher than July's $79.72 million, and 58.9% higher than the total for August 2003. With a year-to-date total of $710.59 million in consumption, the year 2004 is running 46.5% ahead of 2003 at the same time.
Central Region machine tool consumption in August, at $44.06 million, was 20.8% ahead of July's $36.49 million, and up 67.3% from the August 2003 report. Totaling $309.22 million, year-to-date 2004 machine-tool consumption was 47.3% higher than the comparable figure for 2003.
In the Western region, August machine tool consumption reached $36.48 million, up 39.1% compared to the $26.22 million total for July, and 94.4% higher than the August 2003 total. At $228.40 million, year-to-date 2004 is an impressive 77.9% ahead of the same period in 2003.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Ceramic balls—Saint Gobain Advanced Ceramics, booth D-427 - Machine Tool Components and Accessories
According to the manufacturer, Cerbec ceramic balls for bearing applications last longer and provide better performance than steel bearings because of their inherently lower thermal expansion; smoother surface; increased hardness and stiffness; lighter weight; and corrosion/electricalresistant properties. These attributes recommend the use of these ceramic balls for bearings, linear guideways and machine tool spindles.
Autonomous robot cell—Motoman, booth B-6000 - Machine Tool Components and Accessories
In the A.R.C., autonomous robotic cell, one Motoman robot positions parts for one or more additional process robots, eliminating the need for complex part fixtures and positionsers. According to the company, multiple-station processing allows parts to be completed within one workcell, and speeds throughput by eliminating transfer time.
Also on display will be the inverted-mount U50 robot from a servo-controlled overhead rail that is said to save floor space and improve access to two lathes durng tool changes, and the UP20 robot wall-mounted from a servo gallows to provide the extended reach needed to tend three boring and tapping machine tools.
Also on display will be the inverted-mount U50 robot from a servo-controlled overhead rail that is said to save floor space and improve access to two lathes durng tool changes, and the UP20 robot wall-mounted from a servo gallows to provide the extended reach needed to tend three boring and tapping machine tools.
Fully hydrostatic tool grinding machine—Rollomatic, booth B-6838 - Grinding/Abrasive Machining Equipment
The GrindSmart 6000XL is a fully hydrostatic grinding machine. Hydrostatic functions allow friction-free linear and rotary movements for all six axes, including grinding spindle, to enhance the accuracy, speed, rigidity and perpetual repeatability of the machine in production, according to the company.
The machine is a fully automated, CNC super-precision grinding center with six hydrostatic machine axis and three axis for the integrated robot load/unload station. It is designed for the complete manufacture of small-to large-diameter carbide and HSS cutting tools in one clamping with a range of 0.1 mm (0.008") to 32.0 mm (1.250") in diameter.
Also on display will be the GrindSmart 620XS universal tool grinding machine for production grinding of rotary cutting tools in the size range of 0.2 to 16 mm (0.008" to 0.625").
The machine is a fully automated, CNC super-precision grinding center with six hydrostatic machine axis and three axis for the integrated robot load/unload station. It is designed for the complete manufacture of small-to large-diameter carbide and HSS cutting tools in one clamping with a range of 0.1 mm (0.008") to 32.0 mm (1.250") in diameter.
Also on display will be the GrindSmart 620XS universal tool grinding machine for production grinding of rotary cutting tools in the size range of 0.2 to 16 mm (0.008" to 0.625").
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