The MTC Serrated Locking System (SLS) cartridge system from ManchesterTool Company consists of a toolholder and a cartridge, which simplifies the standard multicomponent design into one piece. Both the toolholder and the cartridge have serrations or interlocking ridges on the inner sides. These serrations create a tight fit between the cartridge and the toolholder, says the company. Once the toolholder and cartridge are locked together, the system provides stability that is said to be comparable to that of an integral shank tool.
The cartridge accommodates any of the MTC double-ended, double V design inserts. Each insert locks into position with one screw. These components perform cutoff, plunge-and-turn, plunge-and-contour and face grooving operations.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Tool removes extraneous material—Brush Research Mfg., booth 5044
Brush Research Mfg. Co. has made several new additions to its line of miniature Flex-Hone products. Among the tooling offered is the FlexHone, which is applicable for bore sizes as small as 0.156" (4 mm). Comprised of abrasive globules that are laminated onto flexible nylon filaments, the tool is self-centering and aligns to the bore. It also compensates for wear. In addition to removing peaks from the surface, the tool removes cut, torn and folded metal that may linger after previous machining operations
Redesigned collet line—Somma Tool, booth 3153
Somma Tool Company has reintroduced the C series Flexi-Grip collets that were previously supplied by Sandvik and Balas. The company offers C3, C4, C6, C8 drill collets, along with STC4 tap collets. The C6 and C8 series have both been redesigned: however, the collets are interchangeable with the old design.
The company also offers chucks that are compatible with the collets.
The company also offers chucks that are compatible with the collets.
Cutting tool works with titanium alloy
Sandvik Coromant Co. offers Xcel as a solution for machining of titanium alloy and heat-resistant super alloy materials. According to the company, the tool provides design advantages not previously available with one tool when semi-rough turning into shoulders. In addition, the cutting tool is also said to offer the accessibility and programming of an 80-degree insert, along with reduced wear when compared to a square insert used at 45-degree entering angle.
Two insert sizes in three grades are available to suit depths of cut from 0.5 mm to 3 mm in intermediate stage machining. Machining into corners to produce complex shapes and the capability of machining in two directions are among the product's noteworthy capabilities
Two insert sizes in three grades are available to suit depths of cut from 0.5 mm to 3 mm in intermediate stage machining. Machining into corners to produce complex shapes and the capability of machining in two directions are among the product's noteworthy capabilities
New high speed tool paths—Mastercam, booth 5527
Mastercam X's latest maintenance release, MR 1, includes various new capabilities, such as added high speed machining tool paths, holder definition and more.
Seven high speed surface machining (HST) tool paths--two roughing and five finishing paths have been incorporated into the release, along with an interface for toolpath creation. These added tool paths are tailored to high speed machining while offering smooth cutting motion and smooth entry/exits, says CNC Software. The high speed tool paths include core roughing, area clearance, waterline, scallop, horizontal area, raster and enhanced pencil.
Seven high speed surface machining (HST) tool paths--two roughing and five finishing paths have been incorporated into the release, along with an interface for toolpath creation. These added tool paths are tailored to high speed machining while offering smooth cutting motion and smooth entry/exits, says CNC Software. The high speed tool paths include core roughing, area clearance, waterline, scallop, horizontal area, raster and enhanced pencil.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Who's afraid to cut to zero? Most U.S. mold shops still leave extra stock on the cores and cavities of the molds they machine. This practice is unnece
To go from milling machine to mold press to perfect molded part with the first shot is the dream of many mold shops.
"There's no reason a mold shop can't achieve that goal," says Keith Kauzlarich, vice president of Single Source Technologies (SST) in Auburn Hills, Michigan. "The process to machine molds that need no benching or spotting exists today. Most mold shops in the United States simply haven't embraced the technology that this process requires," he says.
A high percentage of mold shops habitually leave at least 0.001 to 0.003 inch of extra material on cavities and cores. This practice ensures the shop that there is sufficient stock to allow for hand grinding, polishing and other adjustments without exceeding the dimensional tolerances on the mold. It also allows for a safety factor to compensate for the margin of error in parts of the customary moldmaking technology, such as:
* CNC programs that cannot generate tool paths that match the geometry to a tighter tolerance band than the stock allowance.
"There's no reason a mold shop can't achieve that goal," says Keith Kauzlarich, vice president of Single Source Technologies (SST) in Auburn Hills, Michigan. "The process to machine molds that need no benching or spotting exists today. Most mold shops in the United States simply haven't embraced the technology that this process requires," he says.
A high percentage of mold shops habitually leave at least 0.001 to 0.003 inch of extra material on cavities and cores. This practice ensures the shop that there is sufficient stock to allow for hand grinding, polishing and other adjustments without exceeding the dimensional tolerances on the mold. It also allows for a safety factor to compensate for the margin of error in parts of the customary moldmaking technology, such as:
* CNC programs that cannot generate tool paths that match the geometry to a tighter tolerance band than the stock allowance.
Machine tool trade with Japan and Taiwan
The President has directed that the US Trade Representative negotiate a limited extension of the voluntary restraint agreements (VRAs) with Japan and Taiwan on machine tools. These VRAs were negotiated in 1986 for national security reasons and were scheduled to expire on December 31, 1991.
Import restrictions on machining centers, computer-controlled lathes, computer-controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and computer-controlled milling machine tools will be removed progressively over a 2-year period beginning in January 1992.
To allow sufficient time for negotiations with concerned countries over the phase-out schedule, we are requesting that Japan and Taiwan extend the existing VRA restrictions on machining centers, computer-controlled lathes, computer-controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and computer controlled milling machine tools, scheduled to expire on December 31, 1991, for an additional 30 days.
VRA restrictions on non-computer controlled lathes, non-computer controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and non-computer controlled milling machine tools will expire as scheduled on December 31, 1991
The Secretary of Commerce, as chairman of the cabinet-level Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, will give special focus to ways to promote machine tools exports.
* US export control regulations will be reviewed to ensure that restrictions on machine tools are kept to the minimum consistent with national security.
* The Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, and Labor will designate officials at the Assistant Secretary level to work together to monitor the industry's performance and to consult regularly with industry representatives.
* The Secretary of Labor will help the machine tool industry improve technical training, human resource management, and the utilization of new and emerging technologies.
* The Secretaries of Commerce and Energy will examine which research and development efforts in the national laboratories could benefit the domestic machine tool industry and will recommend appropriate investment and technology transfer to realize such benefit.
* The Secretaries of Commerce and Defense will continue to implement the Domestic Action Plan of programs to support the revitalization of the US machine tool industry. Key elements of the Domestic Action Plan are as follows:
-- Support for the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (amounting to $50 million during fiscal years 1988-91); and
-- Support by the Defense Department's Manufacturing Technology (MANTECH) research and development program. More than $33 million has been spent for research on machine tools and related technologies over the past 3 years. Funding for related technologies is estimated at $82 million over the FY 1991-95 period.
Import restrictions on machining centers, computer-controlled lathes, computer-controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and computer-controlled milling machine tools will be removed progressively over a 2-year period beginning in January 1992.
To allow sufficient time for negotiations with concerned countries over the phase-out schedule, we are requesting that Japan and Taiwan extend the existing VRA restrictions on machining centers, computer-controlled lathes, computer-controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and computer controlled milling machine tools, scheduled to expire on December 31, 1991, for an additional 30 days.
VRA restrictions on non-computer controlled lathes, non-computer controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and non-computer controlled milling machine tools will expire as scheduled on December 31, 1991
The Secretary of Commerce, as chairman of the cabinet-level Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, will give special focus to ways to promote machine tools exports.
* US export control regulations will be reviewed to ensure that restrictions on machine tools are kept to the minimum consistent with national security.
* The Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, and Labor will designate officials at the Assistant Secretary level to work together to monitor the industry's performance and to consult regularly with industry representatives.
* The Secretary of Labor will help the machine tool industry improve technical training, human resource management, and the utilization of new and emerging technologies.
* The Secretaries of Commerce and Energy will examine which research and development efforts in the national laboratories could benefit the domestic machine tool industry and will recommend appropriate investment and technology transfer to realize such benefit.
* The Secretaries of Commerce and Defense will continue to implement the Domestic Action Plan of programs to support the revitalization of the US machine tool industry. Key elements of the Domestic Action Plan are as follows:
-- Support for the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (amounting to $50 million during fiscal years 1988-91); and
-- Support by the Defense Department's Manufacturing Technology (MANTECH) research and development program. More than $33 million has been spent for research on machine tools and related technologies over the past 3 years. Funding for related technologies is estimated at $82 million over the FY 1991-95 period.
Turning Holder Style Burnishing Tool - UBT-T Universal - Brief Article - Product Announcement
The new UBT-T Universal turning holder style burnishing tool generates low surface finishes on shafts, faces, tapers and contours. Standardized and available off the shelf, the indexable tool utilizes a single burnishing roll available in hardened steel or carbide. It is adjustable for optimum burnishing pressure. The company also offers the UBT-T Universal boring bar style burnishing tool for burnishing a variety of part configurations, including shafts, faces, tapers, contours and large IDs (greater than 2.75" or 69.85 mm) with a single roll.
Machine tool considerations come to the surface - Cover Story
When all the design, NC code generation and fixturing are complete, it's a machine tool that gets down to the business of contoured surfaces: cutting. Here are some things to consider about the machine you choose for the job.
A trip through any supermarket provides more than enough evidence to explain why machining of contoured surfaces is a growing segment of manufacturing. For example, each of the thousands of uniquely shaped plastic containers, found along the miles of aisles, gets its shape from a mold. And the mold gets its shape from a machine tool. It's estimated that 60 percent of all parts made today--a percentage that's growing--are made from plastic.
But there are more contoured surfaces to machine than just molds, although as our supermarket tour illustrates, they do make up a large chunk of the surface machining universe. Manufacturing is applying contoured surface machining technology across many industries such as automotive, power generation, aerospace, die and mold making, and health care.
Design considerations that take into account form as well as function increase the demands that are placed on manufacturers for contoured surfaces. Ergonomics--the physical interface between people and equipment--is also a force behind smoothing the square edges of many products. These design directives are showing up in virtually all manufactured products, whether they are made from composites, aluminum or titanium.
A trip through any supermarket provides more than enough evidence to explain why machining of contoured surfaces is a growing segment of manufacturing. For example, each of the thousands of uniquely shaped plastic containers, found along the miles of aisles, gets its shape from a mold. And the mold gets its shape from a machine tool. It's estimated that 60 percent of all parts made today--a percentage that's growing--are made from plastic.
But there are more contoured surfaces to machine than just molds, although as our supermarket tour illustrates, they do make up a large chunk of the surface machining universe. Manufacturing is applying contoured surface machining technology across many industries such as automotive, power generation, aerospace, die and mold making, and health care.
Design considerations that take into account form as well as function increase the demands that are placed on manufacturers for contoured surfaces. Ergonomics--the physical interface between people and equipment--is also a force behind smoothing the square edges of many products. These design directives are showing up in virtually all manufactured products, whether they are made from composites, aluminum or titanium.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Machine performs fixed and sliding headstock turning
TRAUB series TNL is suited for long, sliding headstock Swiss-type turning, while series TNL-K is suited for short, fixed headstock screw machine type turning. Model TNL26 is offered with two 12-station turrets, 5-station end-working tool carrier, heavy-duty counter-spindle, and 5-station back-working tool carrier. Z-axis travel is ~10 in. on L-version and 4 in. on K-version. Tooling and other workpiece accessories are fully interchangeable between machines.
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INDEX Corporation will demonstrate its TRAUB TNL26 sliding headstock machine at the Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS) Columbus, OH, May 3-5, 2005, Booth #700. The TRAUB TNL12/ 26/ K series machines offer the advantages of both fixed and sliding headstock turning processes in the same machine design concept.
The new machine design saves the user set up time, material cost, and capital cost while providing high-precision Swiss-type and screw machine type turning capability in a single machine. Typically, sliding headstock, also called Swiss-type machines, were used for production of small parts; the manufacturer of smaller, shorter turned parts had to go to a lathe-type machine, if he did not want to work with the conventional Swiss guide bushing concept, which generally requires higher precision bar stock, more set up time, and leaves the user with a long bar remnant.
The machines are based on a building block concept, allowing the user to configure the machine exactly to his requirement. In the TRAUB TNL and TNL- K series machines, TNL stands for long/sliding headstock Swiss-type turning, and TNL-K for short, fixed headstock screw machine type turning machines.
The TNL26 model on display is available with two 12-station turrets (Y-axis optional on both turrets), a 5-station end-working tool carrier, a heavy duty counter-spindle, and a 5- station back-working tool carrier; the max. Z-axis travel is approx. 10 in. on the L- version and 4 in. on the K- version. The maximum number of fixed tools is approx. 58; of these 32 can be live tools.
The 4 Main Benefits of the TNL/ K Concept
1. 12-station tool turret concept offers a high tool capacity in the machine, including one live tool in each turret station. The high-speed indexing of the turrets throws chips away from the tools. This is an important advantage when machining tough materials such as stainless steel and titanium, and is just one reason the machine is well-suited to medical parts. The turrets also permit mounting more than one thread-whirling attachment, allowing the whirling of different thread sizes.
2. High-horsepower main-spindle, counter-spindle, and live tool drive. Both the main and the counter-spindle offer the same high horsepower: up to 4.0KW/ 5.2 HP on the TNL12, and on the TNL26 up to 10.7KW/ 14.6 HP. Live tools drives are up to 1.5KW/ 2.0 HP on the TNL12 and 5.5KW/8.0 HP on the TNL26. This power is important when machining tough materials, a typical requirement for medical parts machining.
3. Up to 4 tools in cut simultaneously, resulting in higher production rates. The design of the work tool-carrier and axis drive arrangement allows the coupling of a second or third tool-carrier (slave axis) to the first, permitting engagement of more than one tool in cut at the same time. Turret two position can be overlapped with turret one because it has an additional Z-axis allowing it to follow turret one. The same holds true for the front working tools, which can also be overlapped, because they also follow turret one. The counter-spindle and the back-working station have independent Z- and X-axes, so that the backwork operation can also be overlapped with the three tools in cut on the main-spindle, for a total of four.
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INDEX Corporation will demonstrate its TRAUB TNL26 sliding headstock machine at the Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS) Columbus, OH, May 3-5, 2005, Booth #700. The TRAUB TNL12/ 26/ K series machines offer the advantages of both fixed and sliding headstock turning processes in the same machine design concept.
The new machine design saves the user set up time, material cost, and capital cost while providing high-precision Swiss-type and screw machine type turning capability in a single machine. Typically, sliding headstock, also called Swiss-type machines, were used for production of small parts; the manufacturer of smaller, shorter turned parts had to go to a lathe-type machine, if he did not want to work with the conventional Swiss guide bushing concept, which generally requires higher precision bar stock, more set up time, and leaves the user with a long bar remnant.
The machines are based on a building block concept, allowing the user to configure the machine exactly to his requirement. In the TRAUB TNL and TNL- K series machines, TNL stands for long/sliding headstock Swiss-type turning, and TNL-K for short, fixed headstock screw machine type turning machines.
The TNL26 model on display is available with two 12-station turrets (Y-axis optional on both turrets), a 5-station end-working tool carrier, a heavy duty counter-spindle, and a 5- station back-working tool carrier; the max. Z-axis travel is approx. 10 in. on the L- version and 4 in. on the K- version. The maximum number of fixed tools is approx. 58; of these 32 can be live tools.
The 4 Main Benefits of the TNL/ K Concept
1. 12-station tool turret concept offers a high tool capacity in the machine, including one live tool in each turret station. The high-speed indexing of the turrets throws chips away from the tools. This is an important advantage when machining tough materials such as stainless steel and titanium, and is just one reason the machine is well-suited to medical parts. The turrets also permit mounting more than one thread-whirling attachment, allowing the whirling of different thread sizes.
2. High-horsepower main-spindle, counter-spindle, and live tool drive. Both the main and the counter-spindle offer the same high horsepower: up to 4.0KW/ 5.2 HP on the TNL12, and on the TNL26 up to 10.7KW/ 14.6 HP. Live tools drives are up to 1.5KW/ 2.0 HP on the TNL12 and 5.5KW/8.0 HP on the TNL26. This power is important when machining tough materials, a typical requirement for medical parts machining.
3. Up to 4 tools in cut simultaneously, resulting in higher production rates. The design of the work tool-carrier and axis drive arrangement allows the coupling of a second or third tool-carrier (slave axis) to the first, permitting engagement of more than one tool in cut at the same time. Turret two position can be overlapped with turret one because it has an additional Z-axis allowing it to follow turret one. The same holds true for the front working tools, which can also be overlapped, because they also follow turret one. The counter-spindle and the back-working station have independent Z- and X-axes, so that the backwork operation can also be overlapped with the three tools in cut on the main-spindle, for a total of four.
Why Machine Tools Matter - Association For Manufacturing Technology study - Brief Article
An important and interesting new study has just been released by AMT--The Association For Manufacturing Technology. It sheds light on some key facts about machine tools and their critical role in our economy.
Now those of us who are involved in metalworking manufacturing all know certain facts about machine tools--that in the last 20 years, they have become faster, more precise and more capable. We also know the fact that these machine tools have helped manufacturers produce more goods without adding a proportionate number of workers. That means that productivity in manufacturing has gone up--there's more output per worker.
Economists know that productivity is up, too, because they collect measurements that are evidence of this fact. Economists also know that when productivity is up, prices tend to stay steady even when the economy is growing. That means that inflation remains low.
What AMT's study shows is that the facts measured by economists are not telling the whole story about manufacturing. As a result, economists are likely to overlook the true role that modern machine tools and advanced manufacturing technology play in boosting productivity and keeping the economy strong. The study is titled Producing Prosperity--Manufacturing Technology's Unmeasured Role in Economic Expansion. Perhaps the most revealing part of the study is an analysis of how consumers have benefited from quality improvements derived from advances in machine tools. In a nutshell, thanks to better, faster and more capable machine tools, consumers enjoy products such as automobiles that last longer, have fewer repairs and use less energy than ever before. These benefits are not captured by the facts that economists typically measure.
The study concludes by pointing out what government policies ought to be pursued to ensure that the latest generation of machine tools can continue to work its magic on our econom
Now those of us who are involved in metalworking manufacturing all know certain facts about machine tools--that in the last 20 years, they have become faster, more precise and more capable. We also know the fact that these machine tools have helped manufacturers produce more goods without adding a proportionate number of workers. That means that productivity in manufacturing has gone up--there's more output per worker.
Economists know that productivity is up, too, because they collect measurements that are evidence of this fact. Economists also know that when productivity is up, prices tend to stay steady even when the economy is growing. That means that inflation remains low.
What AMT's study shows is that the facts measured by economists are not telling the whole story about manufacturing. As a result, economists are likely to overlook the true role that modern machine tools and advanced manufacturing technology play in boosting productivity and keeping the economy strong. The study is titled Producing Prosperity--Manufacturing Technology's Unmeasured Role in Economic Expansion. Perhaps the most revealing part of the study is an analysis of how consumers have benefited from quality improvements derived from advances in machine tools. In a nutshell, thanks to better, faster and more capable machine tools, consumers enjoy products such as automobiles that last longer, have fewer repairs and use less energy than ever before. These benefits are not captured by the facts that economists typically measure.
The study concludes by pointing out what government policies ought to be pursued to ensure that the latest generation of machine tools can continue to work its magic on our econom
Windows Migration Tool Kit Adds SP2 Testing Features
With less than a month left before Microsoft Corp. removes the block on the automatic delivery of Windows XP Service Pack 2, the software giant updated its Application Compatibility Toolkit to help smooth the migration for large enterprise customers.
The Redmond, Wash., company has set April 12 as the drop dead date for the delivery of the service pack to all Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 systems, whether businesses are ready or not.
For more on SP2, read "Ready or Not, Here SP2 Comes."
With that deadline fast approaching, Microsoft has added three security-centric evaluation tools to help customers identify the common issues caused by SP2's increased security settings.
According to Jon Murchinson, group program manager for Windows, ACT 4.0 will now feature a Windows DCOM Compatibility Evaluator, a Windows Firewall Compatibility Evaluator and an Internet Explorer Compatibility Evaluator.
Murchinson told eWEEK.com the tool kit has two key parts: the tools themselves and the Deployment Task List, which provides guidance for a user who is building a deployment planOnce the inventory is completed, Murchinson said, the DCOM and Firewall compatibility evaluators can be run, retrieving log files identifying possible compatibility issues. "An example would be an application that requires a port to be open that SP2 turns off by default."
With these steps complete, the Application Analyzer can be used to compare the inventory file against the Microsoft database via a Web service to search for known issues and suggested fixes, Murchinson said.
"Once the fixes or workarounds have been identified, they can be packaged together with the Solution Builder, which enables multiple fixes to be packaged into a single executable," he added.
For insights on security coverage around the Web, check out eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzer's Weblog.
"Once your compatibility issues have been identified and packaged, then SP2 needs to be deployed followed by the solution packages, which can be deployed manually, using Group Policy or SMS [Systems Management Server]."
Microsoft has also posted a 55-minute Webcast with accompanying documentation to explain the benefits of using ACT 4.0.
Through the Internet Explorer blog, Microsoft is also beating the drum for IECE (IE Compatibility Evaluator).
Tariq Sharif, program manager in the IE security and networking team, said the IECE tool is designed to help IT professionals evaluate changes in behavior of Web applications and Web sites caused by the new security features in the service pack.
Among other things, IECE can be used to identify issues and blocks to Web site functionality and pinpoint the cause of a block and specific details to identify the location of the problem.
Murchinson said the ACT 4.0 rollout is targeted at midmarket customers up through large enterprises.
The Redmond, Wash., company has set April 12 as the drop dead date for the delivery of the service pack to all Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 systems, whether businesses are ready or not.
For more on SP2, read "Ready or Not, Here SP2 Comes."
With that deadline fast approaching, Microsoft has added three security-centric evaluation tools to help customers identify the common issues caused by SP2's increased security settings.
According to Jon Murchinson, group program manager for Windows, ACT 4.0 will now feature a Windows DCOM Compatibility Evaluator, a Windows Firewall Compatibility Evaluator and an Internet Explorer Compatibility Evaluator.
Murchinson told eWEEK.com the tool kit has two key parts: the tools themselves and the Deployment Task List, which provides guidance for a user who is building a deployment planOnce the inventory is completed, Murchinson said, the DCOM and Firewall compatibility evaluators can be run, retrieving log files identifying possible compatibility issues. "An example would be an application that requires a port to be open that SP2 turns off by default."
With these steps complete, the Application Analyzer can be used to compare the inventory file against the Microsoft database via a Web service to search for known issues and suggested fixes, Murchinson said.
"Once the fixes or workarounds have been identified, they can be packaged together with the Solution Builder, which enables multiple fixes to be packaged into a single executable," he added.
For insights on security coverage around the Web, check out eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzer's Weblog.
"Once your compatibility issues have been identified and packaged, then SP2 needs to be deployed followed by the solution packages, which can be deployed manually, using Group Policy or SMS [Systems Management Server]."
Microsoft has also posted a 55-minute Webcast with accompanying documentation to explain the benefits of using ACT 4.0.
Through the Internet Explorer blog, Microsoft is also beating the drum for IECE (IE Compatibility Evaluator).
Tariq Sharif, program manager in the IE security and networking team, said the IECE tool is designed to help IT professionals evaluate changes in behavior of Web applications and Web sites caused by the new security features in the service pack.
Among other things, IECE can be used to identify issues and blocks to Web site functionality and pinpoint the cause of a block and specific details to identify the location of the problem.
Murchinson said the ACT 4.0 rollout is targeted at midmarket customers up through large enterprises.
Monitoring processes and machine conditions
llustrated in this brochure is the Artec 4000, a variation of Artis' CTM system. The system monitors machining operations such as drilling, milling, turning, grinding, broaching, reaming, thread forming and more. It can also be used to detect errors or tool defects such as breakage, wear and balance. Included is a flow chart that guides the reader through the process.
Realistic tool simulation with 3D models
TDM Systems' Tool Graphic Builder CAA V5 Based integrates TDM functions directly into Catia V5 by means of a user interface. The software is said to quickly generate 3 D tool graphics in original Catia V5 format for symmetrically rotating tools. Information about tool assemblies is input directly into Catia via an online connection to the TDM tool database. The components are assembled into a 2D tool assembly using the TDM parts list, and the software then uses this initial 2D data to generate a tool contour from which the 3D volume model emerges on the screen.
In the process, the cutting and non-cutting parts of tool assemblies are recognized and can be displayed in a number of ways. The tool data includes all master data, along with geometries and additional information. This promotes realistic processing simulation, views of points of interference and views of material removal. According to the company, this can increase processing accuracy and reliability in the production area, while reducing the time and work required to generate tool data and graphics.
In the process, the cutting and non-cutting parts of tool assemblies are recognized and can be displayed in a number of ways. The tool data includes all master data, along with geometries and additional information. This promotes realistic processing simulation, views of points of interference and views of material removal. According to the company, this can increase processing accuracy and reliability in the production area, while reducing the time and work required to generate tool data and graphics.
Foristell, Missouri: Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool observes 20th anniversary
Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool, Foristell, Missouri, is observing its 20th anniversary.
Founded in 1980 by Mike and Paul Mittler, the company has grown steadily from the two brothers in a 2500- sq.-ft. building to over 40 employees in a 12,000-sq.-ft. plant in Foristell, Missouri (40 miles west of St. Louis on I-70).
Specializing in engineering, special machines, precision machining and welding, the company works with an extensive range of materials including: steel, tool steel, aluminum, brass, bronze, titanium, magnesium and other exotic metals.
"We are a full-service shop," stated Paul Mittler, "from a single precision machined part to a complete machine, we take care of our customers."
Mittler Brothers serve customers in the automotive/truck, consumer product, medical and general industries worldwide.
Part of their automotive work includes racing products. The company provides parts and equipment to clients in a widerange of motorsports including: Drag racing; Trans-Arn; Off-Road;
Founded in 1980 by Mike and Paul Mittler, the company has grown steadily from the two brothers in a 2500- sq.-ft. building to over 40 employees in a 12,000-sq.-ft. plant in Foristell, Missouri (40 miles west of St. Louis on I-70).
Specializing in engineering, special machines, precision machining and welding, the company works with an extensive range of materials including: steel, tool steel, aluminum, brass, bronze, titanium, magnesium and other exotic metals.
"We are a full-service shop," stated Paul Mittler, "from a single precision machined part to a complete machine, we take care of our customers."
Mittler Brothers serve customers in the automotive/truck, consumer product, medical and general industries worldwide.
Part of their automotive work includes racing products. The company provides parts and equipment to clients in a widerange of motorsports including: Drag racing; Trans-Arn; Off-Road;
Machine-tool industry recovering from recession
Local machine-tool manufacturers are seeing a revival in business that may signal the end of a particularly nasty recession in that industry.
"The two-year machinetool industry recession appears to be slowly easing, and we believe that we have seen market conditions bottom out in the fourth quarter of 1999," says Robert E. Agan, chairman and CEO of Hardinge, Inc., the machinetool maker in Elmira.
At Cortland's Monarch Machine Tool Company, President Wayne W. Hanna says, "What we've seen of late is a steadiness in the business." In recent years, Hanna says, sales would be fine for a couple of months, then drop off. "Now, he says, "we aren't seeing the dips."
"In 2000, things are definitely trending upward," says Robert W. Gardner, vice president of the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), a national trade group with headquarters outside Washington. Gardner explains that the "Asia crisis knocked the pins out" from under the industry in 1997, but that in late 1999 and in 2000, the Industry has improved as Asia's economies have gotten "back in pretty good shape."Agan, when announcing strong secondquarter revenues, noted the ATM statistics, including a 4-percent rise in overall order rates for machine tools. "We cannot," he said, "be certain exactly how this growth trend will continue, but, given our position as a preeminent global supplier of advanced technology solutions to manufacturing industries, we feel confident about Hardinge's prospects in the marketplace."
Hanna and Agan both note the impact of the upcoming International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in September. Agan noted that promotional expenses for the show cut into cost-cutting efforts the company has undertaken.
For Hanna, the every -other-year Chicago trade show is a sign of how the market has improved. In 1998, orders to Monarch dropped to zero in the month before the show. Hanna remembers it well; he says, "I started that month."
That year, 11 percent of the company's orders came in the month following the September show. But this year, says Hanna, Monarch is not seeing delays. "This August looks to be pretty good," he says, and the company had a good July,
Hanna, part of management that bought the company from previous owner, Genesis Worldwide, credits a portion of the company's rebound to new equipment it did not offer before. New "gantry-style machines," which can machine very large pieces, have been bought by Lockheed Martin and Electric Boat and can cost $1 million a piece. Looking to the upcoming IMTS, Hanna notes that the new machines are "something we did not have in 1998 to show off."
New product is at the forefront of Hardinge's plan. "One of Hardinge's business objectives is to have products less than two years old account for at least 35 percent of each year's revenues. During the quarter, we continued to prepare for our product introduction and marketing efforts," Agan says.
"The two-year machinetool industry recession appears to be slowly easing, and we believe that we have seen market conditions bottom out in the fourth quarter of 1999," says Robert E. Agan, chairman and CEO of Hardinge, Inc., the machinetool maker in Elmira.
At Cortland's Monarch Machine Tool Company, President Wayne W. Hanna says, "What we've seen of late is a steadiness in the business." In recent years, Hanna says, sales would be fine for a couple of months, then drop off. "Now, he says, "we aren't seeing the dips."
"In 2000, things are definitely trending upward," says Robert W. Gardner, vice president of the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), a national trade group with headquarters outside Washington. Gardner explains that the "Asia crisis knocked the pins out" from under the industry in 1997, but that in late 1999 and in 2000, the Industry has improved as Asia's economies have gotten "back in pretty good shape."Agan, when announcing strong secondquarter revenues, noted the ATM statistics, including a 4-percent rise in overall order rates for machine tools. "We cannot," he said, "be certain exactly how this growth trend will continue, but, given our position as a preeminent global supplier of advanced technology solutions to manufacturing industries, we feel confident about Hardinge's prospects in the marketplace."
Hanna and Agan both note the impact of the upcoming International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in September. Agan noted that promotional expenses for the show cut into cost-cutting efforts the company has undertaken.
For Hanna, the every -other-year Chicago trade show is a sign of how the market has improved. In 1998, orders to Monarch dropped to zero in the month before the show. Hanna remembers it well; he says, "I started that month."
That year, 11 percent of the company's orders came in the month following the September show. But this year, says Hanna, Monarch is not seeing delays. "This August looks to be pretty good," he says, and the company had a good July,
Hanna, part of management that bought the company from previous owner, Genesis Worldwide, credits a portion of the company's rebound to new equipment it did not offer before. New "gantry-style machines," which can machine very large pieces, have been bought by Lockheed Martin and Electric Boat and can cost $1 million a piece. Looking to the upcoming IMTS, Hanna notes that the new machines are "something we did not have in 1998 to show off."
New product is at the forefront of Hardinge's plan. "One of Hardinge's business objectives is to have products less than two years old account for at least 35 percent of each year's revenues. During the quarter, we continued to prepare for our product introduction and marketing efforts," Agan says.
Software targets machine vision applications
NI Vision 7.1 Development Module features vision tools for users of LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, C/C++ or Visual Basic to create applications that inspect, align, identify, and measure objects. Geometric matching enables location of objects that are described by edges and shapes rather than textures and shades, even under poor lighting conditions or when partially obstructed. Suite of tools for part identification, tracking, and sorting is also included.
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Vision 7.1 Development Module Features Tools for Geometric Matching, Object Classification and 2D Bar Codes
NEWS RELEASE - Jan. 25, 2005 - National Instruments today announced the NI Vision 7.1 Development Module, which features hundreds of vision tools for engineers and scientists using NI LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, C/C++ or Visual Basic to create powerful vision applications that inspect, align, identify and measure objects. With the software, engineers and scientists can access new algorithms such as geometric matching, object classification, optical character recognition (OCR) and 2D bar code readers to quickly locate, sort and track objects even under poor imaging conditions.
With geometric matching, engineers and scientists now can locate objects that are best described by edges and shapes rather than textures and shades, even when under poor lighting conditions or partially obstructed. Geometric matching also is effective at locating objects that appear to change scale. This occurs in applications such as robotic guidance and product assembly where the distance between the camera and object varies.
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Vision 7.1 Development Module Features Tools for Geometric Matching, Object Classification and 2D Bar Codes
NEWS RELEASE - Jan. 25, 2005 - National Instruments today announced the NI Vision 7.1 Development Module, which features hundreds of vision tools for engineers and scientists using NI LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, C/C++ or Visual Basic to create powerful vision applications that inspect, align, identify and measure objects. With the software, engineers and scientists can access new algorithms such as geometric matching, object classification, optical character recognition (OCR) and 2D bar code readers to quickly locate, sort and track objects even under poor imaging conditions.
With geometric matching, engineers and scientists now can locate objects that are best described by edges and shapes rather than textures and shades, even when under poor lighting conditions or partially obstructed. Geometric matching also is effective at locating objects that appear to change scale. This occurs in applications such as robotic guidance and product assembly where the distance between the camera and object varies.
Software targets machine vision applications
NI Vision 7.1 Development Module features vision tools for users of LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, C/C++ or Visual Basic to create applications that inspect, align, identify, and measure objects. Geometric matching enables location of objects that are described by edges and shapes rather than textures and shades, even under poor lighting conditions or when partially obstructed. Suite of tools for part identification, tracking, and sorting is also included.
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Vision 7.1 Development Module Features Tools for Geometric Matching, Object Classification and 2D Bar Codes
NEWS RELEASE - Jan. 25, 2005 - National Instruments today announced the NI Vision 7.1 Development Module, which features hundreds of vision tools for engineers and scientists using NI LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, C/C++ or Visual Basic to create powerful vision applications that inspect, align, identify and measure objects. With the software, engineers and scientists can access new algorithms such as geometric matching, object classification, optical character recognition (OCR) and 2D bar code readers to quickly locate, sort and track objects even under poor imaging conditions.
With geometric matching, engineers and scientists now can locate objects that are best described by edges and shapes rather than textures and shades, even when under poor lighting conditions or partially obstructed. Geometric matching also is effective at locating objects that appear to change scale. This occurs in applications such as robotic guidance and product assembly where the distance between the camera and object varies.
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Vision 7.1 Development Module Features Tools for Geometric Matching, Object Classification and 2D Bar Codes
NEWS RELEASE - Jan. 25, 2005 - National Instruments today announced the NI Vision 7.1 Development Module, which features hundreds of vision tools for engineers and scientists using NI LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, C/C++ or Visual Basic to create powerful vision applications that inspect, align, identify and measure objects. With the software, engineers and scientists can access new algorithms such as geometric matching, object classification, optical character recognition (OCR) and 2D bar code readers to quickly locate, sort and track objects even under poor imaging conditions.
With geometric matching, engineers and scientists now can locate objects that are best described by edges and shapes rather than textures and shades, even when under poor lighting conditions or partially obstructed. Geometric matching also is effective at locating objects that appear to change scale. This occurs in applications such as robotic guidance and product assembly where the distance between the camera and object varies.
Compact, micro-tooling CNC machine
The miniRaptor, a compact version of Datron Dynamics' Raptor class of machining centers is now offered with a 51" x 51" footprint. The machine also features a 20" x 20" x 8" working envelope that can accomodate fixturing and batch-machining of small parts. The smaller bed size facilitates the use of a solid slab of granite for the machining table, which provides increased rigidity to minimize vibration, the company says.
The machine includes standard features such as a 60,000-rpm spindle with a 0.125" collet; a three-tool automatic tool management system; Microsoft Windows-based control software; a PC with 256 MB RAM and 40 GB part/program storage; a handheld controller; Ethernet networking capability, remote monitoring capability; a removable chip disposal tray; and a full machining-area enclosure with a door safety interlock system.
This package can be augmented with a number of options including a 600W, 60,000-rpm spindle with 0.250" collet; a 10-tool automatic tool management system; a Z-Correction probe that recognizes irregular workpiece topology; and more. A 3D probe extension that locates and compensates for material irregularities in XYZ coordinates and facilitates reverse engineering is also available.
The machine includes standard features such as a 60,000-rpm spindle with a 0.125" collet; a three-tool automatic tool management system; Microsoft Windows-based control software; a PC with 256 MB RAM and 40 GB part/program storage; a handheld controller; Ethernet networking capability, remote monitoring capability; a removable chip disposal tray; and a full machining-area enclosure with a door safety interlock system.
This package can be augmented with a number of options including a 600W, 60,000-rpm spindle with 0.250" collet; a 10-tool automatic tool management system; a Z-Correction probe that recognizes irregular workpiece topology; and more. A 3D probe extension that locates and compensates for material irregularities in XYZ coordinates and facilitates reverse engineering is also available.
Machine tool trade with Japan and Taiwan
The President has directed that the US Trade Representative negotiate a limited extension of the voluntary restraint agreements (VRAs) with Japan and Taiwan on machine tools. These VRAs were negotiated in 1986 for national security reasons and were scheduled to expire on December 31, 1991.
Import restrictions on machining centers, computer-controlled lathes, computer-controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and computer-controlled milling machine tools will be removed progressively over a 2-year period beginning in January 1992.
To allow sufficient time for negotiations with concerned countries over the phase-out schedule, we are requesting that Japan and Taiwan extend the existing VRA restrictions on machining centers, computer-controlled lathes, computer-controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and computer controlled milling machine tools, scheduled to expire on December 31, 1991, for an additional 30 days.
VRA restrictions on non-computer controlled lathes, non-computer controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and non-computer controlled milling machine tools will expire as scheduled on December 31, 1991. The President also has directed that the following steps be taken to assist the US machine tool industry's ongoing efforts to regain international competitiveness.
* The Secretary of Commerce, as chairman of the cabinet-level Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, will give special focus to ways to promote machine tools exports.
* US export control regulations will be reviewed to ensure that restrictions on machine tools are kept to the minimum consistent with national security.
* The Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, and Labor will designate officials at the Assistant Secretary level to work together to monitor the industry's performance and to consult regularly with industry representatives.
* The Secretary of Labor will help the machine tool industry improve technical training, human resource management, and the utilization of new and emerging technologies.
* The Secretaries of Commerce and Energy will examine which research and development efforts in the national laboratories could benefit the domestic machine tool industry and will recommend appropriate investment and technology transfer to realize such benefit.
* The Secretaries of Commerce and Defense will continue to implement the Domestic Action Plan of programs to support the revitalization of the US machine tool industry. Key elements of the Domestic Action Plan are as follows:
-- Support for the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (amounting to $50 million during fiscal years 1988-91); and
-- Support by the Defense Department's Manufacturing Technology (MANTECH) research and development program. More than $33 million has been spent for research on machine tools and related technologies over the past 3 years. Funding for related technologies is estimated at $82 million over the FY 1991-95 period.
* The Secretary of Commerce will continue efforts under the US-Japan Cooperation Plan, which was begun in May 1990 to help promot
Import restrictions on machining centers, computer-controlled lathes, computer-controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and computer-controlled milling machine tools will be removed progressively over a 2-year period beginning in January 1992.
To allow sufficient time for negotiations with concerned countries over the phase-out schedule, we are requesting that Japan and Taiwan extend the existing VRA restrictions on machining centers, computer-controlled lathes, computer-controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and computer controlled milling machine tools, scheduled to expire on December 31, 1991, for an additional 30 days.
VRA restrictions on non-computer controlled lathes, non-computer controlled punching and shearing machine tools, and non-computer controlled milling machine tools will expire as scheduled on December 31, 1991. The President also has directed that the following steps be taken to assist the US machine tool industry's ongoing efforts to regain international competitiveness.
* The Secretary of Commerce, as chairman of the cabinet-level Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, will give special focus to ways to promote machine tools exports.
* US export control regulations will be reviewed to ensure that restrictions on machine tools are kept to the minimum consistent with national security.
* The Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, and Labor will designate officials at the Assistant Secretary level to work together to monitor the industry's performance and to consult regularly with industry representatives.
* The Secretary of Labor will help the machine tool industry improve technical training, human resource management, and the utilization of new and emerging technologies.
* The Secretaries of Commerce and Energy will examine which research and development efforts in the national laboratories could benefit the domestic machine tool industry and will recommend appropriate investment and technology transfer to realize such benefit.
* The Secretaries of Commerce and Defense will continue to implement the Domestic Action Plan of programs to support the revitalization of the US machine tool industry. Key elements of the Domestic Action Plan are as follows:
-- Support for the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (amounting to $50 million during fiscal years 1988-91); and
-- Support by the Defense Department's Manufacturing Technology (MANTECH) research and development program. More than $33 million has been spent for research on machine tools and related technologies over the past 3 years. Funding for related technologies is estimated at $82 million over the FY 1991-95 period.
* The Secretary of Commerce will continue efforts under the US-Japan Cooperation Plan, which was begun in May 1990 to help promot
Monday, January 22, 2007
New cutting tool material for steel turning
Tiger-tec for Steel, indexable inserts for steel turning, will be introduced by Walter USA in September, 2005.
By applying a new carbide substrate and a multi-layer coating, the company says it is able to offer the same benefits for steel turning that Tiger-tec inserts have provided for cast iron. Potential benefits include increased tool life and productivity, as well as improved process security.
The line, which is available in three cutting materials--grades WPP10, WPP20 and WPP30--and in eight ISO insert shapes (negative basic shape), is recommended for roughing and finishing virtually all types of current steels, including unalloyed structural steels and high-alloyed tool steels.
By applying a new carbide substrate and a multi-layer coating, the company says it is able to offer the same benefits for steel turning that Tiger-tec inserts have provided for cast iron. Potential benefits include increased tool life and productivity, as well as improved process security.
The line, which is available in three cutting materials--grades WPP10, WPP20 and WPP30--and in eight ISO insert shapes (negative basic shape), is recommended for roughing and finishing virtually all types of current steels, including unalloyed structural steels and high-alloyed tool steels.
Tool Targets Compliance for SQL Server Databases
Idera has come out with a version of its SQL Server database auditing tool that provides real-time auditing and continuous compliance for organizations dealing with Sarbanes-Oxley, GLBA, HIPAA, BASEL II and the USA Patriot Act.
Idera worked in partnership with both security and auditing firms, including Ernst and Young LLP, to design SQL Compliance Manager, according to Rick Pleczko, president and CEO of the Houston company.
"They said, 'You must have the ability to provide a true, trusted source of data, so you can prove to auditors that this is a reflection of the real world that hasn't been tampered with,'" he said.
To accomplish that, Idera built in features to make the tool self-auditing. For example, if the database server goes down, auditing comes back as soon as the server recovers.
If somebody were to try to shut the auditing process down, the product "immediately squawks, sends out an alert and refuses to let you kill the auditing process," Pleczko said. "Even if subverted, we've used what's called immutable schema. It's not susceptible to change. We have features that will tell you if anybody changes any content in any row in a table, or if anybody inserted or deleted anything in the table."
The product is built to support two audiences: the DBA (database administrator), who serves as custodian and manager of the product, and the external and internal auditors, who are the real consumers of the data the tool produces, Pleczko said.
"On the DBA side of the house, they want a set-it-and-forget-it system," he said.
Specifically, SQL Compliance Manager has a low overhead, being designed to use less than 5 percent of the load on a machine to collect data.
It achieves that by eschewing high-overhead tactics such as triggers, profiling, heavy tracing or log scraping.
Patrick Rios, senior master planner for Continental Airlines, in Houston, said he appreciates that.
He started using SQL Compliance Manager about a month ago to audit aircraft maintenance databases and ensure compliance with FAA regulations.
Read more here about how VARs can take advantage of compliance requirements.
"This product doesn't put load on the server," he said. "I'm not using 5 percent, and I'm hitting it pretty heavy: whole table deletes and inserts on some applications' parts."
Rios said he particularly likes having the task of compliance lifted from his back.
"When they showed me this, I could automatically see a lot of prospects for the product to help me with everyday needs as far as tracking data, being able to set filters on the fly," he said.
"Usually a bigwig says 'Hey, I want to know the last time an aircraft was changed,' or 'Who changed these conditions on the aircraft?' Without having to write stored procedures or triggers or put load on the database, I was able to go in, target whether it was by user, location, position on the field or whatever, or even track the interface, and capture data without having to write code, and produce a report," he said.
"So it was definitely impressive to me, because there aren't too many tools out there, especially with Select statements, where you can filter down to where you're not blowing the transaction log out of the water."
SQL Compliance Manager provides out-of-the-box, customizable auditing and compliance reports.
The reports are all .Net-based, Pleczko said, which also makes Rios happy.
"In the aviation industry, reports and knowledge is your goal," he said. "It's built on C++ and C Sharp, and they're taking advantage of Reporting Services available to it, which is really a good thing, since most of us are looking toward that product. The buzzword has been BI [Business Intelligence], BI."
SQL Compliance Manager will be available for download from Idera's site within the next two months. It costs $995 per SQL Server instance, inclusive of all components.
Idera worked in partnership with both security and auditing firms, including Ernst and Young LLP, to design SQL Compliance Manager, according to Rick Pleczko, president and CEO of the Houston company.
"They said, 'You must have the ability to provide a true, trusted source of data, so you can prove to auditors that this is a reflection of the real world that hasn't been tampered with,'" he said.
To accomplish that, Idera built in features to make the tool self-auditing. For example, if the database server goes down, auditing comes back as soon as the server recovers.
If somebody were to try to shut the auditing process down, the product "immediately squawks, sends out an alert and refuses to let you kill the auditing process," Pleczko said. "Even if subverted, we've used what's called immutable schema. It's not susceptible to change. We have features that will tell you if anybody changes any content in any row in a table, or if anybody inserted or deleted anything in the table."
The product is built to support two audiences: the DBA (database administrator), who serves as custodian and manager of the product, and the external and internal auditors, who are the real consumers of the data the tool produces, Pleczko said.
"On the DBA side of the house, they want a set-it-and-forget-it system," he said.
Specifically, SQL Compliance Manager has a low overhead, being designed to use less than 5 percent of the load on a machine to collect data.
It achieves that by eschewing high-overhead tactics such as triggers, profiling, heavy tracing or log scraping.
Patrick Rios, senior master planner for Continental Airlines, in Houston, said he appreciates that.
He started using SQL Compliance Manager about a month ago to audit aircraft maintenance databases and ensure compliance with FAA regulations.
Read more here about how VARs can take advantage of compliance requirements.
"This product doesn't put load on the server," he said. "I'm not using 5 percent, and I'm hitting it pretty heavy: whole table deletes and inserts on some applications' parts."
Rios said he particularly likes having the task of compliance lifted from his back.
"When they showed me this, I could automatically see a lot of prospects for the product to help me with everyday needs as far as tracking data, being able to set filters on the fly," he said.
"Usually a bigwig says 'Hey, I want to know the last time an aircraft was changed,' or 'Who changed these conditions on the aircraft?' Without having to write stored procedures or triggers or put load on the database, I was able to go in, target whether it was by user, location, position on the field or whatever, or even track the interface, and capture data without having to write code, and produce a report," he said.
"So it was definitely impressive to me, because there aren't too many tools out there, especially with Select statements, where you can filter down to where you're not blowing the transaction log out of the water."
SQL Compliance Manager provides out-of-the-box, customizable auditing and compliance reports.
The reports are all .Net-based, Pleczko said, which also makes Rios happy.
"In the aviation industry, reports and knowledge is your goal," he said. "It's built on C++ and C Sharp, and they're taking advantage of Reporting Services available to it, which is really a good thing, since most of us are looking toward that product. The buzzword has been BI [Business Intelligence], BI."
SQL Compliance Manager will be available for download from Idera's site within the next two months. It costs $995 per SQL Server instance, inclusive of all components.
Machinery and tooling - MMS Bulletin Board - Cold Header Machine Corp. forms partnership with McCallum Die Company Inc - Brief Article
Cold Header Machine Corp. (Boca Raton, Florida) and McCallum Die Co., Inc. (Plymouth, Connecticut) have formed anew partnership titled Cold Header McCallum Die (CHMD). The company is headquartered in Boca Raton and will be a part of the a fastener and OEM industries. The companies in the partnership hope to provide greater value to their customer bases. You can contact the partnership at (800) 438-3201.
System facilitates end-effector tool changes
Model QC-1200 automatic tool changer accommodates different styles of parts on same assembly machine. Modular design options include Device Net Bus module, self-sealing fluid or pneumatic module, 19 pin I/O module, and 200 A weld power module. Integral latch/unlatch sensor signals coupled condition of tool changer. Unit meets demands of robotic resistance welding and material handling applications.
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Madison Heights, Michigan, April 18, 2005 - Robohand (Monroe, Conn.), a DE-STA-CO Company, has announced an addition to its end of arm tooling solutions - the QC-1200 automatic tool changer. With the QC-1200, end- effector tooling can be changed quickly and easily to accommodate many different styles of parts on the same assembly machine. Accurate positional repeatability, high rigidity, and load carrying capacity in all directions make the QC-1200 tool changer an excellent solution for robotic welding and material handling applications.
Like all Robohand products, the QC-1200 is designed to help users achieve higher flexibility and leaner operations. Easy extendibility and re-tooling is offered through the QC-1200 series modular design, allowing the customer to reduce set-up time by freely choosing from a selection of optional interfaces including a Device Net Bus module, self-sealing fluid or pneumatic module, 19 pin I/O module and the 200 amp weld power module. Additionally, the QC-1200 has a standard integral latch/unlatch sensor to signal the coupled condition of the tool changer.
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Madison Heights, Michigan, April 18, 2005 - Robohand (Monroe, Conn.), a DE-STA-CO Company, has announced an addition to its end of arm tooling solutions - the QC-1200 automatic tool changer. With the QC-1200, end- effector tooling can be changed quickly and easily to accommodate many different styles of parts on the same assembly machine. Accurate positional repeatability, high rigidity, and load carrying capacity in all directions make the QC-1200 tool changer an excellent solution for robotic welding and material handling applications.
Like all Robohand products, the QC-1200 is designed to help users achieve higher flexibility and leaner operations. Easy extendibility and re-tooling is offered through the QC-1200 series modular design, allowing the customer to reduce set-up time by freely choosing from a selection of optional interfaces including a Device Net Bus module, self-sealing fluid or pneumatic module, 19 pin I/O module and the 200 amp weld power module. Additionally, the QC-1200 has a standard integral latch/unlatch sensor to signal the coupled condition of the tool changer.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
CNC Marking Machine offers 3 in 1 functionality
With 3 modular marking head options, DPS marking machine can perform dot peen, scribe, and laser marking. Design utilizes x-y slide arrangement driven through bellows-protected, linear ballscrews. Standard machine is all-electric, and air-operated units for deep marks are also available. Machine, offered in 4 models, can use servo or stepper motor drive for respective marking rates to 10 or 5 characters/sec with 0.005 mm or 0.02 mm repeatability.
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For the first time, one machine can perform dot peen, scribe and laser marking. Now, the cost of three different types of marking processes in one machine, including laser, cost less than most basic laser systems.
There continues to be advancing technology in the way parts and components are being marked, and Columbia Marking Tools, Inc. is right at the forefront. The newest development is a compact 3 in 1 CNC marking machine that has the versatility, with a choice of three modular marking head options, to dot peen fast and deep, scribe mark quickly and silently, or laser mark fragile or very hard materials. Part numbers, lot numbers, QC marks, company logos, trademarks, date or shift codes, 2D Matrix codes or even QS9000 and ISO compliance indications can be made with this one marking system, no matter what material or surface is being marked.
The 3 in 1 machine is an extension of the standard Columbia DPS (Dot-Peen-Scribe) programmable marking machine with the addition of laser marking capability. The basic design of the machine utilizes an x-y slide arrangement that is driven through precise linear ballscrews that are bellows-protected. The standard machine is all-electric but air operated units for extra deep marks are also available. The various marking head modules are mounted to the slide arrangement by two easily removable bolts. The design permits the user to have either a quiet-running, servo motor drive that provides high-speed marking capability up to 10 characters per second with 0.005mm positioning accuracy, or a high-performance stepper motor drive that gives 0.02mm repeatability at 5 characters per second. The machine can operate as a stand-alone unit or, because of its compact size, can be easily integrated into an automated production system.
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For the first time, one machine can perform dot peen, scribe and laser marking. Now, the cost of three different types of marking processes in one machine, including laser, cost less than most basic laser systems.
There continues to be advancing technology in the way parts and components are being marked, and Columbia Marking Tools, Inc. is right at the forefront. The newest development is a compact 3 in 1 CNC marking machine that has the versatility, with a choice of three modular marking head options, to dot peen fast and deep, scribe mark quickly and silently, or laser mark fragile or very hard materials. Part numbers, lot numbers, QC marks, company logos, trademarks, date or shift codes, 2D Matrix codes or even QS9000 and ISO compliance indications can be made with this one marking system, no matter what material or surface is being marked.
The 3 in 1 machine is an extension of the standard Columbia DPS (Dot-Peen-Scribe) programmable marking machine with the addition of laser marking capability. The basic design of the machine utilizes an x-y slide arrangement that is driven through precise linear ballscrews that are bellows-protected. The standard machine is all-electric but air operated units for extra deep marks are also available. The various marking head modules are mounted to the slide arrangement by two easily removable bolts. The design permits the user to have either a quiet-running, servo motor drive that provides high-speed marking capability up to 10 characters per second with 0.005mm positioning accuracy, or a high-performance stepper motor drive that gives 0.02mm repeatability at 5 characters per second. The machine can operate as a stand-alone unit or, because of its compact size, can be easily integrated into an automated production system.
Comparison LCC cuts track maintenance costs: it is possible to examine different track maintenance strategies in terms of their cost-efficiency by app
DIFFERENT maintenance strategies are best assessed in relation to their effect on track geometry durability, the longevity of track materials, the frequency and type of maintenance operations, and in accordance with findings resulting from research. The comparison LCC process is then performed on this basis.
The method has proven to be successful with Austrian Federal Railways (0BB) where LCC investigations were carried out for different track maintenance strategies and then put into practice. Successes concerned the application of the Dynamic Track Stabiliser to extend maintenance cycles; the application of GPS technology for track surveying; and the use of formation rehabilitation machines to improve the subsoil or preventive rail grinding immediately after tamping.
The average overall annual costs for track handling between 30,000 and 50,000 gross tonnes/day/direction is about 35,000 [euro]/km. Optimising track laying and track maintenance is therefore a significant challenge. The aim of developing strategies and evaluation models is the optimisation of the time-related quality curve of the permanent way, and not the short-term technical-economic optimisation of the correction of a given track condition.
The method has proven to be successful with Austrian Federal Railways (0BB) where LCC investigations were carried out for different track maintenance strategies and then put into practice. Successes concerned the application of the Dynamic Track Stabiliser to extend maintenance cycles; the application of GPS technology for track surveying; and the use of formation rehabilitation machines to improve the subsoil or preventive rail grinding immediately after tamping.
The average overall annual costs for track handling between 30,000 and 50,000 gross tonnes/day/direction is about 35,000 [euro]/km. Optimising track laying and track maintenance is therefore a significant challenge. The aim of developing strategies and evaluation models is the optimisation of the time-related quality curve of the permanent way, and not the short-term technical-economic optimisation of the correction of a given track condition.
EDM Machine allows easy operability and maintenance
Series HV 2D Hybrid Processing Machine's beam path is highly stable, and an 11.8 in. z-axis stroke offers expanded application range. Diamond Soft[R] CAD/CAM software decreases setup and processing time and reduced secondary operations for faster turnaround. Other features include faster processing speeds, increased machine tool rigidity, and cutting-edge servo control system.
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Wood Dale, IL - Mitsubishi Laser Introduces it's most advanced hybrid series ever, the HV Series. HV is the sixth generation of the Hybrid series, with previous models such as the H2, HB, HC, HD and HDII machines. Its open table provides excellent operability and easy maintenance. The machine's simple beam path is highly stable and its long (11.8-inch) z-axis stroke offers an expanded application range.
The HV Series incorporates features for improved productivity, processing quality and cost performance. Productivity features include MC Diamond Soft[R] CAD/CAM software that decreases setup and processing time and reduced secondary operations for faster turnaround. Improved features of the HV Series include faster processing speeds, increased machine tool rigidity and cutting-edge servo control system. Cost performance is enhanced through reduced running costs, maintenance costs and longer consumable parts life.
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Wood Dale, IL - Mitsubishi Laser Introduces it's most advanced hybrid series ever, the HV Series. HV is the sixth generation of the Hybrid series, with previous models such as the H2, HB, HC, HD and HDII machines. Its open table provides excellent operability and easy maintenance. The machine's simple beam path is highly stable and its long (11.8-inch) z-axis stroke offers an expanded application range.
The HV Series incorporates features for improved productivity, processing quality and cost performance. Productivity features include MC Diamond Soft[R] CAD/CAM software that decreases setup and processing time and reduced secondary operations for faster turnaround. Improved features of the HV Series include faster processing speeds, increased machine tool rigidity and cutting-edge servo control system. Cost performance is enhanced through reduced running costs, maintenance costs and longer consumable parts life.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Sales Demo Tool hosts web demos and presentations
Featuring 24-bit color and 1-button menu, Glance v2.0 enables sales staff to provide prospects with enhanced communication experience by combining phone call with ability to present sales pitch or demo an application from any PC, Mac, or Linux computer. Prospects enter demos instantly from their own website, without having to download web conferencing software. Presentations can include any application, PowerPoint illustration, graphic art design, or 3D rendering.
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- Latest Release Adds Full Color and Even Faster Speeds to its Dependable
One-Button Sales Demo Tool
Arlington, Mass. - September 20, 2005 - Glance Networks, creators of the
"one-button simple" GlanceT screen sharing service, today announced version
2.0, which adds full 24-bit color, faster screen update speeds and easy customer website integration. Used primarily as a sales tool for hosting
instant web demos and presentations, Glance provides a quick and dependable
web demo service. It includes "Guests Connect for FreeT" flat-rate pricing
and the ability to connect instantly to nearly any PC, Mac or Linux computer
without downloading software.
"Simplicity and ease of use have been two challenges inhibiting mass
adoption of web conferencing," observes Mike Gotta, principal analyst,
Burton Group. "There's an underserved audience within this market that
simply wants to deliver a richer communication experience by combining a
phone call with the sharing of a screen. The ability to present a sales
pitch or demo an application should be a natural part of the conversation."
Sales professionals know they need to make every call count. A single
botched demo or presentation can cost them a sale. Whether showing a
software application, pitching a presentation, filling out a form or walking
through a website, sales people need a demo service that is as reliable as
their phone. Their ideal service would be:
oDependable - Their 9:00 a.m. demos need to start at 9:00 a.m., not 9:15
a.m. The service needs to connect the first time, every time.
oFast - Their prospects should enter demos instantly from their own website,
without wasting time downloading complicated web conferencing software.
oSimple - Their guests should be able to focus on the demo, without
distractions from unnecessary web conferencing buttons and menus.
"When we needed a simple, reliable sales tool to walk clients through a
demonstration of our software applications, we turned to Glance," commented
Steven Green, president at PollStream Inc., a direct response software
solution that makes it easy to engage customers in a two-way conversation.
"We tried other conferencing services with frustrating results, experiencing
technical problems with downloads and such. All we wanted was reliability
and ease of use at a reasonable price. Glance 2.0 fits the bill for quick
web demos and sales presentations."
********************
- Latest Release Adds Full Color and Even Faster Speeds to its Dependable
One-Button Sales Demo Tool
Arlington, Mass. - September 20, 2005 - Glance Networks, creators of the
"one-button simple" GlanceT screen sharing service, today announced version
2.0, which adds full 24-bit color, faster screen update speeds and easy customer website integration. Used primarily as a sales tool for hosting
instant web demos and presentations, Glance provides a quick and dependable
web demo service. It includes "Guests Connect for FreeT" flat-rate pricing
and the ability to connect instantly to nearly any PC, Mac or Linux computer
without downloading software.
"Simplicity and ease of use have been two challenges inhibiting mass
adoption of web conferencing," observes Mike Gotta, principal analyst,
Burton Group. "There's an underserved audience within this market that
simply wants to deliver a richer communication experience by combining a
phone call with the sharing of a screen. The ability to present a sales
pitch or demo an application should be a natural part of the conversation."
Sales professionals know they need to make every call count. A single
botched demo or presentation can cost them a sale. Whether showing a
software application, pitching a presentation, filling out a form or walking
through a website, sales people need a demo service that is as reliable as
their phone. Their ideal service would be:
oDependable - Their 9:00 a.m. demos need to start at 9:00 a.m., not 9:15
a.m. The service needs to connect the first time, every time.
oFast - Their prospects should enter demos instantly from their own website,
without wasting time downloading complicated web conferencing software.
oSimple - Their guests should be able to focus on the demo, without
distractions from unnecessary web conferencing buttons and menus.
"When we needed a simple, reliable sales tool to walk clients through a
demonstration of our software applications, we turned to Glance," commented
Steven Green, president at PollStream Inc., a direct response software
solution that makes it easy to engage customers in a two-way conversation.
"We tried other conferencing services with frustrating results, experiencing
technical problems with downloads and such. All we wanted was reliability
and ease of use at a reasonable price. Glance 2.0 fits the bill for quick
web demos and sales presentations."
Reduce coolant costs with air tool chiller
ChillyBits, a new air chiller from Abanaki Corporation, is suitable for use in a range of industrial, fabrication, assembly and packaging processes. Designed to reduce the safety concerns associated with mist cooling, the air chiller can increase machining speeds by as much as 36 percent while extending tooling life by percent.
Compressed air is used for industrial spot cooling. According to the company, this eliminates mist coolants and heat-related parts growth. The product can also be used in milling, drilling, machining, grinding and sharpening operations. The portable model contains no moving parts and has an adjustable tip for precision airflow.
Compressed air is used for industrial spot cooling. According to the company, this eliminates mist coolants and heat-related parts growth. The product can also be used in milling, drilling, machining, grinding and sharpening operations. The portable model contains no moving parts and has an adjustable tip for precision airflow.
Virtual Machine Language
Virtual Machine Language (VML) is a mission-independent, reusable software system for programming for spacecraft operations. Features of VML include a rich set of data types, named functions, parameters, IF and WHILE control structures, polymorphism, and on-the-fly creation of spacecraft commands from calculated values. Spacecraft functions can be abstracted into named blocks that reside in files aboard the spacecraft. These named blocks accept parameters and execute in a repeatable fashion. The sizes of uplink products are minimized by the ability to call blocks that implement most of the command steps. This block approach also enables some autonomous operations aboard the spacecraft, such as aerobraking, telemetry conditional monitoring, and anomaly response, without developing autonomous flight software. Operators on the ground write blocks and command sequences in a concise, high-level, human-readable programming language (also called "VML"). A compiler translates the human-readable blocks and command sequences into binary files (the operations products). The flight portion of VML interprets the uplinked binary files. The ground subsystem of VML also includes an interactive sequence-execution tool hosted on workstations, which runs sequences at several thousand times real-time speed, affords debugging, and generates reports. This tool enables iterative development of blocks and sequences within times of the order of seconds.
This program was written by Christopher Grasso, Dennis Page, and Taifun O'Reilly with support from Ralph Fteichert, Patricia Lock, Imin Lin, Keith Naviaux, and John Sisino of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free online at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category.
This program was written by Christopher Grasso, Dennis Page, and Taifun O'Reilly with support from Ralph Fteichert, Patricia Lock, Imin Lin, Keith Naviaux, and John Sisino of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free online at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Creating models and tool paths for CNC machining
With BobArt Pro-X from BobCAD-CAM, users can convert pictures or CAD drawings into 2D toolpath or embossed models for machining within Version 20 2D and 3D CAD/CAM software. The release is intended to assist manufacturers, including mold makers, in creating the appropriate model and tool path for CNC machining, from imported or designed images and CAD geometry.
Users can automatically convert a color, grayscale or black and white picture into a full relief model, says the company. The appropriate toolpath strategy can then be created on the fly. Added mirroring options are useful for creating negative relief models. In addition to this capability, users can form raster to vector operations to create 2D profile tool paths for carving or profile milling directly from pictures.
Once the toolpath is machined in the CAM sphere of the software, the cutting process can be simulated and verified prior to sending the program to the machine
Users can automatically convert a color, grayscale or black and white picture into a full relief model, says the company. The appropriate toolpath strategy can then be created on the fly. Added mirroring options are useful for creating negative relief models. In addition to this capability, users can form raster to vector operations to create 2D profile tool paths for carving or profile milling directly from pictures.
Once the toolpath is machined in the CAM sphere of the software, the cutting process can be simulated and verified prior to sending the program to the machine
Multi-use air powered abrasive belt machine
Dynabrade's Dynafile II air powered abrasive belt machine features a grinding head that pivots 360 degrees, making this tool especially useful for getting into hard-to-reach areas.
The machine features a 20,000-rpm direct-drive air motor that powers abrasive belts 1/4" to 3/4" x 18" long. The motor handle has a 7-degree pitch to help prevent wrist and arm fatigue. The tool features quick and easy abrasive belt change, interchangeable contact arms and trouble-free belt tracking, according to the company. The tool also has a thermal insulated housing, which prevents cold air transmission to the operator's hand while at the same time reducing tool vibration. Additionally, the air motor easily converts to a die grinder by adding a 1/4" collet or to an air drill by adding a chuck.
A versatility kit is also available. It includes the tool, an assortment of contact arms, abrasive belts and a 1/4" collet, all in a carrying case
The machine features a 20,000-rpm direct-drive air motor that powers abrasive belts 1/4" to 3/4" x 18" long. The motor handle has a 7-degree pitch to help prevent wrist and arm fatigue. The tool features quick and easy abrasive belt change, interchangeable contact arms and trouble-free belt tracking, according to the company. The tool also has a thermal insulated housing, which prevents cold air transmission to the operator's hand while at the same time reducing tool vibration. Additionally, the air motor easily converts to a die grinder by adding a 1/4" collet or to an air drill by adding a chuck.
A versatility kit is also available. It includes the tool, an assortment of contact arms, abrasive belts and a 1/4" collet, all in a carrying case
Sunday, December 24, 2006
How to machine "pure abrasion": powder metal is one of the most abrasive materials that a shop will encounter. The key to successfully machining this
Machining powder metal is like machining pure abrasion. So opines Charles Gerlach, president of Gerlach Machine. Located in St. Henry, Ohio, a small town landlocked by corn fields and quaint farm houses, Mr. Gerlach's shop has specialized in machining powder metal parts since the 1980s.
The soil in those nearby cornfields is loosely similar to powder metal, in that it is a mixture of nutrients and organic material that come together to provide the base for what farmers hope will be a bumper crop. Along those lines, powder metal parts are a mixture of tiny metal and alloying elements (think talcum powder tiny) that, after being compacted together and heated, form a near-net-shape component.
Unfortunately (for the powder metal molders, anyway), secondary machining operations are typically required to bring the part to its final form. At this stage, the powder metal part may have an apparent hardness rating that isn't very daunting in terms of machineability (30 Rc, for example). However, those individual powders retain their individual hardnesses--which could be 50 Rc or higher--yen after the part is molded. A tool cutting into such material will be slicing through very small, very hard particles--in essence, it's pure abrasion. The number of powder metal components finding their way into the latest automobile designs continues to rise. In fact, such components are now used in more high-profile engine and transmission applications. Though powder metal parts have become the darling of the auto industry, they can still be a demon for the shops that must machine the finishing touches.
Gerlach Machine didn't set out with the intention of specializing in powder metal machining. The shop's Midwestern location had a lot to do with it. A number of local powder metal molders approached the company 25 years ago to machine the features that couldn't be created in the molding process. Many of these early parts required only boring operations to bring IDs to tolerance or tapping operations, because threads can't be formed in the mold.
In many cases, the ODs of the powder metal part the shop machines are molded to net shape. This is why these materials are especially attractive for gear components, as the traditional hobbing process to form gear teeth is not necessary. The molded teeth can then be induction-hardened for wear resistance, while the core remains soft to reduce the chance of fracture during operation.
It is because of molding process limitations that other part features, such as threads, require secondary machining. While holes that are parallel to the axis of mold compression can be molded, cross holes (those perpendicular to the compression axis) and grooves around the periphery of the part can't be molded. There are also limits to how thin part walls can be molded. In addition, machining may be necessary to reach the tighter tolerances and better surface finishes that are required of the latest automotive components.
Tooling Considerations
Most powder metal parts require turning and tapping operations rather than milling, which is why Mr. Gerlach's shop has more CNC lathes than mills. Because powder metal parts are near net shape, heavy roughing cuts are typically not required. Appropriate tooling, therefore, is that which is geared toward semifinishing and finishing duties. For turning operations, Mr. Gerlach primarily uses cermet inserts from Valenite (Madison Heights, Michigan). These inserts have essentially no edge prep in order to provide an extremely sharp cutting edge and free cutting action, which Mr. Gerlach has found effective in turning powder metal parts.
In certain instances, powder metal parts will be hardened via heat treating or induction hardening prior to machining work. Parts that are induction-hardened may require a finish machining pass because the quality of the finished surface was altered. For these hardened parts, the shop is more likely to use cubic boron nitride (CBN) inserts that are typically used for most hard turning applications. Again, those CBN inserts have minimal edge prep, so that their cutting edge is as sharp as possible.
As for threading, the shop has settled on titanium nitride (TIN) coated taps, and it has machined threads without coolant for the past 20 years. It also tries to mill and turn dry, with some machines fitted with air blast units used more for chip control than to keep tool cutting edges cool. Machining without coolant means that chips remain dry and are less likely to adhere to the part after machining. But more importantly, dry machining reduces the possibility of rust forming on the parts after machining.
The soil in those nearby cornfields is loosely similar to powder metal, in that it is a mixture of nutrients and organic material that come together to provide the base for what farmers hope will be a bumper crop. Along those lines, powder metal parts are a mixture of tiny metal and alloying elements (think talcum powder tiny) that, after being compacted together and heated, form a near-net-shape component.
Unfortunately (for the powder metal molders, anyway), secondary machining operations are typically required to bring the part to its final form. At this stage, the powder metal part may have an apparent hardness rating that isn't very daunting in terms of machineability (30 Rc, for example). However, those individual powders retain their individual hardnesses--which could be 50 Rc or higher--yen after the part is molded. A tool cutting into such material will be slicing through very small, very hard particles--in essence, it's pure abrasion. The number of powder metal components finding their way into the latest automobile designs continues to rise. In fact, such components are now used in more high-profile engine and transmission applications. Though powder metal parts have become the darling of the auto industry, they can still be a demon for the shops that must machine the finishing touches.
Gerlach Machine didn't set out with the intention of specializing in powder metal machining. The shop's Midwestern location had a lot to do with it. A number of local powder metal molders approached the company 25 years ago to machine the features that couldn't be created in the molding process. Many of these early parts required only boring operations to bring IDs to tolerance or tapping operations, because threads can't be formed in the mold.
In many cases, the ODs of the powder metal part the shop machines are molded to net shape. This is why these materials are especially attractive for gear components, as the traditional hobbing process to form gear teeth is not necessary. The molded teeth can then be induction-hardened for wear resistance, while the core remains soft to reduce the chance of fracture during operation.
It is because of molding process limitations that other part features, such as threads, require secondary machining. While holes that are parallel to the axis of mold compression can be molded, cross holes (those perpendicular to the compression axis) and grooves around the periphery of the part can't be molded. There are also limits to how thin part walls can be molded. In addition, machining may be necessary to reach the tighter tolerances and better surface finishes that are required of the latest automotive components.
Tooling Considerations
Most powder metal parts require turning and tapping operations rather than milling, which is why Mr. Gerlach's shop has more CNC lathes than mills. Because powder metal parts are near net shape, heavy roughing cuts are typically not required. Appropriate tooling, therefore, is that which is geared toward semifinishing and finishing duties. For turning operations, Mr. Gerlach primarily uses cermet inserts from Valenite (Madison Heights, Michigan). These inserts have essentially no edge prep in order to provide an extremely sharp cutting edge and free cutting action, which Mr. Gerlach has found effective in turning powder metal parts.
In certain instances, powder metal parts will be hardened via heat treating or induction hardening prior to machining work. Parts that are induction-hardened may require a finish machining pass because the quality of the finished surface was altered. For these hardened parts, the shop is more likely to use cubic boron nitride (CBN) inserts that are typically used for most hard turning applications. Again, those CBN inserts have minimal edge prep, so that their cutting edge is as sharp as possible.
As for threading, the shop has settled on titanium nitride (TIN) coated taps, and it has machined threads without coolant for the past 20 years. It also tries to mill and turn dry, with some machines fitted with air blast units used more for chip control than to keep tool cutting edges cool. Machining without coolant means that chips remain dry and are less likely to adhere to the part after machining. But more importantly, dry machining reduces the possibility of rust forming on the parts after machining.
Job Sites, Machine Tool-Style - Brief Article
During the Internet Revolution, have you utilized the Web to help with your employmentneeds? Chances are, you have.
Sites such as Monster.com (www.monster.com), Hot Jobs (www.hotjobs.com) and others have redefined how many folks look for and interact with prospective employees or employers.
But something's missing from these new channels, particularly when they're utilized for the unique employment demands of a machining environment.
Go visit any of the "Job Exchanges" online and odds are you'll find them touting that they "currently house 'XXX,XXX' job postings" (or words to that effect). Translated, that means you'll have to wade through listings for numerous categories far from the manufacturing realm to find something close to your needs. Or not.
But there is hope. A few recent additions to the Web job site landscape focus on the machining industry exclusively, and they just might be worth a visit and a bookmark MetalIndustryJobs.com is actually three sites that serve vertical sectors of the machining world--Fabricating, Die/Mold and Screw Machining.
MachineToolJobs.com also offers machining-related job postings, but it offers its listings in subcategories, rather than as separate sites.
Each of these offers added specificity that metalworking job or employee seekers will find useful. And, over time, the tools, partnerships and applications these sites develop should improve their overall industry focus.
For job links and many others, visit www.mmsonline.com/links.
Job Shop Site Of The Month
Metalcraft Technologies, Inc. serves the aerospace industries by way of milling, fabricating, finishing, tool design and engineering support. Its Web site (www.metalcraft.net) delivers a depth of information about who the company is and how it does what it does. The navigation used within this site is creative and effective.
Sites such as Monster.com (www.monster.com), Hot Jobs (www.hotjobs.com) and others have redefined how many folks look for and interact with prospective employees or employers.
But something's missing from these new channels, particularly when they're utilized for the unique employment demands of a machining environment.
Go visit any of the "Job Exchanges" online and odds are you'll find them touting that they "currently house 'XXX,XXX' job postings" (or words to that effect). Translated, that means you'll have to wade through listings for numerous categories far from the manufacturing realm to find something close to your needs. Or not.
But there is hope. A few recent additions to the Web job site landscape focus on the machining industry exclusively, and they just might be worth a visit and a bookmark MetalIndustryJobs.com is actually three sites that serve vertical sectors of the machining world--Fabricating, Die/Mold and Screw Machining.
MachineToolJobs.com also offers machining-related job postings, but it offers its listings in subcategories, rather than as separate sites.
Each of these offers added specificity that metalworking job or employee seekers will find useful. And, over time, the tools, partnerships and applications these sites develop should improve their overall industry focus.
For job links and many others, visit www.mmsonline.com/links.
Job Shop Site Of The Month
Metalcraft Technologies, Inc. serves the aerospace industries by way of milling, fabricating, finishing, tool design and engineering support. Its Web site (www.metalcraft.net) delivers a depth of information about who the company is and how it does what it does. The navigation used within this site is creative and effective.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Bundling With Machine Tools - Brief Article
The company has partnered with Servo Products Company for the bundling of SFP Express programming software with Servo's SAM, IMPACT and SERVO II machine tool product lines. With this software bundled with its machine tools, Servo's customers will have access to powerful shopfloor programming functionality at their machine tools, allowing them to realize greater efficiencies that significantly reduce cycle times and scrap.
SFP Express is an entry-level CNC programming and graphical editing system specialized for the shopfloor environment. The graphical user interface, specifically timed for the machinist, enables users to start making parts the same day they install the system. It includes features such as optimized geometry creation, graphical process verification and built-in training with step-through wizards to speed program creation and eliminate programming errors. Servo Products says SFP Express is a natural extension of its new Windows NT based CNC software
SFP Express is an entry-level CNC programming and graphical editing system specialized for the shopfloor environment. The graphical user interface, specifically timed for the machinist, enables users to start making parts the same day they install the system. It includes features such as optimized geometry creation, graphical process verification and built-in training with step-through wizards to speed program creation and eliminate programming errors. Servo Products says SFP Express is a natural extension of its new Windows NT based CNC software
Cylinder head porting on a turn/mill machine
CNC milling is the machining that an automotive cylinder head is likely to require. Turning is not a capability you would look for in a machine tool meant to run such a part.
Indeed, when Mazak (Florence, Kentucky) first started to work on a better machining process for the benefit of a maker of high-performance heads, the machine tool company's first attempt involved a five-axis machining center. But Robin Cave, national applications engineer for Mazak, says that a more capable and efficient process has now been developed for an Integrex machine.
"Integrex" is the company's brand name for a family of CNC turn/mill machines. The term is traditionally associated with multitasking lathes.
However, the machine tool proving effective at cylinder head porting is no lathe, says Mr. Cave. It's an "e"-series Integrex, and this distinction is significant. Earlier machines in the family have the slanting structure of a lathe, with the wedge-shaped work zone causing Y-axis travel to get progressively more limited toward the bottom of the machine. The e-series design gives the machine's milling spindle the freedom to move like a machining center can move, with a box-shaped work zone permitting the same full field of travel at the machine's top or bottom. The unit is still a turn/mill machine, but while the traditional Integrex might be thought of as a lathe effective for milling, the e-series version is essentially a machining center effective for turning.
The machine permits full five-axis milling. While B-axis motion comes from the tilting of the e-series machine's spindle head, C-axis motion comes from the rotation of the horizontal spindle used for turning. The maker of cylinder heads does no turning on this machine, but instead uses this turning spindle exclusively in the five-axis mode. This direct-driven rotation does not involve a worm gear, unlike a previous process in which the company used indexers on vertical machining centersThe milling cutter is a long-reach lollipop tool capable of cutting from various engagement angles along the inside of a complex channel. Mazak is working with cutting tool supplier Kennametal (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) to develop a diamond-coated version of this tool. The higher spindle speeds on the newer machine (relative to the previous process) will make it possible to use this tool productively. Comparison testing between coated and uncoated tooling in this application shows a clear improvement in finish. With a coated tool incorporated into the process, says Mr. Cave, it may be possible to perform this porting solely through CNC machining, without a subsequent need for finishing by hand
Indeed, when Mazak (Florence, Kentucky) first started to work on a better machining process for the benefit of a maker of high-performance heads, the machine tool company's first attempt involved a five-axis machining center. But Robin Cave, national applications engineer for Mazak, says that a more capable and efficient process has now been developed for an Integrex machine.
"Integrex" is the company's brand name for a family of CNC turn/mill machines. The term is traditionally associated with multitasking lathes.
However, the machine tool proving effective at cylinder head porting is no lathe, says Mr. Cave. It's an "e"-series Integrex, and this distinction is significant. Earlier machines in the family have the slanting structure of a lathe, with the wedge-shaped work zone causing Y-axis travel to get progressively more limited toward the bottom of the machine. The e-series design gives the machine's milling spindle the freedom to move like a machining center can move, with a box-shaped work zone permitting the same full field of travel at the machine's top or bottom. The unit is still a turn/mill machine, but while the traditional Integrex might be thought of as a lathe effective for milling, the e-series version is essentially a machining center effective for turning.
The machine permits full five-axis milling. While B-axis motion comes from the tilting of the e-series machine's spindle head, C-axis motion comes from the rotation of the horizontal spindle used for turning. The maker of cylinder heads does no turning on this machine, but instead uses this turning spindle exclusively in the five-axis mode. This direct-driven rotation does not involve a worm gear, unlike a previous process in which the company used indexers on vertical machining centersThe milling cutter is a long-reach lollipop tool capable of cutting from various engagement angles along the inside of a complex channel. Mazak is working with cutting tool supplier Kennametal (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) to develop a diamond-coated version of this tool. The higher spindle speeds on the newer machine (relative to the previous process) will make it possible to use this tool productively. Comparison testing between coated and uncoated tooling in this application shows a clear improvement in finish. With a coated tool incorporated into the process, says Mr. Cave, it may be possible to perform this porting solely through CNC machining, without a subsequent need for finishing by hand
Friday, December 22, 2006
Tool measurement system works inside grinder
Users can rapidly measure the shape, profile and outer diameter of a cutting tool while it is clamped in the grinding machine, then compare measurements to ideal tool geometry with ANCA's iView system. The benefit is that discrepancies can then be addressed immediately, without the need to remove the tool and measure off-machine. Measured data can be fed back into the grinding cycle for automatic compensation.
A cost-effective solution for high-precision tool measurements, the system includes software that works seamlessly with its machine operating software and a camera that mounts easily inside the tool and cutter grinder in less than 1 minute, the company says. It may be stored outside the machine when not in use. A single system can serve up to four grinding machines and has a standard magnification of 300:1. The accuracy of the system is 2 microns.
The system's software generates the ideal shape for standard tool geometries and protracts it over the actual tool image. It can import DXF overlay files for complex profiles. A high-visibility image of the ground tool as taken by the system's camera is compared to the ideal (as designed) overlay shape. Tolerance bandwidth can be specified and graphically displayed over the tool image. Automatic generation of tangent to the profile simplifies the measurement processSemiautomatic measurement mode means the tool overlay is automatically positioned over the corresponding point on the ground tool. The operator acknowledges the measured point, and the machine advances to the next predetermined point. A 0.005-mm grid or auto shadowgraph can be superimposed over the tool for measurement. Images can be stored in graphical file formats so they can be shared via e-mail. Measurement protocol can also be automatically generated and printed. The system can measure three-point angle; it also offers three-point radium measurement and two-point distance measurement.
A cost-effective solution for high-precision tool measurements, the system includes software that works seamlessly with its machine operating software and a camera that mounts easily inside the tool and cutter grinder in less than 1 minute, the company says. It may be stored outside the machine when not in use. A single system can serve up to four grinding machines and has a standard magnification of 300:1. The accuracy of the system is 2 microns.
The system's software generates the ideal shape for standard tool geometries and protracts it over the actual tool image. It can import DXF overlay files for complex profiles. A high-visibility image of the ground tool as taken by the system's camera is compared to the ideal (as designed) overlay shape. Tolerance bandwidth can be specified and graphically displayed over the tool image. Automatic generation of tangent to the profile simplifies the measurement processSemiautomatic measurement mode means the tool overlay is automatically positioned over the corresponding point on the ground tool. The operator acknowledges the measured point, and the machine advances to the next predetermined point. A 0.005-mm grid or auto shadowgraph can be superimposed over the tool for measurement. Images can be stored in graphical file formats so they can be shared via e-mail. Measurement protocol can also be automatically generated and printed. The system can measure three-point angle; it also offers three-point radium measurement and two-point distance measurement.
Cylinder head porting on a turn/mill machine
CNC milling is the machining that an automotive cylinder head is likely to require. Turning is not a capability you would look for in a machine tool meant to run such a part.
Indeed, when Mazak (Florence, Kentucky) first started to work on a better machining process for the benefit of a maker of high-performance heads, the machine tool company's first attempt involved a five-axis machining center. But Robin Cave, national applications engineer for Mazak, says that a more capable and efficient process has now been developed for an Integrex machine.
"Integrex" is the company's brand name for a family of CNC turn/mill machines. The term is traditionally associated with multitasking lathes.
However, the machine tool proving effective at cylinder head porting is no lathe, says Mr. Cave. It's an "e"-series Integrex, and this distinction is significant. Earlier machines in the family have the slanting structure of a lathe, with the wedge-shaped work zone causing Y-axis travel to get progressively more limited toward the bottom of the machine. The e-series design gives the machine's milling spindle the freedom to move like a machining center can move, with a box-shaped work zone permitting the same full field of travel at the machine's top or bottom. The unit is still a turn/mill machine, but while the traditional Integrex might be thought of as a lathe effective for milling, the e-series version is essentially a machining center effective for turning.
The machine permits full five-axis milling. While B-axis motion comes from the tilting of the e-series machine's spindle head, C-axis motion comes from the rotation of the horizontal spindle used for turning. The maker of cylinder heads does no turning on this machine, but instead uses this turning spindle exclusively in the five-axis mode. This direct-driven rotation does not involve a worm gear, unlike a previous process in which the company used indexers on vertical machining centersThe milling cutter is a long-reach lollipop tool capable of cutting from various engagement angles along the inside of a complex channel. Mazak is working with cutting tool supplier Kennametal (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) to develop a diamond-coated version of this tool. The higher spindle speeds on the newer machine (relative to the previous process) will make it possible to use this tool productively. Comparison testing between coated and uncoated tooling in this application shows a clear improvement in finish. With a coated tool incorporated into the process, says Mr. Cave, it may be possible to perform this porting solely through CNC machining, without a subsequent need for finishing by hand
Indeed, when Mazak (Florence, Kentucky) first started to work on a better machining process for the benefit of a maker of high-performance heads, the machine tool company's first attempt involved a five-axis machining center. But Robin Cave, national applications engineer for Mazak, says that a more capable and efficient process has now been developed for an Integrex machine.
"Integrex" is the company's brand name for a family of CNC turn/mill machines. The term is traditionally associated with multitasking lathes.
However, the machine tool proving effective at cylinder head porting is no lathe, says Mr. Cave. It's an "e"-series Integrex, and this distinction is significant. Earlier machines in the family have the slanting structure of a lathe, with the wedge-shaped work zone causing Y-axis travel to get progressively more limited toward the bottom of the machine. The e-series design gives the machine's milling spindle the freedom to move like a machining center can move, with a box-shaped work zone permitting the same full field of travel at the machine's top or bottom. The unit is still a turn/mill machine, but while the traditional Integrex might be thought of as a lathe effective for milling, the e-series version is essentially a machining center effective for turning.
The machine permits full five-axis milling. While B-axis motion comes from the tilting of the e-series machine's spindle head, C-axis motion comes from the rotation of the horizontal spindle used for turning. The maker of cylinder heads does no turning on this machine, but instead uses this turning spindle exclusively in the five-axis mode. This direct-driven rotation does not involve a worm gear, unlike a previous process in which the company used indexers on vertical machining centersThe milling cutter is a long-reach lollipop tool capable of cutting from various engagement angles along the inside of a complex channel. Mazak is working with cutting tool supplier Kennametal (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) to develop a diamond-coated version of this tool. The higher spindle speeds on the newer machine (relative to the previous process) will make it possible to use this tool productively. Comparison testing between coated and uncoated tooling in this application shows a clear improvement in finish. With a coated tool incorporated into the process, says Mr. Cave, it may be possible to perform this porting solely through CNC machining, without a subsequent need for finishing by hand
Machine Vision Software supports 3rd party cameras
Providing optical character recognition as well as security and data collection for achieving CFR Part 11 compliance, iNspect Vision Appliance software features 1D barcode and 2D matrix reader tools, including support for QR code. It is also equipped with iLabel product for verifying placement and quality of labels on packaged goods. Software offers machine vision solution for range of industries, from precision metrology to pharmaceutical packaging.
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STUTTGART, GERMANY (November 8, 2005) - ipd, a DALSA Coreco Group, today announced the release of Version 1.4 of the company's easy-to-use Vision Appliance software, iNspect. Packed with new capabilities, such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and advanced user controls, such as security and data collection for achieving CFR Part 11 compliance, iNspect offers an attractive machine vision solution to a broad range of industries, from precision metrology to pharmaceutical packaging.
"The evolution of our Vision Appliance software is very exciting. We are continually adding new features and capabilities without compromising the user interface that customers have come to appreciate," said Steve Geraghty, Director of ipd. "Version 1.4 demonstrates our commitment to bring simplified machine vision technology to ALL users. With iNspect now supporting 3rd party hardware platforms, such as IEEE 1394 cameras, users have an easy-to-use inspection tool with widespread applicability and a choice of hardware deployment options In addition to OCR, security and data collection tools, iNspect includes new and improved versions of its 1D barcode and 2D matrix reader tools, including support for QR code, along with many other features and enhancements. Furthermore, the iNspect software package now includes ipd's iLabel product, which was designed specifically for the Packaging Industry and is used for verifying the placement and quality of labels on packaged goods.
The iNspect product is offered as a standalone software package for use with 3rd party cameras, or combined with ipd's line of Vision Appliance hardware products. Pricing starts at $1,495.
More information about ipd and its product offerings-including Vision Appliances, NetSight II(TM) Vision Systems and Sherlock(TM) inspection software-can be found on the company
About ipd
ipd's mission is simple: to provide robust, intelligent and easy-to-use machine vision solutions to improve quality throughout the manufacturing process. Headquartered in Billerica, MA, ipd manufactures hardware and software machine vision products for end users, OEMs and systems integrators worldwide. ipd offers three product lines that simplify machine vision tasks: iNspect based vision appliances, Sherlock inspection software and the NetSight II family of pre-integrated machine vision systems. ipd is a group within DALSA Coreco (St. Laurent, Canada), a leader in the design and development of hardware and software for high-performance computer vision applications
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STUTTGART, GERMANY (November 8, 2005) - ipd, a DALSA Coreco Group, today announced the release of Version 1.4 of the company's easy-to-use Vision Appliance software, iNspect. Packed with new capabilities, such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and advanced user controls, such as security and data collection for achieving CFR Part 11 compliance, iNspect offers an attractive machine vision solution to a broad range of industries, from precision metrology to pharmaceutical packaging.
"The evolution of our Vision Appliance software is very exciting. We are continually adding new features and capabilities without compromising the user interface that customers have come to appreciate," said Steve Geraghty, Director of ipd. "Version 1.4 demonstrates our commitment to bring simplified machine vision technology to ALL users. With iNspect now supporting 3rd party hardware platforms, such as IEEE 1394 cameras, users have an easy-to-use inspection tool with widespread applicability and a choice of hardware deployment options In addition to OCR, security and data collection tools, iNspect includes new and improved versions of its 1D barcode and 2D matrix reader tools, including support for QR code, along with many other features and enhancements. Furthermore, the iNspect software package now includes ipd's iLabel product, which was designed specifically for the Packaging Industry and is used for verifying the placement and quality of labels on packaged goods.
The iNspect product is offered as a standalone software package for use with 3rd party cameras, or combined with ipd's line of Vision Appliance hardware products. Pricing starts at $1,495.
More information about ipd and its product offerings-including Vision Appliances, NetSight II(TM) Vision Systems and Sherlock(TM) inspection software-can be found on the company
About ipd
ipd's mission is simple: to provide robust, intelligent and easy-to-use machine vision solutions to improve quality throughout the manufacturing process. Headquartered in Billerica, MA, ipd manufactures hardware and software machine vision products for end users, OEMs and systems integrators worldwide. ipd offers three product lines that simplify machine vision tasks: iNspect based vision appliances, Sherlock inspection software and the NetSight II family of pre-integrated machine vision systems. ipd is a group within DALSA Coreco (St. Laurent, Canada), a leader in the design and development of hardware and software for high-performance computer vision applications
Thursday, December 21, 2006
A winner's view of the machine tool industry
Determination and technical ingenuity enabled Haas Automation to find a respected place in US manufacturing. In this exclusive article, the company's founder, Gene Haas, responds to questions from Manufacturing Engineering on the business
and technology of machine tools.
Manufacturing Engineering: What future do you see for North American manufacturers of machine tools? Gene Haas: If you look far into the future, you'll become very depressed over the situation facing American machine tool builders. Over the past 30 years, imports have gained a larger share of the market in the US every year. Currently they control around two-thirds. This is a very scary truth.
But automation can level the playing field. We've become successful by using our own product to reduce our production costs. As a result, we are not as sensitive to the high cost of labor as companies that use less automation. We've demonstrated that it's possible to build an entire machine in the US and be very successful.
We find it disappointing that so many US builders have trouble competing with imports. Some say they only import the iron and add the high-tech controls to it. Some say they only import the control and add the machine iron. But we-and a small number of other companies-have demonstrated that it's still possible to do it all. Unless this attitude spreads throughout manufacturing, the US machine tool builder may disappear.
ME: How much more consolidation do you expect to see in the machine tool industry in the US, Japan, and Europe?
Haas: The US machine tool industry is consolidating because small builders are having trouble surviving and the larger builders are trying to buy market share. This trend will continue as long as the US builders' market share is falling.
It's also true that consolidation is occurring across international boundaries. In the near future, it may be difficult to determine what country a builder is from, just as it's difficult today to tell where your car was built.
Because supply continues to be higher than demand, there will continue to be consolidation in the machine tool industry on all continents. Sustained over-supply is creating price pressures, and many machine tool builders are not profitable today. Even Southeast Asia isn't immune to this phenomenon. Consolidation is usually associated with shrinking. To survive, machine tool companies must become global and increase market share, so they can have the volume they need to make them price-competitive.
ME: Given the number of low-wage manufacturers in the world, how much manufacturing work will continue to be done in high-wage countries like the US?
Haas: The fact that machine builders in the US are in decline is probably closely related to the fact that manufacturing in general is leaving this country. It's a simple fact that it appears to be cheaper today to make most things outside of the US. The problem with this perception is that it's short-sighted.
We can only keep a great deal of manufacturing in this country by getting much smarter about the way we manufacture. As I said before, automation is the key to reducing manufacturing costs and thus keeping manufacturing here. Low wages affect areas where a great deal of labor is required. Replacing labor with automation wherever it's possible to do so reduces overall cost through labor savings, more consistent production, and better quality.
People in the United States must remember what wealth is and where it comes from. Wealth does not come from cooking hamburgers. Wealth does not come from cleaning one another's windows. Wealth consists primarily of "things." If we continue to import "things" we will, by definition, become less wealthy. At the same time, the nations who do manufacture things will become more valuable to our economy.
ME: How will the Internet change the way your company does business?
Haas: The Internet has already changed our business. We have online quote generation today, along with full product line and options information. We also use the Internet for service support. Software updates and automatic parameter checking can be done over the Internet. We fully expect this trend to continue and to involve sales, support, and service more and more. The Internet will become the universal information source. It will give our customers access to the information they need to make purchasing decisions.
ME: How will the role of your distributors change as more and more business is done via the Internet?
Haas: The role of our distributors is already changing. We have spent the last couple of years developing a common approach to the operations of our dealers. They already use the Internet for sales, service, and training. Ultimately, the distributors will become service organizations-not information sources. Because of the Internet, distributors will provide more technical support to their customers and less sales/information type support.
Machine tool basics--Part 1
This article series is not a comprehensive explanation of manufacturing equipment, but a once-over-lightly discussion of how the major chipmaking machine tools, and supporting elements function. We hope they will help two groups of people: The first consists of recent manufacturing engineering graduates who might need more information about the tools of their trade. The second group are those who have worked in nonmanufacturing fields, but are transferred to a position of responsibility in manufacturing, and find themselves challenged when it comes to knowledge of industry basics.
Turning, drilling, and milling are the three basic manufacturing techniques that use a tool to remove metal. Recently there has been a move to multitasking machine tools in which a single machine performs all three functions, plus grinding in some cases. These multifunction machines can work on a variety of parts and carry out more operations in a single setup. Despite this blurring of distinctions among machine tools the basic operations are still unchangedThis process uses the relative motion between a rotating, multiedge cutter and a workpiece to generate both flat and curved surfaces. During rotation, each tooth of the cutter alternately enters and leaves the cut, removing small amounts of material (chips). Called interrupted cutting, it results in more mechanical shock to the part and tool than occurs with continuous cutting, which is characteristic of turning.
Milling is done by a variety of machines. Simple stand-alone machines perform a minimal number of functions and are chiefly used in job shops. Machining centers have a wider variety of tools and sometimes have additional live spindles for drilling, turning, and even grinding. Milling functions can also be a major part of transfer lines. In these high-volume applications milling is often simple and repetitive.
The capabilities of a milling machine or machining center are measured by motor horsepower, maximum spindle speed, spindle taper size (which determines the size of the toolholder and tool), worktable size, and the amount of cutting tool travel.
Much toolmaking, prototype machining, and low-volume milling machining is done on small, lightweight, vertical spindle ram-type machines called knee mills. They are rarely used for production work.
This design includes a knee-and-column support for the machine table, hence the name, "knee mill." Base and column are one piece and the knee travels vertically on the column. The knee supports the saddle and table. The saddle moves in-and-out from the column, and the table moves side-to-side.
The ram atop the column supports the head and provides horizontal motion in-and-out from the column, parallel to the saddle movement.
At the front of the ram is the milling head, with motor, toolhead, speed-and-feed controls, quill, and spindle. The nonrotating quill holds the rotating spindle and allows the spindle to be fed on its own axis. Tilting the spindle axis allows milling or drilling at an angle to the table. Cutting tools are held in drill chucks or in collets, that are, in turn, held in the spindle, or mounted directly in the spindle.
On manual mills, the operator sets the machine parameters for each cut, positions the tool for the start of the cut, directs all of the machine's motions manually, and changes the settings and tools after each operation.
The two main types of machining centers are the vertical spindle machining center (VMC) and the horizontal spindle machining center (HMC). A third, less-- common type is the universal machine, which is capable of both vertical and horizontal spindle orientations.
Verticals may be preferred over HMCs when working primarily on a single work face. When a rotary table or indexer is added to the VMC machine table, more than one side of a workpiece or a multiple-part setup can be machined without operator intervention. Rotary devices either index the part to present a new work surface to the spindle, or they rotate it slowly, under full CNC control, while it's machined.
There are the three linear axes:
X defines side-to-side table motion,
Y defines in-and-out table motion,
Z defines head movement up and down the column,
B and C may be added as rotary axes, usually as a rotating spindle or mounting table.
T-slots in the machine table are still the primary means of holding work and workholding devices to a machining center table.
Because an HMC's spindle is orientated horizontally, it may be preferred for heavy, boxy parts. Chips fall out of the way better on a horizontal machine, and more workholding and automation options may be possible than on a vertical machine.
The HMC table typically rotates to expose four sides of the workpiece, or fixture, to the tools.
Tombstones, commonly used on HMCs, come in a wide variety of configurations to hold multiple parts. The part program is written to machine all parts on the tombstone before shuttling it out of the machine.
Turning, drilling, and milling are the three basic manufacturing techniques that use a tool to remove metal. Recently there has been a move to multitasking machine tools in which a single machine performs all three functions, plus grinding in some cases. These multifunction machines can work on a variety of parts and carry out more operations in a single setup. Despite this blurring of distinctions among machine tools the basic operations are still unchangedThis process uses the relative motion between a rotating, multiedge cutter and a workpiece to generate both flat and curved surfaces. During rotation, each tooth of the cutter alternately enters and leaves the cut, removing small amounts of material (chips). Called interrupted cutting, it results in more mechanical shock to the part and tool than occurs with continuous cutting, which is characteristic of turning.
Milling is done by a variety of machines. Simple stand-alone machines perform a minimal number of functions and are chiefly used in job shops. Machining centers have a wider variety of tools and sometimes have additional live spindles for drilling, turning, and even grinding. Milling functions can also be a major part of transfer lines. In these high-volume applications milling is often simple and repetitive.
The capabilities of a milling machine or machining center are measured by motor horsepower, maximum spindle speed, spindle taper size (which determines the size of the toolholder and tool), worktable size, and the amount of cutting tool travel.
Much toolmaking, prototype machining, and low-volume milling machining is done on small, lightweight, vertical spindle ram-type machines called knee mills. They are rarely used for production work.
This design includes a knee-and-column support for the machine table, hence the name, "knee mill." Base and column are one piece and the knee travels vertically on the column. The knee supports the saddle and table. The saddle moves in-and-out from the column, and the table moves side-to-side.
The ram atop the column supports the head and provides horizontal motion in-and-out from the column, parallel to the saddle movement.
At the front of the ram is the milling head, with motor, toolhead, speed-and-feed controls, quill, and spindle. The nonrotating quill holds the rotating spindle and allows the spindle to be fed on its own axis. Tilting the spindle axis allows milling or drilling at an angle to the table. Cutting tools are held in drill chucks or in collets, that are, in turn, held in the spindle, or mounted directly in the spindle.
On manual mills, the operator sets the machine parameters for each cut, positions the tool for the start of the cut, directs all of the machine's motions manually, and changes the settings and tools after each operation.
The two main types of machining centers are the vertical spindle machining center (VMC) and the horizontal spindle machining center (HMC). A third, less-- common type is the universal machine, which is capable of both vertical and horizontal spindle orientations.
Verticals may be preferred over HMCs when working primarily on a single work face. When a rotary table or indexer is added to the VMC machine table, more than one side of a workpiece or a multiple-part setup can be machined without operator intervention. Rotary devices either index the part to present a new work surface to the spindle, or they rotate it slowly, under full CNC control, while it's machined.
There are the three linear axes:
X defines side-to-side table motion,
Y defines in-and-out table motion,
Z defines head movement up and down the column,
B and C may be added as rotary axes, usually as a rotating spindle or mounting table.
T-slots in the machine table are still the primary means of holding work and workholding devices to a machining center table.
Because an HMC's spindle is orientated horizontally, it may be preferred for heavy, boxy parts. Chips fall out of the way better on a horizontal machine, and more workholding and automation options may be possible than on a vertical machine.
The HMC table typically rotates to expose four sides of the workpiece, or fixture, to the tools.
Tombstones, commonly used on HMCs, come in a wide variety of configurations to hold multiple parts. The part program is written to machine all parts on the tombstone before shuttling it out of the machine.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Machine Tools are available with VDI-driven units
Mazak Quick Turn Nexus, Super Quick Turn, and Multiplex-series machine tools are offered with self-contained VDI-driven units that enable multiple part processes such as milling, drilling, and turning on same part in one setup. Available with KM interface or ER collet style, units feature sealed spindle bearings, recessed spindle configuration, and through-coolant capabilities up to 1,500 psi. Tool setups can be pre-staged offline.
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(LATROBE, PA) - Self-contained VDI-driven units from Kennametal for Mazak Quick Turn Nexus, Super Quick Turn, and Multiplex-series machine tools enable multiple part processes such as milling, drilling, and turning on the same part in a single setup. Available with either the Kennametal KM interface or standard ER collet style, setups can be accomplished accurately and efficiently. Since the units make offsets known quantities, tool setups can even be pre-staged offline for greater productivity gains. As Product Manager Curtis Rellick succinctly puts it, "Less setup time, more spindle time."
Individual driven units are designed to work specifically with each model variation of the Mazak machine tools for maximum equipment capability. The units feature high-precision gears and sealed spindle bearings for smooth operation, and a recessed spindle configuration that reduces spindle stress and increases bearing life. High-quality seals and O-rings enhance protection against external contamination. Through-coolant capabilities of up to 1500 psi are available.The driven units increase rigidity by design, enabling higher spindle speeds and feeds and longer tool life. Product life averages of three years before repair or rebuilding are required, compared to nine to 12 months for other drive spindles. One customer described the advantages of a driven unit running a four-tooth, 1.57-in. face mill rough-cutting cast stainless steel at 600 SFM at a depth of 0.07 inches taking a full 1-inch width of cut. "Our maintenance personnel were frequently rebuilding competitive units due to bad gear backlash and blown spindles from the heavy interrupted cut," he says. "Despite the pounding the Kennametal unit takes, we have experienced better tool life, increased surface finishes, and no downtime with broken spindles/gears. That translates into productivity and dollars that go right to the bottom line."
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(LATROBE, PA) - Self-contained VDI-driven units from Kennametal for Mazak Quick Turn Nexus, Super Quick Turn, and Multiplex-series machine tools enable multiple part processes such as milling, drilling, and turning on the same part in a single setup. Available with either the Kennametal KM interface or standard ER collet style, setups can be accomplished accurately and efficiently. Since the units make offsets known quantities, tool setups can even be pre-staged offline for greater productivity gains. As Product Manager Curtis Rellick succinctly puts it, "Less setup time, more spindle time."
Individual driven units are designed to work specifically with each model variation of the Mazak machine tools for maximum equipment capability. The units feature high-precision gears and sealed spindle bearings for smooth operation, and a recessed spindle configuration that reduces spindle stress and increases bearing life. High-quality seals and O-rings enhance protection against external contamination. Through-coolant capabilities of up to 1500 psi are available.The driven units increase rigidity by design, enabling higher spindle speeds and feeds and longer tool life. Product life averages of three years before repair or rebuilding are required, compared to nine to 12 months for other drive spindles. One customer described the advantages of a driven unit running a four-tooth, 1.57-in. face mill rough-cutting cast stainless steel at 600 SFM at a depth of 0.07 inches taking a full 1-inch width of cut. "Our maintenance personnel were frequently rebuilding competitive units due to bad gear backlash and blown spindles from the heavy interrupted cut," he says. "Despite the pounding the Kennametal unit takes, we have experienced better tool life, increased surface finishes, and no downtime with broken spindles/gears. That translates into productivity and dollars that go right to the bottom line."
Machine tool consumption up 6% - Brief Article
CHICAGO -- U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $182.66 million in March, up 6 percent from a revised $172.32 million the previous month but down 42.2 percent from $315.8 million in March 2001, according to a joint report by the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association, Rockville, Md., and the Association for Manufacturing Technologies (AMT), McLean, Va. "The poor start to the 2002 machine tool market illustrates that the general economic recovery has not filtered down to manufacturing," said Don F. Carlson, AMT president. "While economic recoveries usually start without a pickup in investments in manufacturing, they never last without sustained manufacturing output." Machine tool consumption in the first quarter totaled $513.62 million, down 35.2 percent fromlast year
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Versatile Machine Tools
Okuma America Corporation is the US-based affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world leader in the development of computer numeric controls (CNC) and machining technology, founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan.
Okuma is known for its technology leadership and world-class manufacturing, product quality, and dedication to customer service. Okuma products are used in the automotive industry, aerospace and defense, construction and farm equipment, energy, medical, mold and die, and fluidpower industries.
Machines include vertical and horizontal machining centers, lathes, double column machining centers, grinders, and wheel machines that offer users high throughput, high accuracy, and reliable solutions to production machining operations.
Using Mechatronics, our full-circle approach to equipment design, we build machines that have the exact balance of power, speed and size to meet most any application-machines that can hold tight tolerances, perform more sophisticated cuts, and create precision-crafted parts time and again.Okuma has entered into a partnership agreement with the National hot Rod Association and has been named Official Machine Tool Sponsor of the NHRA. This partnership is part of Okuma's High Performance Motorsports Industry program.
With Okuma as your machining partner you are free to imagine a more productive, cost-effective solution, knowing we can work together to make it happen.Okuma has entered into a partnership agreement with the National hot Rod Association and has been named Official Machine Tool Sponsor of the NHRA. This partnership is part of Okuma's High Performance Motorsports Industry program.
With Okuma as your machining partner you are free to imagine a more productive, cost-effective solution, knowing we can work together to make it happen.
Cutting Tool Supplier's Involvement Helps Security Systems Manufacturer Optimize Machining
Pelco (Clovis, California), the world's leading manufacturer of video security systems, is one firm that appreciates the value of involving key suppliers early on. When developing its important new stainless steel product, Pelco called in cutting tool supplier Seco-Carboloy.
The need for greater surveillance around ships, defense installations, power plants and other locations within the marine environment recently led Pelco to begin offering an explosion-proof pan-and-tilt video security system for marine applications. "Our product engineers had a conceptual idea of how to introduce the stainless steel product," explains Lolo Garza, machine shop manager at Pelco.
Daryl Serna, Seco-Carboloy Senior Technical Specialist says, "We came to the conclusion that machining the component from one large 316L stainless steel billet would be the most cost-efficient way to go."
Seco-Carboloy employed its perfoMAX indexable drills with T300D coated inserts, and boring bars using grade TP400 for finishing. The result was a reduction in total cycle time (from previous method) per module from twelve minutes to just threeErgonomic Tool cuts, crimps, and strips wire in one step
Designed for auto repair, PWCS9 features construction cold forged from alloy steel and heat-treated. Tool provides functionality for wire stripping, bolt cutting, and terminal crimping. It strips stranded wire from AWG 20-10 and solid wire from AWG 16-8. In addition to bi-molded, soft-grip handles, tool features narrow pliers tip, lock that maintains closed position during transport or storage, and internal spring that maintains open position during use.
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FUNCTIONAL DESIGN COMBINES ERGONOMICS AND VERSATILITY
KENOSHA, Wis., November 28, 2005 - In response to technicians' demands for a high-quality wire stripper/cutter/crimper that would better meet their needs for auto repair, Snap-on has introduced the PWCS9 wire stripper.
The PWCS9 is specifically designed to work on auto wiring and is cold forged from special alloy steel and heat-treated to offer technicians a tool of superior durability and lasting performance. An improvement from the traditional stamped units, the PWCS9's manufacturing process also helps maintain consistency from tool to tool, providing the same performance for every user. This wire stripper also helps technicians complete several tasks while using only one tool - wire stripping, bolt cutting and terminal crimping. These features allow the tool to strip stranded wire from AWG20 to 10, solid wire from AWG16 to 8, crimp insulated and non-insulated terminals, shear wires, and cut both no. 6 and no. 8 machine screws. The wire stripper also features:
- A narrow pliers tip for grabbing or pulling wire
- A lock to keep the tool in the closed position during transport or when it's in storage
- A patented internal spring that will keep the tool in the open, ready-to-use position when technicians need it handy
- Bi-molded, soft-grip handles that provide technicians greater comfort and decrease fatigue incurred from use
Customers can find out more about the Snap-on[R] PWCS9 wire stripper/cutter/crimper by contacting their local Snap-on representative, visiting www.snapon.com or calling toll free 877-SNAPON-2 (877-762-7662).
Snap-on Tools Company, LLC is a subsidiary of Snap-on Incorporated, a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of tool and equipment solutions for professional tool users. Product lines include hand and power tools, diagnostics and shop equipment, tool storage products, diagnostics software and other solutions for the transportation service, industrial, government, education, agricultural, and other commercial applications, including construction and electrical. Products are sold through its franchised dealer van, company-direct sales and distributor channels, as well as over the Internet at snapon.com. Founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $2 billion-plus, S&P 500 company headquartered in Kenosha, Wis., and employs approximately 11,400 people worldwide
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FUNCTIONAL DESIGN COMBINES ERGONOMICS AND VERSATILITY
KENOSHA, Wis., November 28, 2005 - In response to technicians' demands for a high-quality wire stripper/cutter/crimper that would better meet their needs for auto repair, Snap-on has introduced the PWCS9 wire stripper.
The PWCS9 is specifically designed to work on auto wiring and is cold forged from special alloy steel and heat-treated to offer technicians a tool of superior durability and lasting performance. An improvement from the traditional stamped units, the PWCS9's manufacturing process also helps maintain consistency from tool to tool, providing the same performance for every user. This wire stripper also helps technicians complete several tasks while using only one tool - wire stripping, bolt cutting and terminal crimping. These features allow the tool to strip stranded wire from AWG20 to 10, solid wire from AWG16 to 8, crimp insulated and non-insulated terminals, shear wires, and cut both no. 6 and no. 8 machine screws. The wire stripper also features:
- A narrow pliers tip for grabbing or pulling wire
- A lock to keep the tool in the closed position during transport or when it's in storage
- A patented internal spring that will keep the tool in the open, ready-to-use position when technicians need it handy
- Bi-molded, soft-grip handles that provide technicians greater comfort and decrease fatigue incurred from use
Customers can find out more about the Snap-on[R] PWCS9 wire stripper/cutter/crimper by contacting their local Snap-on representative, visiting www.snapon.com or calling toll free 877-SNAPON-2 (877-762-7662).
Snap-on Tools Company, LLC is a subsidiary of Snap-on Incorporated, a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of tool and equipment solutions for professional tool users. Product lines include hand and power tools, diagnostics and shop equipment, tool storage products, diagnostics software and other solutions for the transportation service, industrial, government, education, agricultural, and other commercial applications, including construction and electrical. Products are sold through its franchised dealer van, company-direct sales and distributor channels, as well as over the Internet at snapon.com. Founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $2 billion-plus, S&P 500 company headquartered in Kenosha, Wis., and employs approximately 11,400 people worldwide
Produce good surface finishes without tool breakage
Useful for die mold operations that require accuracy, short cycle times and good surface finishes, Makino's V-series vertical machining centers feature a 30,000-rpm spindle and compact footprint.
Machine rigidity and low vibration that result from the core-cooled spindle technology are said to make the machine particularly suited for high speed milling of deep ribs. Therefore, users can penetrate the part without tool breakage. In addition, benchwork on dies and molds can be virtually eliminated because of the quality of surface finishes, says the company.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Custom Tool Division
Back in 1919 when Matthew Ford introduced the first high-performance steel rotary file in Davenport, he understood the true value of a tool should be measured by its ability to increase productivity through superior craftsmanship, performance, and tool life. Today, M.A. Ford Manufacturing Company continues this tradition by taking advantage of advanced machine tool technology and materials to make the most innovative, high-quality cutting tools available in today's marketplace.
By partnering with select machine tool users, the Custom Tool Division will develop and supply customengineered carbide tools of unmatched quality, which meet or exceed productivity, delivery, and utilized cost expectations. Custom tools are proven to increase speeds and feeds, and save setup and handling time, which leads to faster run times, more efficient manufacturing, and more importantly, increased profits.
M.A. Ford's Custom Tool Division offers application development, design and manufacturing expertise in high-performance drills, G-drills, step drill reamers, subland drills, subland drill reamers, coolant-thru specials, step reamers, coolant-thru reamers, custom end mills, and custom form tools.
Milling on a grinding machine: a grinding machine is not a machining center, but it can sometimes take on milling and drilling to make the overall pro
However, certain profile grinding machines have developed in the direction of this type of multitasking, even when combining operations was not necessarily the goal. The MFP-TC grinding machine pictured, from Magerle (represented in the United States by United Grinding Technologies, Miamisburg, Ohio), provides an example. To support an increasing role for creep-feed grinding (a higher-metal-removal rate process than grinding just for finish), this machine features a powerful spindle and stiff hydrostatic ways. Further, because wheel types such as conventional abrasive, plated CBN and vitrified CBN all excel in different applications, the machine has been equipped with the capability to store different wheels and automatically switch between them.
This latter feature relies on proven technology. Specifically, it relies on a toolchange arm like that of a machining center, along with toolholders (or wheelholders in this case) that use the HSK interface of a machining center's toolholders. Taken together, this machine's tool changing, spindle power and rigidity produce the equivalent of a highly capable machining center. Precise heavy milling can be performed on this machine, and milling and drilling tools can be stored in the tool magazine alongside the grinding wheels.
Minimal Milling
Chris Stine is a vice president of United Grinding Technologies. He says performing chip-making operations such as milling and drilling on a grinding machine is best suited to certain types of parts. It also requires a particular mindset about production.
For a part to benefit from milling or drilling on a grinder, the cycle should consist of mostly grinding. The MFP-TC machine cited above remains a grinder first and foremost, offering precision beyond what might be associated with even a higher-end machining center, he says. As a result, the machine can't compete economically against a machining center if traditional metalcutting makes up most of the work.
However, many ground parts do feature a small but critical amount of this metalcutting. Even on a grinding machine equipped with multiple wheels and capable of high metal removal rates, there are plenty of features that simply cannot be ground. Holes, pockets and slots that don't run completely through the workpiece are examples. When the part has one or more features such as these, performing these cuts on the grinder can save considerable cost by eliminating the need to set up on multiple machines. This is particularly true for parts such as airfoils, in which the location of machined features may be defined with respect to ground surfaces that have complex geometries.
Another argument for consolidating operations relates to the part's size. Large parts magnify the savings in floor space that might result from combining grinding and machining center operations into one machine. Labor savings might also be more significant. The bigger the part, the better it is to set it up in just one place.
For particularly large parts, Mr. Stine says that the range of potential operations expands to include turning. A rotary table that can turn at 70 rpm can deliver 1,500 sfm of cutting speed to a turning tool that cuts at a diameter of 7 feet. This is exactly the solution that GE Gas Turbines (Greenville, South Carolina) adopted for machining large turbine wheels. Parts that used to be machined on a grinder, a vertical lathe and a boring mill now receive all of this machining on one Magerle machine tool. The change saves about 6 hours of setup time and 2 days of queue time, according to engineers at the plant. Overall, there has been a 30 percent cycle time reduction.
This latter feature relies on proven technology. Specifically, it relies on a toolchange arm like that of a machining center, along with toolholders (or wheelholders in this case) that use the HSK interface of a machining center's toolholders. Taken together, this machine's tool changing, spindle power and rigidity produce the equivalent of a highly capable machining center. Precise heavy milling can be performed on this machine, and milling and drilling tools can be stored in the tool magazine alongside the grinding wheels.
Minimal Milling
Chris Stine is a vice president of United Grinding Technologies. He says performing chip-making operations such as milling and drilling on a grinding machine is best suited to certain types of parts. It also requires a particular mindset about production.
For a part to benefit from milling or drilling on a grinder, the cycle should consist of mostly grinding. The MFP-TC machine cited above remains a grinder first and foremost, offering precision beyond what might be associated with even a higher-end machining center, he says. As a result, the machine can't compete economically against a machining center if traditional metalcutting makes up most of the work.
However, many ground parts do feature a small but critical amount of this metalcutting. Even on a grinding machine equipped with multiple wheels and capable of high metal removal rates, there are plenty of features that simply cannot be ground. Holes, pockets and slots that don't run completely through the workpiece are examples. When the part has one or more features such as these, performing these cuts on the grinder can save considerable cost by eliminating the need to set up on multiple machines. This is particularly true for parts such as airfoils, in which the location of machined features may be defined with respect to ground surfaces that have complex geometries.
Another argument for consolidating operations relates to the part's size. Large parts magnify the savings in floor space that might result from combining grinding and machining center operations into one machine. Labor savings might also be more significant. The bigger the part, the better it is to set it up in just one place.
For particularly large parts, Mr. Stine says that the range of potential operations expands to include turning. A rotary table that can turn at 70 rpm can deliver 1,500 sfm of cutting speed to a turning tool that cuts at a diameter of 7 feet. This is exactly the solution that GE Gas Turbines (Greenville, South Carolina) adopted for machining large turbine wheels. Parts that used to be machined on a grinder, a vertical lathe and a boring mill now receive all of this machining on one Magerle machine tool. The change saves about 6 hours of setup time and 2 days of queue time, according to engineers at the plant. Overall, there has been a 30 percent cycle time reduction.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Shop Floor Inspection Machine measures compressor blades
Non-contact, automated Lightscan measures compressor blade airfoils for comparison with CAD data (with 160,000-point 3D point cloud) to obtain immediate go/no go sentencing. In addition to measuring sensor and associated application software, blade gauging inspection solution uses white light technology and has typ inspection cycle of 20 sec. With accuracy exceeding 0.0005 in., machine can be programmed to inspect new parts in as little as 4 hr.
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The new Lightscan non-contact blade gauging inspection from GE Inspection Technologies is a complete, automated, shopfloor solution for quickly and accurately measuring compressor blade airfoils for comparison with CAD data to obtain immediate go/no go sentencing. The new system offers significant cost-saving and time-saving advantages over conventional hard gage inspection and is the first system of its type to feature both measuring sensor and associated application software, providing a total turn-key inspection solution.
Using state-of-the-art white light technology, the operator-friendly, Lightscan has a typical inspection cycle of just 20 seconds, compared with the 60 to 90 seconds required by competitive equipment. It is accurate to greater than 0.0005", which is comparable with more cumbersome CMM equipment, and it can be programmed to inspect new parts in just four hours. Compare that to the 16-18 weeks required to manufacture of new hard gauges. As a result, Lightscan provides significant benefits in terms of production output and reduced tooling costs over hard gage inspection and provides significant improvements in manufacturing flexibility over mechanical and laser CMM systems and other white light systemsIn operation, Lightscan uses LCD technology to project and move software-generated light patterns over the part to be inspected. The reflected pattern is detected by two CCD cameras, using the latest firewire technology. The modulated fringe is then analyzed by the software to create a point cloud, featuring 80,000 measuring points. The part is then turned very precisely rotated and the procedure repeated, so that a total 3-D point cloud of 160,000 measuring points is produced for comparison with the CAD-generated master part model. From this comparison, a surface deviation map is generated and a series of software gauges are used to determine standard gauge outputs such as contour, bow, warp, platform and thickness. These results are then displayed on the system's monitor so that the operator can make a simple go/no go sentencing decision. This entire process is completed in 20 seconds.
The application specific software features advance data filtering to ensure the rapid presentation of the highly accurate results, which can be printed as a report or saved to a data file in standard formats. This data can then be further analyzed to help in the improvement of upstream processes, such as enhanced tool design.
Lightscan is capable of handling blades with a wide range of surface finish. There is no need to tumble components or to apply a white coating, as is the case with competitive products and the system will even handle "benched" parts, which feature a mix of surface finishes.
About GE Inspection Technologies
GE Inspection Technologies is a global leader in technology-driven inspection solutions that deliver customer productivity, quality and safety. The company designs, manufactures and services radiographic, ultrasonic, eddy current and metrology equipment to inspect and test materials without deforming or damaging them. Its products are used in a wide range of industries, including Aerospace, Power Generation, Oil & Gas and Automotive. The company has 11 application centres around the globe and offers a range of services including repair,Release delivers new high speed tool paths—Mastercam/CNC, Inc., booth 427
Mastercam X's latest maintenance release, MR1, includes various new capabilities, such as added high speed machining tool paths, holder definition, the release of Mastercam X and more.
Seven high speed surface machining (HST) tool paths--two roughing and five finishing paths--have been incorporated into the release, including an interface for toolpath creation. These added types are tailored to high speed machining while offering smooth cutting motion and smooth entry/exits, says Mastercam/CNC Software. The high speed tool paths include core roughing, area clearance, waterline, scallop, horizontal area, raster and an enhanced pencil tool path.
Using the release, operators can define a holder (or select one from a library) and gouge-check the holder during toolpath generation. The holder definition can be used to detect possible toolpath gouges.
This release is now available to all maintenance customers. SP2, a service pack release, is also available to those who do not participate in the maintenance programSaturday, December 16, 2006
Multifunctional Tool finishes workpieces in single set-up
Combining concepts of CoroMill 390 and CoroTurn 107, CoroPlex(TM) MT is applied rotating as effective tool for milling applications, or indexed in number of optional positions for stationary turning using 2 different inserts. Multi-tasking machining tool is designed for use of all insert positions possible without support of any extra software. It is also usable on older machines working with software capacity limited to conventional standard cycles.
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By introducing the multifunctional CoroPlex(TM) MT Sandvik Coromant establishes a new standard that is of outmost user benefit for operations performed with the latest of machine tool technologies.
CoroPlex MT is a combination of two winning concepts in one - CoroMill 390 and CoroTurn 107. It is either applied rotating as an effective tool for milling applications - or indexed in a number of optional positions for stationary turning using two different CoroTurn 107 inserts.
Sandvik Coromant[acute accent]s multifunctional tool CoroPlex MT is designed for practically unrestricted use of all the insert positions possible without support of any extra software Although CoroPlex MT is dedicated for Multi-Task machining it is easy to use the tool in somewhat older machines working with the software capacity limited to conventional standard cycles.
CoroPlex(TM) MT is an innovative multifunctional tool for finishing the workpieces in a single set-up with reduced downtime on the machine.
It also completes together with CoroPlex TT twin tools, with two inserts in one holder giving the possibility to change operations momentarily, and CoroPlex SL mini-turret, with four turning tools in one, the dedicated tooling Sandvik Coromant provides Multi-Task machining.
********************
By introducing the multifunctional CoroPlex(TM) MT Sandvik Coromant establishes a new standard that is of outmost user benefit for operations performed with the latest of machine tool technologies.
CoroPlex MT is a combination of two winning concepts in one - CoroMill 390 and CoroTurn 107. It is either applied rotating as an effective tool for milling applications - or indexed in a number of optional positions for stationary turning using two different CoroTurn 107 inserts.
Sandvik Coromant[acute accent]s multifunctional tool CoroPlex MT is designed for practically unrestricted use of all the insert positions possible without support of any extra software Although CoroPlex MT is dedicated for Multi-Task machining it is easy to use the tool in somewhat older machines working with the software capacity limited to conventional standard cycles.
CoroPlex(TM) MT is an innovative multifunctional tool for finishing the workpieces in a single set-up with reduced downtime on the machine.
It also completes together with CoroPlex TT twin tools, with two inserts in one holder giving the possibility to change operations momentarily, and CoroPlex SL mini-turret, with four turning tools in one, the dedicated tooling Sandvik Coromant provides Multi-Task machining.
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