Cnc Machines

Manufacturing CNC Machinist Tyco Valves & Controls is currently seeking experienced CNC operators for our facility in Prophetstown. Ideal candidate must be able to perform a complete range of machining & assembly operations including sawing, turning, drilling, tapping, precision milling & grinding on conventional & NC machines. 1 to 2 years exp. a plus, must pass machinist test. Tyco/Penberthy Prophetstown is a worldwide leader in Level Instrumentation and Process Equipment and is part of Tyco International. We offer medical, dental, pension, tuition reimbursement and more! Accepting applications Monday thru Friday 8:30AM to 3:30PM, or send resume to: Tyco Valves & Controls – Penberthy 320 Locust Street Prophetstown, IL 61277 Attn: Candie Koch E-mail: ckoch@tycovalves.com Fax: 815-537-2745 NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE – PRINCIPALS ONLY EOE

Exhibitor at the UK’s MACH 2008 exhibition reported selling two turret millers and and two high-speed toolroom lathes within hours of the show opening.

Gate Machinery International reported that it had sold machines sold off its stand at the UK’s MACH 2008 machine tool show within hours of the show opening The machine tools included two PBM-2000 turret millers and a pair of G-330E high-speed toolroom lathes All four machines were equipped with Anilam Wizard 411 digital read out (DRO) systems.

Derby, UK-based technical training company, Training Services 2000, had bought the four machine tools based on quality, specification and price.

Also sold from the stand by Gate on the first day was a Gate-Eclipse ECM 3 CNC miller fitted with Acu-Rite MillPwr system. More machine tools were sold later Anilam and Acu-Rite DRO and CNC systems.

According to Gate’s managing director Alain Fidelia, an unrivalled mix of machining capabilities at market-beating price tags enable these machines to appeal to companies across all industry sectors.

Buyers appreciated the 3HP, 60 to 4,200 rev/min spindle capabilities of the PBM milling machines, and the 80 to 2,000 rev/min G-330E lathe.

The G-330E has a swing over the bed of 330mm, over the cross-slide of 195mm and a distance between centres of 1000mm.

Gate told manufacturingtalk that price-to-performance affordability of the machine tools was conmtributed to by the Anilam 411 DRO.

The DRO is a 1-/2-/3-axis ‘entry-level’ system that has a powerful functionality, substantial technical service back-up and three-year warranty, in spite of its low-cost price tag.

* Functionality – the Wizard 411 DRO has standard functionality embracing tool offsets, sub-datums, linear patterns (row, frame, array), PCD calculations (full and partial) and vectoring.

The unit is housed in a very reliable all diecast constructed housing.

It includes an LCD screen (the only DRO available using this technology, said Gate) plus sealed membrane keypad and powerful canned functions for incline, arc, rectangular frame and rectangular pocket routines.

* Acu-Rite MillPwr CNC – the Acu-Rite MillPwr CNC is said to be one of the most user-friendly systems available.

It is a conversational system requiring no previous CNC experience.

It can be used either as a full-function DRO or as a programmable CNC.

MillPwr offers easy-to-understand operator feedback and everything expected in terms of functionality – from bolt hole/PCD cycles, rectangular, circle pocket and irregular pocket milling, to island and boss features, spiral, ellipse, mirror image, rotate, repeat set-up and 2D/2.5D contouring as well as tool library, shrinkage scaling, trig and geometry calculator and power editing tools.

By investing GBP 655,000 in two Trumpf laser cutting machines an architectural metalworker has reduced cycle times by 50-60% and expanded sub contract work.

An architectural metalworker has invested GBP 655,000 itwo Trumpf CNC laser cutting machines and has realised an impressive reduction in cycle times of some 50-60% on average Based In Birmingham, UK, Savekers has grown into a GBP 4 million business selling products to shopfitters, building merchants and construction firms as well as working with architects Savekers’ chairman, Martin Saveker, said that his market was currently “tight”, which is why Savekers’ investment was very important.

he explained: “The new machines help us compete with higher end imports from competitors based in low cost economies, particularly in tandem with other factors such as inflation in the Far East, a weakening pound, 12-16 week lead-times and the rising cost of oil for transportation”.

He continued: “It all means that many potential customers are looking to source from the UK once again. No one is in a better position to take advantage than Savekers and it’s one of the reasons why we are a member of the British Made for Quality campaign”.

* First laser investment – Savekers had had no laser cutting facility for tubework and had relied on an ageing waterjet profiling machine for its plate work.

Saveker said that the company had to improve productivity, which basically meant generating greater speed to make it more cost-competitive.

He said: “We began by enquiring about a new tube laser as this would have the most significant impact on our business”.

The company was able to secure a GBP 90,000 SFIE (Selective Finance for Investment in England) grant from a UK regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands.

Grants Case Officer at Advantage West Midlands, Phil Langford, said: “Savekers identified two laser cutting machines that would enable it to significantly reduce the batch element of the production process.

The machines also speed up operations, providing additional capabilities the company previously didn’t have”.

* Machine comparisons – Savekers comparing the Trumpf TruLaser Tube 5000 with its main competitor, and concluded that the flexibility offered by the Trumpf machine would be a huge advantage.

“While some batches are as high as 5000, it is fairly common for us to do 1-off jobs,” said Saveker.

“Sure enough, the machine has a bundle feeder, but the ability to interrupt long runs and manually load small volumes is invaluable to our business”.

For laser cutting tubes and profiles, the Trumpf TruLaser Tube 5000 is a flexible, automatic, complete machining system.

It can process tube up to 6500mm in length with wall thickness up to 6.4mm (mild steel).

The machine is available with loading unit and part removal station.

The machine cuts tubes and profiles into sections in a single set-up.

It cuts recesses and contours, a very useful attribute exploited widely by Savekers for nearly all of its products.

“Whereas we previously bought pre-slotted tube we can now manufacture slots of the desired length and in the exact position required by each customer,” said Saveker.

“Previously we had to offer ‘universal’ versions of our slotted tubular products”.

* Flat bed laser – Saveker looked for speed in a flat bed profiling capability.

Having already decided to buy the Trumpf TruLaser Tube 5000, it made sense to talk to the same supplier.

Evenmtually Saveker selected the Trumpf TruLaser 2525.

“We can cut at 200mm/min using our existing waterjet facility, however the TruLaser 2525 can profile at 20,000mm/min for some jobs,” reported Saveker.

The Trumpf TruLaser 2525 has travels of 2500, 1250 and 115mm in X-, Y- and Z-axis respectively and can cut up to 20mm thick in mild steel, 15mm in stainless steel and 10mm in aluminium.

The machine has an additional Y-axis integrated in the motion unit.

Unlike the standard Y-axis, it does not move the complete motion unit, only the cutting head.

Trumpf told manufacturingtalk that he intelligent application of a double axis greatly increases the dynamics and reaction time of the machine and, particularly on small part geometry, reduces processing time by up to 30%.

“The second Y-axis works well for us because most of our details are small,” said Saveker.

Most of the flat material processed by Savekers is 1-6mm thick, and because of the high finish demands of its customers (no oxide can be present on the cut edge), the TruLaser 2525 and TruLaser Tube 5000 are run using nitrogen from Savekers’ in-house generating plant.

However, Savekers plans to add an oxygen supply tfor cutting brass and thicker mild steel.

* Investments bring expansion – Saveker said that the laser cutting machines had had a huge impact on the company, he said: “They form an integral part of a major business review, where we have examined our existing product range, stock and customer base”.

Saveker continued: “We’ve been static at GBP 4 million turnover for the past 2-3 years but now we are looking to expand.

The trend in recent years has been towards low volume, high value work, but this is now reversing and we’re going after volume jobs that were previously imported”".

He added: “As part of installing our new Trumpf machines we’ve had a major shop floor reorganisation so that we are better able to handle larger batches”.

* Benefits are far-reaching – the TruLaser Tube 5000,had brought the following advantages to date.

* Increased ability to design more intricate products.

* Zero tooling requirements hence shorter lead-times.

* Extensive de-stocking.

* The sale of old equipment used previously for second operations such as saws and presses.

* Enhanced cut finish, which saves labour intensive benchwork.

* The ability to cut parts ‘on the fly’ from material that would conventionally be scrap.

* Impressive cycle time savings.

“We’ve easily cut 50-60% from cycle times,” reported Saveker.

“The combination of tube and flat bed laser is proving very powerful and it’s putting us back into markets that we had previously lost”.

Saveker also said that the machines are making the ‘pain’ of massive material price hikes, more bearable.

He said: “Material prices have escalated 40-50% in the past nine months alone; our investments are allowing us to absorb some of these increases through greater productivity”.

* Increased capacity – Saveker said that the company now has more capacity: “While we currently run a single shift, we could easily add another or run through the night unmanned, monitoring the equipment on-line.” This benefit is providing Savekers with greater opportunity not only to progress core business, but to increase its ability to handle subcontract work.

“Subcontracting is not our core business, but we do like to sell any spare capacity where possible,” said Saveker.

“There are particular opportunities on the Tube 5000 as there aren’t many machines of this specification in the UK.

The precision cutting facility is ideal for businesses operating in or supplying the automotive industry, although its flexibility is again crucial as we can slot in urgent, low volume jobs when required”.

As part of Savekers ongoing strategic development it continues to look ahead at potential productivity improvements including CNC bending, laser welding and plating technology.

“Savekers now hold a unique position in UK metalwork manufacturing,” said Saveker.

“While our range of standard metalwork items extends to over 700, we are constantly evolving our bespoke design and manufacture service as part of our overall strategy to provide total solutions for our customers”.

He continued: “Whether clients are looking for frames to fold and weld, wall bars with unique slots, or high volume precision cutting, our new Trumpf machines typify our strategy, offering the very latest in cutting edge technology.

Leadtimes and cost remain priorities for our clients and so we must ensure that we diversify and develop to provide support and solutions in a competitive market”.

Saveker concluded: “We have seen a shift from imports back to UK based manufacturing which we are proud to be part of.

Savekers can offer so much more than China and the Far East now – including rapid prototyping and small to large batches”.

* About Savekers – following more than 100 years as an established specialist in quality manufacturing, the company (now in fourth generation family ownership) has grown to become a GBP 4 million business employing 50 staff.

Its architectural metalwork range includes: sliding door and window track products; retail systems; counters, cabinets and fittings; shelving systems; pedestrian guidance and barriers; balustrades and handrails; door furniture and window guards; hospitality and leisure products; protection screens; and disability products.

Manufactured largely from tube, plate and sheet steel, all production operations with the exception of powder coating are conducted on-site at the firm’s 45,000ft2 factory.

Sunnen will introduce a single-pass honing machine at IMTS with a spindle alignment that exceeds DIN 8635 standards, has an intuitive control interface and selectable feed profiles.

Sunnen will be introducing its VSS Series 2 Single Stroke Honing systems at IMTS Sunnen said the VSS Series 2 has the most accurate spindle alignment in the industry and is combined with flexible, easy-to-use controls

Spindles on VSS-2 machines aligned, independently, for precision centering of the spindles and tooling plate to produce better bore geometry than possible with machines that use an ‘average’ alignment for all the spindles.

Alignment accuracy, said Sunnen, exceeds DIN 8635 requirements for vertical honing machines.

The VSS-2 Series machines can have up to six spindles to progressively size and finish part bores using tools of preset diameter and grit size. Sunnen told manufacturingtalk that the VSS machines are ideal for precision sizing of bores of 3.9-50mm (0.149-2.0in) diameter in stamped parts, hydraulic valve bodies, gears and sprockets, parking pawls, rocker arms, turbocharger housings and similar parts.

Honable materials include cast iron, powdered metals, ceramic, glass graphite and other free-cutting materials.

* Increased flexibility – the VSS-2 has a belt-drive spindle cartridge with a 724mm (28.5in) stroke and 2-105mm/s (2-250in/min) stroking speed for increased flexibility.

There is a wide variety of parts and tooling combinations.

The servo-powered stroke system provides excellent crash protection, said Sunnen, and is hand-wheel-controlled for quick setting of vertical position.

The menu-driven PLC-based control system with a human-machine interface allows the column feed and spindle speed to be easily varied throughout the cycle.

Operational flexibility is enhanced by the use of six available profiles, including pecking, short stroke and dwell, which are easily added to a set-up.

More than 100 set-ups can be stored.

Additional I/O and memory are standard for ease of automation.

Sunnen’s product manager for machines, Phil Hanna, ssaid: “The VSS Series 2 sets a new standard for single-pass bore sizing efficiency.

If a part is best suited for single-pass honing, the VSS-2 provides a level of precision not available in other designs.

And, with the new touch screen control, this machine is very operator-friendly.

No custom electronics or special training are needed and the control is designed to interface with part handling automation systems”.

* Three models – the VSS Series 2 is available in three models.

1 – The 84 (eight-station, four-spindle).

2 – The 86 (eight-station, six-spindle).

3 – The 64 (six-station, four-spindle).

Spacing between spindles is 190mm (7.48in).

The 7.5kW (10HP) spindle drive provides a speed range of 100-2500 rev/min.

Removable, maintenance-free stainless steel guarding and electrical panel mounted to the rear of the machine allow easy access to the work envelope from either side of the machine to facilitate tool change or integration of custom part handling systems.

Built on the same platform as Sunnen’s SV Series of honing machines, the VSS Series 2 machines are set on a rugged cast composite machine base for durability and vibration damping.

A rigid cast iron, servo-fed column ensures consistent performance and accuracy.

* Quick and cost-effective – when properly applied, said Sunnen, Single Stroke Honing is a quick, cost-effective method to get a precise bore size, geometry and surface finish.

Parts made of cast iron, powdered metals, ceramic, glass, graphite and other free cutting materials – with L/D ratios up to 1:1 – are ideal for the process.

Single-pass bore sizing is also appropriate for splined bores or longer L/D ratios if cross holes or other interruptions are present to allow chip flushing.

Sunnen offers a range of single-pass plated-diamond tooling for the VSS-2 for precise, accurate and consistent bore sizing.

Other standard features of the VSS-2 include an electric rotary index table and solid tool holder.

Available options include the following.

* Floating or rigid/adjustable tool holders.

* 12- and 16-port programmable rotary air unions for index output.

* Base coolant evacuation pump.

* Automatic lubrication system.

* Work area light kit.

* Stack light.

* Tool alignment indicator.

* Spindle crash protection.

* Tool protection.

“Sunnen is the only company offering both conventional and single-pass bore sizing machines, so we can impartially provide the best solution based on the part being honed,” said Hanna.

“If a part is appropriate for single-pass honing, the VSS-2 delivers a value-priced, compact, customizable package”.

* Sunnen at IMTS 2008, McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA, September 8-13, Booth B-7200.

Two Doosan Puma CNC lathes are machining high precision, complex components for a wide range of high integrity well completion and intervention tools and equipment.

Aberdeen, UK-based oil and gas precision component manufacturer, Omega Completion Technology is using two new Doosan Puma CNC lathes to machine high-precision, complex components for a wide-range of Omega’s high integrity well completion and intervention tools and equipment.supplied by Doosan UK agent, Mills Manufacturing Technology, Leamington Spa, supplied a Puma 400L and a Puma 280L during April and June 2008 respectively Resources manager at Omega, Steven Smith, said that the company currently supplies over 40 different completion and intervention products to the market

Hydrostatic setting tools.

* Roller gauge carriers and more.

In addition to manufacturing and supplying be-spoke solutions to customers, Omega invests significant resources into new product development and product refinements.

Such investments have included powerful 3D modelling and animation software packages, high-performance measurement and inspection equipment and the two Puma lathes.

Smith said: “We demand a great deal from our machine tools.

The products we manufacture and supply are ‘performance critical’.

That means that all the product components and parts (manufactured prior to their assembly), are ‘performance critical’ too”.

He continued: “The new Puma lathes provide us with high-performance turning capability – accuracy, speed, reliability, flexibility and, of course, productivity”.

Parts manufactured on the Puma lathes are cylindrical in shape and are made from a variety of different (and often difficult-to-machine) materials such as carbon steel, Inconel, stainless steels, and Duplex steels.

Component sizes vary: internal parts (such as for hydrostatic setting tools) are typically small and can have diameters from 1/8in to 3in.

Larger parts (capacity up to 22in diameter and up to 7ft in length) are machined from solid, often to tight tolerances (+/-50 micron), and high surface finishes.

They feature complex details including thread forms, internal and external profiles and so on.

These parts, such as the outer sections of sleeves and casings for Omega’s tools and equipment like the sand face and clean out valves, are machined in small batches.

Lead times, as one would imagine in today’s oil and gas sector, said Mills to manufacturingtalk, are incredibly tight and part accuracies (for reliable product performance and safety) are critically important.

* Productivity and precision – the Puma 280L machine is designed for productivity and precision, and can be relied upon to deliver both even when undertaking heavy-duty, interrupted machining.

The 280L has a powerful 22kW spindle (3,500 rev/min), 10-station turret and has 76mm bar diameter working capacity and a 10in chuck.

* Turning power – the Puma 400L is a larger and more powerful turning centre that has a a heavy-duty 26kW, 2,000 rev/min spindle to provides high metal removal rates.

The machine has a 550mm diameter turning capacity, 116.5mm bar capacity and a 15in chuck.

Both machines are equipped with FANUC control technology and have simple and easy to use conversational programming facility for quick and accurate job set-ups and data input.

In addition to the new Puma lathes Omega Completion has made previous investments in Doosan turning technology including: a Puma 300L; a Lynx 220 and another Puma 400L.

Smith said: “Our complete business focus is on providing quality products and services – and our machine tools help us achieve these objectives”.

He concluded: “We pride ourselves on our ‘right first time – every time’ approach and our innovative solutions and ability to get them to market quickly is a major differentiator and key strength of our company”.

* About Omega Completion – Omega Completion Technology is a market-leader in the design, development, manufacture, assembly and supply of completion and implementation tools the global onshore and offshore oil and gas sector.

The company’s reputation and success has been built on the innovation and technical excellence of its products and services.

Over the last few years the company has experienced (consistent) double-digit sales growth, reflecting the market’s demand for Omega Completion’s products.