Archive for June, 2009

Bank of Algeria Mint invests in CAD/CAM technology

Friday, June 26th, 2009

The Bank of Algeria Mint has invested in equipment and methods from Sescoi to help it respond to the demands of modern banking and to encourage the growth of the country’s economy.

The tooling department needed a computer-aided-design (CAD)/computer-aided-manufacturing (CAM) technique to help it improve its range of capabilities and shorten lead times.

The assistant director at the Bank of Algeria Mint said: ‘We have a wide range of CNC milling and turning machines and we needed to modernise in order to achieve just-in-time manufacture, respond to urgent requirements and machine increasingly complex and intricate shapes.’ Before the introduction of WorkNC, programming was carried out on the machine tool control, which required high levels of skill from the operator, reduced the obtainable capacity and the productivity of each machine and limited the complexity of the parts being produced.

The Bank of Algeria purchased WorkNC from Sescoi in 2006.

Furthermore, the WorkNC-CAD turning module is said to make CNC lathe machining easy and reliable.

WorkNC-CAD is used to design existing or new components and parts using its recently incorporated parametric solid modelling.

For machining and engraving, the bank uses WorkNC to generate programs from five axis right through to the full five axis.

The assistant director said: ‘We program all our CNC machines with WorkNC for the milling of elementary or complex parts.

‘We have optimised our production processes and achieved productivity gains of over 60 percent.’ For its five-axis programming, the Bank of Algeria uses WorkNC’s Auto 5.

one-of-a-kind to Sescoi, the application automatically translates three-axis toolpaths in to five-axis toolpaths, making five-axis machining as elementary to program as three-axis machining, with reliable and collision-free toolpaths.

Using the technology gives the bank the advantages of using short rigid cutters and the ability to reach more of the part in eight setting, resulting in improved surface finish and shorter machining times.

Sescoi’s five-axis routines include collision-avoidance algorithms, which consider the limits of the individual machine tool, introducing unwind and flip movements so that machining can continue safely and uninterrupted.

‘We find that the toolpaths it creates for our five-axis machines are reliable and we anticipate purchasing more licences in a few weeks.’ The bank invests in a continuous training program with Sescoi, ensuring that its engineers can fully exploit WorkNC’s capabilities, benefit from the support hotline and receive application upgrades.

The assistant director said: ‘The ease of use of Auto 5 has enabled us to adopt five-axis machining methods quickly.

Tags:
Posted in CAD, Cam | No Comments »

MazaCAM reduces machine shop downtime

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Solutionware has introduced the MazaCAM Editor Performance Package, composed of Mazatrol management tools, to help machine shops reduce downtime for mills and lathes.

MazaCAM performs offline programming for Mazak’s Mazatrol conversational language.

The Performance Package prints customisable operations lists, including PNo, tool picture, tool description, cut information, and the sequence in which the tools are to be used, along with the sequence of the cuts.

A toolpath check goes beyond toolpath verification, and adds features that allow the user to carryover out rotation, select different views including 3D-isometric, and get information on process geometry and distance verification of geometry.

The user can set up a tool database, including extensive tool description and tool supplier numbers, which can be included on the toolsheet.

With existing Mazatrol programs, the toolsheet can be printed to include the tool information directly from the Mazatrol program; this is important for the machinist setting up the machine for the next part.

A runtime estimation ability enables the programmer to check the time it will take to run a Mazatrol program before sending the program to the machine.

It includes features to help the programmer identify which tools take a long time, helping them home in on areas where machine time can be improved.

MazaCAM can also include a full CAD/CAM process, giving the user more options and control.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Cam | No Comments »

Latest CNC turning ups blow mould productivity

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

A long-bed lathe is helping a manufacturer of blow moulds to increase its productivity and maintain its competitive advantage by reducing set-up time for turning complex cavities.

Solent Mould Tool (SMT) – the UK’s largest independent blow mould manufacturer has recently invested in a Hardinge Talent 10/78L (long-bed) lathe.

The machine, installed at SMT’s Waterlooville facility in August 2006, is helping the company increase its productivity and maintain its competitive advantage by reducing time (and resources) spent on job set ups as well as reducing machine cycle times (both by as much as 50%) – when machining complex cavities in mould tools.

The net results for SMT through its investment in the Hardinge lathe are shorter lead times and improved part accuracy – which, in the world of complex mould tool manufacture, are very welcome.

* Comprehensive production capability – Solent Mould Tools was established in 1986 and today employs over 40 people.

The company designs and manufactures blow moulds (up to 2 tonnes) for a range of sectors and industries.

The company provides a total systems solution service to its mould tool customers.

This does not just include the manufacture of complex moulds but also involves working in close consultation with customers to develop and design mould tool concepts and prototypes prior to production sets being manufactured.

SMT also provides comprehensive mould tool repair and modification services to customers.

In addition to investing in the new Hardinge CNC lathe – SMT has also made significant investments (over recent months) in a number of 5-axis and high-speed machining centres used to mill slots, recesses and pockets, etc, in a single set-up.

The company has impressive CAD/CAM capability and, via DNC links, ensures fast data transfer between its design and production operations.

SMT’s moulds are used by customers in the UK and throughout Europe and increasingly within the USA – which demonstrates the truly global nature of this market.

The company’s moulds are made mainly from aluminium although in some instances steels and alloys – Alumex – are used.

SMT moulds are used in the volume manufacture of plastic bottles (PET, HDPE, PP, PVC etc.) for mineral water, soft drinks and fruit juices, carbonated beverages, cosmetics, toiletries etc – and in total the company manufactures in the region of two thousand mould tools every year.

The mould tool industry is highly competitive with price, quality and lead time reduction being of critical importance.

The decision by SMT to invest in the Hardinge Talent 10/78 lathe was in response to these market demands.

* Cycle times reduced by 50% – the Talent lathe is being used to machine the internal cavities in the mould and has been installed adjacent to an older Hardinge Cobra lathe that is used to machine external features on the mould tool.

Using high-density and diamond tip tooling – the Talent is able to perform heavy-duty cutting operations to high accuracy and repeatability.

Said Andy Thorpe, shop floor chargehand at SMT: “The Talent lathe has provided us with additional capacity and capability – and has helped us become more productive.

Typically machine cycle times have been reduced by some 50% and the fine surface finishes we are able to obtain, which includes the elimination of blend lines, also means less time spent on secondary polishing operations.” * Check-out the Talent CNC lathe – the new Hardinge Talent 10/78L is a long bed lathe (1050mm between centres) designed for heavy duty turning applications.

The machine is equipped with a 18.5kW, 3500 rev/min spindle (402Nm); 30m/min rapids on both X and Z-axes; a 12-station turret and the Fanuc 0i-TC control.

Tags:
Posted in CNC Turning | 1 Comment »

Investment in two CNC lathes has produced significant business

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

Investment in two CNC lathes has produced significant business benefits to a subcontractor including the winning of its first contract in the aerospace sector.

First investment in CNC machine tool technology creates solid platform for SB Engineering to take-off in manufacturing precision components for the aerospace sector.

Leicester – based precision subcontract specialist – SB Engineering – has recently invested in two Hardinge 6/45-SV CNC lathes.

The machines, both installed at the company’s facility in November 2006, are the first CNC machines purchased by SB Engineering.

In only two months the machines are delivering significant business benefits to a company that has high ambitions and which, (owing to its recent machine tool investment), has just secured its first contract in the aerospace sector – machining complex high-precision titanium fasteners for aircraft wing sections.

SB Engineering is a family business run by three brothers – Sat Bhamra, Harj Bhamra and George Bhamra.

The company was first established in 1984 and was initially involved in machining parts and components for knitting machines.

To undertake this work the company invested in a range of manual machine tools – milling, turning and grinding, etc.

Whilst SB Engineering today still handles this type of general precision subcontract work – the company has raised its ambitions significantly – and sees its future in manufacturing complex, high precision components.

Said Sat Bhamra, director at SB Engineering: “We have the skill, the commitment and now the technology to realise our ambitions.

The investment in Hardinge CNC technology is just the start.” He continued: “We have made a real step change in the way we operate.

We knew we needed CNC capability and we chose Hardinge for two major reasons.

Firstly their machine tools, in terms of performance and price are second to none.

Secondly, they provided excellent pre-sales support – and their technical, applications and after-sales services cannot be faulted.” The aerospace contract won by SB Engineering is vindication of the company’s machine tool investment programme and long term strategic aims.

The parts (titanium fasteners) manufactured on the Hardinge lathes vary in size and batch quantity.

Typically part dimensions can be from 5mm to 25mm – and quantities are required in hundreds or even thousands per week.

Both Hardinge lathes are used to make a complete finished part – and some 8 separate cutting operations are involved.

The first operations (on one of the Hardinge lathes) involve fine turning on the components back end – to remove the ‘blue’ oxidation layer on the titanium and to bring the part into tolerance – +/-0.001mm.

Secondary operations on the second Hardinge lathe involve drilling a small bore in the centre of the part – plus high precision chamfering and grooving operations.

Each part is completed (including set up) in 45 – 50s.

In addition to the Hardinge lathes – SB Engineering has also invested in inspection equipment to fulfil the demands of the aerospace sector – and is well on the way to achieving ISO:9001 (2000) certification.

Concluded Sat Bhamra: “We are changing rapidly to ensure that we can exploit the business opportunities that exist in high-precision and high-growth sectors.

We have plans in the pipeline to relocate our business in the near future to a new and bigger site.

The investments we have made in Hardinge CNC machines will help us take on more profitable work – and will enable us to consolidate our position within the aerospace and other precision manufacturing sectors.” * About the Hardinge 6/45-SV lathe – the Hardinge Talent 6/45-SV lathe is a compact and rigidly constructed 2-axis machine.

It is equipped with a 15kW spindle drive (with Fanuc control) and includes a three-jaw power chuck as standard.

The machine also has an A2-5 (6,000 rev/min) spindle with 45mm through draw bar capacity.

Rotation time for the Talent’s bi-directional 12-station VDI-30 turret is 1s (unclamp/index/clamp) to an adjacent station.

The non-rising turret index is achieved using a separate brushless servomotor and the turret positively locks into position using a three-piece curvic coupling.

Rapid traverse rates for the X and Z axes are an impressive 30m/min and maximum X-axis travel is 153mm and maximum Z-axis travel is 406mm.

The lathe has a ribbed 45 deg slant bed base that provides superior rigidity and durability.

All structural components and castings are qualified by Finite Element Analysis (FEA)-a proven, highly-technical procedure that ensures a stiff, structurally-sound machine tool design.

The machine is available with a MT 4 programmable tailstock (option) for machining longer parts.

Tags: , ,
Posted in CNC lathes | No Comments »

Powerful CNC lathe installed at subcontractor

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

A 26kW CNC lathe now located at a leading sub contractor in Devon features a swing over the bed of 750mm, a turning length of 1440mm and a fully cast slant bed design.

MTL is pleased to announce the recent installation of the largest cutting capacity Feeler CNC lather ever ordered in the UK.

The FTC50L CNC lathe now located at a leading sub contractor in Devon features a swing over the bed of 750mm and a turning length of 1440mm.

The machine features a fully cast slant bed design, with a powerful 26kW/35HP spindle motor coupled with a two speed ZF gearbox.

The hydraulic chuck fitted to the machine is 375mm dia.

with larger options available, the FTC 50 also has the advantage of a 117mm diameter through spindle bore.

A programmable tail stock, swarf conveyor and bucket comes as part of the standard specification of the FTC50 as does the 12 station block turret.

There are several other machines in the FTC series encompassing a 150mm chuck or bar feed machine, through to 300mm, all available with the industry standard Fanuc 0i control fitted with manual guide conversational software.

Feeler feature a very comprehensive range of CNC 2-,3-, and 4-axis lathes with their latest introduction being the FTC 350LY Y-axis CNC lathe, coupled with a vast range of CNC machining centres the scope and range of the equipment is one of the largest available.

Tags:
Posted in CNC lathes | No Comments »