CMZ said that its powerful TL CNC lathes have a box-section guide design for maximum rigidity and accuracy, which makes they are ideal for machining difficult aerospace alloys.

Spanish machine tool manufacturer, CMZ, offers 24 models of its TL series of CNC lathes and turning centres.

These machines, said the company, combine speed, power and accuracy in a compact and cost-effective package.

The TL range includes driven tool versions with C-axis, sub-spindle versions, servo tail-stock options and chuck sizes ranging from 165mm up to 250mm.

The TL lathes can be fitted with CMZ’s GL20 gantry robot, which provides unmanned operation machining billets or shafts, as well as machining from bar.

* Lot of power from a small machine tool ‘footprint’ - the largest, and best-selling, machine in the range is the TL 25, said CMZ to manufacturingtalk.

The TL 25 is available in two spindle sizes for machining from 66mm or 77mm diameter bar and has a 250mm chucking capacity.

The machine has a massive 40kW oil-cooled integrated spindle motor, combined with 17kW of power on the driven tools, giving it exceptional power in a small footprint.

The TL 25 BMS model features a 12kW sub-spindle powered by an oil-cooled integrated motor.

* Structure - the TL machines have a box-section guide design for maximum rigidity and accuracy, which, combined with the power of the spindle and driven tooling, means they are ideal for machining difficult materials such as aerospace alloys, said CMZ.

The main spindle, and where fitted, the sub-spindle, have oil-cooled integrated spindle motors, which provide exceptional accuracy and surface finish while contributing to the compact design of the machines.

The TL machines are competitively priced, because CMZ uses common components as far as possible across the range.

Common components include the cast iron base, which is machined and heat treated and ground in house on CMZ’s Favretto grinders.

* Largest machines - the larger machines in the range offer a choice or 10 or 12-station high-speed, non-lift servo turrets - rotating 180 deg in just 0.5s and giving adjacent tool change times of just 0.15s.

A 12-station radial or axial VDI 40 turret is offered as an alternative at no extra cost.

The machines are supplied as standard with the latest Fanuc HVi motors - with 1 million pulse/rev encoding for high precision.

Included are the latest Fanuc 30 series CNCs with Manual Guide i conversation programming.

WARDJet waterjet cutting machines now offers over 20 models of machines and produces systems with multiple 5-axis abrasive or water only cutting heads.

A leading manufacturer of waterjet cutting machines, WARDJet, now offers over 20 models The company also produces systems with multiple 5-axis abrasive or water only cutting heads WARDJet also specializes in custom machine applications with an extensive range of options that can be mounted on the units.

They include the following.

* Height sensors.

* Crash sensors.

* Laser alignment systems.

* Drill and tapping units.

WARDJet said that a user can cut a hole and tap it all in one program.

WARDJet said that its customers are most interested in the almost unlimited capability of the double screen controller with built-in camera.

The controller monitors consumable use, service and maintenance and is pro-active in notifying customers.

It offers full remote control from another location (possibly a cell phone) and emails the status of the work performed and outstanding to management.

WARDJet told manufacturingtalk that the capability of the controller is so advanced over anything that has ever been seen, that the only way to truly appreciate its capabilities is to operate one.

WARDJet will have several X-Series waterjet controllers at the USA’s FABTECH International and AWS Welding Show on booth 4263.

Control Microsystems has announced the launch of its SCADARange line of wireless process instruments.

Designed for use in applications where traditional wired sensor connections are not physically or financially feasible, SCADARange products wirelessly transmit data through a centralised base radio station over a secure 900MHz license-free connection Up to 100 field devices can be polled at user-configured time intervals by a single base radio in a variety of network configurations Using the industry-standard Modbus protocol over a serial link, data from SCADARange can be passed through to most SCADA system elements, including PLCs, RTUs and SCADA hosts.

The SCADARange product line currently consists of the GL10 Gauge Level Field Unit, GP10 Gauge Pressure Field Unit, RT10 RTD Temperature Field Unit, SI10 Switch-Input Field Unit, SL10 Submersible Level Field Unit, TC10 Thermocouple Field Unit, and the BR10 Base Radio.

SCADARange Manager is a Windows-based services management software that provides a user-friendly environment for field unit configuration and diagnostics.

Each unit has a LCD/keypad for local configuration and monitoring.

These devices have a battery power source that lasts up to five years and a warranty of three years.

Accustream has introduced a 150 horsepower model - the AS-60150 - to its AS Series of intensifier pumps.

It produces 3.2 gal/min (12.1 litre/min) continuous output pressure adjustable up to 60,000 lb/in2 (4285 bar) The pump incorporates Accustream’s Advanced Intensifier Technology (AIT) The machine features two independent hydraulic pumps that power each intensifier.

Each hydraulic pump can be isolated, allowing maintenance on one intensifier while operating.

The ergonomic frame design improves the ease of use and effectiveness of the key components and maintenance items.

The Accustream control centre features proprietary software that uses an easy-to-understand format with a touch-screen panel, to guide operators through a series of steps necessary to operate, troubleshoot and log maintenance.

The control centre can be loaded with up to four different languages.

Other features include: a leak-before-fail two-litre attenuator, an improved safety dump valve, electronic pressure control, insulated covers and a remote control of all pumps operations.

et Edge has introduced the new Mid-Rail Gantry waterjet system.

It features an 8 x 13in work envelope with an exposed tank that easily accommodates overhead loading It comes standard with one abrasive jet cutting head - a second cutting head can be added

The Mid-Rail Gantry is ball-screw driven for higher accuracy.

Its heavy-wall tubular steel construction eliminates vibration and increases longevity.

It uses an industrial PC controller and can be configured so that all three axes are fully programmable (Z optional).

It also features direct-couple AC brushless digital servo motors and single or double carriages.

Critical bearing components are protected by heavy metal covers with brush seals.

Prosaw, Kettering has launched the TCI range of water jet cutting machines in the UK, which include an abrasive sludge removal system.

The abrasive sludge is pumped into a disposable, 1000kg-capacity bag without the need for mechanical moving parts in the tank Water is separated out and returned to the tank

The water tank can be extended in 2m increments and extra cutting heads can be added at a later date without any special modification.

Heavy duty construction with stainless steel tanks and precision rack and pinion drives provide faster production rates and increased reliability.

TCI’s water jet cutting machines incorporate pumps and cutting heads from KMT.

The pumps are slower cycling and need less maintenance.

NCMT will feature the milling of aircraft structural parts and grinding of engine components using the VIPER process at the UK’s Farnborough International Airshow.

NCMT will feature on Makino machine tools the CNC milling of aircraft structural parts and CNC grinding of engine components using the Rolls-Royce VIPER process at the UK’s Farnborough International Airshow * Milling - NCMT will display an Airbus A380 wing rib measuring 3m by 1.75m, milled from solid aluminium to close tolerance at Filton, UK, on Makino MAG-Series horizontal, five-axis machining centres On display also will be a rib for the A320.

The workpieces are representative of the wide range of aluminium structurals for aircraft being machined worldwide on high-speed Makino machines, said NCMT.

The machines can produce large, complex components to very high accuracy in a single set-up, eliminating two or more sub-assemblies and so dramatically reducing manufacturing lead-time and cost. On the topic of milling titanium, NCMT told manufacturingtalk that there are a number of developments on the way from Makino.

Innovations will include new machines and spindles, including a high torque (1,050Nm) gearless spindle.

* VIPER creep feed grinding - for producing engine parts, VIPER creep-feed grinding gives stock removal rates of up to eight times those achievable when conventionally grinding nickel alloys using a plated CBN wheel.

Broaching, milling and turning operations can also be eliminated using the VIPER superabrasive process.

In all cases, consumable costs are reduced dramatically, said NCMT.

Now the Makino i-Grinder G5 has been designed specifically to exploit the technology to the full.

Until now, the platform used was a standard horizontal machining centre (HMC).

The HMC had been extensively modified with very high-pressure coolant delivery to the vitrified aluminium oxide wheel via programmable nozzles and through the high-speed spindle.

The 5-axis Makino i-Grinder G5 is available through Makino-NCMT Grinding Division, a company formed to market the turnkey manufacturing systems across Europe and Scandinavia.

Recent sales successes have been recorded in Italy and Germany for the manufacture of compressor and turbine blades, and BLISKs, while Makino has sold a number of machines to aero engine manufacturers in Japan.

Overall, the i-Grinder G5 is 10% quicker at machining nickel alloy components than the modified Makino A55 machining centre that it supersedes.

Metal removal rate is of the order of 80cm3/min and the machine accepts parts nominally up to 300mm in diameter.

The enhancement in grinding efficiency comes from a number of factors, including an increase in linear rapid traverse rate from 40 to 48m/min.

Faster rotary workhead speed, which has more than doubled to 100 rev/min, is especially beneficial when grinding smaller components, said NCMT.

* programmable nozzles system improved - probably the most critical improvement is in the design of the programmable coolant nozzles.

They are more versatile on the i-Grinder G5, as they may be positioned by two rotary NC axes anywhere through 360 deg around the periphery of the grinding wheel, rather than through just 180 deg with the A55.

To achieve this greater degree of freedom, power and coolant supplies are built-in, rather than being delivered through an umbilical cord.

Nozzle positioning speed is faster and therefore more responsive when changing position to direct coolant accurately towards the point of cutting.

A big advantage of VIPER grinding on a horizontal machining centre is that in addition to abrasive wheels, other live and static tools such as milling cutters, drills, broaches or turning tools may be exchanged automatically between the tool magazine and the spindle, allowing additional machining operations to be carried out in the same cycle.

Related technologies that have been developed by Makino-NCMT include EasyGrind and EasyGear programming software, flexible fixturing, and manual or in-cycle part measurement, verification and truing. Request a free brochure from NCMT …

A simultaneous 5-axis vertical machining centre has the advantage of ultra-short positioning times through the use of linear drive systems in each of its three main axes.

The Deckel Maho simultaneous 5-axis HSC 75Vlinear vertical machining centre (VMC) has the advantage of achieveing ultra-short positioning times through the use of linear drive systems in each of its three main axes The drives can reach accelerations up to 2G and ‘ultra high speed’ 90m/min rapid traverse rate The machine has axis travels of 885mm in X, 600mm in Y and Z and with such quick positioning movements, significant improvements in productivity can be gained when carrying out 3D machining cycles involving repositioning between each pass or movement to a new feature to be produced on the component.

Available from DMG (UK) of Luton, UK, the HSC 75Vlinear machine is constructed using a heavy duty cast iron gantry that supports X- and Y-axis movements.

Carried on the gantry is a B-axis fork-head arrangement driven by torque motor that provides a -10 deg to +110 deg swing with hydraulic clamping in its programmed position. The bi-lateral mounting of the spindle ensures high levels of mechanical stability and through absolute positioning, integrates with a 360 deg NC rotary table, which has a working surface of 750mm diameter and will hold parts weighing up to 800kg.

The direct drive HSK-A63 spindle has a 46kW, 18,000 rev/min specification as standard that will deliver some 130Nm of torque.

There are also further options such as a massive 55kW, 28,000 rev/min unit with 47.5Nm of torque or a high speed 13kW, HSK-E50 spindle unit that will run to 42,000 rev/min.

An automatic tool changer (ATC) serves each spindle type from a 30 tool magazine.

There are options of 60, 120 or 150 tool positions.

DMG told manufacturingtalk that chip-to-chip tool ATC time is fast for a machine of this size at just 6s.

* CNC options - With options of Heidenhain iTNC 530 or Siemens 840D powerline CNC and the latest 3D workpiece simulation, extensive software to support 5-axis milling, scanning or measuring cycles is included.

The HSC 75Vlinear has automatic acceleration control as standard, where acceleration parameters are adjusted according to the weight of the workpiece.

There is also an advanced ‘ATC’ software option that provides fully automatic adjustment, or ‘fine tuning’ of machining parameters, based on preferences dictated by surface quality, the level of precision required or maximum output.

This feature enables the user to achieve higher productivity gains and minimise production cycles while maintaining the level of quality required.

Hurco will demonstrate at the USA’s IMTS 2008 its latest 5-axis machining technology as well as multi-tasking machine tools and its larger machining centres.

Focussing on 5-axis technology, multi-tasking machines and large sized machining centres, Hurco will demonstrate at the USA’s IMTS 2008 machine tool exhibition how productivity and profit are increased by its integrated control with WinMax software and patented machine tool technologies Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, Hurco will unveil its large machining centres with the introduction of two models - the DCX22 twin-column and the VTXZ dual-zone These massive machines, each weighing around 20 tonnes, are designed to accommodate large and/or heavy components up to six tonnes in weight, such as dies, moulds and parts for the aerospace and energy sectors.

The fixed-rail, bridge design of the DXC22 offers X-/Y-/Z-axis travels of 2197/1750/249mm with 24m/min rapid feeds, a 2100 x 1600mm pallet and a 40-taper spindle with 18kW of peak power.

Two work zones characterise the travelling column Hurco VTXZ, which is equipped with a similar spindle. It can be used for continuous pendulum machining of parts within two 762 x 660 x 610mm working envelopes, or production of single parts up to 2m long spanning both zones.

This combination of performance and flexibility is ideal for shops that have a mixed schedule of parts, said Hurco.

* Faster set-up times - whether a manufacturer or subcontractor is producing prismatic or rotational parts, investment in multi-tasking machining centres and turning centres is the most efficient way to realise faster set-up times and eliminate process steps, said Hurco.

Hurco told manufacturingtalk that it had devoted significant resources to these important areas with the addition of numerous 5-axis machining centres, such as its new VM-U series.

While on some 5-axis machines, a trunnion-mounted table is added to an existing 3-axis model, Hurco’s new machines are designed as true 5-axis machines with integrated, high capacity trunnion/tables in various sizes.

Exceptional clearances allow larger component capacity and the table has a fast rotational speed and high load capacity.

The 40-taper, 12kW VM10U model, for example, has a 533 x 406 x 483mm working volume and supports parts weighing up to 150kg.

* Universal slant-bed lathes - Hurco’s development of high performance TMX range of universal, slant-bed lathes with live tooling is another example of the company’s drive towards reducing second and subsequent operations.

The series features the 8in chuck TMX8MY, a high performance, mill-turning machine with driven tools and a Y-axis for increased flexibility.

Model TMX8MYS additionally has a sub-spindle with 0.001 deg C-axis capability.

Similar configurations are available in the larger 10in chuck size.

Compared with previous models in Hurco’s lathe range, the new machines have increased travels, faster acceleration and deceleration rates, more spindle power, a 12-tool servo-driven turret on which all stations are live, and a programmable tailstock option on models without a counter spindle.

In addition to displaying all of the new machines, the Hurco stand will include demonstrations as follows.

* Nine of the company’s flagship VMX series vertical machining centres.

* Five new models in the VM series of machining centres.

* Complete TM line of slant-bed lathes which feature significant performance improvements.

* The HTX500 horizontal machining centre.

A five-axis Matsuura MAM72-63V machining centre machines jobs in two clampings that previously needed four/five operations on three-axis machining centres at Atlantic Precision Engineering.

Of the many subcontractors in the UK serving the growing aerospace sector, Atlantic Precision Engineering is unusual in that, since it was established in 1992, it has specialised in machining both metallic and non-metallic components, the latter accounting for one-third of throughput The range of materials machined include titanium, aluminium, steel and stainless steel, while in a purpose-built area with dust extraction, carbon fibre, plastics, structural foam and cork are processed Prismatic machining, mainly within a 500mm cube, accounts for four-fifths of turnover, the remainder coming from mill-turned components.

Investment of GBP750,000 in the 12 months to July 2008 saw Atlantic’s floor area grow by 40 per cent, the adoption of Jobshop production control software and the installation of a Matsuura MAM72-63V five-axis machining centre.

The Matsuura MAM72-63V was the first purpose-built five-axis machining centre on site, and also the first twin-pallet-change machine. The latter maximises spindle up-time by allowing off-line set-up of the next component, while the machine’s rigidity maximises metal removal rates.

Soon after installation, the five-axis machining centre began attracting new business, justifying the investment and providing an immediate and ongoing return.

Stephen Ray, managing director of Atlantic Precision Engineering, said: ‘Jobs that previously needed four or five separate operations on one of our three-axis machines are now typically produced in two clampings on the MAM72-63V.

‘A batch of components we used to produce on a three-axis machining centre and then on the Matsuura three plus two-axis machine is now machined 50 per cent faster in one hit on the latest five-axis machine, taking into account the faster metal removal and elimination of inter-machine handling.’ Ray added: ‘Overall, I would say that the MAM72-63V has halved production times across the range components that we have transferred to it, and drastically reduced work in progress, helping us to meet our customers’ cost-down expectations.’ When it came to buying the machine, Atlantic looked at a number of alternative five-axis configurations, deciding that the trunnion-mounted rotary table design would be the most suitable.

Matsuura won the business owing to the subcontractor’s good experience using the three plus two-axis MC-800VG2 and also due to the build quality of the five-axis machine.

The specification of Atlantic’s twin-pallet-change MAM72-63V includes a 40-taper spindle with BIG Plus face and taper tooling, 760/845/610mm linear travels with 50m/min rapids, 500×500mm pallets with 360kg weight capacity, a -110/+10 deg swivelling trunnion, 120-tool magazine, Renishaw MP700 probing for component datuming and a tool breakage detection system from the same supplier.

Potentials for further investment at Atlantic Precision Engineering include the installation of another MAM72-63V five-axis machining centre to form a two-machine flexible manufacturing cell linked by an automated pallet storage system from Fastems.