EMCO 5-Axis Milling Center
The machine has a working range of 2,150mm on the longitudinal Y-axis, 1,800mm on the cross X-axis and 1,250 mm in the vertical Z axis. The Umill 1800 can be equipped to work as a milling machine or as a multitasking solution for milling and turning operations.
The table can be dedicated to milling, with a rotation speed of 10rpm and a load capacity of 10 tons, or turning up to 250 rpm and a load capacity of 5 tons. Rapid traverse is 60 m/min. The movement of the table is carried out on two guideways size 65 with three trucks per guideway.
With these dimensions, the maximum workable piece has a diameter equal to 2500mm. For turning operations, the spindle is locked by using a Hirth coupling/face gears which disengage the spindle and bearings from their stresses.
The Umill 1800 is equipped with two specific types of numerical controls to handle both milling and turning operations—the Siemens 840D Solution Line or the Heidenhain TNC 640 HSCI. The head is available in two versions, which differ in the type of motor: a high-speed motor spindle (45kW and 300nm in S1, HSK 100 and 12,000 rpm and beyond), or a 38 kW solution with mechanical transmission, tool taper ISO 50 or HSK 100, 600 Nm of torque in S1 and a rotation speed of up to 6,000 rpm.
The head’s shape allows positioning the tool for working in undercut up to -15°. In the horizontal position, the tool axis is aligned with the direction of the table movement.
The structure of the Umill 1800 consists of three main parts rigidly attached to each other, reducing installation time. The machine can be located on the workshop floor without having to build a foundation and without interfering with current production.
In addition to the numerical control panel, there is a panel at the back of the machine dedicated to tool magazine management (from 64 up to 228 pockets), which can also be managed in while in process to perform the tool refresh, addition or replacement.
Monitoring of tool conditions can be assigned to a series of integrated sensors (one sensitive to vibrations and one to forces) that allows user to determine optimum working conditions and to set a threshold for intervention beyond which it is necessary to proceed with the reduction of working parameters or stop the machine.
For more information, visit the EMCO Group website.
GF Machining Solutions EDM
Machines in the CUT X Series are designed for the production of stamping tools and multi-cavity molds for electronics, information and communications applications. They can also be used for micro components for medical applications and watchmaking.
The CUT 1000 X and CUT 1000 X OilTech deliver pitch accuracy of ±1.0µm over 200mm by 140mm and M-shape form accuracy of ±1.0µm. The CUT 2000 X, CUT 2000 X OilTech, and CUT 3000 X deliver pitch accuracy of ±1.5µm over 340mm by 240mm (460mm by 320mm for CUT 3000 X size), and form accuracy of ±1.5µm
For every CUT X machine produced, GF Machining Solutions machines a large number of holes in a plate and uses a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) to determine the absolute position of each hole’s center. The resulting data is reloaded into the machine’s CNC to ensure accurate calibration and positioning.
Other notable features of the CUT X series include short measurement loops, dual measurement on all axes, consistent isolation of the EDM area from heat sources and the submerged working area.
GF Machining Solutions’ proprietary Automatic Wire Changer (AWC) two-wire spool allows for automatic changing between different wires for initial and finishing cuts. The system also offers reliable wire threading and integrated wire disposal.
An onboard Job Management System simplifies inserting priority jobs into the machine’s queue. The THREADING EXPERT retractable device handles wire threading even in difficult conditions. The Integrated Vision Unit (IVU) Advance uses an embedded camera and backlight on the lower arm of the machine to perform presetting, in-process measurements and scanning.
For more information, visit the GF Machining Solutions website.
Schenck Tool Balancing Machine
A pneumatically actuated clamping mechanism pulls the tool automatically into the spindle in order to reproduce the operating conditions and ensure reproducible seat for fine balancing.
The Tooldyne balancing machine features Schenck’s SmartTouch balancing software, which combines unbalance measurements in vector and numeric format. The results are displayed on a 15-inch color monitor with touch screen and USB-interface. The Tooldyne can also be integrated into an industrial network for exchanging electronic balancing results.
Unbalance corrections on the Tooldyne can be made in various ways, including drilling, addition or removal of weights and one and two plane measurement. A screw-in indicator with laser marking serves to locate the compensation place.
After rotor data has been entered, the Tooldyne is calibrated permanently, enabling continuous operation with precise measuring results.
The Tooldyne also features a small footprint and simplified set up: connect the main plug and compressed air supply and you can begin balancing your tools.
For more information, visit the Schenck website.
Synova Laser Cutter
The LMJ features a unique water-guided laser beam that cuts and drills parallel and clean kerfs or holes with virtually no heat impact.
According to Synova, the MCS 500, a 5-axis system, offers unique benefits to hole-drillers, as well as those micro-machining metals, ceramics and composite materials. Applications for the MCS 500 cut across a wide range of market segments, including aerospace, energy, defense, medical, automotive, hard material tool making and general metal micro-machining.
Using water to guide the laser has several advantages, including:
- Insensitivity to the laser’s focal plane: the technique creates a cylindrical laser beam, result in parallel walls, tight kerf widths and cutting thick or non-flat parts without worrying about being in focus
- Material cooling: much of the energy from the laser is dissipated into the water rather than the material, minimizing heat-affected zones and reducing stress-induced conditions like micro-cracking, thermal damage and deformation
- Surface cleaning: the water displaces the portion of laser-ablated material before it solidifies and creates unwanted slag, resulting in cleaner entrance, wall and exit surfaces without particle deposition or burrs
Mark Logan, Director of Makino/SST stated, “The Laser MicroJet offers unique laser cutting capabilities that complement our extensive machining and engineering portfolios. For example, coupling it with our EDBV series of EDM machines enable users to drill a complete blade with optimum output, including the drilling of non-line-of-sight holes. We look forward to the opportunity to introduce this technology to our customers.”
For more information, visit the SST website.