Faro launches CAM2 2019 software

Faro’s latest CAM2 2019 software is specifically designed to enable users of the company’s metrology hardware products, including the recently introduced Faro Prizm colour laser-line probe and 6Probe laser-tracker product families, to realise high levels of measurement performance.

The latest release has evolved from extensive user feedback to the CAM2 2018 version introduced a year ago.
As well as tight integration with Faro metrology products, CAM2 2019 extends the narrative for high-value interactivity and usability. For example, 6Probe users are now able to program button configurations and then interact with the software through the device in real time. Additionally, Faro laser-line probe users can benefit from immediate visual feedback of part quality via live deviation colour scans. Finally, with the built-in universal CAD importer, all major CAD file formats can be directly imported into CAM2, improving workflow by eliminating the need for time-consuming ‘double translations’.
The software features a standard set of instructions, or routines, which automatically guide the user through specific operations, visually and audibly. This capability reduces the technical expertise required to use Faro 3D measurement solutions, shortens workflow and allows users to direct their primary focus on the measurement results themselves. Additionally, pre-set scanning profiles further streamline the end-to-end process by enabling users to select the appropriate scan setting for the specific part type at the click of a button.
CAM2 2018 featured the RPM (repeat part management) control centre, an integrated, web-based dashboard reporting tool for real-time inspection and trend analysis in a user-friendly set of adaptable visual reports. CAM2 2019 evolves this functionality to actionable intelligence by delivering statistics-based graphs and results for trend analysis and predictive alerts. These alerts not only highlight that the measurement target is trending beyond tolerance, but inject advanced intelligence into the process and relay why the situation is occurring.
For further information www.faro.com

CNC choice for large XYZ VMCs

The latest Heidenhain TNC 620 control is now available as a standard option across the range of heavy-duty vertical machining centres from XYZ Machine Tools.

Customers ordering the XYZ 660 HD, XYZ 800 HD and XYZ 1100 HD VMCs can now choose between the Siemens or Heidenhain control as standard.
“We’ve supplied a Heidenhain control option for many years, but due in part to complexity and cost, found it to be a slow seller,” says Nigel Atherton, managing director of XYZ Machine Tools. “The arrival of the TNC 620, with its touchscreen user interface and latest machine control technology, means the time is right to offer it as a standard fit on machines within our heavy-duty range.”
Heidenhain’s TNC 620 is a successor to the iTNC530 control, which is being phased after 18 years of sales. XYZ’s addition of this control as a standard fit will help to future proof its heavy-duty range of machines and deliver the performance that customers demand, particularly those in the aerospace, mould and die, toolmaking, and education sectors.
“Due to our independence as a machine tool supplier we are free to adapt our range quickly,” says Atherton. “As a result, we can offer the latest in control technology to meet the needs of customers.
“Customers often tend to be loyal to a particular CNC due to their expertise and familiarity with it,” he adds. “Therefore, extending our use of Heidenhain controls to the HD series of machines – we already offer Heidenhain on our flagship UMC-5X machine – is a logical step. With prices starting at just under £60,000 for the XYZ 660 HD featuring the Heidenhain TNC 620, we are confident that this will be attractive to both new and potential customers.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Low-deformation clamping and fast set-up

Clamping devices have a significant influence on precision and cost-effectiveness when undertaking the manufacture of gearbox components. For maximum flexibility and efficiency in production, Rollstar AG has invested in a large, six-jaw pendulum compensation chuck with a quick-change jaw system and rapid adjustment mechanism. According to Schunk, the solution minimises set-up times and delivers results faster and more economically than conventional clamping solutions.

The Schunk Rota NCR 1250 six-jaw pendulum compensation chuck, which Egliswil, Switzerland-based Rollstar uses to manufacture gears on a Pittler PV 1600 vertical turn-mill centre, is a large-dimensioned chuck with novel features.
Was it a worthwhile investment? “Definitely,” says Christian Märki, purchasing manager and member of the extended management team at Rollstar. “Due to the machine design, including the clamping devices, we were able to reduce set-up times by half while decreasing the reject rate by 75%.”
The investment pays off especially for thin-walled components and high-quality materials. Here, the company’s aim was to achieve the necessary quality levels, reduce throughput times and lower the overall costs of producing deformation-sensitive parts in two operations, while ensuring process reliability.
Thanks to the Schunk Rota NCR, parts that were previously manufactured on another machine in a three-jaw chuck with a two-pressure clamping system are now being produced faster, more precisely, and with greater process reliability.

“In the past, when we clamped a ring gear, or a ring with a finished diameter of 820 mm, in a three-jaw chuck, the circularity or cross-sectional tolerance was higher than 0.1 mm,” explains Märki. “However, if we clamp the same component in the Rota NCR, we achieve cross-sectional tolerances of 0.02 to 0.03 mm. This precision increases the service life of our gearboxes even further because the rolling bearings are subjected to completely uniform loads.”
The upshot is that the gearboxes can be used much longer without any maintenance works, and sudden failures are extremely unlikely. Rollstar gearboxes are valued for their extreme reliability in tunelling and mining applications, where unplanned downtime is very costly.
The clamping concept has been developed in close co-operation between Rollstar, Pittler and Schunk lathe chuck specialists, whereby the necessary range of components, design requirements, and set-up times were systematically taken into account. According to Rollstar, the decisive factor in choosing Schunk was the combination of six-jaw chuck, quick-change jaw system, rapid jaw adjustment and Schunk’s ability to deliver quickly. Finally, the testimonials of other clients, which Rollstar visited, helped seal the deal.
The Schunk Rota NCR six-jaw pendulum compensation chuck consists of a central chuck piston carrying three inner pendulums aligned at 120°. Each pendulum is connected to two base jaws. This configuration ensures workpiece centring between six contact points, adjusted in pairs. As the clamping forces are directed towards the chuck centre, optimum centring is achieved without distortion of the workpiece. The chuck adjusts to the workpiece with its oscillating jaws.
Standard jaws can be used to replace elaborate system jaws and special solutions on the Rota NCR jaw interface, which saves time, cost-intensive special mechanisms, and reduces set-up costs. An integrated quick-change jaw system minimises set-up times on the idle machine.
“We use two sets of base jaws and set up the top jaws outside the machine; in other words, while machining is still in progress,” explains team leader Daniel Fierz. “The set-up process for the second operation then takes only 20 minutes, including cleaning.”
Here, the base jaws are pushed open, before they automatically lock in place and are secured with a quarter-turn of the torque wrench. Due to the quick jaw adjustment, the base jaw position can be adjusted easily in just a few simple steps.
“The quick adjustment feature allows me to set the clamping range in defined steps,” explains machine operator Willy Ummel. “The system works flawlessly and is easy to clean.”
In the past, up to two hours of machine downtime were required for a conventional set-up process of such workpiece sizes. Now it takes Ummel less than 30 minutes. Top jaw sets with hard chuck jaws and claw inserts are available for raw part clamping, and sets of soft top jaws are already bored in the different diameters for machining the part from the other side.
One of the main goals of the investment was for the machine to run as smoothly as possible with only minimum interruptions,” says Fierz. “The lathe chuck is so precise that we can use jaws again and again without re-boring. After exchanging the jaws, we achieve a run-out of 0.02 mm without any additional adjustment.”

The vertical position of the spindle also plays a role here. Maximum freedom of movement and, therefore, optimum centring, are assured because the components are put on to surface-ground pillars and not on the chuck jaws, as is the case with horizontal spindles.
“The vertical machine allows for significantly better oscillation than machines with a horizontal spindle, where the friction between the component and the jaws restricts the pendulum effect,” emphasises Fierz.
When finish-machining or clamping rough-turned surfaces, Ummel can clamp the Rota NCR’s pendulum in the centre position so that all six jaws move concentrically. Use of the lathe chuck has had a welcome side effect: the reject rate has fallen by around 75% since implementation. This reduction is due to dramatically less deformation, the high precision of the jaw change process and the improved flat work surface of workpieces. The reduced reject rate results in considerable savings, especially with high-quality materials such as the ferritic castings frequently used by Rollstar.
According to Märki, a decisive advantage of the clamping solution is the flexibility that Rollstar has gained in production: “Even though we typically manufacture in batches of 10, we can now squeeze in rush orders at any time without losing efficiency.”
This flexibility has allowed the company to reduce stock levels without compromising its service level. In the near future, Rollstar plans to use the chuck for machining components with diameters between 400 and 1600 mm.
“It’s easy to clean, a breeze to adjust and extremely easy to load thanks to its horizontal position,” concludes Märki.
For further information www.schunk.com

Optimised titanium and Inconel machining

An audience of around 60 aerospace production specialists were treated to a font of advanced manufacturing knowledge at the University of Sheffield’s AMRC near Sheffield, when machining solutions specialist Starrag UK joined forces with tooling expert Kennametal to present their ‘Optimised Titanium and Inconel Machining’ event – with the added bonus of an insight into some of Rolls-Royce’s activities.

The event not only included technical presentations – on the benefits of Starrag machining centres and a number of new Kennametal developments – but there were also demonstrations of best-practice Inconel and titanium machining on the AMRC’s Starrag STC 1250 machining centre, as well as a keynote speech on ‘High Performance Manufacturing’ by Rolls-Royce’s technology partnership manager Dr Jamie McGourlay. Starrag has eight machines in-situ at the AMRC and the accompanying Nuclear AMRC.
For further information www.starrag.com

Edgecam supports fast 5-axis machining tools

The development of a specific five-axis ‘Tilt’ control strategy, combined with a barrel cutter, is the most significant enhancement in the latest release (2020.0) of Edgecam from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence’s Production Software division.

John Buehler, brand manager, says barrel cutters are recognised as one of the fastest tools when performing five-axis machining, and are now fully supported in the Edgecam Toolstore. As well as ‘side tilt by contact point’ capability, the ‘Advanced 5-axis’ cycle also offers further gouge checking in the ‘swarf’ command, along with extra ‘ink’ control in all strategies.
Several newly developed and enhanced features in Edgecam 2020.0 provide increased productivity for both milling and turning users, while the recently introduced Edgecam Inspect module includes 13 upgrades.
Mindful of the need to generate quick tool paths and reduce production costs, Edgecam 2020.0 offers a performance boost when either roughing or profiling a solid model. Essentially, the machining engine will only compute data constrained within the boundary, ignoring the rest of the model. This functionality decreases the cache size, while generating faster tool paths.
Previously introduced in the ‘Hole’ cycle in the 2018 R1 release, the ‘Deep Hole’ strategy has been enhanced, justifying the creation of its own individual cycle. The original modifiers have been improved, and further control tabs have been added to the cycle, giving greater control over the tool path.
Within the ‘Turning’ environment there is a newly devised machining cycle – ‘Thread Profiling’. Reacting to a high frequency of enhancement requests from customers in this area, Edgecam 2020.0 allows users to machine complex form threads such as VAM and Acme. The cycle provides both roughing and finishing strategies, permitting users to specify their own thread forms.
For further information www.edgecam.com