CAMplete TurnMill V9 from ETG

The latest CAMplete TurnMill V9 is now available. Dedicated exclusively to Nakamura-Tome’s line of turning centres, the latest version includes enhancements to 3D rendering, simulation improvements, and additional post processing support. TurnMill is sold and supported in the UK via the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

Improvements include the introduction of realistic 3D rendering, including metal shading, reflection modelling, advanced lighting modelling and edge drawing, all of which help to highlight important geometric features. Further related improvements can be listed as: enhanced highlighting mode to more clearly show selected objects in 3D; 3D SpaceMouse support that works directly with the driver control panel UI; and hardware driver support for a wider variety of video cards, allowing users to run TruePath effectively on their existing laptop.
Concerning simulation improvements, the addition of collision mode pausing and interpolation view allows the user to precisely examine all points of motion, even between programmed points.
The system’s post-processing support has also been the subject of development, with a revamped post-processing engine providing more flexibility than ever before for Mastercam and Gibbscam. In addition, intelligent decision-making limits wasted motion and provides optimal efficiency, while users can now produce full multi-tasking programs from single-tasking CAM projects.
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

£65m NMIS

Scotland’s economy secretary Derek Mackay recently visited the AMRC to gain a deeper understanding of what could be achieved with his government’s plans for the £65m National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).

The Member for Scottish Parliament toured the AMRC to see what NMIS might look like when complete, and to learn from AMRC founder and executive dean Professor Keith Ridgway on how it has become a global centre for research and manufacturing excellence in less than two decades.
For further information www.amrc.co.uk

HK appoints new MD

HK Technologies has named a new managing director to help the company capitalise on its recent acquisition by ETG.

HK Technologies / In-Comm

Gareth Jones, who spent 11 years with In-Comm Training, has been recruited to help the additive manufacturing, EDM and laser-marking specialist increase sales by 20%. Jones will also be responsible for long-term strategic planning across the group, as well as using his ability to forge strategic partnerships throughout industry that might open up new markets. “The acquisition gives us a fantastic opportunity to cross-sell and add value to ETG clients and vice-versa, potentially opening up a whole new market for both companies,” he says.
For further information www.hkhtechnologies.com

Pelton wheel machined from one billet

As part of a collaboration project, Okuma and ModuleWorks have devised a solution that enables an entire Pelton wheel to be machined from a single metal billet. This procedure accelerates production and reduces manufacturing costs.

In short, Pelton wheels are the driving force of the hydro-power industry, extracting energy from fast-flowing water to generate electricity. However, manufacturing a Pelton wheel is a challenge. Due to the wheel’s complex design, the impulse blades are usually machined separately and then mounted to the rim, which is time consuming and adds to production costs.
To provide Pelton wheel machining on its MU-V series of machining centres, Okuma soon realised it would need technically sophisticated tool-path generation and simulation software to master the special technical challenges. For this reason, Okuma teamed up with ModuleWorks to find a way forward.
Surmounting the sheer physical limitations means the wheel is machined in two stages. One half of the wheel is machined before being turned 180° to enable the tool to reach the other half. The ModuleWorks triangle mesh roughing modules were used to cut the rough shape of the Pelton wheel.
For creating the bucket-shaped blades, the ModuleWorks adaptive roughing strategy uses consistent tool-path engagement and a smooth tool-path motion to generate a dynamic pattern and a high-performance roughing process that reduces the overall costs of producing non-prismatic shapes. For optimal finishing, ModuleWorks geodesic machining is said to deliver a high-quality finishing pattern and comes with features for producing rounded corners using a morph or constant step-over pattern. This capability enables Okuma to meet the high demands of the workpiece and ensure optimal energy transfer from the high-pressure flowing water.
ModuleWorks five-axis calculation strategies also extend the reach of the tool to provide enhanced tilting strategies on complex workpiece geometries and areas with deep grooves.
For further information www.moduleworks.com

Gearbox casings produced up to 66% faster

Replacement of an ageing, single-table, horizontal-spindle machining centre with a new, German-built Burkhardt + Weber (BW) twin-pallet model supplied by UK agent, Kingsbury, has revolutionised the machining of industrial gearbox casings at Rochdale-based Renold Gears. The gearbox casings are produced mainly from iron castings and fabrications, but also from steel and aluminium.

The resulting savings in floor-to-floor times of between one-half and two-thirds are due to increased metal removal rates during cutter engagement, significantly reduced non-cutting times through faster axis movements, fewer operations due to better fixturing methods and faster component changeover through offline set-up on the second pallet.
Furthermore, with the twin-pallet configuration, if there is an issue during the machining of a component it can be brought out of the working area for inspection, allowing production of the next part to commence. Such troubleshooting would have resulted in a lot of unproductive time on the previous machine.
Renold’s gearboxes are large prismatic components that can measure more than 2 m in height and weigh up to 3 tonne. Around 20% of the products manufactured are standard, with the remainder being customer-specific designs that are produced in quantities of between one-off and 30-off per month. Fast, flexible machine tools are needed to produce such relatively low batch sizes in a cost-effective manner and allow the manufacturer to compete in world markets.
When the company’s CEO was appointed in 2013, he instigated modernisation initiatives that started with the factory infrastructure. A programme followed of drive and control retrofits and mechanical upgrades to what are fairly specialised machine tools, such as worm screw and wheel production centres.

Three years later, the company’s production workers were asked which machine on the shop floor they would most like to replace, and the large horizontal machining centre was almost unanimously chosen. By then, this machine’s unreliability was resulting in sometimes having to outsource machining to meet production deadlines. After several twin-pallet HMC options had been considered, the decision was taken to purchase a BW MCX 1400 with a 3200 by 2200 by 2000 mm working volume and B-axis NC table.
A senior manufacturing engineer at Renold Gears says: “During trials, the BW machine proved capable of more than halving the cycle times on the old HMC, and was also more productive than the other four-axis machines with pallet changers that we considered. We gave two test parts to each potential supplier: a gearbox casing for a heat exchanger and another for an escalator drive. On average, they were machined around 15% quicker on the MCX1400.”
Key elements of the machine specification that deliver this high productivity are acceleration of up to 5 m/s² to rapid traverse speeds of 60 m/min, and a 60 kW/3500 Nm/5000 rpm spindle with HSK-A100 interface.
The engineer at Renold Gears adds that other factors favouring the chosen machine were its availability on short delivery, as well as its ergonomic design, which promotes safety when personnel approach to access the working area or carry out servicing while it is running. Additionally, the 180-pocket tool magazine (extendable to 330) is helpful, as a large number of cutters are needed to cope with Renold’s wide range of gearbox casing sizes and materials. A majority of these tools can be permanently resident in the magazine.
Drawing tolerances are tight for such large components, down to 20 µm in total for certain machined features like gear centres and shaft bores, some of which are produced by interpolation milling. The reliability and repeatability with which this level of accuracy is achieved on the MCX 1400 means that downstream benefits are experienced in the metrology department. CNC inspection is faster, as it requires less comprehensive routines and fewer components need to be checked.

Kingsbury prides itself on providing a production solution rather than a machine tool. While the BW installation at Rochdale was not what the supplier would class as a full turnkey project with tooling and fixtures, which Renold provided itself, it nevertheless entailed significant early support.
Initial test programs were converted directly into cycles for production parts covering two families of casing, while further programming support was provided along with on-site operator training. Service is carried out by Kingsbury’s own engineers via the company’s divisional LPM (Large Prismatic Machines) offices in Warwick.
The engineer at Renold Gears concludes: “We’ve also been migrating the machining of our custom gearboxes and some standard product across to the BW machine to take advantage of its high productivity. It already does the work of the old horizontal machining centre and another machine, and we’re looking to consolidate jobs on the BW that we currently put on a third machine. Once a process is in place on the MCX 1400, it eats the work.”
For further information www.kingsburyuk.com