CNC demo

The theme on Hurco’s stand will be programming simplicity, where the company will be showcasing the latest software deployed on its proprietary Max5 control.

Present at Stand G200 will be one of the company’s 19” colour touchscreen controls. On demonstration will be the latest solid model import option, which is said to be capable of reducing programming times even further. Whereas previously only 2D DXF files could be loaded directly into the control to create conversational data blocks, it is now possible to import 3D STEP or IGES files, including splines and Z depths.
For further information www.hurco.co.uk

LVD success at Blechexpo

At the recent Blechexpo show in Stuttgart, LVD showcased Industry 4.0-ready products designed to help sheet metalworking companies advance their business, including the Dyna-Cell robotic bending cell, ToolCell automated tool-changing press brake, Electra 10 kW high-speed fibre laser cutting machine, and CADMAN software.

Visitors to the company’s stand discovered that Dyna-Cell features LVD’s high-speed Dyna-Press Pro electric press brake and a Kuka robot. Dyna-Press Pro is now available with LVD’s proprietary Easy-Form laser adaptive bending system to ensure bending accuracy. Furthermore, the robot is equipped with LVD’s patent-pending universal gripper, which is able to bend on three sides of a part without re-gripping. As one gripper fits all applications, production is continuous and uninterrupted.
Dyna-Cell automates the bending of small- to medium-sized parts in varying batch sizes, at speeds up to 25 mm/sec, and features an intelligent programming wizard for fast, easy programming. The compact Dyna-Cell follows the 10-10 rule: 10 minutes for CAM generation of the bending and robot program; and 10 minutes for set-up and first-part generation. The cell also allows for unmanned or manned operation, offering a flexible bending solution.
Elsewhere on the stand, the LVD ToolCell automated tool-changing press brake was seen maximising bending productivity through the integrated storage of tooling within the machine. The patented Easy-Form laser adaptive bending system provides in-process angle monitoring, which guarantees the desired angle from the first operation.
For further information www.lvdgroup.com

Largest Trumpf TruBend in UK

A prominent manufacturer of tipper bodies, the Thompsons Group, has taken delivery of a Trumpf TruBend 8600-80 press brake at its Blackburn facility. The machine, which is the largest Trumpf bending machine in the UK, is being used to form tipper side panels from 4 mm thick Hardox.

“Due to order volumes rising there is a constant need to keep pace with production and invest in our future,” explains director Neil Griffin. “We recently installed a robotic welding cell, which shifted the bottleneck to bending. In addition, even though our existing press brake offers a capacity of 400 tonnes, we needed more to help us process 4 mm thick Hardox, which is a tough, wear-resistant steel with a hardness of 450 HB.”
Three potential bending machine suppliers were scrutinised, but it was Trumpf that impressed the most. The TruBend 8600-80 offers a large open height, throat depth and 600 tonne press force. Trumpf customised the machine with an additional 8 m bending length option.
“After profiling, the side panels of the tipper bodies each require up to 12 bends, which is where the tonnage of the TruBend 8600-80 really comes into its own,” says Griffin. “Having capability of this type in-house is a real market advantage as we don’t have to rely on subcontractors, and thus avoid all the associated costs and lead-time issues that strategy brings. Moreover, all Thompsons’ tipper bodies are manufactured specifically for each customer.”
Around 25 Hardox tipper bodies are produced at Thompsons on a weekly basis, which means 50 sides to bend, plus floors and tailgates. The TruBend 8600-80 is currently working a single day shift, but a night shift may soon be required to keep up with demand.
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com

Five-axis Mazak machine on show

Yamazaki Mazak will be taking its newly developed fully simultaneous five-axis machining centre, the CV5-500, to Southern Manufacturing.

The CV5-500 has been designed and built at Mazak’s European manufacturing plant in Worcester, specifically for customers engaged in, or aspiring to, five-axis machining. Offered at a competitive price point, the machine has a high-rigidity bridge construction with a fully supported trunnion table. Furthermore, a newly developed 12,000 rpm spindle, capable of a peak performance of 18.5 kW and 119.4 Nm, makes the machine suitable for a wide range of materials.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Ball screws suit electric press brakes

NSK ball screws from the HTF (High Tough) series are helping press brake manufacturers switch from conventional hydraulic drives, to electric drive systems, which offer a number of notable benefits. The ball screws are being delivered to NSK customer Sangalli Servomotori, which is using the units in combination with its brushless servomotors to supply a complete system solution to a global manufacturer of electric press brakes.

When Sangalli Servomotori, located in Italy, was first approached by the press brake manufacturer for its latest range of electric-driven machines, the company knew it had the motor technology, but had to source a suitable supplier of ball screws.
For many years the company had been using NSK bearings in its motor production operations and, impressed with their performance and quality, made an enquiry to NSK about the ball screws in its linear product range.
NSK´s team of experts assessed the application and recommended the company´s HTF series of high-load ball screws. The size of the balls and their special design configuration, along with the material used, are among the principal differentiators in favour of HTF ball screws.
A 63 mm diameter HTF unit was selected to offer a press force of 20 tonnes. Together with a Sangalli servomotor, the ball screw formed the basis for a prototype that was successfully trialled on a customer press brake. In fact, for applications demanding 60 tonnes of press force, an electric system featuring two HFT ball screws has also been developed.
Such has proved the success of the project that NSK has already received its first production orders and Sangalli has started volume production. Importantly, the single-source solution from Sangalli can be applied to the press brakes of any manufacturer, as well as to presses.
For further information www.nskeurope.com