Automated Jaw Opening For Autonomous, High-Mix Machining

DMG Mori has introduced easyFIX, an automatically actuated vice designed for use with its Matris WPH pallet and workpiece handling system, Robo2Go and WH Cell automation solutions. The vice enables the movable jaw to be repositioned automatically for different workpiece sizes, reducing manual intervention when changing production batches. 

Available in two sizes, easyFIX mounts directly on the machining centre table when used with Robo2Go or WH Cell. The WPH version incorporates a Schunk interface for zero-point clamping and rapid fixture changeover. 

Although the movable jaw has a 4.5 mm clamping stroke, its position can be adjusted to accommodate larger changes in workpiece dimensions. A special device, automatically exchanged from the tool magazine into the spindle, moves the jaw along its linear axis to the programmed position. Alternatively, adjustment can be performed manually. 

A spindle-mounted probe first determines the vice’s position and then checks the new jaw location before the robot loads the first component. The machining centre control subsequently initiates pneumatic or hydraulic clamping. Once milling and drilling are complete, the robot removes the finished workpiece and loads the next. 

The easyFIX 100 uses pneumatic actuation to deliver 30 kN of clamping force. Standard jaws accommodate workpieces up to 110 x 150 x 190 mm, with optional jaws increasing the maximum length from 150 to 175 mm. 

The larger easyFIX 210 operates pneumatically at 10 bar or hydraulically at 80 bar, providing clamping forces of 45 kN and 50 kN respectively. It accommodates workpieces measuring up to 230 x 200 x 150 mm. 

For additional flexibility, configurations include a pyramid arrangement accommodating two vices and workpieces, and a dual-station version for larger components. All designs promote chip evacuation and simplify cleaning, supporting reliable automated production. 

More information www.dmgmori.com

Face And Taper Tool Holders Evaluated For Slotting Task

Machining tests at tool-holder manufacturer Gewefa’s factory in Burladingen, Germany, have demonstrated the benefits of combining a Wunschmann trochoidal milling cutter with an SK40 Plan hydraulic expansion chuck. The set up improved cutting performance when machining difficult-to-cut nitriding steel, reducing noise while maintaining dimensional accuracy and surface quality. The sole sales agent for Gewefa products in the UK and Ireland, Nydaloxe Precision, describes the machining tests, which produced optimal results in terms of tool life, dimensional accuracy and surface quality. 

The application involved milling a 1160 mm long slot, 20 mm wide and 6.5 mm deep, into 34CrAlNi7 nitriding steel, valued for its surface hardness and wear resistance. 

“With our solid-carbide 175 ER trochoidal mill, which has a corner radius, we have the ideal cutting tool for slotting in such a demanding material,” says managing director Stephan Wunschmann. 

The cutter was initially tested in a collet chuck with face-and-taper contact on Gewefa’s AXA five-axis machining centre. Although the resulting accuracy and surface finish were satisfactory, noise levels were high. Replacing the collet with a Gewefa SK40 hydraulic expansion chuck resolved the issue. 

The hydraulic chuck provides uniform clamping pressure around the tool shank, delivering a concentric, play-free connection and typically less than 3 µm runout. Its rigidity reduces vibration, while the dual-contact interface helps prevent axial movement under heavy radial loads. 

The 175 ER solid carbide-cutter features five polished chip flutes, a robust core and a high-performance PVD coating designed to withstand the temperatures and oxidation associated with hard machining. 

Hydraulic expansion technology also offers practical benefits, reducing set-up time by an average of 75% compared with shrink-fit chucks and eliminating the need for heat-shrink equipment. 

More information www.nydaloxeprecision.com 

High-Density Component Fixtures Maximise Output At Hy-Pro

Hydraulic Projects (Hy-Pro), a Dawlish-based manufacturer of hydraulic control valves, pumps and marine steering systems, has increased production capacity significantly over the past decade, turning repeatedly to work-holding specialist 1st Machine Tool Accessories (1st MTA). 

Following the initial installation of a US-made Chick Multi-LOK tooling column on an Okuma horizontal machining centre in 2016, a second flexible manufacturing cell was installed in 2021. Six Chick Multi-LOKs now support production across the two cells, enabling unattended machining 24 hours a day, six days a week. Components are set up offline at pallet-pool loading stations, minimising spindle downtime.  

Paul Vicarage, Hy-Pro’s quality engineering manager, says: “We’re getting about six 24-hour days’ worth of machining for about four and a half days of single-shift operator input.” 

Hy-Pro maintains around 20 compact, multi-part fixtures, each fitted with in-house-machined soft jaws or other work-holding equipment. Fixtures can be changed in just six minutes, providing flexibility without the expense of dedicated systems for every component. 

For aluminium components, Abbott Tenzaloy tooling columns supplied by 1st MTA accommodate 60 parts per cycle across four sides. Combined with OK-Vise work-holding and Mitee-Bite clamps, the arrangement completes two machining operations in just over 70 minutes. The rigid set up delivers gear-pocket accuracy within a few microns, consistently across each face. 

“The excellent work-holding rigidity means there is no variation,” says Vicarage. 

A separate set up handles heavy machining of grade 250 cast iron, using hardened fixtures and low-profile clamps to prevent tool interference. Even aggressive 4 mm cuts and 11.5 mm diameter drilling remain stable, without workpiece pull-out. 

Vicarage concludes that 1st MTA’s solutions provide manufacturing efficiency, flexibility and precision, with equipment longevity contributing to cost-effectiveness as Hy-Pro expands its use of pallet-based production. 

More information www.1mta.com 

ADS Success

Leicester-based ADS Laser Cutting has grown its relationship with global material-handling equipment specialist Talos Engineered Products after delivering a major manufacturing programme worth more than £245,000. ADS Laser produced sheet-metal parts for conveyor units destined for a major UK fulfilment centre, completing the programme in just six weeks. The project marked a major development in a relationship spanning several years with ADS Laser subsequently completing a second commission for Talos. As a result, ADS Laser Cutting is now an official preferred supplier for Talos. 

More information www.adslaser.co.uk 

Excellent Employer

Redditch-based Samuel Taylor Ltd (STL) has secured Gold ‘Excellent Employer’ status in the Next Gen Makers Engineering Apprenticeships: Employer Accreditation, recognising a scheme that has developed home-grown engineers for more than three decades. Founded in 1899, STL specialises in precision stamping and bi-metal bonding for the electrical contact market. Operations director Tom Roberts says: “Finding the specialist skills we require in the marketplace simply isn’t realistic, which is why we believe in developing our own talent from the bottom up. We see it as our responsibility to invest in the next generation.” 

More information www.nextgenmakers.co.uk