Mazak joins MachiningCloud platform

MachiningCloud, a product data provider for cutting tools, CNC machines and workholding equipment, has announced a new partnership with Mazak.

As a result, Mazak customers will have direct access to complete and up-to-date cutting tool product data from global cutting tool and workholding manufacturers, providing a simpler way to find the right tooling. Customers will have direct access to current and complete tooling data without the hassle of searching through printed catalogues and multiple websites to find the ideal tooling. This convenience and efficiency will save time and increase accuracy on the shop floor.
For further information www.machiningcloud.com

Extracting maximum productivity

Describing itself as a one-stop-shop providing logistics, design, machining and part finishing for a high profile list of customers in the aerospace sector, Nasmyth Arden is focussed on attention to detail and driven to reducing process times through improved machine efficiency. This has seen the company invest in new machining capacity as well as seeing benefits from environmental improvements.

Specialising in the machining of billet material, on its 30, three-, four- and five-axis machining centres where up to 90% of the original material may be removed poses its own problems, in terms of airborne oil mist and other particulates. As a result, Nasmyth Arden is currently retrofitting every machine in its factory with oil mist extractor units from Matchmaker CNC.
“Any new machine we buy will be equipped with the Matchmaker extractor system and we have started to add them to our existing machines, starting with the five-axis machining centres,” says Nasmyth Arden’s production manager Alan Lucas. “The high-speed nature of these machines generates heat and, as a result, oil mist. When a cycle has finished the operator used to have to wait until this settled within the machine before opening the doors; this wait is eliminated with the addition of the extractor units.
“Matchmaker CNC have been working with us for many years providing service and breakdown cover on a wide range of machines, and when they introduced their range of extractors we could see the benefits they would bring and also that they provided a very cost-effective solution, allowing to quickly adapt them to all of our machines.”
Key to the success of the Matchmaker oil mist extractor is its patented conical filter. This requires much less maintenance than existing systems with the added benefit of a filter life of up to five years, depending on the application. The system is also highly efficient at particulate capture, removing up to 99.97% of particulates measuring 0. 3 µm. This efficiency is particularly beneficial in applications where dry smoke is created, such as when using neat oil metalworking fluids.

Designed to meet all European standards and surpassing the Euro F8 and F9 limits, the oil mist filters make use of a pre-filtering system using the principle of wind shear to separate oil, smoke, haze and toxic aerosols. The oil is then separated for recycling. Filter performance is monitored by a pressure gauge and carbon filtration module (active carbon module available as an option), which the company says can be replaced quickly and easily when required.
Machine utilisation is also important to Nasmyth Arden and here it was recognised that expensive machine time, particularly on its five-axis machines, was being used simply for roughing operations. Addressing this, Lucas turned again to Matchmaker CNC for a solution.
“We needed a machine with power and capacity to rough-out these billets of material; it needed to be capable and cost-effective, and Matchmaker’s solution of a Tongtai TMV1500A vertical machining centre fitted the bill. With its 10,000 rpm, BT40 spindle and 1525 mm X-axis, we could machine everything we needed to on it, using it for all of our pre-op work prior to transfer for finishing on the five-axis machines.”
The time savings being achieved by Nasmyth Arden are significant. For example, a typical aluminium chassis takes 23 hours to produce on the five-axis machine. This is now broken down to three hours roughing on the TongTai three-axis vertical machining centre, then finish machining taking 13 hours on the five-axis machining centre. Seven hours per component are saved, or roughly a day of production.
“The addition of the TongTai TMV1500A has given us higher metal removal capability, improved process times across the factory and greater overall flexibility as we can manage throughput much better by not tying up our high-value five-axis spindles,” says Lucas.
In addition to its 10,000 rpm, 11 kw spindle (8000 rpm standard), the Tongtai TMV1500A features rapid traverse of 18 m/min, feed rates of 10 m/min in all axes, a 24-position cam-type toolchanger, and door openings that allow ease of access for craning larger components on
to the 1600 by 762 mm table.
Casting components on the machine are made of high-quality cast iron. Equipped with huge boxways, the Tongtai TMV1500A is suitable for heavy-duty cutting, while the use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) ensures static and dynamic rigidity. Chips are easy disposed by two chip augers and a flushing system.
While the benefits of health and safety in regard to oil mist extraction have been recognised for some time, the time savings that Nasmyth Arden are experiencing as a consequence of fitting these units to the company’s machines is also a major consideration in their application. Matchmaker CNC envisages a time when all machines will be fitted with systems such as this and, with the technology involved with the system, along with its price/performance ratio, the cost of retrofitting is no longer a real barrier to gaining these benefits.
For further information www.matchmakercnc.co.uk

AP&T unveils latest innovations

Last month, around 70 representatives from different parts of the global car industry gathered at AP&T in Ulricehamn, Sweden. The programme included the unveiling of two new innovations that are said to enable lighter, safer and more energy-efficient cars to be manufactured: process technology for forming high-strength aluminium; and the company’s new servo-hydraulic press.

Among other things, visitors learned that AP&T’s process can provide weight savings of between 30 and 50% compared with current technology. At the same time, the material is stronger and crash resistance improves — aspects that aroused a great deal of interest among auto OEMs and subcontractors. AP&T’s solution for forming high-strength aluminium recently won the 2017 Altair Enlighten Award in the Enabling Technology category.
For further information www.aptgroup.com

Coupling firm finds productivity mate

When the KTR Group ordered new machine tools to reduce processing times, the power transmission specialist also opted for new workholding technology from Hainbuch. The Rheine, Germany facility of KTR was aiming to generate significant improvements in set-up times and the subsequent manufacturing process.
“Several machines were due to be replaced after reaching the limit of their service life,” explains production manager Günter Schleyer.

“Therefore, we re-examined the clamping requirements. The important questions for us were how to position ourselves in the future and how do we increase flexibility? Among other things, we use machine tools for both series runs and single-item production. Here we were at a crossroads. On one hand, we required a specialised series production solution and, on the other hand, we needed a fast, flexible cell for the single parts.”
The company took a Torok manual chuck with a base plate, a clamping head and a mandrel as part of a trial phase. For KTR, the overall time saving was extremely important.
Says Schleyer: “We needed to know how the system would perform under everyday conditions. We had questions like whether the Torok was rigid, and would it meet our practical requirements? Could we organise our set-up more efficiently? And of course, holding forces and repeatability were highly significant.
“Practical experience had shown us that conventional jaws were out of the question,” he continues. “For our coupling manufacturing, parts are machined at high cutting speeds. Cams and bores are milled and drilled, so we have a wide variety of chip shapes that must not impair the function of the clamping devices. Also, the solution should be practically self-cleaning. Needless to say, the implementation of the Torok manual chuck on one of the milling machines passed the test with flying colours. With these findings, the green light was given for working together with Hainbuch.”
For further information www.hainbuch.com

Fourth axis trunnion system from Midaco

Midaco Corporation, one of the key partners of Hyfore Workholding, made its EMO debut in Hanover during September, using the opportunity to introduce a new fourth-axis trunnion system for vertical and horizontal machining centres.

The trunnion system is aimed at subcontract or low-volume manufacturing environments, where easy and rapid access to a fourth axis for three-sided machining of workpieces is necessary but not permanent. To facilitate ‘all-around’ machining, the trunnion rotates through 360°. A ‘parked’ fourth axis can impair access to the total machining envelope, whereas with the Midaco unit it is completely removed, along with its docking unit.
Midaco’s trunnion system is supplied with a permanently wired, universal receiver that automatically engages with the chosen fourth-axis unit (not supplied).
“Innovative components such as this can really help productivity as the operator can effectively be working on two jobs at a time,” says Rob Beckett, workholding product manager for Hyfore. “Different workpieces are being machined while the set up for the next – possibly different – batch can be undertaken safely out of the machine. Therefore, the transition between machining two different jobs is virtually seamless.”
In addition to the trunnion system, Midaco featured one of its M3016FL manual pallet changers on the stand. Midaco products are available exclusively in the UK from Hyfore Workholding, which can undertake all of the engineering and installation either as a retrofit or as part of a new turnkey installation.
For further information www.hyfore.com