Emag unveils VST 50 multi-spindle auto

Whether in the steering system or chassis, ball joints are indispensable in cars. They not only act as a kind of pivot point between different elements but are also usually in constant motion and exposed to high physical loads. In this context, ball pins and ball sleeves are among the safety-critical car components that must leave production with high surface quality and micron precision without exception – despite high quantities and general cost pressure. How is it possible to achieve these outcomes efficiently and with minimal chip-to-chip times? Emag says it has the answer with a new machine: using the VST 50, a finished ball pin leaves the machine every 7 seconds with each component undergoing comprehensive measurement.

The VST 50 has highly automated processes, including the use of three robots. It is also easy to operate using EDNA apps. For actual turning of the ball and neck of the ball pin (only these areas are involved here), two suspended workpiece spindles can move irrespective of each other. As a result, one spindle is always loading and unloading while the other is in use during the machining process. The associated tool compound slides are split in two: the tools on the left-hand side are mounted on a rotary Baxis, enabling the ball to undergo precision turning and finishing.

The solution ensures that a finished workpiece leaves the machine every 7 seconds, while the chip-to-chip time is less than 2 seconds.

Components must leave production without any error tolerance. Here, Emag relies on a 100% solution: each component passes through a light-band micrometer, which determines the required measured values in fractions of a second.

More information www.emag.com

Emco machines reduce production times

GF Casting Solutions relies on the Hyperturn 65 Powermill G2 and the EmcoTurn E65 CNC turning centre. Thomas Klade, team leader of contract manufacturing, reports on the effectiveness of the two Emco machines at this Altenmarkt-based specialist in magnesium and aluminium die casting solutions for the international automotive industry.

The two CNC turning machines from Emco manufacture the spare parts required for the die casting tools

“From the first technical discussions to the sales process and delivery, our collaboration with Emco went extremely well,” says Klade.“Besides, I’ve been familiar with Emco machines since my training days, and we know that we’re buying machines that deliver what they promise and perform very well in terms of precision.”


He continues: “Both machines are perfectly tailored to our requirements and run excellently. The support from Emco is also really good.”

The EmcoTurn E65 turning centre is used primarily to produce screw cores. With this machine, GF Casting Solutions has been able to reduce its machining times significantly. The
machine features a 65 mm spindle bore, counter spindle, radial turret with 12 driven tools, as well as a Yaxis with 80 mm stroke. Parts are collected in a pot and unloaded via the partial conveyor belt, which also eliminates the need to open the door.One of the biggest advantages is definitely the time saved.

“For example, if the system receives the order to produce 15 pieces, these are produced fully automatically within a certain period and engraved according to requirements,” says Klade.“They’re then ejected to a conveyor belt. No further manual intervention is required, and we’ve been able to reduce production time by two-thirds.”More information www.emco-world.com

Roll tooling firm opts for VTL from Mills

Mills CNC has supplied Bowers & Jones, a specialist in high-precision roll tooling and equipment for steel and copper mill customers across the world, with a new DN Solutions VTR 1216F: a large-capacity, wide-column, ram-type vertical turning lathe (VTL). The new machine operates at the company’s 1394m² manufacturing facility in Bilston, near Wolverhampton. It sits alongside three other machines supplied by Mills CNC over the past four years, including a Doosan Puma 5100B lathe and a DN Solutions GT 3100L box-guideway lathe.

Says Jane Sommerville, managing director at Bowers & Jones: “We needed a new large-capacity vertical lathe specifically to machine large-diameter straightening rings for the customer. It would also take pressure off an older Berry & Binns horizontal lathe that we acquired some years earlier. We approached Mills and two other suppliers to discuss our requirements and, looking at the proposed investment package as a whole – including cost, availability, machine design and configuration, operator familiarity, and aftersales support – decided to place the order with Mills.”

The FANUC-controlled 50-inch chuck VTR 1216F offers a maximum turning diameter of 1600 mm and a maximum turning height of 950 mm. Equipped with a thermally-stable 45 kW/400 rpm/20,557 Nm spindle, a servo-driven 12-tool ATC and an quad tool holder with fast indexing that enables the use of four tools directly via the ram, Mills CNC says the VTR 1216F delivers fast processing speeds, improved machining flexibility and high accuracy.

Bowers & Jones machines straightening rings on its VTR 1216F from D2, a high-carbon, high-chromium molybdenum-vanadium alloy tool steel that is highly abrasive. Machining takes place from solid round bar (cut to size) in relatively small batches.

More information www.millscnc.co.uk

Robust lathe enables stainless steel broaching

Architectural ironmongery manufacturer Instinct Hardware has spent more than £500,000 in the past two years on a manufacturing execution system, a powder coating plant, a waterjet cutter and an Italian-built Biglia bar-fed, twin-spindle lathe with a ±45 mm Yaxis and 15 driven tools.It is the sixth CNC lathe and by far the most capable to arrive at the 68,000 sq ft factory in Stirchley, Birmingham.

The latest turning centre was sourced from Biglia’s sole UK agent Whitehouse Machine Tools. Whitehouse supplied the machine as a turnkey package with Hydrafeed short bar magazine for feeding 1.5-m long stock up to 80 mm in diameter, and a gantry-type system for unloading components onto a conveyor.

“We bought the turning centre specifically because it’s able to broach a square hole into our stainless steel handles, which Whitehouse demonstrated to us before we committed to the machine,” says director Nil Chohan.“We can now perform all operations in one hit, rather than in five or six operations using our previous production route.”

A case in point is the machining of a component assembled into a stainless steel, oval-profile, mitred lever handle. It previously required six machining operations, consuming a total of 15 minutes machining time plus 10 minutes or more handling and setup for each of the five additional operations – amounting to more than one hour overall. On the Biglia, the part comes off complete in 8.5 minutes, representing an eight-fold time saving, with the added benefit of eliminating work-in-progress and the potential for component damage.

More information www.wmtcnc.com

WFL M80 Boosts Valve Part Machining

Thanks to its investment in a WLF M80 MillTurn multi-tasking machine with 3 m bed, HORA Holter Regelarmaturen says it is setting new standards in the machining of valve parts weighing up to six tonnes. WFL was chosen following an intensive selection process. Several machine manufacturers were in the running, but WFL’s service and availability proved the crucial factors.

HORA is a medium-sized family company employing around 300 people in Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock, North Rhine-Westphalia, where it focuses oncore business areas such aspower generation, gas applications, and process and building technology.Annual turnover is around €50m.

“We wanted to deliver our vision of full digital networking by implementing and digitally connecting what we currently regard as the best machine for our requirements,” says board member Eduard Schmidt. “We needed a supplierthat could support us technologically and serve as a partner in setting a new standard in the digital process. From our perspective, WFL was absolutely the right decision.”

There were several considerations that tipped the balance in favour of the M80 MillTurn, including the turning-boring-milling unit itself, which is the heart of the machine. That WFL manufactures the unit entirely in-house was a decisive factor.

“Machining at this scale is not new for us, but the cutting capacity is truly impressive,” says Michael Beiwinkel, head of production and building technology at HORA.“The cutting capacity was outstanding even during final acceptance of the machine, as the 160 indexable insert drill effortlessly cut heat-resistant stainless steel [1.7335] with two tonnes of feed force and no vibration on the machine cover. In such moments, I like to grab the door but there were no vibrations to be felt.”

More information www.wfl.at/en