WFL Millturn takes it to the next level

WFL Millturn Technologies presented two turning-boring-milling machines at EMO 2023 in Hanover last month: the M50 MILLTURN/3000 mm and the M80X MILLTURN/4500 mm. WFL machines are available in the UK from Kyal Machine Tools.

Visitors could experience the M80X live with a demonstration of gear shaft machining, including measurement of the gear teeth. Both machines feature a new design and come with the Sinumerik ONE control.

The M80X MILLTURN with 4500 mm machining length and 1000 mm turning diameter features a grinding attachment and a vibration-damped Silent Tools Plus boring bar. Visitors could see the machine’s capabilities for themselves with a live machining demonstration involving a gear shaft measuring 800 mm in diameter and 1824 mm in length. During the demonstration, the machine produced gear teeth using WFL FLANC cycles.

On the M50 MILLTURN/3000 mm, WFL provided live machining of a power generation shaft, as well as turbine blades and fir tree, impeller and generator shaft profiles. The demonstration workpiece had a diameter of 600 mm and a length of 2355 mm.

WFL turning-boring-milling machines now feature Sinumerik ONE from Siemens with its new user interface. The new machine control is modern and user-friendly, while the integrated SIMATIC S7-1500F PLC enables PLC cycle times that are up to 10 times faster than its predecessor. Boasting a selection of innovative functions, Sinumerik ONE optimises machining speed, contour accuracy and machining quality. According to WFL Millturn, Sinumerik ONE makes machine tools more productive and therefore faster, more flexible and more efficient.
For further information www.wfl.at/en

Post-EMO open house at Citizen Machinery UK

Manufacturers wishing to learn more about the latest CNC sliding-head and fixed-head turning centres from Citizen Machinery UK, but who perhaps were unable to attend the EMO 2023 machine tool trade fair in Hanover last month, can instead attend the company’s open house at its Turning Centre of Excellence in the West Midlands this week (3-5 October).

The event will mark the 40th year of fixed-head lathe manufacturer Miyano in the UK and Ireland, initially via the previous sales agent Macro Machine Tools. Since 2010, the brand has been a wholly-owned part of Citizen Holdings, which also offers Cincom sliding-head lathes as well as a range of turning machines incorporating auto-loading systems for rapid material and parts handling.

Managing director Edward James says: “We’ll not only be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Miyano’s presence in this market, but also seven years since the launch of our LFV (low-frequency vibration) programmable chip-breaking software. The technology has helped us to become the largest supplier of CNC bar-fed lathes in the UK and Ireland. There will also be a focus at the open house on the Miyano Eco Function, which ensures more efficient energy usage, saving costs and helping the machines to perform at peak efficiency.”

As usual, present throughout the event will be numerous partner companies involved in the supply of work holding, cutting tools, parts handling, bar feeds, production control software and more. Additionally, a ‘Red Letter Day’ prize draw will be open to all visitors, with the winner receiving a £1500 experience and hotel accommodation.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Strong showing from Takisawa at EMO 2023

At the EMO exhibition in Hanover last month, Takisawa Japan took the opportunity to shine the spotlight on four new machines as part of its new ‘green machinery’ range. With these energy-saving solutions, customers will be able to reduce their waste and carbon emissions.

The new smart machines utilise software developed by Takisawa that monitors energy and optimises and monitors processes. These features aim to reduce carbon footprint and save on energy consumption.

The four new machines exhibited at EMO 2023 were: the TMX-4000IIST, a multi-tasking turn-mill machine with simultaneous five-axis machining capabilities; the TT-2600IIWGA, a two-spindle CNC lathe; the TM-3000Y2, a two-turret (both with Y axes) multi-tasking machine; and the TMS-2000YS, a twin-spindle CNC lathe with a single turret and Y axis.
Takisawa’s UK representative, Ward CNC, will shortly receive the TM-3000Y2 in stock.

Takisawa Taiwan, which Ward CNC also represents, also put forward four new models at EMO: the NX-2000YS, NX-2500YS, VTL-760 and LA-350YL16. The NX-2000 series is the new generation of Takisawa economic two-spindle turning centre, while the new NX-2500YS comprises an improved slant-bed structure.

Additionally, Takisawa Taiwan ushered in the new VTL-760 vertical turning centre, which has a box-shaped design with minimal thermal deformation. Also on the stand was the LA-350Y, a high-rigidity turn-mill centre featuring Takisawa’s own gearbox for heavy-duty cutting.

Ward CNC’s executive director Stephen Bodsworth says: “The ever-evolving development in machine tool technology from our partners, paralleled with the recent strategic enhancements we’ve made to our sales, after-sales, service and technical engineering teams, means we can continue to provide first-class service and coverage to our customers.”

In other news, Ward CNC has a new partnership with Gurutzpe, a Spanish company that designs and manufactures CNC multi-tasking lathes.
For further information www.wardcnc.com

EMO EXHIBITION SCORES AGAIN WITH HIGH INTERNATIONALITY AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

A spectacular display of innovations, high levels of visitor interest from all over the world, and a great atmosphere in the halls. “After the four-year break, the relaunch has been a huge success for EMO in Hanover,” sums up the show’s commissioner general Carl Martin Welcker after six highly eventful days. Its strengths included the internationality of the exhibitors and visitors, with the fair once again providing a platform for notable technical innovations.

“We saw everything here for the future of production: new solutions for automation, for networking within the factory and for sustainable production. When digitalisation finds its way into the factory, there’s no end to the potential for new innovations and increased efficiency,” says Welcker. “And there was a positive mood at the event, despite the tense economic situation.”

Around 1850 exhibitors attended, with roughly 70% coming from 45 different countries, including China, Italy, Taiwan, Switzerland and Japan. Of the approximately 92,000 trade visitors, 54% came from outside Germany (some 130 countries). Here, the five largest visitor countries were Turkey, China, Netherlands, Italy and Poland. Around 33% of trade visitors came from Asia.

Günter Szerenczés, board member of Israeli tool manufacturer Iscar, says: “EMO is once again a triumph, attracting a highly international audience from a wide range of industries. Visitors have been specifically asking about new innovations.”

The visitor survey reveals that 30% of visitors cited “obtaining information about innovations and trends” as their top priority. A further goal was finding concrete solutions for their specific problems.

Dr Jochen Kress, managing partner at tooling specialist Mapal, says: “The main focus of the discussions we’ve been having is on customer-specific aspects. And EMO is the right platform for strengthening the co-operation between customers and suppliers.” Dr Matthias Klein, CSO of machine tool builder Emag, adds: “We saw an overwhelming level of interest in our innovative solutions, in particular those for machining electric vehicle powertrain components. Overall, we’re more than satisfied with the response from the market.”

The shortage of skilled workers was a further reason why automation was a clear focus of the trade fair. Over one-third of visitors cited this as a key issue for the industry. Almost a quarter mentioned digitalisation and networking.

Several hundred robots were on display at EMO. A new aspect is that it is no longer necessary to have programming skills in order to use collaborative robots (cobots) for different applications such as loading and unloading, quality control, painting and washing, for example. Connecting to measuring devices was a further trend at the show. Cobots are equipped with sensors that mimic the human sense of touch, allowing them to compensate for components tolerances or working around obstacles in the workspace. In collaboration with employees, this capability facilitates enclosure-free operation, for example.

“Cobots are continuing to enjoy rising popularity in manufacturing, especially in smaller companies that are now struggling to find staff,” says Nils Tersteegen, marketing manager at FANUC.

Machine connectivity was a big topic at the show, with the main emphasis on the open exchange of data – based on OPC UA, for example. This is the basis for the ‘Companion Specification OPC UA for Machine Tools’ under the umati umbrella. Retrieving large amounts of data from digital controls without affecting the process is a key factor here. The availability of transparent process data is crucial for process monitoring and related quality management.

The future of sustainability in production was high on the agenda for 68% of visitors. Visitors from outside Germany accounted for three quarters of this group. A key aspect was efficiency. Some examples: the ‘Product Carbon Footprint’ indicates the level of carbon emissions during production and provides detailed information on what indirect emissions the tools they use contribute to their overall carbon footprint. Another example is the structure of spindles designed for energy efficiency and not primarily for maximum performance.

Dr Hubert Ermer, managing director for products and markets at CNC specialist Heidenhain, says: “Digitalisation and automation are continuing to develop at a rapid pace. The overall aim is to ensure reliable manufacturing processes, which increases productivity while also reducing carbon footprint. EMO has given us a platform to discuss the specific challenges of transformative manufacturing processes with our customers and provide them with full support.”

More than half of EMO visitors were attending for the first time, dovetailing nicely with the exhibitors’ goal of attracting new customer business. Dr Karsten Röttger, CEO at surface treatment tooling specialist Ecoroll, says: “Many visitors became aware of us for the first time. They hadn’t even considered the possibilities of mechanical surface finishing. Our tools allow them to meet increasing product quality requirements, but above all the higher demand for sustainable products.”

Around one fifth of exhibitors were also at the event for the first time. Representing this group, Jörg Rommelfanger, head of ABB’s Robotics Division, says: “This year’s EMO provided the ideal platform for showcasing our latest technologies and solutions for the industry for the first time. These included a machine loading cell specially designed for the fast and automated removal of randomly arranged workpieces. There was tremendous interest, and the numerous conversations and demonstrations we conducted were fruitful and inspiring.”

It is important for exhibitors to gain visibility at EMO, to showcase their offerings and demonstrate competence. EMO is therefore a trade fair for executives and decision-makers from the mechanical engineering, automotive and supplier industries, as well as metal processing, precision mechanics, optics, the aerospace industry and many more. Almost 60% of visitors are executives or come from top management. Just under half have decision-making authority for purchasing and procurement. Indeed, half of trade visitors actually stated that they came to EMO with concrete investment plans. On average, these visitors planned to invest just under €3m. More than a quarter said they had placed orders at the fair.

Stephan Nell, CEO of the United Grinding Group, can also report on this: “The number of leads is currently at the same level as in 2019. Some machine contracts were also signed directly at the trade show booth.”

Another quarter of visitors intends to place orders after the trade show, according to the survey.

“EMO has once again confirmed and consolidated its position as the world’s leading trade fair for production technology,” Welcker concludes. He is looking forward to the next EMO event in Hanover, which will take place on 22-27 September 2025, which will make the exhibition’s 50th anniversary.
For further information www.emo-hannover.com

Heavy-duty turning on multi-tasking machines

During metal cutting, the bearings in a machining centre spindle take a load from the side and another along the spindle axis, as well as resonance from the cutting process. While the spindle is rotating, the effects of these loads dissipate across each ball or roller bearing within the spindle assembly. However, when the spindle is static, for example when it is holding a turning tool, the loads and vibrations can cause premature wear and eventually lead to expensive repair or replacement.

Mindful of this, Burkhardt + Weber (B+W) is launching a hydraulically-actuated, four-point clamping system on the spindle head of its heavy-duty, multi-tasking machines for use during turning operations. The system eliminates both the radial and axial forces on the spindle, the former being particularly damaging and prevalent during facing operations or when grooving or profiling a bore. The result is minimal spindle wear during the high-accuracy mill-turning of components in a single set-up. Kingsbury is the sole sales and service agent for B+W machines in the UK, Ireland and Gulf region.

Multi-tasking on a mill-drill centre by turning a component on the rotary table with a static turning tool clamped in the spindle as part of a single set-up is commonplace, but most configurations on the market tend to be based on light- to medium-sized platforms. With the B+W solution, similar technology is available to address one-hit production applications involving much more rigorous machining of larger components made from tougher materials.

Before the turning element of a machining cycle commences, the ATC transports the customisable tool-holder plate with a large, 160 mm diameter contact area to the four-point clamping system on the front of the spindle head (with hydraulic retention of the holder). As the entire process is autonomous, there is no operator intervention or interruption to the production cycle.
For further information www.kingsburyuk.com