ABB robotics supports Renault

ABB is supporting Renault Group by providing state-of-the-art robotics technology to help automate the manufacturer’s electric vehicle production network across several key markets. ABB has delivered the majority of 160 large industrial robotsover the past 24 months, helping tocreate increased capacity at Renault Group’s e-motor assembly lines in Cléon and Douai, France. At the company’s Douai facility, for example, ABB technology will help manufacture Renault’s next-generation of EVs with new advanced body-in-white facilities.
For further information www.abb.com/robotics

Combining power skiving and turning for complex gears

For many gear manufacturers, power skiving is getting very interesting, and not without reason, since the technique is much faster than shaping and more flexible than hobbing and broaching. However, for many years, the technique was considered quite complex. Against this backdrop, Emag says that its new development is a game changer.

Firstly, with the VSC 400 PS, the operator makes only a few data entries, making power skiving very simple. Secondly, the VSC 400 PS can be equipped with up to four power skiving tools and six turning tools. As a result, the user can produce even complex components in a single clamping operation that is fast and controlled.

For example, the machine with its two spindles, which can hold up to two power skiving tools each, can produce up to four different types of external and internal teeth using four tools. A big advantage is that the gear tooth positions match perfectly to each other at the end of cycle, made possible by the single clamping operation and no change-over. The customary step of measuring the first tooth cutting pass (prior to cutting the second) is no longer needed.

Direct drives in the main and milling spindles keep the axes synchronised during the machining processes. Additionally, the rigid B axis allows a large variety of axis crossing angles. This is essentially the setting angle of the tool, which always tilts slightly with respect tothe component. It is this tilt that makes the actual cut possible. A value between 15°and 25° is common, but Emag has also successfully implemented power skiving processes with an angle up to 45°.
For further information www.emag.com

Subcontractor develops its own road-race engine

The original engine of the A-series Classic Mini included a 32 kg cast iron block. Imagine the improved performance if the latest advances in engine technology were applied today. This is what inspired Smethwick-based subcontractor A&M EDM to create its own engine, a road-race version with a block machined from solid aluminium weighing just 20.55 kg with end caps fitted. The machining of nearly all engine parts takes place on Hurco machine tools, of which there are 27 on the shop floor, including three-, four- and five-axis vertical machining centres.

A Hurco VMX42Ui five-axis VMC performs block machining, while the crankshaft is produced from a solid billet using the swivelling B-axis of a Hurco VMX60SRTi VMC synchronised with the motions of a Kitagawa GT320 rotary 4th-axis table. The initial engine design was for the front-wheel-drive, transverse engine layout of the Mini, but a crankshaft is also suitable for an in-line engine. So, with adapter plates it can serve sports cars with rear-wheel drive, such as the Austin-Healey or MG Midget.

The engine is the brainchild of Gary Surman, previously technical director at A&M EDM, who says: “The accuracy and surface finish we achieve on the Hurco machines are excellent. Roughing speeds are high at 12 m/min, while finishing with a ball-nose mill is at about 2.5 m/min. The programs for machining the block have been linked, so it can be left overnight for unattended machining.”

Ascaso A+5 engines of different capacities are also available – 998 and 1171 cc – for both the BMW K16V and 12G940 heads. The future for all of them looks bright, as there are thousands of Mini enthusiasts worldwide. Moreover, the engine’s ability to power rear-wheel-drive cars dramatically extends its potential.
For further information www.hurco.co.uk

New high-speed spindle from DMG Mori

The range of SpeedMaster high-performance spindles, manufactured in-house by DMG Mori for its machining centres, now includes a model capable of continuous operation at up to 30,000 rpm. The new spindle is for high-speed milling applications and may be factory-fitted or retrofitted to the company’s horizontal and vertical machining centres, such as the NHX 4000/5000 3rd Generation and NVX 5000 2nd Generation, as well as the MonoBlock series.

Previously, the spindles were only available in 15,000 rpm and 20,000 rpm versions. The new SpeedMaster30,000 rpm model is for reducing cycle times and, due to its rigid construction, achieving high surface quality during mould and die work. It is also well suited to machining complex workpieces with small-diameter tools, such as in the electronics industry.

In a comparative test, the company drilled 4000 holes of 1 mm diameter in a semiconductor machinery component in a cycle time 36%quicker than the 20,000 rpm spindle took to complete the job. Tool wear was also significantly less. Additionally, quicker machining times reduce overall power consumption and hence CO2 emissions.

While achieving fine surface finishes is one of the spindle’s attributes, so also is roughing at lower speeds, with 22 kW of power available between 7000 and 15,000 rpm. All Master spindles are covered by a warranty of 36 months.
For further information www.dmgmori.com

Everyone invited to Chiron Group open house

Advanced manufacturing – now: that is the motto of Chiron Group’s latest open house, which will take place on 10-12 May. The three-day exhibition in Tuttlingen, Germany, will focus on pioneering manufacturing processes that match user specifications, products and industries, including automotive, medical technology, aerospace andtoolmaking.

The guiding principle is the special combination of four attributes that characterise the future-oriented actions of the Chiron Group and influence how the company develops and offers tailored solutions to meet individual requirements: competent, smart, innovative, sustainable. These attributes are represented on the one hand by the six brands -Chiron, Stama, CMS, Factory5, Greidenweis and HSTEC – which are showing their specific or combined expertise at the open house.

Regarding machine highlights: mill-turn expertise taken a step further in the DZ 22 S mill-turn system 8 for the double-spindle machining of large volumes,or the complete machining of six sides with high autonomy using the MT 715 two+. Visitors can experience the full range of manufacturing solutions, from micro-machining with the Micro5 with a reduced environmental footprint, to maximum productivity per unit area when machining high-volume components for automotive oraerospace with the 22, 25 and 28 Series.

“In addition to showcasing exemplary pioneering machining processes for all industries, our main focus is on the lively dialogue with our guests,” emphasises Matthias Rapp, global head of marketing.

Each visitor will be personally attended and given an exclusive tour of the exhibition with targeted advice. And of course the event not only offers an excellent platform for experiencing this year’s motto ‘advanced manufacturing – now’, it is also an opportunity for inspiring exchanges, for example with catering and live music at the end of the second day of the exhibition.
For further information https://chiron-group.com/open-house