Latest hyperMILL in the spotlight

Open Mind will provide manufacturers with an opportunity to witness the advances achieved in the latest release (Version 2020.1) of hyperMILL on Stand 440 in Hall 17.

HyperMILL 2020.1 introduces a raft of newly developed features that include enhancements to everything from slot-rib probing, 3D optimised roughing, 3D profile finishing, and 3D and five-axis corner rest machining, through to five-axis blade tangent milling, additive manufacturing and automatic contour feature splitting. In addition, Open Mind has incorporated further improvements to the settings wizard and toolpath display, as well as the five-axis tube finishing and five-axis contouring functions.
Major features added to the latest 2020.1 release arrive via the NC code-based hyperMILL virtual machining simulation solution, the digital-twin concept and the hyperMILL automation centre. Creating a fusion between the virtual and real world, hyperMILL virtual machining creates a virtual representation of the actual machine tool. In the modern manufacturing environment, the ability to create a virtual representation or digital twin of a machine is becoming increasingly important. By using hyperMILL’s virtual machining it is possible to design a more efficient and safer set-up, says Open Mind.
For further information www.openmind-tech.com

Ward CNC installs boring mill at Tees

Tees Components is investing in a second £500,000 CNC boring mill from Sheffield-based Ward CNC as it looks to double capacity. The family-run heavy-engineering firm, based in Skelton, near Saltburn, has ordered a heavy-duty Hyundai Wia KBN135CL, which is due to be installed shortly. An identical machine arrived at the firm’s CNC machining facility in 2016.

Used for CNC boring and milling, the machine is capable of producing extremely large parts due to the extent of its axes (4 x 2 x 2 m) and rotary table loading capability.
Sharon Lane, managing director of Tees Components, says: “Our existing large KBN borer has already proved itself a highly reliable and accurate machine for the precision machining of components weighing up to 20 tonnes. It has been put through its paces on a variety of castings, forgings and fabrications for the energy sector.
“Adding an additional machine enables us to increase capacity and meet growing demand for our services,” she continues. “This new equipment, coupled with Ward CNC technical service support and engineering competence, means we can satisfy the exacting delivery schedules our clients demand.”
The KBN has a one-piece, heavy-duty cast-iron bed and ground box guideways, which provides high accuracy through greater rigidity. A three-speed high-torque main spindle also features. The machine’s table load accommodates 20 tonnes, while the X axis is 4000 mm and the W axis is 700 mm.
Stuart Lawson, head of strategic accounts and projects at Ward CNC says: “We supplied Tees Components’ current horizontal boring mill two years ago and it’s a testament to its quality and precision that the company is now investing in a second identical machine.”
For further information
https://teescomponents.co.uk www.wardcnc.com

When precision creates joy

The headline phrase is not commonly associated with mechanically engineered parts, but it sums up how one company owner views his production facility.

Werner Buschor owns Buschor Praezisionsmechanik AG, a medium-sized subcontract manufacturer in Switzerland, where he had two growing problems. The first was the increasingly tight nature of customer tolerances, prompting a reliance on operators to ‘tweak’ programs and tooling to achieve the desired results. His second issue was delivery times becoming shorter, causing him to look at unmanned production in the evenings and at weekends.
When trying to find answers to his accuracy problem Buschor found Kern Microtechnik and soon realised that the Kern Micro milling machine was also able to solve his second problem of working unmanned.
“The Kern Micro is the first milling centre that can stand up to our measuring machine,” he says. “The measuring machine has a measurement uncertainty of half a thousandth of a millimeter,
while the Kern Micro offers a positioning accuracy of half a thousandth of a millimetre. Our first Kern Micro was immediately connected to a System 3R automation system, with the possibility of adding another machine. The large tool magazine with 186 tools and the repeatability of the Kern Micro are ideal for automatic production.”
Key to repeatability is the thermal stability of the machine, with its smart cooling management system that ensures the temperature of structural components remains constant with a maximum deviation of 0.2ºC.
To improve matters even more, a second Kern Micro has been installed and connected to the workpiece changer. Kern is represented in the UK by Rainford Precision.
For further information https://rainfordprecision.com/

Business Minister at AMRC Cymru

Nadhim Zahawi MP, the Minister for Business and Industry, says technologies being developed by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) are crucial to reducing the environmental impact of air travel and enabling the government to reach its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Zahawi made the comments during a speech at AMRC Cymru in Broughton, which he was visiting as part of an event to launch the ‘Aerospace Sector Deal – One Year On’ report by the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP).
During his speech, Zahawi highlighted the importance of the aerospace sector to the national economy: “The value of this industry is there in black and white for everyone to see in the report, and I’ve been pleased to see that the sector is focussed firmly away from the southeast, with more than 90% of businesses located elsewhere across the country. The UK is the home of innovation and enterprise in aerospace, with a significantly large number of companies creating thousands of jobs for local communities.”
For further information www.amrc.co.uk

Bearing change on mill saves €35,600

After experiencing ongoing problems with the bearings on a vital milling machine at a steel plant, the management team turned to NSK for a solution. This decision proved to be extremely lucrative, with the steelmaker now enjoying annual savings of €35,600.

The steel facility produces rails for lift equipment that require the machining of two flat areas at the ends, which assist the fitting of the rails during assembly. While the time required to mill these rough surfaces is short, the stiffness of the machine’s spindle is critical due to the length of the rails. However, using the milling machine’s original bearings, the steel plant noticed that spindle stiffness reduced after just three months, making it necessary to change the spindle assembly, including motors.
Faced with a recurring and expensive situation, NSK was asked to find a solution. Expert NSK engineers visited the plant and analysed the spindle design as part of its AIP Added Value Programme. Following their analysis, it was recommended that the spindle be redesigned with a four row bearing set, instead of three, thus increasing the radial load capacity and radial stiffness. The contact angle was also changed from 15° to 25°, to increase the bending stiffness of the shaft.
NSK’s high precision angular contact ball bearings (ACBB) were selected from its range of standard products.
After the steel plant had implemented the change, the bearings continued working in the milling machine for more than 12 months, with no failures experienced in the motor or transmission. Today, the steelmaker no longer has to endure four production stops a year, while the costs for the replacement spindle assemblies and motors have also been eliminated. Taking these factors into account, it has been calculated that the plant is
saving €35,600 per annum.
For further information www.nskeurope.com