LFV added to another Citizen lathe

When turning long-chipping malleable materials, Citizen’s low frequency vibration (LFV) software fragments swarf into manageable chip sizes, whereas normally it would become a stringy bird’s nest entangled around the tool and component.

The latest sliding-head bar auto on which the technology has been made available is the new Cincom A20-VIILFV, while it can also be found on one of the company’s Miyano fixed-head models.
All machines have been fundamentally redesigned with uprated ball-screws, lubrication system, guarding and other elements to provide additional strength. This strength helps withstand the oscillation caused by very short periods of intermittent air cutting that produce the chip-breaking action. Productivity is maximised by avoiding having to stop the machine repeatedly to remove clogged swarf, facilitating minimally attended operation and enabling lights-out running.
A further advantage is the avoidance of the need to fit a high-pressure coolant system to encourage swarf breakage, which involves high capital investment and increased running costs.
Embedded in the operating system of the control system, the chip-breaking software synchronises axis servo drive motion with the spindle speed. The software version on the A20 is suitable for longitudinal and face turning, as well as drilling, and involves multiple oscillations per revolution of the main spindle. LFV is highly controllable and can be programmed using G-codes to switch on and off during a cycle, as required.
This function is distinct from being part of the program itself, as is the case with alternative CNC pecking macros, which have the disadvantage of rubbing the tool. In contrast, LFV oscillation of the tool by tens of microns allows coolant to penetrate the cut more efficiently for the brief periods when the tip lifts clear of the component surface. As a result, the reduction in heat helps prolong cutter life, by as much as five-fold in some instances.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Industrial specialist launches Blanford Fox

A West Midlands industrialist has launched Blanford Fox Business Improvement to help firms navigate their way through COVID-19 and target new growth opportunities.

David Fox plans to use his 50 years’ experience in manufacturing to help bosses come to terms with the global challenges brought on by the pandemic. He is urging companies to avoid a number of common mistakes that usually occur during downturns, such as cutting sales and marketing budgets. Fox is planning to offer one-to-one coaching to CEOs, MDs and senior executives, and can bring in a team of hand-picked associates to support on specific projects.
For further information www.blanfordfox.co.uk

Distancing at work

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is partnering with robotics manufacturer Tharsus to support the roll-out of wearable technology that will help social distancing in the workplace.

Known as ‘Bump’, the system uses wearable and static devices operating on radio frequencies to alert wearers when they are getting too close to another person. Bump aims at improving personal distance behaviour by recording the interactions between devices. The system can also be used by employers to monitor interactions.
For further information www.tharsus.co.uk/about/bump

Medical work upsurge prompts investment

Mildenhall subcontractor CTPE uses CNC machining centres, as well as fixed- and sliding-head CNC lathes, to manufacture complex, high-precision components for the scientific, medical, electronics and defence sectors.

The latest addition to the plant list is a Biglia B620 YS fixed-head turn-mill centre with Y axis and sub-spindle (both optional) supplied by Whitehouse Machine Tools
CTPE’s new B620 YS is meeting a five-fold increase in demand for a tight-tolerance aluminium connector that forms part of medical equipment needed in the fight against COVID-19. The company has been making the component for the past 15 years on a Y-axis lathe with a single spindle, which meant that the part had to be re-fixtured by hand on the same machine for a second operation, following which manual deburring was necessary.
Using the Biglia, the component is now produced in larger volumes much faster, as well as more accurately and consistently in a single hit, deburring being included in the machining cycle to allow the shipment of 600 parts every week. This elevated supply rate started at the beginning of April and is likely to continue through to September 2020.
Alex Taylor, CTPE’s operations director, says: “The reason for buying the lathe was a significant uplift in orders from the medical industry in general, not only for the connector part. However, we were also on the lookout for a machine capable of raising turn-milling productivity across the board, including of larger components from billet.
“The Biglia provides a good balance for both types of turning,” he adds. “It produces parts up to 620 mm long and, with its sub-spindle, is ideal for one-hit machining. It has been operating 12 to 15 hours every day since it was installed and runs really well unmanned. Sometimes the machine is left for 10 hours without any manual intervention.”
For further information www.wmtcnc.com

Super-charged productivity at Petron

As the COVID-19 pandemic pushes healthcare services to their limits, the Tornos SwissNano is helping a US-based subcontract machine shop, Petron Automation, to supercharge its production of a complex, tight-tolerance component for much-needed ventilators.

Many manufacturers of small, challenging medical device components turn to Petron Automation for the quality required in the risk-averse medical sector. By the same token, Petron Automation has turned to Tornos for precise manufacturing solutions, including four SwissNano 4, two EvoDeco 32, two EvoDeco 16, two MultiSwiss 6×32 and three Deco 13 models.
“In early March, we were at the end of our first-quarter 2020 order for a specific ventilator part for an important customer, who told us we were going to have a huge uptake in these components.”
At this point, Petron Automation had been producing 5000 ventilator armatures per week for that customer, which asked the business to ramp up to 20,000. The SwissNano sliding-headstock lathe helped the business double its production capacity for the armature within a week. Machined from bars of 430FR stainless steel, the part carries critical tolerances ±0.0088 mm.
Paul Thornberg, VP of business development at Petron, says: “It’s got some tight tolerances and we must maintain very sharp edges with maximum edge breaks of 0.0127 mm and surface finish under Ra10 μm. We are producing 2000 pieces per machine, 10 hours per day, holding those tolerances.
“The reliability of our SwissNano machines allows us to run these parts lights out with very little tolerance deviation,” he continues. “One of our SwissNanos ran for 23.9 hours on 13-14 May, and the other ran for 23.4 hours on the same day. That’s a testament to the capability of these machines.”
For further information www.tornos.com