Time-saving indexing head from 1st MTA

Aimed at production shops where manual mills may still be in operation, but equally suited to use on a CNC vertical machining centre, a manually adjustable indexing head has been introduced by 1st Machine Tool Accessories.

RotaVice can be rapidly set to position a component at multiple rotary angles in the horizontal plane for milling and drilling.
Manufactured in the UK, the unit is designed to be secured in a One-Lok work-holding device manufactured by Chick in the US, for which 1st MTA is the sole agent in the UK and Ireland.
Costly fixtures and the need to change machine set-ups can be avoided, saving money and time. In smaller job shops employing four-axis VMCs equipped with a full or indexing rotary table, where there may be only one or two people able to program the machine, the load can be lightened by having an operator of a lower skill level set up a component manually for three-axis machining.
Everything about RotaVice is said to be fast. First, a One-Lok may be bolted quickly on to a VMC table. Next, positioning the moveable jaw using the integral time-saving ratchet mechanism leaves only a few turns of the handle to clamp the indexing head in a special RotaVice jaw, also made by 1st MTA, which replaces the standard One-Lok jaw. Lastly, the workpiece is secured in moments in a horizontal orientation using an array of work-holding options, which include a three-jaw chuck.
Adjusting the angle is also rapid and accurate, and is effected by turning a circular locating plate to the required angle and inserting a pin into the relevant hole, an array of which are pre-drilled into the plate at the most common angles.
For further information www.1mta.com

Fully automatic panel bending

The new TruBend Center 7030 bends parts up to 30% faster than its predecessor, while its tool change cycles are up to 70% quicker.

For the first time, Trumpf has also included the option of equipping the panel bender with a loading and unloading station.
The operator can stack various piles of metal blanks on the right-hand side of the machine. A suction cup initiates the automated loading process by picking up a sheet whilst simultaneously checking that it has not taken two by mistake. This gripper device deposits the blank on a brush table, with a positioning bar ensuring it is aligned correctly. A loading carriage then moves the blank into the machining area, simultaneously removing the most recently bent part from the machining area, and transporting it to a conveyor belt. During this loading and unloading process, the TruBend Center 7030 continues to operate.
The task of changing bending tools is handled by the ToolMaster. As well as increasing its axis speed, Trumpf engineers have also added a feature that allows it to change multiple small tools at the same time. These improvements reduce machine set-up time by up to 70%. The TruBend Center 7030 also features the offline TecZone Fold programming solution that enables operators to program many parts in just a few clicks of the mouse. TecZone Fold takes a matter of seconds to generate the bending program and 3D simulation of the parts, including collision monitoring.
Panel bending machines such as the TruBend Center 7030 are particularly adept at fabricating complex parts with radius bends, short side lengths, and narrow profiles. When it comes to producing parts with these kinds of specifications, this alternative bending technology is quicker than die bending machines, says the company.
For further information www.trumpf.com

Easy forming of complex parts

Two custom bending cells, each comprised of an LVD Easy-Form press brake and Fanuc robots, have automated the production of complex formed parts for Germany-based Kuipers CNC-Blechtechnik – parts that could not be manufactured using a standard modular solution.

Today, Kuipers, a 100-year-old sheet metal subcontractor that serves a wide range of industries, uses the bending cells to handle complex interlaced parts with a high number of bends. In contrast to standardised automation solutions, the LVD bending cells offer the flexibility to program parts tailored to Kuipers’ requirements.
After the success of its first custom bending cell, the company decided to order a second cell – designed from the ground up and equipped with two movable Fanuc robots. The first robot feeds the parts from the material supply and pre-centres the blanks, while the second robot handles the components during the bending process, and stores and stacks manufactured parts.
Kuipers’ latest bending cell automatically sets up the press brake tools and the robot grippers. More than 80 m of tools are held within the cell. Four stations with flexible configurations handle the material supply. When completed, the parts are placed on a conveyor belt or stacked on pallets.
The press brake features LVD’s Easy-Form Laser adaptive bending system, which provides angle measurement and correction in real time.
For further information www.lvdgroup.com

BLM electric bender drives efficiency at JML

Some 20 years ago, Alistair Bailey became disillusioned with working long hours for the benefit of someone else’s business, so he made the break and created JML Engineering to specialise in tube bending and tubular fabrications.

The business developed through investment in several pre-owned hydraulic tube-bending machines, with key customers providing steady orders for security (bollards and crash protection) and safety (hand railings and cages) products.
These old hydraulic machines served the business well, but as with all things, age started to tell and support for them from the manufacturers became non-existent. Recognising it was time to invest further in the business to improve productivity, Bailey researched the market and identified that a switch from hydraulically operated benders to all-electric was the way to go, a realisation which saw the arrival of his first BLM all-electric multi-stack tube bender, an Elect 52.
“The arrival of the BLM Elect 52 certainly eased the demands being placed on production due to business growing rapidly, and the machine handled the bending of smaller handrails with ease,” he says.
A key advantage of the BLM all-electric Elect machines is the speed at which they can be set-up and the guarantee that bends will be consistent, without any need for adjustment from the start of a batch to the last tube.
“On our hydraulic machines, on which we were very well versed, it could take 45 minutes to achieve a first off, after which there would be a degree of trial and error before we got the bend just as we wanted it. Now, we can complete the set-up in less than 15 minutes and know that the first tube will be within specification.”
For further information www.blmgroup.com

Manufacturer goes robotic

A specialist in precision machined components has invested in its first ever robot to help it boost capacity and achieve lights-out automation.

Dorset-based Brimor Engineering, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has installed a new Halter LoadAssistant from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) as part of plans to capitalise on a recent 20% increase in sales. It is an investment decision that is already reaping dividends, with the automated loading of up to 100 workpieces giving the firm the opportunity to free up staff to work on other machines and in different roles.
For further information www.engtechgroup.com