Fanuc delivers reliability for tool manufacturer

As far as cutting tool manufacturers are considered, Lanarkshire-based Gilmour Tools has carved a niche in the local and export industry by manufacturing and supplying specialised cutters for the oil and gas, automotive, and aerospace sectors.

Producing indexable inserts and rotary tools from materials such as carbide, ceramic, PCD, PCBN and CBN, the Larkhall company also manufactures tool holders in-house.
Manufacturing bespoke solutions as opposed to ‘off-the-shelf’ product lines is how this Scottish manufacturer competes with the larger ‘economy-of-scale’ cutting tool OEMs. With all products designed to customer specifications, Gilmour Tools has an output in the region of 250,000 tools per annum, with upwards of 70% being exported. To keep pace with demand, the company has invested heavily in the latest EDM technology from Fanuc.
Commenting upon this relationship, Gary Gilmour says: “We started buying Fanuc machine tools over 20 years ago to replace creep-feed grinders, and we currently have a total of 11 Fanuc models on site. The latest arrival is the next-generation RoboCut C400-iB wire EDM machine. All of our Fanuc models run around the clock, seven days a week. The Fanuc service is second to none and the CNC is an easy-to-use universal system. This means that our staff can easily transition from one machine to the next, regardless of model or age.”
Referring to why the company has recently acquired the RoboCut C400-iB, Gilmour says: “The oil and gas market has grown dramatically, which is mostly overseas, so we knew we had to buy more machines and employ more people. Since our journey started with Fanuc, they have always been very helpful with regards to support, financing and payment plans.”
For further information www.fanuc.eu

Cut P series boosts wire EDM speeds by 20%

GF Machining Solutions has introduced its latest AgieCharmilles Cut P series of wire EDM machines. The Cut P 350/550/800/1250 models are equipped with efficient power generators and feature a robust design and build, intuitive HMIs, and several automation options for lights-out/unattended operations.

With Intelligent Power Generator (IPG) digital technology, the EDM machines deliver ultra-fine surface finishes (Ra 0.1) and can improve cutting speeds by up to 20%, says the company.
Several ‘Expert’ systems further optimise the IPG’s cutting performance, especially when undertaking demanding and challenging applications. For instance, POWER-Expert monitors and changes the power levels required to machine parts with variable heights. This system protects parts from unstable conditions at high cutting speeds. Simultaneously, the system controls spark parameters during finishing operations to provide high-quality surface finishes on variable height parts. This capability maximises part finishes and reduces the need for secondary bench work.
Regardless of workpiece height, another Expert system – WIRE-Expert – is used to control wire wear and achieve continuous geometrical accuracy from all directions.
For part profile accuracy, PROFIL-Expert automatically adapts the machining parameters and cutting path for rough and skim passes to control fine details and ensure positioning and contour accuracies of ±2 µm, while TAPER-Expert technology cuts angles from 0 to 30° (45° as an option) to maximum Z heights.
TAPER-Expert corrects shifts of the Z reference position in real time, even when the taper angle is changing. The taper angle is also held to within 10 seconds on average, providing taper accuracy and geometry reference accuracy throughout the taper cut.
Cut P machines also feature GF Machining Solutions’ collision protection technology in the X, Y, U, V and Z axes.
For further information www.gfms.com

Reasons to use graphite electrodes

There has been a long-standing debate about whether graphite or copper is a better EDM electrode material for aerospace applications.

For this reason, Erodex has taken a closer look at the differences between the two materials and outlined reasons why graphite is likely to be the most appropriate for aerospace EDM needs.
Due to the wide range of graphite materials available, it is proven that some EDM grades are more economical than copper. Furthermore, most comparisons do not consider the cost of machining the electrode. Significant cost savings can be made choosing graphite over copper, generated through reduced machining times and speed of cut, less production time to create electrodes, faster EDM times and better throughput from EDM machines.
Graphite also offers a wide range of material characteristics in order to allow matching of the electrode material properties to the EDM application.
In addition, it should be noted that copper does not have the ability to handle current density as effectively as graphite, which performs exceptionally well at a high current density (even with complex geometry), allowing for various intricate machined details to be designed on the same electrode. The result is that the number of electrodes required to perform a job is reduced significantly.
Further reasons to select graphite over copper electrodes for aerospace applications include EDM performance, whereby graphite is able to achieve electrode wear of less than 1% in relation to the depth of cut, while working to more aggressive machine parameters. Moreover, fine-grain graphite electrodes are able to deliver similar surface finishes to that of copper, while offering much faster speeds and less wear.
For further information www.erodex.com

Wire EDM designed for ultra precision

Makino, which is represented in the UK by NCMT, has released its UP6 HEAT wire EDM for ultra-precision machining. The machine is capable of achieving workpiece positional accuracies of 1 µm, while providing XYZ travels of 650 x 470 x 320 mm.

Designed for precision stamping and fine-blanking applications, the machine is suitable for electric motor stator die tooling. The Makino UP6 HEAT features a stationary work table design that helps improve positional accuracy, as the machine is moving the same mass regardless of workpiece weight. A programmable rise and fall three-sided work tank is deployed that provides ergonomic access to the work zone; a configuration that also simplifies requirements for automation.
The machine contains several features that are designed to provide high levels of long-term thermal stability, such as integrating the water di-electric reservoir into the base casting of the machine, which also minimises floor-space requirements. Makino’s UP6 HEAT employs active thermal cooling of the entire structure, whereby chilled di-electric fluid is circulated through the casting to maintain a constant machine temperature.
Hyper-i control, with its 24” HD touch screen, operates like a common smartphone or tablet. The Hyper-i control delivers a common interface that is used on both Makino wire and die-sink EDM machines, and contains many helpful advanced functions that support the needs of the operator to boost productivity. UP6 HEAT also comes as standard with the HyperConnect IIoT network connectivity function for remote machine monitoring and interconnectivity of all manufacturing information.
For further information www.ncmt.co.uk

EDM for aero-engine production

TEK4 recently introduced what it describes as a world first, an EDM machine dedicated to producing aerospace engine blades and vanes. As a specialist in cooling hole drilling technology for jet engines and gas turbines, TEK4 has launched its 6G FHD SA (Small Aerospace), a fast-hole EDM drill specifically for industrial turbine production.

The TEK4 6G FHD SA incorporates full six-axis simultaneous machining and intelligent probing, as well as pre-breakthrough and breakthrough tool detection. These features are essential for machine shops in this sector as it enables them to avoid the risk of back wall impingement. The machine is fitted as standard with an automatic electrode guide changer and automatic electrode changer, which can accommodate electrodes up to 600 mm long for extended autonomy.
According to TEK4, the EDM generator works in combination with the in-house developed software. This compatibility allows for excellent metallurgical results, says the company, which is another critical parameter for this high-tech industry. In addition, the TEK4 6G FHD can be integrated in an autonomous robot cell with automatic part loading for unmanned operation. A laser ablation head can be incorporated in TEK4 FHD machines for the removal of the ceramic protective barrier. Having the EDM head and laser head on the same platform avoids positioning issues and offers reduced capital investment.
The TEK4 5G FHD machine has an X, Y and Z axis of 300 x 300 x 400 mm, with 360° rotation in the A (±180°) and C axes (360° continuous), a 600 mm drill stroke, and a maximum work part weight of 20 kg. This flexibility enables the machine to process holes from 0.25 to 10 mm diameter, and up to 200 mm deep.
For further information www.tek4.co.uk