Based in Burnley, Fort Vale Engineering is a specialist in the design and manufacture of stainless steel valves and fittings for the container tank industry that enable the safe transportation of liquids, powders and gases. Due to the nature of the global industries Fort Vale serves and the need to transport gases and liquids safely by road, rail and sea, the quality of the company’s products is of paramount importance.

Given the company’s rigorous quality standards and precision requirements, when looking to purchase a new CMM, Fort Vale compiled a demanding list of system requirements. In addition to a high-accuracy specification, the large volumes of parts constantly passing through the company’s busy inspection department meant that speed and ease of use were also major considerations. Furthermore, as the CMM had to inspect a diverse range of components, from small complex parts to large castings, the capacity and flexibility of the planned machine were additional important factors.

After researching the available brands and models, the high-specification CMM that best matched the company’s demanding criteria was a Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex EX 1200R equipped with a Renishaw Revofive-axis scanning probe head. Offering anXYZ capacity of 1200 x 2000 x 1000mm, the Mitutoyo CMM was able to accommodate even the largest of Fort Vale’s components.

Fort Vale director Andy Bryce says: “Since its installation, our Mitutoyo CMM has become the main workhorse of our quality department. As well as its impressive accuracy specification that allows the inspection of our highest-precision, tightest-tolerance parts, the CMM’s impressive speed of action and automated CNC operation, means that it is able to process impressive volumes of inspection work each day.”
For further information www.mitutoyo.co.uk

A cloud-based app designed to enhance machining strategies by offering cutting force predictions and feed rate optimisation for the CNC machine tool market is nowavailable from Productive Machines, one of just 10 start-ups around the world to have been invited to the Boeing innovation accelerator programme.

The new ‘Feed Rate Calculator’ web app – the first in a range of smart tools under development by the team at Productive Machines –- empowers manufacturers to make fast decisions about the use of untested milling processes. It allows users to obtain accurate forecasts of cutting forces expected on the cutting tool, thus unlocking significant cost and time savings.

The start-up’s founder, Erdem Ozturk, says: “Our goal is to do nothing less than to put an end to the age-old machining challenge of destructive chatter vibrations. This new app is the first in a line of easy-to-use tools that harnesses the power of AI to provide simple, easy-to-use tools that enable manufacturers to increase cutting efficiency, reduce machine times, prevent waste and improve product quality.”

To celebrate the launch, Productive Machines is offering a limited-time opportunity for manufacturers to try theFeed Rate Calculator for free. The offer allows businesses to experience the benefits of precision machining optimisation first-hand and witness the potential improvements in their operations.

Ozturkadds: “Our team has been working tirelessly to develop tools that will not only make precision machining more efficient, but also more accessible to manufacturers of all sizes. We believe that Feed Rate Calculator will pave the way to our upcoming suite of cloud-based optimisation and predictive maintenance products due to be released next month.”
For further information www.productivemachines.co.uk

The latest release of Renishaw’s CARTO software suite, version 4.9, provides analysis-based data-stitch functionality for long axes using Renishaw’s XM-60 multi-axis calibrator and XL-80 laser system. The new analysis-based data-stitch function in CARTO Explore allows users of XM-60 and XL-80 laser systems to analyse stitched data to international standards. By adding this function to CARTO Explore, those tasked with calibrating longer axes can now easily stitch together and analyse data captured from the XM-60 using the target-based measurement mode.

In short, the added capability enables XL-80 laser system users to break down measurements of longer axes into smaller sections and stitch them together. This capability reduces the environmental (noise) effect on each section and increases the accuracy of the total measurement.

Dan Throup, product owner for calibration software, says: “Adding data stitch for the XL-80 laser enables measurement of long axes in several short sections, which is particularly beneficial now that short-range straightness optics, with better performance, are usable for longer axis measurements.”

Renishaw demonstrated the CARTO software suite, its premium digital ecosystem for the company’s laser calibration products, at EMO 2023 in Hanover last week.

CARTO consists of three applications: Capture to collect laser measurement data; Explore for analysis to international standards; and Compensate for error correction.
For further informationwww.renishaw.com

Manufacturers wishing to progress from manual metrology to using a CNC CMM have a new option to consider: the new ALTO 6.5.5 from LK Metrology. Appealing to the entry-point of the CMM market, the machine has guideways made from aluminium, lowering the capital cost compared with using ceramic, as is the case with most LK CMMs. Several design features deliver a surprisingly compact measuring machine, with the high accuracy and rapid throughput normally associated with more expensive systems, reports the company.

The CMM is of half-gantry design, which improves accuracy by shortening on one side the leg supporting the bridge. Additionally, the fixed aperture created beneath the short leg facilitates the easier loading and unloading of components from that side of the machine.

Micro-machining of the aluminium elements by fly-cutting an unclamped condition eliminates distortion that might occur on releasing conventional fixtures after milling. All of the aluminium parts undergo hard anodising before assembly of the CMM, creating a 50 µm thick layer that imparts extreme durability and prevents corrosion.

Designed for touch-trigger probing only, the CMM is capable of capturing precise measurements very rapidly, as it is able to deploy a motorised PH20 five-axis probe head from Renishaw for a three-fold increase in inspection speed. Continuous angular rotation and infinite positioning (similar to the company’s top of the range REVO2 probing system) avoids having to move the machine’s X, Y, and Z axes at high speed, minimising dynamic errors. For some measurements in a cycle, it is not necessary to move the linear axes at all. The results are better accuracy and repeatability.

Furthermore, five-axis motion allows the measurement of larger parts on the CMM by minimising the space required around the component for head rotation. Unsurprisingly the PH20 is the most expensive probe head on offer. So, mindful that price is likely to constrain many potential ALTO purchasers, LK alternatively offers lower-cost motorised and manual head options.
For further information www.lkmetrology.com