Taiwanese machine tool builder Leadwell CNC Machines has introduced the BC-600 at the smaller capacity end of its of BC series of five-axis machining centres. On all four models, the rotary axes are provided by a ±110° B-axis spindle and an integrated C-axis rotary table, both of which may be interpolated with X, Y and Z to allow full five-axis production.

The competitively priced machines, which are fitted with scales in the linear and rotary axes as standard, are available in the UK and Ireland through recently appointed sole sales and service agent WH-Lead, which moved into its new Towcester facility last month. The first batch of Leadwell machines for stock and demonstration will start arriving from this week.
A notable feature of the 12-tonne BC-600 is its generous working envelope for the nominal 4.7 x 3.8 m footprint. Travels in X and Y are 1100 and 610 mm respectively, while in the Z axis, components 610 mm tall can be machined with the spindle in the vertical orientation, rising to 790 mm with the spindle horizontal. Cutting feed rate is up to 10 m/min, while rapids are 36 m/min in X and Y, and 30 m/min in Z.
The flush, 600 mm diameter rotary table accepts workpieces weighing up to 400 kg, but the full 1280 x 610 mm fixed table is able to accommodate 1400 kg components for three- or four-axis machining. The C axis uses a direct-drive motor to provide high torque and rigidity, and to avoid the backlash normally associated with worm-gear drives. Maximum standard rotational speed of the C-axis table is 120 rpm, but there is an optional 800 rpm version to provide turning capability.
For further information www.wh-lead.co.uk

A specialist in industrial automation products and solutions, Comau, and Exechon, which offers patented technologies to develop parallel kinematic machine solutions, have joined forces to design and produce a Comau machining centre able to handle lightweight framing and structural components for sectors such as electrification.

Harbouring the objective of spearheading a new machining paradigm for large, complex aluminium parts, the companies have started a strategic co-operation. The pair will thus leverage their respective competencies to develop a concrete solution for customers that can cost-effectively meet key drivers within the evolving machining market, which include: the expanded use of lightweight components that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions; the growing importance of electrification for automotive manufacturers; and the increasing degree of production complexity within the aerospace sector.
Exechon will develop the core of the new machine, while Comau will leverage its 45 years of industrial automation and integration experience to guarantee the best fit for each project.
Luca Ferrero COO of Comau Machining, says: “The importance of this project extends through to Comau’s ability to offer a 360° service connected to electrification, with new lightweight machining centres as a central link. Coupling a lightweight approach in machining with our body assembly competencies and battery assembly know-how, we can now complete the value chain and deliver advanced solutions for battery case machining and more.”
For further information www.comau.com

Already the sole sales and service agent in the UK, Ireland and Gulf region for two metal additive manufacturing (AM) machine producers in France, Kingsbury has been appointed to represent German WAAM (wire arc additive manufacturing) equipment builder Gefertec GmbH in the same markets with immediate effect.

Target industries are aerospace, especially for producing high-quality titanium and nickel alloy parts, tool and mould making, the rail sector, and job shops with their small batch sizes. Compared with traditional subtractive machining, cost savings of up to 70% have been reported when processing difficult-to-machine alloys, and up to 50% when dealing with other metals.
For further information www.kingsburyuk.com

Used for automatically clamping dies on a press ram, Roemheld can now offer a system that uses integrated sensors to measure real-time data on holding forces and transmit the information to the machine control. The newly developed Flexline rapid clamping system is therefore suitable for predictive maintenance and use in Industry 4.0 applications.

With Flexline, the operator has access to information concerning the actual clamping force on the die and is immediately able to detect overloads, the occurrence of unusual forces during operation, and die wear and breakage. Flexline facilitates error analysis and enables rapid problem-solving when servicing is required.
Thanks to the availability of various configuration options, Flexline can be used on almost all press models and for every die. The system is suitable for either factory installation or retrofitting.
Flexline was showcased at the Blechexpo exhibition at the end of last year. At the show, Roemheld also provided an overview of its ergonomic products for the efficient, fast and safe transportation and change of heavy dies. On display were four transport carts with different load-carrying capacities up to 1600 kg; hanging and swivelling carrying consoles that facilitate the insertion of a die into a press; and economical, freely configurable ball and roller bars to allow dies to glide easily over tables and other surfaces for effortless positioning.
In addition, various Roemheld components, such as magnetic clamping plates, locking cylinders, carrying consoles and roller bars, were demonstrated on a Top Line 2000 press from automatic stamping and metal-forming press manufacturer, Andritz Kaiser.
For further information www.roemheld.co.uk

A system for die monitoring based on the latest camera technology has been developed by Schuler. With the help of these cameras, foreign bodies and other potential hazards can be detected before systems and parts become damaged.

By way of example, a wrench left behind in the die is every press operator’s nightmare. When the machine starts up, damage to both the die and part being formed is inevitable. To address this problem, Schuler has developed ‘Visual Die Protection’, a camera-assisted monitoring system that can eliminate costly die repairs, downtime and even complete production stoppages.
With Visual Die Protection, not only do cameras detect the presence of foreign bodies such as wrenches or punch scraps, the system also checks whether the die is properly connected and verifies that the blanks have been correctly inserted, formed and removed. The system is equally able to recognise both cracks in the part itself and potential damage to the centring and ejector
pins. If any abnormalities are found, the press is stopped to prevent the situation from getting worse.
During operation, the cameras first create reference images of the relevant die before production begins. During this imaging process, operators mark critical areas that require particularly accurate monitoring, such as the centring and ejector pins. While the production process is running, artificial intelligence is used on a separate computer to perform a real-time comparison of current images with the original condition of the die, thus allowing an immediate response if any discrepancies are found.
For further information www.schulergroup.com