INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Automated storage supports laser facility

De Cromvoirtse, a Netherlands-based steel stockholder and contract manufacturer of small batches of semi-finished sheet metal components, has invested in two interlinked, automated storage systems from Kasto and connected them to three laser-cutting machines to help speed deliveries.

The Uniline store and Unitower B ensure fast, accurate, damage-free material handling, while the supplier’s warehouse management system keeps track of stock and ensures smooth order processing.
Manufacturing capacity at De Cromvoirtse includes press brakes in addition to the laser-cutting machines. About 90% of products are made from steel, stainless steel or aluminium sheet, the remainder being
pipes and sections.
The double-sided Uniline store from Kasto has nearly 1000 storage locations, with special pallets for different materials and sizes, as well as for remnants. A stacker crane travels between the two rows of the facility, storing and retrieving material automatically as needed.
“Kasto worked with us right from the planning phase to develop new ideas for the design,” says Janwillem Verschuuren, one of the company’s two managing directors. “They told us clearly what wouldn’t work, and
what would.”
For example, it proved possible to connect two flat-bed laser-cutting machines seamlessly to achieve continuous material flow.
The latest Unitower B storage system, which was installed in a few weeks without interrupting the stockholder’s operations, consists of a double tower and stacker crane. Rising to a height of 8.5 m and with a compact footprint, it has space for almost 80 pallets, each of which can hold sheets measuring up to 3000 x 1500 mm. An additional laser-cutting machine is connected to the Unitower, with loading and unloading being performed automatically.
For further information www.kasto.com

Twice the cutting speed

Higher cutting speed equals higher laser power. This formula has been more than just a rule of thumb, but Trumpf engineers have now severed the correlation between speed and kilowatts.

The fruit of their labour? The Highspeed and Highspeed Eco cutting processes.
A newly designed nozzle boosts the feed rate by up to 100% for solid-state laser machines that employ fusion cutting with nitrogen. What’s more, laser power does not need to be increased. Not only is the feed rate now faster, but also the piercing process. These new cutting operations also allow for nearly a two-fold increase in sheet throughput compared with standard cutting, says the company, while less cutting gas is used thanks to the nozzle’s design. The Highspeed process requires 40% less nitrogen on average, with the Highspeed Eco 70% less.
In fusion cutting, gas under relatively high pressure blows molten material out of the kerf, which entails high operating costs. Flame cutting using oxygen has traditionally been used for mild steel, especially for relatively thick sheets. The advantage of low gas costs is offset by oxidised cut edges, which often need to be reworked.
Trumpf’s new Highspeed and Highspeed Eco processes, by contrast, are faster and use less gas, which greatly increases the cost efficiency of fusion-cutting mild steel with nitrogen. In addition, the scope of application is today broader for 8 kW lasers used in fusion cutting. The laser can now cut sheets as thick as 12 mm, instead of just 10 mm as in the past.
For further information www.trumpf.com

CAMplete and WD Hearn sign deal

WD Hearn has partnered with CAMplete Solutions to supply its software across South Africa.

The deal will help WD Hearn provide its customers with a solution that complements the company’s existing machine tool options. CAMplete TruePath is a fully integrated suite of tools designed to take users from their CAM system to their five-axis machine, quickly and safely.
“We are excited to partner with WD Hearn to expand our presence within South Africa,” states Jeff Fritsch, VP sales and marketing at CAMplete. “WD Hearn’s experienced technical support and sales staff makes them an ideal partner to provide CAMplete TruePath within the country. This partnership leverages our existing relationship with Kitamura to provide WD Hearn customers with an integrated and comprehensive solution.”
For further information www.camplete.com

Thermally stable machine for large parts

In terms of capacity, the new DMC 1850 V vertical machining centre from DMG Mori, with 1,850 x 700 x 550 mm axis travels and a maximum table load of 3000 kg, sits between the company’s 1450 model and the DMF range of travelling-column machines.

A one-piece cast-iron bed, twin ballscrews in all axes, a cooling system and linear scale positional feedback to the Siemens 840D or Heidenhain TNC 640 control with proprietary CELOS interface, combine to deliver accuracy that includes circularity of less than 5µm. The machine is thus suited to mould making and the production of precision aerospace parts.
There is a choice of spindle with 15,000, 20,000 or 40,000 rpm maximum speed or an optional SK50/HSK-A100 spindle offering up to 288 Nm of torque. The standard tool magazine capacity is 20 pockets, which may be expanded to 120 if desired, while the maximum tool length is 400 mm. Short non-cutting times result from automatic tool change in under one second and 5 m/s² acceleration in all axes to a rapid traverse rate of 42 m/min.
Ergonomic operation is another feature of the machine, thanks to a door that opens to nearly 2 m and a distance from the front of the machine to the centre of the 2,160 x 750 mm table of just 677 mm. The bed inclines steeply at 35°, which together with flushing ensures that chips are removed efficiently.
For further information www.dmgmori.com

MCC achieves rapid machining with Esprit

In choosing Esprit to write programs for its CNC wire EDM machines and grinders, Dallas-based MCC Tooling found a CAM system so user friendly that the owner’s young grandchildren sometimes use it. More importantly, Esprit’s programming is saving MCC Tooling time and money.

MCC Tooling makes and re-sharpens custom cutting tools, step drills, form tools and dovetail cutters, in quantities ranging from one-off to as many as 100 pieces, for customers in the oil, aerospace and medical industries. The 10-employee business today has a number of machine tools that include a Mitsubishi MV1200-R wire
EDM with B axis.
MCC Tooling began using Esprit in 1999, when it purchased its first wire EDM machine, a Mitsubishi FX 10.
“After hours of extensive research and vetting different programs and software, we felt Esprit would fit our needs and price range perfectly,” says the company’s founder Marcus Alexander. “Esprit is user-friendly, works seamlessly with our machines, and integrates well with SolidWorks. It’s so easy that my grandchildren have come here and programmed their own things for us to cut out for them.”
The software also allowed the company to get up to speed with the Mitsubishi MV1200-R, which was installed in 2013 to hold closer tolerances.
“One thing that helped us was being able to see the heads moving on the simulation in Esprit before running it on the EDM,” says Alexander. “This ensures we don’t waste time running an incorrect part and saves us money by not scrapping components.”
For further information www.espritcam.com