INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Higher precision and less waste

Anca has made available its LaserPlus system on the company’s EDGe machine. The EDGe is used to erode PCD cutting tools, which in turn are used in the aerospace and automotive industries.

“The LaserPlus technology on our EDGe machine will help customers achieve much better accuracy and reduce waste,” says Anca product manager Duncan Thomson. “It ensures all tools in a batch stay within target tolerances, regardless of external influences such as wheel [electrode] wear or machine growth due to thermal variation. The result is improved tool consistency, quality and reduced scrap tools.”
Anca’s EDGe machine includes its proprietary eSpark generator for optimal PCD erosion results. This means that on the one-wheel spindle, two wheel packs support both erosion and grinding operations. The addition of the LaserPlus further enhances the machine’s capabilities for customers.
First introduced on its tool-grinding machines, the LaserPlus system allows newly ground tools to be automatically measured on the machine using a non-contact Blum laser system. Then if required, compensation is automatically applied to subsequent tools in the batch.
“For customers manufacturing PCD cutting tools, the laser technology provides real value due to the unique challenges involved with the process of electro-discharge grinding [EDG],” says Thomson. “Without touching the PCD cutting edge, LaserPlus is able to measure a cutting-tool feature before the final erosion pass. By doing this operation, the technology can identify any variation, which may, for example, be the result of thermal drift or wear on the electrode, from the nominal size and account for this in the final finishing pass. The result is that the finished tool geometry is guaranteed to be on size.”
For further information www.anca.com

Faster, smarter machining

After the official launch at GF Machining Solutions’ International Solution Days in 2017, the AgieCharmilles CUT P 350 wire-cutting EDM solution was again in the spotlight at the EMO exhibition in Hanover at the end of last year.

Industries such as automotive and electronic components, faced with ever-shorter lead times, strive to increase their flexibility and production efficiency while executing their applications perfectly at the first attempt. The recently launched AgieCharmilles CUT P series represents a leap in terms of productivity with smarter machining, however difficult the machining conditions, says the company.
A significant step toward the increased connectivity of Industry 4.0, this range of solutions guarantees longer tooling life and reduces the need for manual operator interventions; reports GFMS. Users now experience 20% greater machining speed, accuracy down to 2 µm and benefit from having access to more than 600 dedicated technologies.
Visitors also experienced how the Mikron MILL S 400U five-axis electrode milling solution delivers stable precision over long machining periods and reduces, when not eliminating, manual finishing operations.
EMO visitors exploring the flow dedicated to the segment of electronic components also discovered complete solutions for achieving uncompromised accuracy over time. Coming together to address these challenges was the AgieCharmilles CUT 2000 X wire-cutting EDM machine with innovations that include automatic on-board quality control and increased cutting speed.
For further information www.gfms.com

Bountiful orders

In the fourth quarter of 2017, the German machine-tool industry’s order bookings increased by 24% in comparison with the preceding year’s equivalent period.

Domestic orders were up by 48%, while orders from abroad rose by 13%. For 2017, there was an overall plus of 8%: domestic orders climbed by 10%, and orders from abroad were up 7%. According to the VDW, the Eurozone nations constituted the driving forces. In particular, following EMO 2017 in Hanover, orders veritably soared: +41% in October, +67% in November and +37% in December.
For further information www.vdw.de

Geo Kingsbury targets Middle East

Geo Kingsbury is establishing a subsidiary in Dubai, Geo Kingsbury Middle East LLC, to service the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region.

Until now, the agency agreements between Geo Kingsbury and its machine-tool principals covered the UK and Ireland. New contracts have been signed to allow the wholly-owned daughter company, which will be a separate legal entity, to carry out similar activities in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait. The machines that will be marketed have been drawn from three divisions: Large Prismatic Machines, Milling Turning Grinding and Additive Manufacturing.
For further information www.geokingsbury.com

Soraluce set for XXL series open house

For those tasked with the milling, boring and turning of large components, Soraluce will stage its XXL series open house on 6-9 March in Bergara, Spain.

The company will also be showcasing multi-tasking technology applied to heavy-duty components, whereby a single machine offers several cutting processes, including turning, milling, boring, drilling and tapping. Soraluce provides a range of multi-tasking capabilities thanks to its design of turning heads and mill-turn tables.
The company says that it has pioneered many of the technologies that drive the machine tool sector today, such as the patented DAS systems (Dynamics Active Stabiliser), modular quill and RAM balance systems. At the open house Soraluce will stage a series of live demonstrations involving heavy-duty milling and boring.
For further information www.soraluce.com/en