For over 170 years, BMA AG has been a well-known developer and manufacturer of machinery to perform all of the core processes involved in sugar production. In addition to its headquarters in Braunschweig, Germany, BMA has subsidiaries in China, Tunisia and the USA.

“As well as manufacturing our own products, such as centrifuges, we make our comprehensive fleet of machinery available to other companies on a contract manufacturing basis,” explains Jens Dohnalek, the production manager for mechanical machining, mechanical engineering, drum manufacturing and electrical and control cabinet construction at BMA.

The CNC machines from Unisign are also located in his department. BMA purchased its first Unisign machines in 1993, a Uniport5 and a Univers6. Two years later, the company took delivery of its first Uniport6 machine, which just like the Univers has been in operation ever since. In 2018, BMA expanded its fleet of machinery once more with the purchase of two Uniport6000 machines.

BMA machines large quantities of various components made of steel, stainless steel (or duplex stainless steel) and cast materials on its Uniport6000 machines.

“The workpieces that we produce include items such as centrifuge components, housings, scaffolding trestles, tube plates, support plates and tubular shafts, and these machines are also able to accommodate larger components,” says Dohnalek. “That’s very important, as it enables us to machine welded assemblies complete. That wasn’t the case before. We had to do the mechanical machining first and the welding afterwards, which was a big disadvantage.”

As a final point of note, BMA made a conscious decision to purchase Uniport6000 machines that offer pendulum machining, so the company can operate using parallel set-ups.

For further information www.unisign.com

Zhengzhou Hengda Intelligent Control Technology specialises in the development, production and sales of key components for intelligent control systems in coal mining.

To produce the often-large components in such a way that they meet the high safety requirements of mining, Zhengzhou Hengda uses machine tool technology from DMG Mori.There are now 14 NH 5000 DCG horizontal machining centre on site,all withlinear pallet pools (LPPs), which play a decisive role in production.

Initially, DMG Mori automated six models in 2018 using an LPP with 48 pallet positions and three set-up stations. The existing two machines were integrated as well. This was followed in 2020 by another LPP with 48 pallet positions and two set-up stations. Here, four automated NH 5000 DCGs were put into operation. The satisfaction with these solutions is reflected in the latest investment.

“In 2022, we purchased another four NH 5000 DCGs with LPPs, which arrived at the end of 2023,” says Wang Haipeng, head of machining at Zhengzhou Hengda. “When it comes to orders for major projects, especially in the area of R&D, we can rely 100% on machines supplied by DMG Mori.”

Zhengzhou Hengda is satisfied with what DMG Mori has accomplished in recent years. Notably, the management team is impressed by the customer-oriented consulting and on-time implementation of projects. Even more important, said the company, was the handling of individual requirements.

“In particular, the integration of existing machines into a new LPP and the associated change in production layout were a major challenge that DMG Mori mastered perfectly.During the adaptation and commissioning, which took almost 20 days, almost all machines remained in normal operation, so production capacity was not affected.” For further information www.dmgmori.com

One of Hurco’s best-selling three-axis vertical machining centres (VMCs), the VM30i with a 1270 x 508 x 508 mm working envelope in a compact footprint of approximately 4.1 x 2.7 m, is now available as a Plus version. The machine has been upgraded from a singlescreen to a twin-screen WinMax control and offers a 12,000 rpm/15 kW spindle instead of a 10,000 rpm version. Additional new benefits include 20 bar through-spindle coolant, LCD remote jog and an auger for efficient swarf evacuation.

Philip Carr, an applications engineer at Hurco Europe in High Wycombe, gave an insight into the advantages of the upgraded machine. He started by demonstrating the power of the spindle, with a Kyocera SGS seven-flute end mill ripping into mild steel to a depth of 50 mm. He was running a program with tool paths created using UltiPocket, a milling software option within Hurco’s WinMax programming and control software that allows the boundary of a component to be defined and then pockets or islands within it. The approach eliminates complex calculations and shortens part programming time.

Carr pointed out that the addition of a second control screen allows the generation of a graphical component image as cycle programming takes place and the display of a full simulation after it is complete. Operators receive a precise visual representation of the cycle and the ability to slow down the simulation, enhancing understanding and analysis.

“Utilising a Hurco VM30i Plus with our WinMax twin-screen control system, a manufacturer can take advantage of a powerful piece of production equipment that doubles as a VMC and a CADCAM system,” states Carr.

For further information www.hurco.co.uk