INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PSL Datatrack gets subcontractor off the ground

One of the first, vital tasks for Bradda Engineering was to invest in a production control software system. PSL Datatrack was identified as meeting all of the start-up company’s initial requirements.

“The control that PSL Datatrack would bring to the business was clear,” states Bradda Engineering’s owner Kenneth Oates. “We are primarily engineers and PSL Datatrack takes care of everything so we don’t have to get bogged down in manual administration work.”

Experience told Oates that investment in production control software was essential in order to provide the highest levels of customer service.

“Understanding how to make the most of stock and materials so that we could be as efficient as possible with minimum waste was a prerequisite,” he says.

PSL Datatrack manages the generation of quotations and all the engineering steps required until delivery and final invoice. Upon raising a works order, the system generates a material requirement and the purchase orders module is used to place an order with the supplier. Users can trace the job through the shop floor, with data collected on operational costs, tooling, materials and machining processes.

Oates initially researched a number of production control systems, but few seemed to fit the exact needs of a small engineering company.

“They did not seem flexible enough and were quite complicated to use,” he says. “We also wanted the modularity that would enable us to build up a system as we grew and attracted more customers.”

Having recognised the real potential of PSL Datatrack and how it could help a growing company, the company invested in more modules than originally envisaged. The administration, sales, purchasing, scheduling, shop-floor data collection and financial modules were installed from the outset.
For further information www.psldatatrack.com

Pucktechnik relies on 11 Emag VL machines

Pucktechnik, based in Solbiate Arno near Milan, is a contract manufacturer founded in 2017 that produces casting tools and various components. In total, the company has nearly 30 machines, including 11Emag VL turning machines and an Emag K 160 LA hobbing machine. These solutions provide high-volume and automated series production.

Primarily, with the help of these Emag machines, the company can produce around 650,000 wheels and wheel hubs for earthmoving equipment each year. What is interesting here is the deployment of four independent production lines with a high degree of automation.

The machines in each line are completely interlinked via TrackMotion, also from Emag, with various operations running directly one after the other. As a result, the quantities produced in this area have increased massively in just a few years. The basic technological principle of the lines begins with TransLift, a lift-and-turn carriage on the TrackMotion line gantry with programmable electric gripper, which picks up the raw-parts from a parts store, transports them to the machine at a speed of up to 150 m/min and deposits them on the machine’s internal shuttle. Thanks to the vertical arrangement of the spindle, it can pick up the part from the pick-up position of the shuttle and guide it into the working area of the machine.

After machining, the workpiece is discharged from the machine via the shuttle and transported to the next machine or the discharge conveyor using the TrackMotion system.In short, the combination of Emag pick-up technology with various automation solutions, from TrackMotion to robots, results in powerful and individually adaptable systems.
For further information www.emag.com

Iemca adds third Maestro barfeed to range

A manufacturer of automatic barfeeds for CNC lathes, Italy-based Iemca, is adding a third model to its Maestro range. All are designed to maximise productivity on fixed-head lathes and offer unattended production around the clock. They are available in the UK and Ireland through sole agent 1st Machine Tool Accessories.

The two existing models can handle round stock up to 100 mm diameter. Both are capable of bar changeover in 31 seconds, as is the new Maestro 52, which is for smaller lathes running material up to 51 mm diameter, 42 mm hex and 36 mm square. It is possible to load bars up to 4.2 m in length to a maximum combined weight of 100 kg.

There are numerous interesting design features incorporated into the new barfeed, three of whichcarry patents. One protects ABACOS (Adaptive BAr COntrol System), a self-adjusting bar clamping arrangement designed to guide the material, damp vibrations and tighten on the pusher, all without changing the guide channel.

Another patented feature, the Vibra-Damp collet with interchangeable inserts avoids vibration. The collet restricts bar oscillation byreducing their amplitude and lowering bending and torsional stresses on the bar. The third patent concerns the HandyLoq quick-change collet system, which allows manual exchange within three seconds without the need to use tools.

Additional advantages of all Maestro bar feeders are Industry 4.0 data sharing as an option, and a choice of bar loading systems including an UP magazine that allows the presentation of material at an ergonomic height.
For further information www.1mta.com

Hexagon and Hendrick Motorsports enter partnership

Hexagon has joined 14-time NASCAR Cup series champions Hendrick Motorsports as its official metrology hardware and software provider for the next decade. The shared goal of the partnership is to take the race team’s performance to the next level by applying the latest scanning, measuring and digitisation technologies from Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division.

Running to 2032, the 10-year agreement includes Hexagon’s sponsorship of a 3000 sqft advanced quality control laboratory on Hendrick Motorsports’ Concord, North Carolina, campus. The technical partnership delivers the ability for the team to enter competitive environments with additional confidence. Hendrick Motorsports is closing in on its milestone 300th NASCAR Cup victory and 500thNASCAR national series engine win.

“A relentless focus on quality, accuracy and attention to the finest details is what wins races and championships in NASCAR,” says Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “In today’s environment, the level of competition is very high and we must maximise everything we can control. Hexagon’s precision products provide us peace of mind as we enter race weekends on the cusp of some remarkable milestones. With this landmark decade-long commitment, we look forward to celebrating many exciting achievements together in the future.”

New collaborative robotic inspection capabilities will help eliminate inspection bottlenecks, as they will allow the team to automate unattended measurement so that it can devote more valuable manpower to other mission-critical tasks. Furthermore, the addition of three new CMMs will provide greater inspection capacity while ensuring the organisation has the technology needed to diversify both probing and non-contact measurement capabilities.
For further information www.hexagonmi.com

Microscopes offer more functionality and usability

The new Nikon MM-series of industrial measuring microscopes has been periodically upgraded since the early 1950s, but not to such an extent as during the latest, sixth makeover. The new generation was unveiled at the Control 2023 exhibition in Stuttgart earlier this month.

Nikon’s new MM-400N and MM-800N series measuring microscopes have aperture diaphragm control on the diascopic illuminator, which allows an operator to adjust the aperture to optimise both contrast and resolution. It is also possible to set the lighting conditions for measuring cylindrical products.

Notably, the newly-developed diascopic LED illuminator has both white and green light sources, allowing the operator to change easily from one colour to the other by pressing a switch on the front of the microscope, without having to insert or remove a filter. Furthermore, by integrating the diascopic illuminator into the main body of the measuring microscope, the depth of the instrument is 30 mm shorter, reducing the installation footprint.

As part of the makeover, Nikon has modernised the appearance of the measuring microscopes, which sport the company’s new, clean-white and black livery. Furthermore, power consumption is 10% lower than the former MM-400/MM-800 series models. Nikon says it provides environmentally friendly products and complies with the RoHS Directive and other laws and regulations.

Many components are common to the new and previous series models, including the measurement stage, objective lenses and optical accessories, which a user can continue to use for simple, accurate and highly reproducible measurement applications.
For further information www.nikonmetrology.com