INTERNATIONAL NEWS

VERICUT SUPPORTS PROCESS GAINS AT TRINITY PRECISION

An aerospace parts supplier in Wichita, Kansas, has built its business based on three key pillars: people, process and principle. VERICUT toolpath simulation and optimisation software from CGTech helps support the ‘process’ element of the company’s ethos.

Integrity and experience. Consistent performance. Clarity of purpose. These are words to live and work by, no matter the vocation. They are also the guiding philosophies behind Trinity Precision Inc’s motto of ‘people, process, principle’, and ever since founders David May, Steve Ford, Dave Tice and Chris VanNover opened the company’s doors in 2014, they have stood by them.

“When we started Trinity, it was important that we establish the foundations needed to ensure success for the company and its employees,” says VanNover, Trinity Precision’s vice president of operations. “One of these was the use of robust programming technology, which includes accurate, productive toolpath simulation. VERICUT has filled that role since day one.”

CNC programming manager Merritt Stuever has been at Trinity Precision for the past five years. Like VanNover and the rest of the company’s management team, he also has great respect for VERICUT. Including his time at Trinity Precision, he has been using the product for nearly two decades.

“After running a program through VERICUT, we’re not only assured that the G-code is consistent with a good part, but we also eliminate any chance of a crash,” he says.“Considering the cost of replacing a spindle and the machine downtime that comes with it, it’s a simple choice. VERICUT is a no-brainer.”

To say that Trinity Precision is heavy into aerospace work is an understatement. The company’s customer list includes blue-chip organisations like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Gulfstream, Textron Aviation and many others besides. OEMs of this stature have zero tolerance for deviation in part quality or missed deliveries. As such, strict adherence to established processes is critical, which helps explain the aerospace supplier’s focus on ‘the three Ps’ in its logo, along with its reliance on sound programming procedures.

VanNover explains that Trinity Precision president David May purchased an existing “mom and pop” machine shop as a starting point for the new business. The previous owners were using a well-known brand of CAM software and had a single seat of CATIA from Dassault Systèmes that was gathering dust. May and his management team hit the reset button.

“We knew from previous experience that implementing change once you’ve reached a certain size can be difficult, so we took the opportunity early on to build everything right from the ground up,” he says. “We stayed with CATIA because that’s what most of our customers require and, like I said, we alsoinvested in VERICUT. It does everything that we need it to do, and seeing as we were looking forward to a lot of new CNC equipment back then, also liked the fact that we could develop our own machine tool models. It gives us a lot of flexibility.”

Today, Trinity Precision boasts 32,000 sq ft of manufacturing space and a fleet of advanced CNC machinery. The company has also enjoyed a four-fold revenue increase since those early days. VanNover notes that, like most in the aerospace industry, the pandemic-related slowdown in commercial aviation gave them “a pretty significant haircut” over the past two years. However, that tide appears to be turning and Trinity’s 70+ employees stand ready for future growth.

Of course, growth depends on robust processes, something Stuever and the rest of the engineering team spend their days developing. Every CNC machine tool has a standard tool list, greatly reducing set-up time and eliminating the chance that an operator will place a cutter in the wrong position.

In addition, all feedrates, cutting speeds and other machining parameters are similarly standardised within CATIA. Offline tool pre-setting is in active use at Trinity Precision and many of the machine tools employ tool breakage detection for automated operation. Every job goes through VERICUT before leaving the programming office, a requirement that Stuever says has saved the company countless hours of rework and even scrap.

“We’re mostly a high-mix, low-volume shop, so oftentimes we might have a couple of dozen new part numbers in a week,” he explains. “Since none of us can read and visualise hundreds of thousands oflines of G-code, VERICUT is the best way to check for interference, gouging, leftover material and any of the other everyday programming scenarios that can lead to a bad part or worse. And since we know the software will catch things like that, it makes the programming process both easier and faster.”

Stuever is also pleased with CGTech’s support level. He has taken several courses over the years and attended multiple VUE sessions (VERICUT Users’ Exchange). As a result, Stuever has come to know many of the people at the software developer’s Irvine headquarters.

“They’re very helpful and always take the time to make sure any issues or needs are resolved,” he says. “As far as technical support goes, there are only two companies that I rank extremely high. CGTech is one of them.”

VanNover offers similarly high praise: “The rest of the management team and I have worked in shops where machinists were out there changing programs, selecting their own tools and pretty much doing their own thing. However, you can’t operate like that anymore, especially with the available labour force. This is why we’ve taken most of that responsibility and put it in the programmer’s camp, making it critical that we have the right software tools. And so even from the very start, this was a non-negotiable aspect of our desire to lay the right foundation; VERICUT is a big part of that foundation.”
For further information www.cgtech.co.uk

Sodick introduces VN series wire EDM

For manufacturers that demand the epitome of precision, component quality and production efficiency, Sodick Europe says it has introduced its new VN series of linear motor-driven wire EDM machines. Presented as a high-quality enhanced range of standard EDM machines, the new arrival offers the added advantage of reduced power consumption and operational costs.

Available in two variants, the new VN400Q and the VN600Q can deliver a 20% decrease in power consumption when compared with standard models. With up to 70% of wire EDM energy consumption used by the dielectric treatment system, the Sodick VN series overcomes this issue with a new fluid control circuit that reduces the energy needed to drive the dielectric processing pump. Utilising an inverter to control the vertical flushing flow rate during machiningdelivers a 20% reduction in power consumption during machine standby.

As well as reducing power consumption, the newly developed energy-saving pump is integrated into the dielectric tank and, along with the LN3W/LP3W power supply unit, the Sodick VN series significantly improves nozzle flushing performance to amplify open cutting speeds by up to 15%. In addition, an intelligent monitoring circuit oversees the vertical flushing flow rate to provide further optimisation of the pump drive energy for flushing.

Also contributing to the efficiency of the Sodick VN series is the linear motor drive system with linear scales. Providing precise high-speed axis motion that is wear-free, it is possible to maintain extremely responsive speed, precision and repeatability for years to come. This performance sees a further enhancement with the latest K-SMC motion controller that governs axis movements and tracks spark-gap adjustments.
For further information www.sodi-tech.co.uk

Latest sharpening solutions for tool production

Sharpening specialist Vollmer used last month’s EMO exhibition in Hanover to present automated grinding, eroding and laser machines for manufacturing tools made of ultra-hard cutting materials such as PCD, CBN and carbide.

This year’s product highlight on the Vollmer stand was the VHybrid 260, which can grind and erode tools up to 100% in a single set-up. The VHybrid 260 features multi-level machining realised via two vertically arranged spindles, where the lower spindle is for both grinding and EDM. With the new V@dison booster solution, the VHybrid 260 achieves a surface quality of up to 0.05 µm Ra when eroding PCD tools.

Thanks to the digital application, it is possible to integrate EDMinto tool production as a complete manufacturing process. According to Vollmer, with the Vpulse EDM generator, users can even producemicro-tools with diameters of 0.5mm and smaller with high precision, performance and surface quality. High accuracy is deliverable via the integrated ‘Laser Check’ measuring system, which achieves required tolerances of ±2µm in fully automatic closed-loop machining.

Also in spotlight at EMO was the Vollmer VGrind 360S tool grinder, which again features the concept of multi-level machining. At the show, Vollmer focused on the machining of CBN tools and how tool manufacturers can use the machine to configure and equip their production, regardless of whether they manufacture special tools or produce tools in high volumes.

Using appropriate automation such as the new HP 170 pallet magazine, the HPR 250 free-arm robot or HC4 chain magazine, the VGrind 360S is suitable for unmanned machining around the clock. With the HP 170, customers can also opt to integrate optical detection of the cooling channels.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com

Gehring offers tube honing as complete package

With its deephone series, Gehring Technologies offers horizontal honing machines for a wide range of large components. At EMO 2023 in Hanover last month, the company presented new developments and features in this segment that enable the more cost-effective execution of demanding and complex machining processes.

“At this year’s EMO, we wanted to show potential customers that we can offer a complete package for honing large workpieces from a single source with our machines, tools and process know-how,” emphasises Marcell Wardin, director ofsales andmarketing. “This package includes a wide range of precision tube components, including cylinder liners for the hydraulic industry, aircraft landing legs, ingot moulds and even radio masts.”

Gehring has developed the deephone machine series for precisely these applications. Stroke lengths range from 2000 to 10,000 mm, while internal machining is possible up to 1200 mm and external machining up to 300 mm.

“An important feature of these machines is their flexibility,” adds Wardin. Indeed, a three-stage gearbox makes it possible to machine a wide variety of workpieces on one machine. Depending on the size of the workpiece or the removal rate, the power requirement changes. The three-stage gearbox provides the necessary adjustment. Without such a component, it may be necessary to distribute different workpieces among several machines or to re-clamp demanding workpieces. With a complete package from a single source, manufacturers can reduce their investment costs.

Gehring also offers tooling innovations. In principle, all tools are adaptable to the company’s deephone machines. Nevertheless, Gehring has a new DH tool series,a special feature of which is their internal cooling system. The company suggests these tools can cut machining time by 20-30% and reduce the need for coolant.
For further information www.gehring-group.com

Efficient and effective tool and insert processing

The United Grinding stand at the EMO exhibition in Hanover last month featured a host of Walter machines and technologies for effective and efficient tool and insert grinding/erosion. In particular, parent group United Grinding’s CORE (Customer Oriented REvolution) hardware/software architecture and Walter’s Laser Contour Check non-contact tool measurement development, shared centre stage.

CORE architecture embraces the digital age by offering intuitive operation that facilitates machine set-up, operation, networking and maintenance. Underpinning this ethos is ‘work simplification in production’ topave the way for a new generation of machine tools which fully embrace the digital age.

Laser Contour Check is now optional on all Walter Helitronic tool grinding and erosion machines. This featureensures high precision and fast in-process measurement of tool parameters using blue laser technology in conjunction with process intelligence to measure various features on cylindrical tools from 1 to 52 mm diameter. Compensation for any deviations takes place during the machining process.

Laser Contour Check’s analogue laser beam measures a tool’s entire contour rather than just specific points, as with tactile or digital methods. Laser technology also avoids possible damage to the tool’s cutting edges, as well as measuring errors that could occur due to probe tip wear during tactile measuring routines. It is possible to integrate the measuring system directly into the machine’s working area, so it moves into position when required.

At EMO, visitors saw both CORE and Laser Contour Check on Walter’s Helitronic Mini Plus and Helitronic Micro tool grinders.While the former produces tools of 1 to 16 mm diameter and up to 255 mm long, and re-grinds tools of 3 to 100 mm diameter, the latter processes tools from 0.1 to 12.7 mm diameter and 220 mm long.
For further information www.walter-machines.com/en