INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Kitagawa extends work-holding options to milling

Japanese-manufactured Kitagawa rotary work-holding systems that usually find use on lathes are now available for static workholding on the table of machining centres. In the UK and Ireland, the sole agent for these YS Modular Systems is 1st Machine Tool Accessories.

The pneumatically or hydraulically operated static cylinders have multiple work-holding options for pull or push chuck actuation, and are rapid to set up for various production requirements. Cylinders with a standard mounting interface are available to actuate 6”, 8” or 10” chuck sizes.

Base units can mount side by side, depending on machine size, to facilitate multiple workpiece fixturing and automated production. The pull force is up to 20.8 kN with pneumatic actuation or 51.9 kN using low-pressure hydraulic actuation at 15 bar, with up to 20 mm of piston stroke.

Multiple standard work-holding options are available, including: three-jaw power chucks for holding prismatic workpieces; collet chucks for round, square and hex billet up to 80 mm; and expanding mandrels with a pull-back function for internal gripping of components with bores from 12 to 82 mm diameter as standard.

The low profile of the cylinders, down to just 77.5 mm in height for the 6” model, does not unduly restrict Z-axis motion, maximising the prismatic milling and drilling envelope of the respective machine. A screw-on protective cover allows unused units to remain permanently on the machine table, if desired, without fear of damage due to swarf ingress from machining at an adjacent fixture.
For further information www.1mta.com

Schunk sets out plans for Automatica 2023

On27-30 June 2023, the world’s leading trade show for intelligent automation and robotics will bring together key technologies for future production in Munich. At Automatica (Hall A5, Booth 502), Schunkis planning toexhibit smart new developments that solve handling tasks transparently, flexibly and reliably.

In Munich, Schunk will show a whole range of new products that contribute to efficiency. Among other things, the PPD positioning unit will make its debut. The PPD positioning unit enables more complex motion sequences in pneumatic handling, reports the company. In conjunction with pneumatic grippers, it is possible to control gripper fingers flexibly and with high precision, while regulating gripping force and speed.

Combined with the PGL-plus-Ppneumatic universal gripper featuring extra-long stroke, users can realise versatile handling tasks even in demanding environments, from machine loading to highly sensitive cleanroom applications. To this end, Schunk is offering the pneumatic gripper as the first in the world to have certified GripGuard gripping force maintenance. In addition, the gripperfeatures an integrated IO-Link sensor system that enables position sensing of the fingers.

Also at the show will be the user-friendly 2D Grasping Kit (pictured) for handling individual objects randomly arranged on a single level, which makes it much easier to get started with automated object handling. The core of this intelligent system is the in-house developed AI software, which is pre-installed on Schunk’s own industrial PC (SVC). Since the market launch in 2022, the automation expert has further optimised the software and simplified the teaching and labelling of components. This co-ordinated complete package of hardware, software and service comes from one source and is suitable for all robots.
For further information www.schunk.com

Strong 2022 results for Kuka

Robot manufacturer Kuka won more orders than ever before initslatest financial year: at €4.46billion, the company achieved the highest order intake in its history, an increase of 25.1% compared with the previous year. Demand for Kuka products and solutions was particularly high in China. However, customers in the US also invested heavily in Kuka systems, especially for the production of e-vehicles. Sales were 18.6% higher than in the previous year (2021), while in the first three months of the current financial year, Kuka again exceeded the results of the same period last year across all divisions.
For further information www.kuka.com

Hyfore Workholding expands portfolio with Heimatec

Hyfore is expanding its diverse range of work-holding and tooling solutions by becoming the exclusive UK distribution partner for the Heimatec brand of precision tools and systems.

Founded in 1987 in Germany, the first activities of Heimatec GmbH included the production of carrier tools for indexable inserts, which expandedrapidly into the manufacture of specialist radial drilling heads, quick-change tooling systems for driven tools and then complete tool-changing systems.

Now, the Heimatec portfolio includes a programme for static and driven tools for turning centres. This incorporates everything from axial, offset, angled and swivelling driven-tool stations, as well as static VDI and BMT toolholders for boring, turning, bar pulling and cut-off holders. Also in the turning range are multi-spindle heads and high-speed tools with gearing ratios of 1:4 for machining up to 48,000rpm, and a complete range of accessories such as bar pullers, reducing sleeves, collets and collet chucks, shrink and tapping collets, sealing disks clamping nuts, and arbors.

The German tool-holding expert also manufactures a complete tooling programme for Swiss-type turning centres with live, static and customised tools supported by a diverse range of standard and special accessories that can accommodate users of Citizen sliding-head machine tools.

In addition, Heimatec’s portfolio encompasses a complete range of solutions for machining centres. The live tooling options include 360° turnable angle heads, axial drilling and milling heads, multi-spindle heads, and double-spindle and offset heads, to list but a few. Alongside a comprehensive programme of standard angled heads, Heimatec offers a compact, high-performance slim design range.Developed for difficult contours, the slim design series is suitable for small immersion diameters and large immersion depths.
For further information www.hyfore.com

Unused vision hardware should not go to waste

In many plants there are cameras, lighting and other hardware that once formed part of a visual inspection system that is no longer fit for purpose. Zohar Kantor, vice president of sales at visual inspection software company Lean AI, explains why equipment-agnostic software technology could breathe new life into existing machine vision hardware.

Estimates suggest that between 2017 and 2020, approximately 270,000 machine vision systems were installed around the world. How many of these are still performing as intended? A common issue is the lack of interoperability between different hardware components, or between hardware and software. Some software solutions are vendor-specific,requiring the purchase of new cameras and other sensors.

Quality managers and plant managers are unfortunately not fully aware that there is an alternative solution in retrofitting. If a software solution is equipment-agnostic, meaning it can operate with hardware from different vendors, it is possible to bring new capacity to old investments.

If the existing image acquisition equipment is perfectly acceptable in terms of image quality and illumination, then software was the problem. Why not leverage existing hardware by finding a software solution that will work in tandem? Lean AI is currently putting this theory into practice with a leading powder metal company in Canada. Lean AI’s artificial intelligence algorithms work with any hardware, so the company can make use of cameras and computer hardware already in the plant, removing the need for the customer to rip it out and start again. Retrofitting in this way saves time, money and risk.
For further information www.lean-ai-tech.com