An increase in production orders for new breeds of high-volume and high-value automotive components prompted OMG s.r.l Officine Meccaniche to consider alternative approaches to part inspection. Investments in off-machine gauging and on-machine probing enabled the company to increase manufacturing throughput, avoid rejects and reduce scrap.

Established in 1949, OMG’s manufacturing capabilities span a complete range of automotive component requirements, including engine blocks, cylinder heads and suspension assemblies. Quality, of course, is an essential cornerstone of the company’s business. For many years Renishaw has played an important role as a technology partner to OMG, as Guido Mautino, the company’s COO explains: “Our partnership with Renishaw began in the mid-1990s when we started machining our first engine heads. We needed to take precision measurements directly on the machining centres, so we turned to Renishaw for advice.

“Today we have 23 machining centres fitted with a range of Renishaw machine tool probes,” he continues. “Over the years, this has put us in a position to engage with a variety of global product markets where high-precision measurement during production is a pre-requisite. All our CMMs are fitted with Renishaw PH10 motorised indexing heads.”

In the manufacture of a new engine block, OMG chose to use Renishaw’s OMP60 optical transmission probe for the first time. A compact 3D touch-trigger probe, the OMP60 is used for both initial workpiece set-up and post-machining inspection on a wide range of four- and five-axis machining centres. The probe incorporates a proven kinematic design and interference-free secure modulated transmission to access previously difficult-to-reach workpiece areas. In this case, the OMP60 is used to verify valve seats, transmission gears and other key engine features.

For further information
www.renishaw.com

German machining centre manufacturer Röders has introduced to its range an upgraded CNC system capable of programming and controlling a full range of metal-cutting operations more efficiently, from roughing and high-speed milling, to micron-accuracy jig grinding.

Available on its three- and five-axis machining centres, the Racecut control enables demanding precision requirements to be met, while at the same time delivering high cutting performance, including when machining hard materials. Availability of the machines in the UK and Ireland is through sole sales and service agent Hurco Europe.

Underpinning the high performance in terms of accuracy and speed are frictionless linear drives and 5 nm resolution glass scales. These combine with the benefits of the new CNC system, which has a high clock rate of 32 kHz. The smallest deviations in cutter paths can be detected and corrected, even during high-speed cutting, raising processing speed and optimising surface quality. Tests carried out by the manufacturer indicate that it is possible to reduce machining times by as much as 20% while maintaining the same surface finish.

Additionally, extensive compensation in the control for deviations in the angular position of the rotary table and swivelling trunnion of five-axis machines, plays a central role. Particular attention has also been paid to the control’s ability to compensate precisely for spindle growth, while a further notable feature is the patented, frictionless weight compensation system in the Z axis.

For thermal stability to ensure positioning accuracy of less than 1 µm, the machine has sophisticated temperature management. The temperature of the medium that flows through all key elements is controlled to an accuracy of ±0.1°C, which may be extended down to ±0.02°C for certain applications.

For further information
www.hurco.co.uk

New CAM technology introduced by Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division makes it possible to use complex six-axis milling machine tools for the production of large parts. The specialist programming tools provide accurate simulation and generate efficient six-axis tool paths to ensure that these advanced machines offer increased productivity.

Hexagon’s Edgecam software features new tools that focus on six-axis machines equipped with two rotary axes on the head and one rotary table, where this sixth axis enables milling tools to machine all sides of a large part, including areas that are otherwise impossible to reach without repositioning workpieces. The new dedicated six-axis tools provide greater tool-path control and more accurate simulation of processes, reducing the need for expert intervention on the shop floor, improving the utilisation of advanced machinery and avoiding the risk of costly damage.

Edgecam improvements additionally provide greater flexibility for five-axis milling by offering tools that allow CNC programmers to select the level of automation they prefer when creating tool paths. Using these tools, programmers can choose to automate tool-path generation, manually create all tool paths, or generate tool paths using a combination of automated and manual tools. The ability to customise programming preferences increases control over exactly how parts are machined, helping users reduce programming time on tasks that are simple to automate and making it easier to work more closely with complex tool paths when needed.

Productivity is also improved with rough grooving operation optimisation that eliminates unnecessary machine movement, resulting in a cycle time reduction of up to 60%.

For further information
www.edgecam.com

Open Mind’s hyperMILL Best Fit is a new function to help optimise the planning of machining operations. Instead of having to manually align the un-machined part that is clamped in the machine to the NC program, the hyperMILL CAM system aligns the NC program automatically to the component position. This method saves time and increases process reliability, especially with carbon fibre parts, as well as cast, forged, welded and additively manufactured stock featuring small or irregular allowances.

The hyperMILL Best Fit function takes full advantage of the options offered by the virtual machine in the CAM program and communication protocols within a five-axis machining centre that make it possible to undertake 3D measurements and eliminate the uncertainty which comes with manual alignment.

Up to now, it has been standard practice to adapt the stock and the clamping in the machine to the conditions of the NC program. One way to solve this time-consuming issue is to align the component in CAM in real-time. The unaligned stock is probed on the machine by way of a 3D measurement. Then, the measurement log is sent to the CAM system, and hyperMILL Best Fit adjusts the NC code to the actual position of the component. Virtual world programming is adapted to real world clamping, not the other way around. Finally, the adjusted NC code is simulated in the virtual machine on the actual clamping set up, followed by automatic optimisation.

“What makes this unique is that unlike previous solutions available on the market, hyperMILL Best Fit does not change the origin on the controller and generates completely collision-checked tool paths,” says Manfred Guggemos, product manager at Open Mind Technologies.

For further information
www.openmind-tech.com

Research from Subcon has revealed that more than half (58%) of UK manufacturing businesses currently export, and that exporting volumes have increased for 32% of them over the past 12 months. The research also showed that 83% expect to increase export levels over the next 12 months, while exports are anticipated to grow by up to 10% for half of respondents, and 11-20% for the remaining half.

Two thirds (69%) of manufacturing and engineering businesses used subcontractors in the past year, with 48% expecting to increase the proportion of work given to UK subcontractors over the coming 12 months. This is mainly driven by a lack of in-house capacity (45%), a desire among manufacturers and engineering businesses to focus on core competencies (38%), and gaining access to skills that are lacking in-house (35%).

For further information
www.subconshow.co.uk