Global provider of high precision

Amada, the publicly listed Japanese machine-tool and tool manufacturer offers a broad range of machines in several field of activities. A few examples?, You can find high-speed fiber laser, press brake, press featuring servo-electric drive technology, turning machines, integrated automation solutions, and grinding machines (using new grinding technologies) in its portfolio. To learn more about these we met with Ben Scherr, CEO of the European branch of the company.

In the last EMO the company presented its wide product range of solutions under four main labels: 1) precision parts for tool making, 2) difficult-to-cut materials / band sawing technology, 3 ) sheet metal working and 4) automation and precision in mass production.

1) Precision parts for tool making
The aim of the company is to provide integrated manufacturing solutions of parts for the tool making industry. Amada offers a complete solution consisting of machines, software and measuring instruments, which is suitable for highly accurate and precise surface and profile grinding of small and medium-sized parts.

2) Difficult-to-cut materials / band sawing technology
The company offers solution to machine large, difficult-to-cut materials for applications in the heavy industry, infrastructure and energy sectors.

3) Sheet Metal Working
Amada presents ultra-fast and highly precise fiber laser FOL3015-AJ, which is equipped with an oscillator developed in house. In this domain the company also offers presses, for instance the press brake HD-1003 ATC NT with its fully automatic tool changer ATC or the SDE-2025 ES, an energy-efficient high-performance servo press. The multi-function machine is well-suited for a wide variety of sheet metal working tasks.

4) Automation and precision in mass production
Under this umbrella, customers can discover how combining and automating of individual machining tasks results in highly efficient and precise manufacturing processes.
First news in this area: The turning centre S 10 features a 250 mm swing diameter front spindle and two side turrets with a tool drive and two optional Y-axes. Simultaneous machining of the workpiece leads to high productivity rates.
Second news: The precision turning centre AD 18S that permits back face operation on the smallest footprint. The model is equipped with an additional turret and a sub-spindle, which is mounted on the main turret. The sub-spindle can be used to position the finished parts on an integrated pallet system. This makes it possible to feed bars and to unload workpieces onto a pallet without any collisions.

Three main axes
There are three fundamental concepts that underline every product of the company: multifunctionality, flexible production and environmental compatibility. Mr. Scherr says to conclude : “The fact that these concepts can successfully be put into practice, is due to Amada’s high degree of innovativeness and its outstanding engineering expertise. We can really offer a wide spectrum of solutions always based on these values. Our customers reward these too”.

We will come back on solutions dedicated for microtechnology in a further issue of Eurotec.

AMADA MACHINE TOOLS EUROPE GmbH
Amada Allee 3, 42781 Haan, Germany
Tel. : +49 (0) 21 29 579 03
Fax : +49 (0) 21 29 579 339
www.amadamachinetools.com
info@amadamachinetools.de

Tornos brings surface processing into workshops

Following my previous info of February, I’ve been able to gather more information about Cyklos. With this turn-key surface processing unit, Tornos reduces drastically non productive (and then costly) times. Cyklos offers surface processing in a continuous manufacturing flow.

Surface processing has traditionally been physically kept separated from machining. The size of the installations and buildings, the safety requirements and the environmental hazards of the chemical processes refrained workshops, with a few exceptions, to invest in and operate surface processing equipments nearby in-line with machining. However prior deliveries, most of the finished parts go through a surface processing step (anodizing, phosphating, electroplating …). As a consequence, an interruption in the manufacturing flow of finished parts remains until today, increasing lead time, logistic costs and defects. Tornos tackles these three points simultaneously and enables a continuous manufacturing flow with the Cyklos solution, a unique technology combining a surface processing equipment and process in a compact, zero reject( ), high performance and low cost of ownership tool.

Technology
Cyklos concept is based on a patented technology owned by Tornos in which parts are transported from bath to bath and inside each bath automatically via a simple combination of translation and multiple rotations along the same axis of small carriers on which the parts are attached to.
As a conclusion, the Cyklos technology embedded in a compact and dedicated housing has all it needs to perform with superior performances in the workshops most of the surface processing traditionally made in very large and remote installations.

Main functions of Cyklos

• Anodisation of Aluminum and Titanium
• Chemical or electroplating of metals on Steel
• Steel phosphating
• Chemical or electrochemical deburring on Steel, Aluminum, Titanium,…

Cyklos technology
Exhibits radically modified characteristics to enable workshops in line operations:

• Small volume baths (several hundreds of liters);
• Small footprint (6 meters long, 3 m wide, including wastewater treatment);
• Complete confinement of hazardous vapor enabling operation in machine shop buildings;
• No wastewater to be treated on site, no connection to the drain;
• Low processing variations within a carrier and carrier to carrier (ex: 30 +/- 2 microns for anodisation);
• No manpower required for loading and unloading carriers, reducing defects;
• Automatically and in-situ regulated chemical processes.

This new solution will finally be presented at EMO this year (i.e. earlier than previously announced by Eurotec). We will detail Cyklos in our next issue.

www.tornos.com

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Hexagon Metrology releases new CoreView version 5.5

The latest version of CoreView, Hexagon Metrology’s software suite for Cognitens white light systems, comes with enhanced inspection functionality, new automated measurement features and support for Windows 7.

Hexagon Metrology announced today the immediate availability of CoreView 5.5 for the Cognitens WLS400 automated and manual white light measurement systems. The new version offers improved capabilities in measuring a work piece’s geometric characteristics as well as 2D cross section analysis tools. Among other enhancements version 5.5 includes measurement and GD&T inspection of planar geometries broadening the Cognitens WLS400 system’s application support and 3D visualization tools that allow users to measure sheet metal features faster and easier than before. Version 5.5 supports a new set of sensor lenses with 360 x 360 mm field of view used for measuring smaller parts and in reverse engineering application. The new CAD import engine by Hexagon Metrology offers faster and more robust loading of 3D files. Accelerated data acquisition and parallel processing shorten the time required to generate a full inspection report.

In addition, the Cognitens WLS400 sensor and software is now certified according to the VDI/VDE 2634 Part 2 standard for optical measurement systems.

For Cognitens WLS400A robotic applications, CoreView 5.5 offers new tools for accelerating part programming and increasing system throughput by cutting the overall cycle time. These innovations combined with new colormap analysis options and enhanced measurement capabilities upgrade the Cognitens WLS400A to provide higher 3D metrology value and improved operational flexibility.

For further information, please contact:
Birgit Albrecht, Marketing & Communications Manager
Phone: +41 62 737 67 72
press@hexagonmetrology.com
www.hexagonmetrology.com
www.cognitens.com

New laser coil cutter for large production

Balliu MTC nv is a company  active worldwide with an extensive sales- and service organisation. Their sole business is developing and manufacturing Laser-equipped machines for all kinds of applications and materials, whether it is a titanium wire frame for sunglasses or turbines  for jet engines. Today they present the new LD1500x500 machine.

24/7 working
The new LD1500x500 is custom made for laser cutting disks out of a 0.6 mm thick coil. This machine is dedicated to produce without operator intervention. The decoiler flattens the sheet material before it enters the cutting zone. Depending on the disk diameter the cutting table is changed. A vacuum under the cutting table ensures that the sheet material stays flat during cutting. The disks are unloaded on a pallet by a suction cup unloading system. Linear motors make this machine extra fast. An operator only has to change the coil and the unloading pallet. This makes the machine suited for 24/7 unmanned production. For most of the Balliu machines there are fiber laser versions available.

The company offers a large range of specialized machines for many operations:

• Laser cutting
• Laser welding
• Laser cutting and welding (combined in a machine)
• Laser cladding (deposit of a hard and corrosion resistant layer by laser melting)
• Handling systems

For more information
Balliu MTC nv
Wolfsakker 8
B-9160 Lokeren
Tel: +32.9.340.66.20
www.balliu.be
info@balliu.be

New White Paper on Modern Nesting

An authoritative new White Paper on modern nesting has been published by Planit, the company that developed the world’s most powerful sheet metal CAD/CAM software, Radan.

With the sea change in what nesting can now do for companies, manufacturers should ask themselves the following questions, revolving around where they want to be in five years time:

• Do I want to increase my output?
• Do I want to better utilise my staff?
• Do I want to increase automation?
• Do I want to make my resources go further?

If the answer to any of those questions is “Yes,” then the White Paper “Modern Nesting, Changing The Way You Think About Nesting” is vital reading, showing manufacturers how to select the nesting program that is absolutely right for their business.
It is available to download for free from Radan’s website, at www.radan.com/modernnesting.

The White Paper looks at a variety of topics, including

• Automatic nesting
• Nesting for the manufacturing industry
• Nesting solutions
• Multi-threaded code
• Future trends
• Integrating nesting with MRP / ERP.

Global thinking
The paper shows how nesting is moving away from its traditional roots and looks at its value as an integrated part of an overall ERP or process planning system, and why managers need to consider the effect a nest has downstream. For example, what tool changes do the machines need, and does minimising that save more on the time the operator takes, than would be saved on materials if the nest produces the best utilisation?

Optimise nesting
The right type of nesting is capable of so much more than it is generally being used for.
Nesting parts for today’s cost-conscious and time-conscious manufacturing industry has moved on from the original concept of nesting, which was simply the geometric problem of arranging parts on a sheet to minimise waste. Therefore, “Modern Nesting, Changing The Way You Think About Nesting” was written specifically by Planit Software to ensure that manufacturers can benefit from what modern nesting can give them, and look at the skills required of machine programmers and operators, so their nester gives them a vital competitive edge.

For further information visit www.planit.com
For more information, contact:
Stewart Bint, PR & Communications Officer
Tel: 01233 506100 Ext 6526
Email: stewartbint@planit.com