| Citizen's 20mm Capacity Machine Speeds Production |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|11:07 am] |
Having won a US contract to supply non-standard grease nipples out of Monel material in eight weeks, Kingfisher installed a Citizen Machinery L20-VII turn-mill centre to ensure it delivered on time. Kingfisher's purchase and short-term drive to deliver the process enabled it to successfully air-freight the initial parts to its customer within four weeks of the Citizen machine being delivered in August.
The contract for a significant quantity of grease nipples was won with a tight delivery schedule and the customer agreeing to free issue supply the 7/16 inch A/F hexagon nickel-copper alloy material. However, the sting in the tail that could have caused embarrassment for Kingfisher was when the customer found the highly specialised hexagon material was on a six-month delivery and it could only supply 1/2 in round-bar meaning existing machine tools, all set for volume nipple production, could not be used.
With the prospect of further contracts and the possibility of competing with the only other company in the world to produce Monel grease nipples, managing director John Fisher and technical director Richard Holt decided to buy a CNC sliding head lathe and mill-turn the hexagon in-cycle. Initial discussions with potential machine suppliers drew the directors towards Citizen Machinery UK due to its ability to meet the demands of the project, delivery and installation within the tight time frame, which resulted in a Citizen L20-VII turn-mill centre being ordered.
With this machine, the single-cycle operation involved the profile being turned and hexagonal flats milled and notched, the central bore drilled and the special taper thread cut. As a process monitoring and costing exercise has revealed, a payback equal to one-third of the price of the machine was achieved within this one contract. The move to the use of sliding-head technology follows a recent installation of a Miyano BNJ-42S fixed-head turning centre from Miyano Machinery UK, a sister company within the Citizen Group, which had been purchased to satisfy a long-term contract for producing complex high-pressure valves for off-road tracked vehicles.
Like the Citizen, the Miyano operates as a single-cycle machine using the combination of main and sub-spindles. Normal production methods for Kingfisher are based on highly automated processes that are able to produce 2.5 million standard mild-steel, case-hardened and stainless-steel nipples a week. To achieve this level of production the company had spent more than GBP4 million developing its 45 BSA Acme Gridley multi-spindle autos replacing the traditional mechanical gearbox with PLC control and direct drive systems in order to raise the level of reliability and process consistency. Indeed, such is the level of productivity that these machines are able to produce grease nipples at a rate of 50 per minute.
Kingfisher also designs, develops and builds its own fully automated assembly machines to insert and capture the spring and non-return ball in the nipple by swaging over the central hole which is carried out at a rate of 100 completed cycles per minute, per machine. Technical director Richard Holt said: 'The Monel is a tough corrosion-resistant material and despite being a free-cutting specification it presented a real challenge as it is subject to work hardening. 'The material is also difficult to chip on a consistent basis and can 'bird's nest' and cause tooling problems, which means we have to be vigilant.
The incorporation of the Citizen CoolBlaster 2,000psi high-pressure coolant system has significantly improved tool life and productivity while extending the period when manual intervention is required from a few minutes to between two and four hours' continuous production. Managing director John Fisher added that this classification of grease nipple is very unfamiliar in the UK but there is room to use the flexibility of the Citizen to further develop this range of product. He said: 'We have worked closely with Citizen application engineers and tooling suppliers and have so far improved the cycle time from an initial 135 seconds to just 44 seconds.
'What we have found in the Citizen, which has a four-metre bar feed, is that due to the consistency of process and lack of rejects, coupled with a shorter bar end than we originally estimated, we have enough material to produce a further 15 per cent more parts. The Monel metal grease nipple is 19mm in overall length with a radius and angled profile of 6.65mm that is necked down to 5.5mm diameter. Behind the 11.10mm A/F (7/16 in) hexagon, a special hydraulic sealing thread 1/8 in x 27tpi with a 1:16 diametral taper is screw cut. So critical is the thread, that when it is screwed into position during assembly, the thread on the nipple finish shaves the mating internal thread form to create a totally leak-proof seal. |
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| Open Simulation Automation Software Allows Plugins |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|11:05 am] |
Dassault Systemes now offers Simulia's Isight 5.0, an open-desktop solution for simulation process automation and design optimisation for designers, engineers and researchers. Isight provides an open system for integrating design and simulation models, created with various CAD, CAE and other software applications, to automate the execution of hundreds or even thousands of simulations. It allows users to save time and improve their products by optimising them against performance or cost variables through statistical methods such as Design of Experiments (DOE) or Design for Six Sigma.
The new Eclipse plugin within Isight 5.0 provides an intuitive user-interface and common-component project templates, making it easier for partners and customers to create customised Isight applications. By introducing support for the Eclipse open-source development environment, Isight 5.0 further improves the process of integrating any type of software application, such as CAD, CAE, mathematical or scientific computing tools. According to CD-adapco, a CFD-focused CAE provider, the company has produced a Star-CCM+ plugin for Isight to help its user community address its business challenges including product optimisation tasks.
Through the Component Integration Program (CIP), Simulia is facilitating the delivery of components to ensure partner tools can be automatically and seamlessly leveraged as integral parts of Isight simulation process flows. According to AVL, a simulation technologies company, Isight's open architecture allowed the company to implement a workflow component that customers could use to integrate AVL Boost, Excite and Fire simulation tasks into their Isight workflows to optimise powertrain designs.
Additional support for DOE methods is also now available in Isight 5.0, including the Fractional Factorial method, which reduces the number of experiments of a full-factorial design, and the Box-Behnken method, which eliminates extreme values (corner points) that may lead to unfeasible designs. Isight 5.0 provides the Matlab component at no extra charge and the Taguchi Method component is now part of the Pro pack. |
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| Quick-Change Spindle Interface for Turning Tools |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|11:03 am] |
WNT has helped develop HSK-T, a derivative of the HSK quick-change spindle interface to make it compatible with rotating tool applications including turning centres and multi-tasking machine tools. It is fully compatible with existing spindles and automatic tool-change systems, but the increased precision of manufacture, particularly the drive grooves and dogs, ensures that tool centre height is guaranteed.
The range of HSK-T tools from WNT is aimed at delivering machining in one set-up and is currently available, ex-stock, in HSK-T63 and HSK-T100 in styles to cover all machining applications, including: turning (internal and external); parting and grooving; Ecocut multi-function tools; and tool holders for square and round shank tools. Key benefits of the system include: reduced downtime due to fast tool change; rationalised toolstock; and improved cutting performance due to the strong HSK interface.
Further enhancing performance across WNT's range of HSK-T tool holders is the optimised coolant supply, which is designed to create more efficient production processes. It achieves this by ensuring that the coolant is precisely delivered to the cutting edge to create efficient cooling, swarf evacuation, enhanced tool life and reduced cycle times. The system is also suitable for minimal quantity lubrication applications. |
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| Piab Introduces Small-Diameter Suction Cups |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|11:01 am] |
 Industrial vacuum technology specialist Piab has expanded its range of Duraflex BX suction cups to include three new models in small diameters for the pharmaceutical and consumer goods industries. The suction cups are said to offer improved sealing capabilities for products with porous, uneven or textured surfaces, such as medical products and plastic or metal parts, allowing manufacturers to increase line productivity and reduce energy consumption. The Duraflex BX range now includes the 10mm, 15mm and 20mm suction cup sizes (models BX10P, BX15P and BX20P).
The range is now available in eight diameters from 10mm to 110mm to handle a wider range of products and applications. Piab's Duraflex BX suction cups are said to offer increased flexibility for product handling. They are more pliable to different materials than conventional suction cups, making them suitable for use in applications such as carton erecting, case and bin packing, palletising, de-palletising and rotary feeding in the packaging, pharmaceutical, plastic and consumer goods industries. To further enhance manufacturing flexibility, the suction cups are available in single-hardness or dual-hardness versions.
The dual-hardness suction cup combines a strong and stable bellow with a soft and flexible lip. This reduces downtime caused by dropped parts and allows manufacturers to run their machines at higher speeds, increasing production capacity. The Duraflex BX range also features a strong, wear-resistant and elastic polyurethane material, ensuring durability. The small Duraflex BX suction cups are environmentally friendly and feature a separate fitting and recyclable rubber. In addition, increased sealing capability reduces energy consumption as a smaller vacuum system with lower feed pressure is required compared with traditional suction cups. |
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| Manufacturer Selects Studer Precision CNC Grinder |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|10:58 am] |
Mayes and Warwick has utilised the S33 high-precision CNC grinder from Studer to keep pace with the growing demand for its output. Mayes and Warwick thread and form rolling dies are manufactured using top-quality branded tool steels and high-speed steels. All are heat treated using vacuum heat treatment facilities to ensure respectable hardness, wear resistance and longevity. Mayes and Warwick produces a full range of flat thread rolling dies in an infinite variety of thread profiles for rolling all types of screws, bolts and fasteners.
Also manufactured are rolling dies for many kinds of lock bolts and rivets. Dies can be manufactured for screws and fasteners featuring all standard thread forms, from 1.1mm to 32mm diameter (0.043in to 1.1/4in) with pitches from 0.32mm (>80TPI). The company utilises CADCAM technology and manufactures its products on advanced CNC milling machines, lathes, turning centres and grinding machines. To help keep pace with the growing demand for the company's output, Peter Lawrence, managing director at Mayes and Warwick, undertook a search for a high-precision CNC grinding machine to replace an older Matrix machine.
In addition to other in-house grinding applications, the main work of the machine would be grinding very precise annular grooves onto in-house manufactured crushing rolls. These accurate rolls are used within a process critical to the accuracy of the company's products. The crushing rolls are used to 'crush' extremely precise thread forms onto the company's grinding wheels; the treated wheels are subsequently used to grind thread forms onto the company's high-quality thread and form rolling dies.
Mayes and Warwick contacted Micronz, the UK agent for Studer; Micronz and Studer understood its requirements and recommended its S33 as the solution. An in-depth demonstration replicating some of the company's most challenging grinding tasks convinced Mayes and Warwick to make the purchase. Now in full production, the S33 is providing the promised levels of high-quality output, Lawrence said. Manufactured with distances between centres of 650mm (25.6in) and 1,000mm (39.4in), the Studer S33 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine was designed for grinding medium-sized workpieces in individual and series production.
The machine's solid Granitan S103 machine base forms the basis for this robust cylindrical grinding machine. The dampening properties of the machine's base helps ensure good surface quality of the ground workpieces, extended service life of the grinding wheel and therefore reduced downtime. Temporary temperature fluctuations are efficiently compensated for by the favourable thermal behaviour of Granitan, resulting in high dimensional accuracy at all times. The machine's longitudinal and cross slide, V and flat guideways are moulded directly onto the machine base and are treated with a non-abrasive Granitan S200 slideway coating.
The patented knobbed structure of the guideways largely eliminates the slip-stick effect or floating of the slides observed on conventional setups. The guideways offer high accuracy through the machine's entire speed range with high load capacity and dampening levels. Changing over from grinding between centres to live spindle grinding is said to be particularly easy on the S33; only a few movements are needed to withdraw the tailstock to its park position and free up the space required for internal grinding.
Reference points from grinding wheels to dressing tool and workpiece can be registered quickly with the help of Quick-Set, Studer's software-controlled set-up device. An external wheelhead with a belt-driven spindle, which can be manually adjusted to 0deg or 30deg, is available for production applications. Studer's turret wheelhead, with two motor spindles and an internal grinding attachment, enables the grinding of more complex workpiece geometries in a single clamping. Thanks to the machine's geometry, the entire distance between centres can be traversed with all grinding wheels.
The motor spindles that contribute to grinding accuracy are manufactured entirely in-house. The S33 universal workhead enables both live spindle grinding and grinding between centres. The machine can also be fitted with a specially designed chuck workhead for chuck applications. All low-maintenance workheads are equipped with roller bearings; they also feature good roundness accuracy figures of less than 0.0004mm (0.000,016in), which can be optionally improved to less than 0.0002mm (0.000,008in) during live spindle operations. Fine adjustment allows for taper corrections within the 1um range throughout live spindle operations.
As with the S33 tailstock, the machine's workhead is also equipped with a pneumatic lifting device to facilitate movement during set-up and resetting. An optional C-axis enables thread and form grinding, increasing the machine's potential applications. A controlled power chucking cylinder - which actuates a power chuck and spring collets - is also available for automatic workpiece clamping. The generously dimensioned barrel, designed for the use of Morse 3 (4) taper centres, glides in the tailstock housing. Centre pressure can be adjusted with the absolute precision required for grinding high-precision workpieces, while fine adjustment enables taper corrections in the range below 1um when grinding between centres.
If required, the S33 tailstock can be equipped with a hydraulically actuated barrel retraction for workpiece changeover, and a pneumatic lifting process facilitates movement during set-up and resetting. In order to guarantee optimum thermal stability, the S33's tailstock is flooded with cooling lubricant, as are the barrel and the diamond holder. The Studer S33 uses a Fanuc 0i-TD CNC control with integrated PC and 15in touch screen. All controls are clearly and ergonomically arranged, while an important role is played by the manual control unit, which facilitates set-up close to the grinding process.
The mechanical engineering concept of the S33 is complemented by a grinding software program developed in-house by Studer in collaboration with customers. The user interface, Studerwin, plus the software modules of Studergrind, create a stable programming environment and contribute to the overall efficiency of the machine. The S33 has the option of fully integrating in-process gauging and sensor technology for process monitoring, in addition to contact detection and automatic balancing systems. Windows control enables standardised programming of all of the S33's different systems. |
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| MTS Connector System Offers IP69K Protection |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|10:55 am] |
 MTS has announced that the Temposonics connector system is now available universally for the entire M-series sensors product range for reliable position measurement in mobile off-road machines. The sensors can be embedded completely into a hydraulic cylinder. Click-on mounting without the need for tools is said to save mounting time and increases the safety of the sensor installation. The sensor is installed in the hydraulic cylinder and connected electrically within seconds.
This eliminates time-consuming connection of the cable conductors, as well as polarity errors or 'dry' solder joints. Developed primarily for the MH sensor model - the standard sensor for mobile hydraulics - MTS said the connector system proved popular with hydraulic cylinder and mobile machine manufacturers. After further development and optimisation, the unit can be used to facilitate mounting and ensure safe connection of the compact Temposonics MS sensors and the redundant Temposonics MT sensors to the machine electronics.
The connector system is in compliance with exacting protection requirements according to DIN EN 60529. With protection type IP69K, the robust metal housing is dustproof and penetration of water inside the cylinder is prevented. It is able to withstand extremely hard cleaning conditions using high-pressure equipment. The connector system is prefabricated and delivered in conjunction with the M-series position sensors - in other words, its contact carrier is already connected to the sensor conductors.
When mounting, the contact carrier is taken out of the cylinder through a bore hole, and the flanged housing can be clicked in position easily from outside. During installation of the cylinder unit into the mobile machine, the M-series sensors can be connected at different angles using a universal M12x1 connector. The minimised installation height of the connector system ensures successful cylinder mounting even under limited space conditions, MTS added. |
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| Coastal Steel Utilises MIE Trak Software |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|10:53 am] |
Coastal Steel is using MIE Trak enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, a MES and production control and job-tracking solution, to improve efficiencies in its business processes. Coastal Steel specialises in simple and complex structural, ornamental and miscellaneous steel erection and fabrication. MIE Trak is a cost-effective MES software solution that Coastal Steel decided to use following the review of multiple products. MIE Trak is said to be an easy to use, production control and job-tracking solution that is designed to help companies increase operating profits without increasing their overhead.
It integrates all aspects of the fabrication business process to provide vital management information when it is needed. The MIE Trak ERP and MRP system is designed for manufacturers who want to improve their bottom line with a cost-effective software solution. ERP is a critical function for custom manufacturers and made-to-order manufacturers. MIE Trak features include: quote, order entry, quote letter, router, work order, costing, purchasing, receiving, raw material, inventory, shipping, invoicing, and finished goods; inventory scheduling, tracking, accounting, EDI module, shop overview, shipping and invoicing reports; Quickbooks integration.
MIE Solutions online B2B supply chain portal software MIE Exchange enables buyers and suppliers to interact efficiently through request for quotes, document management and purchase orders quickly and easily. The online directory allows buyers and suppliers to be listed, searched and contacted. |
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| MIE Trak ERP Implemented at Heart-Fab |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|10:51 am] |
Heart-Fab, which manufactures metal components for industries including agriculture, bought MIE Trak, a production control and job-tracking system designed to increase operating profits in job shops. Heart-Fab uses state-of-the-art machinery to produce high-quality, precisely crafted metal components for a variety of applications, including the construction and agriculture industries, and even sculpture and other specialty work. Heart-Fab offers CNC saw cutting, precision forming and sheet metal fabrication, as well as many other fabrication-related services.
MIE Trak integrates all aspects of the fabrication business process to provide vital management information when it is needed. MIE Trak has the ability to attach DXF files to sales orders and invoices in order to print thumbnail representations on the packing slips of the cad file. The addition of a second laser cutter not only increased Heart-Fab's production capabilities dramatically, but also allowed Heat-Fab to address orders from larger, more commercial applications. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a critical function for custom manufacturers, made-to-order manufacturers and custom manufacturers.
The MIE Trak ERP and MRP system is designed for the manufacturer who wants to improve their bottom line with a cost-effective software solution. Features include: quote, order entry, quote letter, router, work order, costing, purchasing, receiving, raw material, inventory, shipping, invoicing, finished goods, inventory scheduling, tracking, accounting, EDI module, shop overview, shipping and invoicing reports. |
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| Free Seminar Focuses on Pipeline Welding |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|10:50 am] |
Lincoln Electric is to host a free pipeline welding seminar for contractors and professionals in the pipeline industry on 29-31 March 2011 at the company's Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters. The in-depth session takes place over three days. With the growing demand in energy markets, rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and construction of new cross-country and subsea pipelines will continue to increase.
The seminar will focus on these topics, as well as solutions for overall improved safety, productivity and quality. Topics will include: solutions to common pipeline welding challenges; understanding hydrogen cracking and how to minimise it; and the effects of welding essential variables, including heat input, on weld metal properties. Sessions will be followed by welding demonstrations of the latest pipeline welding techniques, equipment and consumables. Tours of Lincoln's manufacturing facilities will also be included. The deadline to register for the seminar is 15 March 2011. |
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| Self-Centring Vice and Hydraulic Vice Column |
[Jan. 18th, 2011|10:49 am] |
Roemheld has introduced a compact, self-centring Bock vice to provide quick and simple fixturing for concentric machining of different-sized workpieces. This Bock vice from Roemheld is compact and features an adjustable Gib design for increased accuracy. It is available with a Universal base that is easy to mount directly to machine tables. The vice has a fully sealed, patented lead-screw assembly that ensures long, maintenance-free service and contains cleverly located openings that allow chips to flow out of the vice base.
While hardened steel rails, ground within +/-0.001" (0.025mm) provide precise location, resist wear and offer strong support to jaws. The Roemheld self-centring vice has a maximum clamping force of 4,600lbs (2,000kgf) and offers repeatability of up to 0.0002" (0.005mm). It comes complete with aluminum soft jaws, which are fully machineable and reversible. Roemheld has also introduced a new Hydraulic Vice Column with patented swivel coupling which prevents twisting of hoses and saves time and money.
In-house testing of the Bock Hydraulic Vice Column with swivel coupling achieved up to a 50 per cent reduction in production time when compared to the manual version performing the same tooling operation. Proprietary features such as the patented swivel coupling save operator time by eliminating the need to disconnect and reconnect the two hydraulic hoses as the column rotates. Each vice can be independently operated to quickly unload and load parts.
In addition, the extremely compact rotary coupling does not interfere with tooling. Use of hydraulics give this Bock vice from Roemheld a fast, repeatable action that ensures consistent clamping force, up to 4,700 lbs of clamping capacity, without the variability due to operator fatigue that can occur with manual vices. The operator simply opens the hydraulic valve to open the jaws to quickly unload and load parts. |
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