Machining

Excellent cutting and tool life promise big advantages for job shops. The versatile and robust VSM17 platform from WIDIA provide true 90-degree walls and excellent stepless finishes.

NUM has launched an innovative new CNC axis sharing facility that will enable designers to create machine tools of unprecedented versatility and productivity. It provides a very flexible and efficient means of controlling a high number of functionally interrelated groups of motion axes, by using advanced dynamic resource allocation techniques to share control across multiple CNC kernels. Typical applications include multi-station production centres and rotary transfer machines with complex multi-role axis control requirements.

Unison’s new North American support office in Asheville, NC, has received its first order for an all-electric CNC tube bending machine, just five weeks after opening. The order was placed by Byers Precision Fabricators, Inc., of Hendersonville, NC, for a versatile dual-head machine that is capable of meeting a diverse range of tube and pipe bending needs.

Sometimes small things turn out to be a big success. And that´s true for the mini chucks. But one thing they haven´t had until now was compatibility with the Hainbuch modular system. That´s no longer the case, and of course this includes both series of chucks: the round Spanntop and the hexagonal profile Toplus. Because of its reduced interference contour, to be able to use the modular system the Spanntop mini chuck comes with an adapter ring. The existing Mando Adapt mandrel and jaw module work perfectly with the new Spanntop mini. The Toplus version does not use an adapter ring, instead it has ring of attachment holes for fixing the jaw module, and next year it will get its own Mando Adapt series of adapters. And finally, as another piece of good news, Spanntop and Toplus minis both have full through-bore and are available in three standard lengths to suit all machines and drawtubes

Compared with rotary encoders, linear encoders provide more accurate feedback of actual cutter position to the control of a machine tool. Uneven distribution of heat in ballscrews caused by friction leads to inaccuracy when using the ballscrew pitch to translate revolutions of a rotary encoder into linear distance travelled. Errors from drive deformation and backlash are also present. A glass linear scale fixed to a slideway is immune to these errors, as the scanner sees only the absolute position of the axis.

For the production of homokinetic joints of hardened steel, numerous automotive manufacturers and suppliers rely on ball nose milling cutters from the MAPAL CPMill programme. For years, these have been successfully used for pre-machining (soft milling) and finishing (hard milling with PcBN). They are subject to continuous improvement. A new, comprehensive development of the milling cutter for pre-machining now allows users to enjoy a significant increase in efficiency. 

The H101F flat top motorised stage from Prior Scientific is suitable for a wide range of upright microscopes and offers an unmatched combination of precision, reliability and convenience. 

PI miCos presents the new L-511 precision linear stage series. The stages achieve unidirectional repeatability up to 0.1 µm and minimum incremental motion of up to 0.02 µm.

The Hermle C 60 U MT 5-axis mill-turn centre fitted with the latest Heidenhain TNC 640 CNC system is the subject of a new video published by Geo Kingsbury which was shot at the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Centre (NAMRC) in Rotherham, A 1.5-tonne steel billet is seen being machined to leave a component weighing nearly two-thirds less at just 565 kgs.  

MAPAL has developed a new solid carbide step drill that is specifically optimised for producing screw and tap bores on connecting rods. By allowing the bores to be produced in a single machining step, rather than the two steps previously needed, the new drill significantly reduces both machining time and costs.