Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
It all begins with a solid base… and a secret recipe.
What do tool and cutter grinders and buildings have in common? The importance of having a solid foundation.
An essential component of achieving good accuracy and repeatability when grinding a cutting tool is the base. Having a stable foundation for a machine is paramount to achieving stable production. As part of ANCA’s commitment to vertical integration, in the late 1980s Pat McCluskey decided to replace the bases that were then outsourced with an ANCA designed and manufactured base.
McCluskey’s research was conducted primarily in Europe in conjunction with Aachen University who had carried out some research in polymer concrete in machine tool applications. He worked with German and local consultants to develop ANCA’s recipe for concrete base manufacture. The base molding technology they developed has since been an important part of the rigid ANCA bases.
The first base was poured in late 1989. Further pouring and testing followed until everyone was fully satisfied. Now called ANCAcrete, this technology would provide the best possible foundation for precision CNC grinders, reducing vibration and increasing the overall rigidity of the machine.
Since 1991 we have been using the polymer base technology which forms the stable foundation base of all ANCA machines. Customers often ask us to explain the benefits of polymer concrete and we explain that polymer concrete by its very nature has a high thermal mass, so our bases are good at absorbing a lot of heat.
That means that throughout the production processes, their growth and contraction are very controlled and it takes a long time which means that the process is very, very stable. The second main part of polymer concrete is that when we designed the mix over 20 years ago, it was made to mimic the expansion thermal coefficients of cast iron very closely. This means that as our machines heat up and cool down, we can control the expansion and contraction of the machine – which in turn, gives us control over the production processes to make sure that the machine aligns to how we want it to react.
Between the large thermal mass, the very closely linked thermal expansion coefficient to cast iron and also the vibration absorbing characteristics, ANCAcrete significantly contributes to the overall rigidity of the machine. For our customers this translates into highly accurate tools with a superior surface finish.
This is the first in a series looking at the range of ANCA technology that we have developed and refined over the years so that we can offer the best in class to the market. At ANCA we have fully embraced the benefits of vertical integration and are the only tool and cutter grinding machine company in the world that designs and manufactures the complete machine, including building the CNC, precision motors and spindles, and of course our ANCAcrete polymer concrete bases, in-house.
This means customers enjoy the benefits of a manufacturer that understands their product completely, stands behind the quality of every element, and is uniquely positioned to custom design both hardware and software to suit individual needs.
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
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Growth in the animal health industry saw the company invest in a FX5E to keep up with demand
Based in Bendigo, Victoria, The Edge Equine is an Australian manufacturer of equine dental products, primarily rasps for manual horse dentistry. The company also provides commercial industrial sharpening services for the central Victorian region – specializing in high precision sharpening such as broach drills, annular cutters, saw blades, and router bits for local commercial cabinet makers, sawmills, and food processors.
The company’s focus on manufacturing equine dental products stemmed from a local horse dentist’s request to sharpen his equine dental blades. Today, it is a point of differentiation as The Edge Equine has concentrated on a more traditional product while other manufacturers have moved to the electronics industry.
The Edge Equine pride themselves on providing prompt service, made possible with on-site manufacturing capabilities that enable them to ship products within 48 hours. The company sells directly to over 40 countries, with distributors in the US, UK, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Tim McMahon, Managing Director of The Edge Equine said, “Our relationship with ANCA started in 2005 when we purchased a second-hand TG4. Over the years we grew to have three TG4s on the floor. ANCA were fantastic, they helped us write our programs, get the machines up and going and then when we swapped to our first FX3, ANCA developed the programs to make our products which was absolutely fantastic.”
“We invested in the FX5E in 2020. We were after another machine, as our demand for product had grown to the point where the FX3 and the remaining TG4 couldn’t cope. Jake [Farragher], ANCA Asia-Pacific General Manager recommended the new FX5E as having some features that would certainly help us grow, part of that being its future ability to be automated as our growth continued. It’s been a pretty seamless transition with having the FX3 and FX5E on the floor.”
The Edge Equine mainly produce dental rasps and floats, devices that are used for maintenance of horses’ teeth. “The average cycle time is approximately 14 to 16 minutes depending on the rasp profile that we’re grinding which is two blades per cycle so it’s roughly eight minutes, seven to eight minutes per blade,” Tim said. “Most of our clients around the world order on an as needs basis so a prompt manufacture and supply is important to us and our customers.”
The future is bright with ANCA FX5E
Tim said, “With the implementation of the FX5E, it has given us new scope to look at more high precision grinding in the industrial regrinding market. We do a lot of granular cutters, annular cutters or broach cutters. We’re also looking at new products once again in the veterinary space. These are sectioning burrs for basically cutting out teeth that’s inside the horse’s head. As you can see, they’re quite a long burr. So there’s a lot of growth in using the capabilities of the FX5E.”
“The FX5E has the capacity to have robotics fitted and it will be something to look at in the future as our market grows and with the help of ANCA, we’ll develop a process to automate the process of blades. At the moment, we manually feed the machines, which still works well for us, but we have the opportunity to grow further on the automation stage.”
“The other major benefit of the FX5E is its flexibility. It gives us the capacity to change from manufacturing our rasps through to grinding tools within a matter of minutes. As with the FX3, we do jig setups, change things over, change wheels. It becomes time-consuming. But the flexibility we have now is outstanding, we can go from one job to the next without losing any time.”
“The FX5E is probably the first opportunity where we’ve had the capacity and the wherefore to branch out into different products and it’s also given us a lot more flexibility of sharpening our own mills within our own processing.”
Tim recognizes that the company’s two-hour location from the ANCA headquarters is a major advantage. “Whenever we’ve had issues, there’s always someone on the phone to talk to and usually they’ll have a technician up here within 5 hours or the next morning. As our customers expect customer service from us, our expectation from ANCA is to have a high level of customer service – and they certainly provide.”
Tim is confident that the company will see continual growth in the animal health industry, enabling The Edge Equine to be a leader in the manufacture of manual tools for equine dentistry. He envisions using the FX5E along with ANCA’s technology to manufacture other products within the veterinary space in the next 10 to 15 years.
“Prior to COVID, we would do three or four conferences a year within the USA, at least one in the UK, and Germany. We are and we’ll always be looking at what the world needs and what the industry needs as far as these types of tools,” Tim concluded.
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide. ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
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In this episode, Hugh Ingham from ANCA takes viewers back to to basics through an in-depth overview of machine fundamentals including the human machine interface (HMI), general machine layout and kinematic layout. The video is below.
Hugh Ingham started at ANCA as an applications engineer in 2015, and for three years, was involved in testing and the development of new standard products, as well as grinding applications for custom solutions. In that time, he had multiple opportunities to travel to Thailand, Japan and South Korea gaining firsthand knowledge of customers’ experiences.
In 2018, Hugh was seconded for two years to ANCA Germany, functioning as both an applications and mechanical design engineer to deliver custom solutions to customers. This experience proved invaluable, as working directly with customers in Europe and seeing how they used ANCA’s products and how they could be improved – helps shape the way he approaches his job today. The scope and encouragement to explore new ideas, build new skills and develop as an engineer has driven Hugh’s passion for ensuring end-users get the most out of their technology.
In 2020, Hugh returned to Australia and since then has been continuing to develop custom solutions for a wide range of applications including medical, automotive, aerospace and more. Hugh is the host of ANCA Academy – a dedicated TV show for customers to learn more about ANCA’s products and solutions.
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
Continue reading
Representatives from ANCA and Fravic Daunert recently witnessed the signing of the contract at IMTS 2022
Fravic Daunert, a specialist in the distribution and commissioning of machine tools and accessories was developed with the union of two companies, the Fravic Group and Daunert Machine Tools. The first is a company that is established in the industrial sector that focuses on distributing machine tools including turret lathes, Swiss lathes, machining centers, CNC grinding machines, and much more. The second is a Spanish company, based in Barcelona that has specialized in the distribution of machine tools and accessories in a variety of industries for over 105 years.
According to Guillermo Ramirez, the CEO in Mexico of Fravic Daunert, the partnership between Fravic Group and Daunert Machine Tools was established a year ago to “serve the Mexican market with brands that Daunert represents in Europe.” To ensure proximity to local industry, Fravic Daunert has two offices in Mexico, one in Sahagún City, Hiladgo state and another in Queretaro State.
With a 2020 manufacturing output of $232 billion in Mexico, ANCA knew that they wanted to grow the company’s presence in the country. ANCA President, Russell Riddiford said, “ANCA is already established in the Mexican market, with over 160 machines installed around the country, but we know that the manufacturing industry in Mexico is a strong market for us, and we want to make sure we focus on continued growth in the region.” What better way to continue that growth, then to partner with a company you trust?
ANCA has been well represented by Daunert in Spain for many years. The partnership is already established, and proven, so the decision to partner with them in Mexico was simple. The partnership between ANCA and Fravic Daunert in Mexico has been in the works for months, but it was finalized in September at IMTS 2022 in Chicago, IL. Fravic Daunert will distribute the entire range of ANCA products, including ANCA’s world class CNC tool and cutter grinders, as well as the accessories that accompany them.
Present at the signing was Mr. Riddiford, as well as Mr. Ramirez, and brothers Fritz and Max Daunert, from Fravic Daunert. Fritz is the vice president, while Max holds the position of general manager. Sales representatives will promote and represent ANCA products in San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Aguascalientes, Puebla, State of Mexico, Mexico City and Tlaxcala in conjunction with ANCA regional manager, Denny Smaic.
This partnership with ANCA is significant because it is, “A great opportunity, since in the Mexican market ANCA machines are widely used in the automotive, aerospace, medical and electrical industry for companies to manufacture their own tools.” This allows a reduction of costs, as well as greater efficiency and probability. Ramirez concluded, “This in the long run has a very positive impact on the economy and productivity.”
For further information, please contact:
Amanda Bakun
Group PR and Communications Manager, ANCA
M: +1 248 497 1168
amanda.bakun@anca.com
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
Guillermo Ramirez
CEO in Mexico, Fravic Daunert
T: +52 791 596 21 36
M: +52 771 220 99 21
guillermo.ramirez@fravicdaunert.com.mx
ANCA USA (Wixom, MI), a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines, has announced that Amanda Bakun will take on the newly created position of Marketing and Communications Manager for the Americas.
Johanna Boland, Group Communications and Strategy Manager said, “It has been really exciting at ANCA over the past five years in the marketing communications space. We have built an outstanding team who are leading the way in our social media, thought leadership, customer communications and even an e-commerce platform amongst other marketing activities. We have a powerful and positive brand at ANCA, and I am confident that Amanda will both nurture and grow our reputation in the Americas as well as celebrate what is key to our success – our customers.”
Since ANCA was founded in 1974, the cutting tool industry has continued to grow, in both size and application. ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
Russell Riddiford, GM Americas said “I am confident that the North/South American segment of the market is going to continue to grow, and because of that we are investing in our growth strategy. We have fantastic customers and exceptional technology in a dynamic market – marketing is key to connecting these groups together.”
“By the appointment of a local marketing and communications manager, ANCA will deliver a program of activities so that new and existing customers can remain up to date on all the latest news and innovations. This is especially important as we continue to diversify, expand, and grow our brand presence in a variety of different markets. We also pride ourselves on an aggressive product development strategy, investing more than 10% of our revenue annually into research and development – we need to ensure we are communicating these new solutions to the market,” says Johanna Boland.
Although Amanda is new to ANCA, she is not new to the industry. She brings over 12 years of experience in content strategy and marketing in manufacturing. Amanda has worked for several organizations in the industry, most recently a leader in turning and grinding machines. ANCA is confident that her addition to the team will have a big impact on the region. At ANCA, Amanda will be responsible for the content marketing strategy, communications, and marketing efforts for the North and South American markets. “It is an exciting time to join the ANCA team as the company expands its product offerings in a variety of unique and diverse industries. I am honored to join the team and look forward to using my skills and experience to accelerate ANCA’s growth in the America’s,” says Amanda. Amanda has earned a BS in Marketing from Grand Valley State University in Michigan, an MBA from Walsh College in Michigan, and MS in Marketing Research from Michigan State University.
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boland
Group PR and Communications Manager, ANCA
M: +61 407799779
Johanna.Boland@anca.com
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
Continue readingJG Group from Poland were second time winners of the virtual category for their beautiful and highly creative model of a Hummingbird that attracted significant industry votes
The first ever Mexican winner, SJ Tools wowed the market with a cutting tool that combined multiple features into a single tool where all features were finished with a very accurate surface finish. The complexity of the design was possible through ANCA’s flexible iGrind software that offers its users a myriad of advanced features. SJ Tools drill point was special with a roughing tip just below the drill point to carry out high speed drilling and chip management.
Into its fifth year, ANCA’s industry first competition announced winners live at the international trade show IMTS in Chicago, IL earlier this month. The ‘Oscars’ of the Cutting Tool industry, participants and winners achieve important brand recognition with a reach of over two million across extensive media and social media coverage as well as money and other prizes.
Patrick Boland, Co-Founder at ANCA comments: “Every year I am delighted by the skill and creativity of our customers and how they apply the ANCA technology to design and manufacture market leading cutting tools. I think it is very important to recognize the amazing results we see across our industry and ANCA’s Tool of the Year is a chance to get together and celebrate our vibrant and innovative industry.”
JG Group won the virtual category with an excellent display of creativity and third runners up for the main ANCA Tool of the Year. The effort and creative thinking process coupled with intimate knowledge of the iGrind and the CIM3D software enabled them to design a life size model of the “Hummingbird” which was both beautiful and an impressive application of design.
Aleksandra Semeniuk, Design Manager at JG GROUP has been producing cutting tools as well as machine parts and tooling for industry since 2005. “The ANCA Tool of the Year competition inspires tool companies all around the world and brings a breath of fresh air to our daily work, stimulates creativity and allows us to break down barriers.”
No Simple Tool – SJ Tools takes the ANCA Tool of the Year major award
Edwin Juarez, CEO of SJ Tools said: “In this very competitive world with the technology that exists in cutting tools, it’s a great achievement for me as well as the whole team that works at SJ Tools (designing, sharpening, grinding, machining area, polishing, honing, quality, purchases, sales and administration).”
“Our tool was designed for a customer which machines aluminium. With this tool we could eliminate five tools and machine it with one. The first and second operation performed was roughing and a chip breaker on the tip to break the chip, giving better output and avoiding obstructions. The third operation interpolates to create a pocket. In the fourth and fifth we made two internal slots in which we did roughing and finishing, also super polishing and honing. At the same time, we managed to reduce cycle times, production cost and inventory cost.”
“There is no simple tool. That is why I want to highlight the engineering, design and manufacturing team since they worked hard analyzing each of our client’s operations to be able to create this tool. The experience and dedication of each team member that works at SJ Tools leads us to these achievements. It was created by observing, analyzing and detecting the needs of our client, and thus be able to create this solution.”
Independent judge, John Saunders who is the President of Saunders Machine Works (SMW) and founder of YouTube channel NYC CNC said, “Congratulations to the winners! The application of both software and the ANCA grinding technology was truly remarkable. The complexity, detail, and quality of the tools was outstanding. Thank you to ANCA for inviting me to be part of the tool of the year competition and helping to share our passion for educating the manufacturing community about the precision and capabilities of CNC tool grinding.”
Winner Main category: SJ Tool
Winner Virtual category: JG Group
ANCA Tool of the Year
There are two competition categories to recognize both the functionality and creativity of cutting tool manufacturers.
The winner of #MadeonANCA receives $10,000 AUD worth of ANCA innovations for parts, accessories or software that fit your grinding needs and the winner of the most innovative virtual tool will receive the full CIM software package.
SPONSORS
The competition was based on the passion and the craft of tool making and celebrated our highly skilled tool grinding community.
The top five finalist tools were judged on the following criteria:
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boland
Group Corporate Communications Manager
M: +61 407799779
Johanna.Boland@anca.com
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
Continue reading
Introducing one nanometer axis resolution, the new MX7 ULTRA machine’s performance can maintain less than +/- 0.002mm line form accuracy of any profile which includes ballnose and corner radius endmills. See the ultra-performance machine at IMTS – Booth #237406.
The new MX7 ULTRA can manufacture large volumes of endmills and other cutting tools of the highest accuracy and quality. The minute size of a micron is beyond the human eye, but in becoming even more precise and moving from micrometers to nanometers, ANCA will offer the highest accuracy and quality in a cutting tool in the market. New software, hardware and design features are combined to make significant advances in surface finish, accuracy, and controlled runout, to deliver batch consistency from the first ground tool to the thousandth.
The MX7 ULTRA includes:
Pat Boland, ANCA co-founder says: “The MX7 ULTRA is a significant development in precision machine design and will change the industry expectations for accuracy and tool life. Achieving these outstanding results has only been possible because of our extensive experience working with customers to manufacture the highest quality cutting tools over many years. At ANCA we are always designing and innovating to find better customer solutions and I am very proud of the ANCA team that has developed the MX7 ULTRA.”
“The ULTRA machine is truly market changing. It is the culmination of ANCA’s elite technology, deep industry knowledge, and customer experience in grinding,” says Thomson Mathew, ANCA product manager for the MX series and software products.
Unlike its competitors, ANCA is vertically integrated. This provides a significant advantage as it means ANCA teams can develop and manufacture their own machines from base to canopy – including controls and drive systems, design and simulation software and even machine monitoring software. Owning all the technology means engineers and designers can consider the entire machine as a single system when developing new solutions.
“We wanted to create technology that could produce premium cutting tools that are above the current market standard in both accuracy and tool life. We introduced nanometer resolution into our axis, which is new to the cutting tool market. The result is a perfect example of ANCA’s vertical integration capabilities as we have the in-house ability to fine tune or develop the new algorithms for our drives to make this happen.”
“Cutting tools like ballnose, corner radius, barrel shape ballnose and double corner radius endmills are used widely across industries including diemold, aerospace, and power generation. The surface finish quality, accuracy and runout are critical for the performance and cutting life in all applications – so our customers want a guarantee that their first tool will be exactly the same as the hundredth, or thousandth. The MX7 ULTRA can produce high quality cutting tools to suit all customer needs to satisfy all industry types.”
“With almost 50 years of expertise, we are experts in the field of cutting tools and we want to impart our knowledge through best grinding practices. As part of the ULTRA experience, skilled application engineers will be available to train and educate our customers to ensure the machine will produce high quality tools from the first day of production.”
“It has taken years of research and development, and engineering excellence for us to develop this premium solution to grind high quality tools. In my 25 years in the industry, I believe this is one of the most outstanding innovations we have accomplished that will really change the cutting tool market. We are confident that our customers will be very satisfied with the life and performance of cutting tools produced on this premium machine,” Thomson concluded.
The MX7 ULTRA superior performance highlights
Greater control for the velocity and acceleration or deceleration along with machine jerk limits: To increase the stiffness of the C-axis, the MX7 ULTRA combines developments to the nanometer or micro degree resolution in the linear and rotary axis, tuning parameters, several system enhancements, and major mechanical changes.
ULTRA-fast response to internal or external disturbances: ANCA’s newly designed servo control algorithm allows silky smooth motion of an axis with the use of a unique algorithm and nanometer measurement in the control system. This will create finer cutting edges and eliminating micro-chips making it more efficient while used in actual machining of materials.
Better cycle time and higher productivity of high-quality cutting tools: The unique algorithm is key to the performance of the machine and ensures outstanding tracking performance. It also allows ULTRA-performance of the servo system without using a complex, complicated, or expensive mechanical system.
Reduces setup times and scrap: Cutting-edge software has been developed by ANCA to ensure batch consistency in large volumes. LaserUltra is part of the MX7 ULTRA package to maintain consistency and accuracy of the grinding process which includes in-process measurement and compensation to accommodate wheel wear and other external variations during large batch grinding. Its analog capability can maintain less than +/- 0.002mm line form accuracy of any profile which includes ballnose and corner radius tools.
Increased wheel life and better-quality tools: Tool and wheel performance can be further optimized by the iBalance software, which guides a user to the optimal grinding position and RPM for vibration monitoring and balancing the wheelpack inside the machine. Correctly balanced wheelpacks result in superior surface finish and reduced wheel wear due to the elimination of wheel vibration.
Consistency in finished tool quality: A major inclusion in the MX7 ULTRA package is the total tool runout measurement and compensation operation in iGrind. When an endmill is in rotation it is important that each tooth hits at the exact same spot along the workpiece for longer tool life and efficient cutting. Every tool in the batch can be measured and compensated for runout to make sure the entire batch is within a tolerance of 0.002mm. It is another piece of assurance that the first endmill will be as good as the last.
Consistent spindle thermal stability: Motor Temperature Control (MTC) is a patented (US PAT. 11,394,331) innovation built into the motor spindle drive firmware. Smart control algorithm actively manages and maintains the temperature of motorized spindles in the MX7 ULTRA. Dramatically reduced machine warmup time means production can start sooner, once the machine has reached thermal stability. This improves productivity and machine use. Consistent thermal stability of the spindle over time regardless of changes in load or speed, or coolant temperature, greatly improves the dimensional stability of grinding results.
Post grinding processes: The smoother, finer cutting edge and surface finish as a result of the combination of all the above including the nanometer control will assist in all post grinding applications like edge preparation and coating. A finer edge that has been properly prepared has greater stability, which reduces the likelihood of it chipping, while also decreasing surface roughness which can cause increased friction between the tool and the workpiece.
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boland
Group Corporate Communications Manager
M: +61 407799779
Johanna.Boland@anca.com
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
Continue reading
See ANCA’s specialized grinding solution for greater flexibility and capability for unattended production of wood tools at IWF – Booth B8285
FAMEG is one of the biggest chair manufacturers in the world. Established in 1881, FAMEG has dominated the market with a wide variety of product and commitment to quality. The company now has customers in 50 countries worldwide, an 800 strong production team and is headquartered in Radomsko, Poland.
Andre Bronowski, Sales Director at FAMEG said: “The chair design is similar to a fashion business. The product needs to be attractive, but it also needs to be strong enough for use. We work with many designers, from Poland and abroad from Germany, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland.”
“The process to manufacture a chair is not so simple. First, you have to source round wood, cut and bend the wood or make as plywood. For these processes we need cutting tools, a lot of cutting tools. After cutting, we assemble the complete chair – staining and lacquering to produce a final product.”
“Two to three years ago, we decided that we would make all our own woodworking tools in house and that’s why we contacted ANCA. Nowadays, production requires a lot of flexibility and short lead times. We calculated that it would be best to control this process ourselves.”
“Furthermore, to ensure our quality standards we try to control all steps during production. Having the ANCA FX7 in-house means that we can now supply all the tooling for ourselves, save money and are even looking at manufacturing cutting tools for other companies,” Andrea stated.
Ireneusz Idzikowski, FAMEG Product Manager said, “We decided to purchase an ANCA machine because of how long it was taking to source cutting tools. We need our cutting tools fast. Our manufacturing deadlines are very short, so if we couldn’t get the tools we needed quickly, it was a big problem.”
“A second reason was diversity of cutting tools. Our production requires using specialized tools that have unusual dimensions. Obviously, we also use standard cutting tools, but the majority were specials. Tools made for special request and of special construction are not always perfect. Often you have to make a correction, which doesn’t have to be related to the tool itself but the production process of the used machine, which we can now do in real time – rather than shipping it back to a supplier.”
“We use the ANCA FX7 for both production and resharpening. For production we have equipped the machine with a robot to produce tools in an automatic cycle, replacing the operator’s work.”
“The machine has solved a lot of production problems. Now we can access cutting tools when we need them. It means we have stock or can manufacture the required cutting tool pretty much immediately, which wasn’t possible until now. It completely changed our work quality production wise.”
“We are also very happy about the service, ANCA service technicians help us in solving various technical questions and we know who to call and that they won’t leave us alone with our problem,” Ireneusz concluded.
Duncan Thompson, ANCA Special Projects Manager said: “FAMEG approached ANCA to see if we could find a custom solution for our FX grinding machine to have greater flexibility and capability for unattended production of wood tools. In partnering with FAMEG, we now have developed a machine package ideally suited to companies operating in the wood cutting tool industry.”
“The solution has a special tooling system that can be used on our highly affordable and versatile FX7 machine. With its inbuilt robot and dedicated tooling, the FX7 can easily change automated production between woodworking profile blades, used to form skirting boards and architraves, and solid round shank tools such as routers and drills used in production of furniture and nested flat panel applications.”
FX7 includes an inbuilt robot for tool and wheel pack changing, making it the ideal foundation for FAMEG’s application. Two systems of work holding are offered: one for flat profile blades and another for round shank routers. Changeover between the two is designed to take less than 15 minutes. To support unattended production, a new robot head changes not only wheel packs (up to six for ultimate grinding flexibility), but also loads profile blades, or round shank routers without the need to make any changes to the robot tooling. Changeover of the machine from profile blade grinding setup to routers takes less than 30 minutes.
Production of different tool types is supported by dedicated tool software packages for programming profile blades, compression routers, standard and profile routers and drills. All these grinding programs can be verified offline on the ANCA CIM3D package, ensuring the first tool produced is exactly as expected.
ANCA’S SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE YOUR WOODWORKING TOOL PRODUCTIVTY AT IWF
ANCA offers a variety of CNC grinding application solutions to suit the woodworking tool industry. Through collaboration with different companies, such as FAMEG, ANCA offers a range of CNC Tool and Cutter Grinders, along with dedicated woodworking software and automation solutions, to suit a range of tool types.
With ANCA, manufacturers can diversify wood tool applications on FX machines. ANCA’s woodworking solution for the FX7 offers outstanding flexibility for unattended production. At IWF, visitors can see ANCA’s FX7 grinding compression routers.
Diversify your wood tool applications on ANCA FX machines:
Visit ANCA at IWF at Booth B8285.
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boland
Group PR and Communications Manager, ANCA
M: +61 407799779
Johanna.Boland@anca.com
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
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On a brand-new stand ANCA will showcase the next generation of technology enabling customers to grow capacity, improve profit margins and gain efficiencies.
Cutting tools continue to be an essential component across many industries, as these industries expand their own product range and complexity, manufacturers increasingly demand high-quality cutting tools that meet unique requirements. For cutting tool manufactures, deciding what technology to invest in should be driven by business goals and at IMTS, ANCA will present the grinding tech to tackle now — demonstrating the advantages of investing in a technologically advanced future.
Pat Boland, ANCA Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director, said: “Designing the best technology requires a multi-pronged approach. We immerse ourselves in the market; are continually inventing; keep a keen eye on new developments and bring them into our applications. We seek out intelligent, talented people, and interact with customers daily to understand their specific needs. This is how we design and manufacture our market-leading solutions.”
ANCA Inc General Manager Russell Riddiford is head of the Wixom, Michigan ANCA office and said: “With a long four-year wait since the last IMTS, I am excited to show our visitors the latest technological advancements from ANCA. We have not been idle between shows – once again ANCA has industry-first innovations launching in Chicago this year, and we will be presenting technology that helps solve the challenges faced by many manufacturers in the market.”
“We are also pretty excited to announce the winners of the fifth ANCA Tool of the Year competition on our stand at IMTS. The ‘Oscars’ of the cutting tool industry, the contest celebrates the deep experience and creativity of tool manufacturers across a highly skilled grinding industry,” Russell concluded.
TRULY INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING WITH AIMS
The ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System (AIMS) optimizes cutting tool production through streamlined manufacturing, automation, and connectivity. With ANCA and AIMS, customers can achieve continuous, unattended production that dramatically reduces non-productive machine time, with smart automation that connects sequential tool production processes and offers connectivity across the whole factory.
This is Industry 4.0 — factory-wide integration. The technology considers a factory as a single machine, rather than separating it into many different process elements. This is a powerful concept that brings together one ecosystem and builds it to be as efficient as possible. AIMS, being a modular solution, can be deployed in stages, allowing for easy, gradual, and smooth transition from traditional to automated and integrated manufacturing.
A fully operational manufacturing cell will be displayed at IMTS, demonstrating a fully automatic process of tool manufacturing, from blanks to ground tools. Included will be ANCA’s latest premium machine MX7 ULTRA capable of manufacturing high quality cutting tools, along with an AutoSet job preparation station, AutoLine for pallet and tool transfer as well as AutoFetch – a robot responsible for material transfer between processes – pallet and individual tools between job preparation, grinding and tool measurement on ZOLLER measuring machine.
Jan Irzyk, AIMS Product Manager said: “AIMS can be configured in many ways but at IMTS visitors can see an unattended manufacturing workflow of two varieties of endmills on one MX7 machine. An important part of this workflow is closed loop measurement and compensation process using ZOLLER Genius as a measurement station. Depending on an individual customer’s requirements, our system can automatically transfer a tool from the ground batch, clean it, measure required geometries and transfer the results to the respective grinder where grinding parameters compensation is taking place to achieve required dimensional tolerance of the batch.”
ANCA TOOL OF THE YEAR 2022 WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT IMTS
The fifth #ANCATooloftheYear2022 competition winners will be announced live at IMTS. The ‘Oscars’ of the cutting tool industry, the contest celebrates the deep experience and creativity of tool manufacturers across a highly skilled grinding industry.
Pat Boland, ANCA Co-Founder said: “Reviewing Tool of the Year entries I am always in awe of the passion and talent of customers that push our machines to their limits and create tooling masterpieces.”
PRESENTING THE CPX IN-PROCESS OD MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
The CPX in-process OD measurement system is a quality control system that monitors and controls the OD of ground blanks within a batch production.
Batch grinding on a CPX with high material removal rates and to tight tolerances is a basic function of the machine, the OD measurement system takes it further by utilizing the Statistical Process Control (SPC) feature that comes standard with the OD measurement software. SPC is user defined, the tolerances along with the Cp and CpK values are constantly monitored, controlled, and reported to the user.
The OD measurement system is permanently mounted inside the machine and only called upon when required, based on the set tolerances and the frequency of measurement, an accurate in-process measurement and compensation is applied to maintain the blank OD to the nominal diameter.
The system is flexible with the ability to handle multiple diameters in one setup, making it perfect for complex blank geometries/shapes and longer batch runs.
AUTOMARKX: ANCA’S AUTOMATIC LASER MARKING STATION
AutoMarkX is an automatic stand-alone laser marking station replacing manual and labor-intensive processes. It is AIMS Ready, which means it can be used as a standalone machine but could be easily integrated to your lights out, unmanned AIMS manufacturing cell with automatic pallet transfer using AutoFetch robot.
The AutoMarkX eliminates the need for manual laser marking which is a repetitive and labor-intensive job which could be automated and therefore saving you money. By avoiding manual handling, tool quality is protected by eliminating risk of chipping.
AutoMarkX accepts up to two full pallets of tools, which means you can mark a large batch of tools unmanned. Flexible marking means the message could be etched on a single side of the shank or, using the AMX’s new rotary workholding on opposite sides of the shank as well as at the end of tool. This new feature will be demonstrated for the first time at IMTS. This latest laser marking option is particularly useful for applications where a unique tool identification code (e.g. Datamatrix) needs to be etched on the tool. Codes like Datamatrix are usually etched on the shank where they risk the exposure to excessive surface wear, rendering them unreadable. The end of tool is the best location to etch this type of code to overcome this issue.
GCX LINEAR: GEAR UP FOR THE EV REVOLUTION
Driven by the automotive industry’s electrification and the general rise of e-mobility, the demand for skiving cutters has seen 30% year on year growth. The GCX Linear provides a complete solution for customers to tap into this rapidly developing market, including the ability to produce skiving cutters, shaper cutters and regrinding of hobs. It offers advanced stand-alone software to design and optimize the tool, neatly interfaced with the gear tool package inside ANCA’s renowned ToolRoom software.
The machine is designed for accuracy with features including all axes with LinX linear motors and an enhanced headstock. GCX Linear boasts a series of technologies: AEMS dressing, MTC on grinding spindle and dresser spindle, integrated gear tool measurement and direct compensation – setting the new standard for producing skiving tools that achieve the highest DIN AA quality class.
ANCA has developed a world-first integrated gear tool measurement system, which enables all the grinding-measuring-compensation to be done in the machine. This is the only practical closed-loop solution in the market and will be on display at IMTS as part of the skiving cutter production process on GCX Linear.
NEW TOOLROOM RN35 AND CIM3D PREVIEW
Besides demonstrations on ANCA’s industry leading ToolRoom and CIM3D software, visitors will have a special preview of the upcoming RN35 release.
ToolRoom RN35 focuses on productivity and cycle time improvements especially machine running costs. New process optimization features help to enable reduction in cycle time which in return provides better quality tools and wheel life. This includes automated reduction in air grinding time and gaps calculated based on tool simulation models. Some of the major enhancements include:
• Feedrate optimization – Integration of Q-Prime feature in ToolRoom software to achieve constant Material Removal Rate (MRR) based on wheel manufacturers specifications. This is done by calculating and controlling non-constant feedrate where applicable to achieve better cycle time and extended wheel life.
• Airtime Reduction – Automated reduction in airtime by optimizing gaps based on tool simulation models and wheel shapes.
• Statistical Process Control (SPC) – Gives control of your production process during high volume manufacturing by monitoring the variations due to wheel wear and other process-controlled activities. Process capability data can be graphically displayed or stored for future QC purposes or further evaluation. It also helps customers to control critical tool dimensions like diameter by updating wheels at regular intervals.
• Profile Fluting – Gives the ability to control and maintain hook/rake angle along the trajectory of the cutting edge on a given profile. Increases cutting performance and life of the tool due to uniform hook/rake angle along the edge.
Other features include in-process measurement of tool geometries, enhancement to profile software as well as several more.
FX7 RFID and LASERULTRA
The FX7 is fitted with ANCA’s Dynamic Tool Loading System, which is ideal for customers manufacturing or regrinding a wide and varied range of tools in small to medium size batches. The tool management system with RFID links unique tool programs to the correct tool in a loader pallet. This works in conjunction with automated Schunk collet changing to allow unattended grinding of random tool diameters and types.
The FX7 robot loader also changes wheel packs based on the individual tool grinding program linked to the RFID coding. With a six-station wheel changer and the ability to change collets the ANCA FX7 with RFID is the ultimate automation package.
The FX7 is additionally fitted with new LaserUltra, for automated post process tool measurement within the grinding machine itself. Measuring cutter profile and diameter to +/-0.002mm, LaserUltra can provide compensation feedback to ensure accuracy and consistency with unattended tool grinding operations.
Visit ANCA at IMTS at Booth 237406.
About ANCA
ANCA is a thriving business with over 1,200 employees and a world leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines, motion controls and sheet metal solutions.
It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boland
Group Corporate Communications Manager
M: +61 407799779
Johanna.Boland@anca.com
“It’s an honor to be part of this competition and I hope it can help raise awareness about the benefits of a well-designed and executed cutting tool.” John Saunders, ANCA Tool of the Year Judge
ANCA’s Tool of the Year contest is once again underway for the fifth year in a row. The prestigious, global competition opened for entries on May 17, 2022 and will close on August 8, 2022. The competition is based on the passion and the craft of tool making and celebrates the highly skilled tool grinding community. This year the panel of judges will include John Saunders, Saunders Machine Works, among a select group of industry experts.
John Saunders, President of Saunders Machine Works (SMW) and founder of YouTube channel NYC CNC, is excited to be a part of the selected panel. Saunders started his business about 15 years ago when he was trying to bring a product to market as a young entrepreneur. Admittedly not knowing anything about machining or even manufacturing, he ended up purchasing a benchtop CNC machine while living in New York city. At the time, his sole goal was to try to understand what machining was and how it worked. He was not planning on making parts himself, but wanted to be able to better communicate with engineers and machine shops on what parts they needed and ended up falling in love with the industry. This led to him documenting his journey on his well-known YouTube channel, called NYC CNC.
Saunders passion for “making stuff” was once again invigorated. Fast forward about 7 years into that journey, Saunders left New York city and moved back to central Ohio where he grew up. It was there, in Zanesville, Ohio, he started Saunders Machine Works as a “proper” brick and mortar business.
In the early years, the company did some job shop work and other projects, but now focuses on their line of Fixture Plates, as well as accessories, like the Mod Vise. The Mod Vise is a very popular, modular workholding system that allows one to hold small parts, big parts, dual station parts, etc. In addition to that, SMW continues to publish a lot of YouTube videos and offers hands-on CNC training classes where folks can learn CAM and how to operate CNC Machines.
Known widely through the manufacturing field for his YouTube channel, Saunders feels the biggest development in the machine tool industry, and the part he cares about most, said Saunders, is “the knowledge one can now gain from YouTube and other online resources, and how that learning may be enough to actually prepare them to take the next step; to buy a machine or start a side business, or a young person who’s interested can get guidance on whether they go into a trade or an engineering program, and that’s something I care greatly about and I think it’s absolutely awesome and I think that’s only going to continue.”
Saunders first became familiar with ANCA while on a shop tour for NYC CNC in a facility using ANCA machinery. He is excited to attend IMTS 2022 and for his role as a judge in ANCA’s Tool of the Year contest. He says competitions are important to the industry because “they bring a sense of community and a community bonding,” plus, he feels, “It’s really about having fun and showing off what you can do.”
The winner of #MadeonANCA receives $10,000 AUD worth of ANCA innovations for parts, accessories or software that fit the winner’s grinding needs or a trip to ANCA’s headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. This amazing prize further includes access as an ANCA VIP to exclusive opportunities with our ANCA tool experts. The winner of the most innovative virtual tool will receive a full CIM software package.
To enter the ANCA Tool of the Year contest, please see: https://machines.anca.com/Tool-Of-The-Year
NYC CNC, a leading CNC Machining YouTube channel, has over 420,000 subscribers. It has published over 1,000 videos which all together add up to more than 78.9 million views. NYC CNC regularly posts new videos on CNC machining and manufacturing entrepreneurship.
To see NYC CNC, please visit:
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boland
Group Corporate Communications Manager
M: +61 407799779
Johanna.Boland@anca.com
ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia, where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA, as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.
ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.
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