Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Modular inverted vertical gear cutting system with SCUDDING® technology
German Machine Tools of America (GMTA) (Ann Arbor, MI) is now selling Profilator 300-V with linear drives in the North American market.
This modular machine platform used to cut gears, is equipped with one or two workpiece spindles in a compact design. It offers maximum flexibility due to modular design and is individually configurable for various machining processes (i.e. SCUDDING®, hobbing, cycloidal milling, pointing, chamfering and deburring). State-of-the-art linear drives in the X and Y axis, as well as a torque drive in the A axis offers high machine dynamics for short cycle times and maximum accuracy/low costs. High machine rigidity is available for HARD SCUDDING® of inner and outer diameters.
Additional features include an intuitive user interface for easy setup and programming and is industry 4.0 ready (optionally equipped with additional sensors). Various automation concepts are easily adaptable. The 300-V is easy to set up and maintain due to the “walk-in” machining area. An optional tool charger is available for maximum machining efficiency.
All Profilator machines are designed for dry machining. This brings several advantages such as: an optimized machining area, no coolant and no coolant mist. The inverted, vertical spindle(s) allow free chip fall into the central chip conveyor at the bottom, while no coolant means no washing of the workpiece is required and the lack of coolant mist signifies an extraction system isn’t needed.
Users of the Profilator 300-V reap benefits regarding the environment, energy efficiency, investment and operating costs. There is no carryover of the coolant outside the machine. Therefore, no disposal is required for this environmentally friendly machine. It saves energy and money by not requiring a coolant and extraction system. Lower operating costs are achieved thanks to a reduction in energy costs and media supply.
To download the full catalog, click: https://bernardandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Profilator-300-V.pdf
For more information:
Michael Rose, President
German Machine Tools of America (GMTA)
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: 1-734-973-7800
Email: michael@gmtamerica.com
A practical closed-loop solution for producing the highest quality skiving tools.
Vadim Zaiser, Product Manager – ANCA CNC Machines
The popularity of skiving is driven by electric cars. According to the Global Electric Vehicle (EV) Outlook 2023 report, there were over 26 million electric cars on the world’s roads in 2022, 60% more than in 2021 and 5 times as much as in 2018. In 2022 of all new cars sold, 14% were electric.
The forecast in 2023 is 14 million in sales by the end of the year, representing a 35% year-on-year increase. As a result, electric cars could account for 18% of total car sales for a full calendar year.
Worldwide, about 500 electric car models were available in 2022, a 100% increase from 2018. 18 of the 20 largest Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), such as the BMW and GM Groups, have committed to increasing the offer and sales of EVs. Manufacturers’ electrification targets align with the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Sustainable Development Scenario, aiming to reach 245 million EVs in stock, about 30% of the market share, by 2030.
The graph below depicts two major scenarios for global EV stock by drive mode. The passenger light vehicles and plug-in-hybrid and battery electric design are the major two leading the EV sales.
PLDV = Passenger light duty vehicle
BEV – Battery electric vehicle
LCV – Light commercial vehicles
PHEV – Plug-In-Hybrid Vehicle
73% of all gear sales are auto-related. 45% of all gear production is for vehicle transmission. The rise of EVs is changing the requirements for the gear industry. The high engine speed of up to 20,000 rpm means a higher gear ratio is required for efficiency. The planetary gear set is more prevalent in the new design. In a planetary gear set, also known as the epicyclic gear train, the sun and planet gears are external gears assembled inside a ring gear.
The external gears are produced by hobbing then grinding. The internal ring gear, traditionally produced with shaping or broaching, shaping is slow, while broaching relies on cumbersome tooling. Another trend driven by the more compact new transmission design is multiple gears on one shaft that are very close to each other; due to the interference, the smaller ones on the shaft cannot be manufactured by hobbing.
Efficiency poses multiple challenges, but EV’s noise emission is also a much higher priority for customers. Gears for EVs need to meet even tighter tolerances – increased from DIN 10 to DIN 6; the gear industry sees hard skiving as a revolutionary process to produce the millions of gears needed for the new EVs.
Skiving is a continuous material removal process, combining the rolling motion and milling motion. While meshing with the gear as a pinion cutter, the cutter simultaneously travels along the gear’s axial direction. It is as efficient as hobbing, reportedly five to 10 times faster than shaping. Skiving forms shorter chips, skived gears show higher quality, with lower surface roughness. The most challenging solid carbide skiving cutters are needed in the hard skiving process after heat treatment.
GCX Linear for Skiving CuttersResponding to the market demand, ANCA brings a complete solution for manufacturing and sharpening skiving cutters. The GCX Linear sets the new standard for producing the highest quality skiving tools in both carbide and HSS. Its in-process measurement with the analogue probe provides an accurate closed-loop manufacturing process, an industry-first innovation.
The GCX Linear solves challenges for producing high-quality skiving tools:
Challenge No. 1 – Complex geometry
Challenge No. 2 – Tight tolerance
Challenge No. 3 – Measurement
Challenge No. 4 – Dressing diamond wheel into complex shape within tight tolerance
Challenge No. 5 – Quality control
Challenge No. 6 – Knowledge gap
Skiving cutters are classified as pinion cutters. Currently, there are no standard specifications for them. The industry has widely adopted DIN 1829 as the default. Part 2 of DIN 1829 stipulates the features to evaluate and the tolerance to qualify for each quality class. The most critical aspects of the tool are tooth spacing and the tooth profile.
Tooth spacingTooth spacing measures the pitch, fp is the individual pitch error, which is the deviation of a particular tooth to tooth pitch from the nominal value. Cumulative pitch error Fp is the cumulated result of adding the previous tooth errors together. fu is the adjacent error. To qualify as DIN AA class, fp needs to be less than 2.5 microns; cumulative pitch Fp needs to be less than 7 microns. fu needs to be less than 3 microns. On a typical measurement report, tooth spacing measurement is illustrated as a bar chart, with a bar for each tooth.
ANCA implemented the pitch measurement operation on the GCX Linear. The operator can quickly verify the pitch accuracy instead of taking the skiving cutter out of the machine and moving it to the measurement machine. It uses the digital function of the probe to touch the skiving cutter tooth flank close to the pitch diameter. The chart generates instantly as the probing continues; the report is neat and clean, user-friendly and interactive. The measurement result is comparable to a traditional measurement machine. GCX routinely achieves AAA and AAAA class quality on tooth spacing, thanks to the stable machine condition.
The concept of tooth spacing is relatively straightforward, so is the measurement. The skiving cutter tooth form, however, is more complicated. In the DIN standard, three items regulate the skiving cutter tooth form accuracy.
To qualify as DIN AA class, ff must be less than 2 microns across the whole active profile range, cumulative form error must be less than 3 microns, and fhα less than 2.5 microns. On a traditional report, the nominal profile draws as a straight line for each involute flank.
The below inspection chart shows the skiving cutter pitch measurement.
Please note:
Skiving cutter vs Shaper cutterTo compare a skiving cutter with a shaper cutter, although both are classified as pinion-type gear cutters, the relative movements between the gear and the cutter are different. The principles of the shaper cutter are based on a pair of parallel axes gears. In contrast, the skiving cutters are based on a pair of gears with crossed axes. Subsequently, the profile and geometry of a skiving cutter are more complex than a shaper cutter. Although they are indistinguishable to the eye, the skiving cutter tooth profile is different from that of a shaper cutter.
Due to the novelty of skiving cutters, many industry GMMs (gear measurement machines) have in-built mathematical models for evaluating the cutter profile following a true involute. So, the skiving cutter can only be measured as a shaper cutter, which poses a unique challenge for manufacturing and quality control. The skiving cutter tooth profile doesn’t have a true involute profile due to the previously mentioned relative position to the gear.
Tool design engineers have to calculate an approximate deviation for the skiving cutter geometry and compare the deviation to a theoretical involute curve; operators then interpret the measured result against this approximation.
This roundabout way of measurement is mind-bending and extremely difficult in practice. ANCA developed the in-process measurement (IGTM) with an analogue scanning probe, which enables operators to evaluate directly against the theoretical profile, basically the grinding path. While scanning the tooth profile, the charts are drawn on the report window instantly. The report is much easier to decipher.
In addition, the in-process measurement significantly improves the process control. For example, when the skiving cutter tooth profile shows different patterns between different teeth, this often indicates that the grinding wheel wear during the finishing cycle is too much; the wheel did not hold the form. By measuring the profile between the roughing and finishing operations, the user can monitor the grinding wheel wear and proactively manage the grinding wheel’s dressing and white sticking. It can help determine the dressing frequency and reliably control the infeed, grinding feedrate and other process parameters. It improves the overall quality and controllability.
Closed-Loop ProductionTo reduce the dressing frequency, ANCA developed direct path compensation on the machine. The design process for skiving cutters requires iterative parametrization of the cutting tool. After carefully choosing the compromises, the software produces a wheel profile and a grinding path. These files are sent to the grinding machine to grind the skiving cutter. If there are errors in the skiving cutter after measurement, the traditional method to compensate was to recalculate the grinding wheel profile and redress it onto the grinding wheel. Which required multiple back and forth between the design station, the grinding machine and the measurement machine; it was time-consuming and made it extremely challenging to establish a stable process.
The GCX Linear approaches compensation differently; instead of changing the grinding wheel profile, the software compensates directly on the grinding path. With the in-process measurement, it localizes the closed-loop all on the GCX Linear. Without taking the skiving cutter or the grinding wheel out of the machine, it can compensate for any error in one clamping of the skiving cutter.
In summary, in-process measurement (IGTM) significantly improves the manufacturing process of skiving cutters: the machine can evaluate the profile against the correct mathematical form, which is a leap forward for the industry. Together with direct compensation, the skiving cutter grinding on GCX Linear is an efficient, practical closed-loop solution.
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.
ANCA Inc welcomes Brady Roarke as its new applications engineer and technical sales expert expanding its presence in Canada
Wixom, Michigan – ANCA Inc, a leading manufacturer of grinders used for the creation of precision cutting tools and components, is excited to announce the addition of Brady Roarke to the America’s based team. Brady will be located near Toronto, Canada. This strategic move signifies ANCA’s commitment to further strengthening its operations in the Canadian market and enhancing its ability to serve clients across the region.
Brady comes to ANCA with an impressive background in grinding machines, bringing nine years of experience and a proven track record of success as an applications engineer. Five of those years were spent milling, and four were spent grinding. As the newly appointed Applications Engineer & Technical Sales expert, Brady will play a pivotal role in expanding ANCA’s reach in the grinding industry in Canada, both with new opportunities, and expanding relationships with ANCA’s existing client base in the region.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brady to our team,” said Russell Riddiford, President of ANCA Inc. “With his extensive experience and deep insights into the grinding industry, we are confident that Brady will be instrumental in driving ANCA’s growth and success in Canada.”
Brady expressed his enthusiasm for joining ANCA. “I am honored to be part of ANCA’s talented team and to contribute to the company’s ongoing success in the Canadian market. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues and clients alike to deliver exceptional grinding solutions.”
The addition of Brady is part of ANCA’s larger strategic plan to expand its footprint and enhance its offerings in Canada. This move underscores ANCA’s commitment to delivering top-tier solutions and services that meet the evolving needs of its Canadian clients.
About ANCA:
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.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Amanda Bakun
Marketing & Communications Manager – Americas
248-497-1168
amanda.bakun@anca.com
ANCA’s AIMS solution addresses the challenges of skilled labor shortage and rising overheads, enabling FABA to increase productivity through automation
FABA S.A., established in 1991, is a leading manufacturer of wood and metalworking tools made from carbide and PCD. Over the years, FABA has seen tremendous growth and is now a public listed company, comprising four business units located in Poland, Ukraine, and Slovakia. With approximately 400 staff members, FABA supplies their tools to 50 countries, predominantly in Europe.
One of the key factors contributing to FABA’s success has been their dedication to innovation and progress. For more than 30 years, the company has continuously invested in modern machinery and infrastructure, allowing them to stay ahead in a competitive market. However, like many others in the manufacturing industry, they have faced challenges in recent years such as low profit margins, a shortage of skilled technical labor, and increasing overheads, including high energy costs.
According to Paweł Hondra, FABA CEO, the company had been considering an advanced automation solution for several years to address these challenges and improve efficiency – and the ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System (AIMS) concept was the answer to their expectations. The integration of machines in the AIMS system promised simplified manufacturing processes, stability, consistency, and ultimately, improved product quality.
Considering the shortage of skilled technical staff in Europe, also very noticeable in Poland, FABA estimated that the implementation of the AIMS system would not only reduce labor costs by approximately 60% but also increase productivity. This solution, an industry-first by ANCA, was crucial in lowering general overheads and addressing the skilled labor shortage simultaneously.
ANCA has leveraged its nearly 50 years of vertical integration and expertise to develop a groundbreaking solution that seamlessly integrates the manufacturing workflow. With the innovative AIMS system, manufacturers can start with a tool blank and receive a fully ground tool at the other end, all in a completely automated process. This allows factories to operate efficiently without human intervention, enhancing flexibility and maximizing machine utilization.
AIMS revolutionizes the tool and cutter grinding process by integrating, connecting, and automating discrete manufacturing processes. By intelligently linking various grinding operations and factory IT systems, AIMS streamlines production and enables a smooth transition from traditional to automated and integrated manufacturing through its modular design.
One of the key benefits of AIMS for tool manufacturers is the ability to operate and respond to market demands without being constrained by labor shortages. By implementing automation solutions, manufacturers can optimize their machine uptime and operate unattended, enabling them to onshore and re-shore their manufacturing processes. AIMS reduces scrap, eliminates human errors, and enhances workplace safety, leading to improved productivity and increased competitiveness. It also effectively addresses rising overhead costs and energy expenses through an expected increase of machine-operator ratio by 100-150%.
“We have worked with ANCA since 2007, and they have been a trusted partner and software solutions provider for our organization. Their consistent delivery of reliable products and services throughout our long-standing partnership has solidified ANCA as the ideal choice to implement the AIMS system,” Mr Hondra said. “The AIMS project was conducted in a highly professional manner, with consultation and collaboration between ANCA and FABA to ensure that concerns are addressed and expectations are met.”
The installation of the full AIMS system is planned in a few months, marking the beginning of FABA’s transformative journey towards integrated manufacturing. Mr Hondra recognizes that building such a complex system will take several years, but they are prepared to invest the time and effort required. They understand that this is not just a one-time solution but a long-term commitment to continuous improvement and growth.
FABA’s collaboration with ANCA and the implementation of the AIMS system are testaments to their commitment to innovation and progress. By embracing automation and advanced manufacturing technologies, FABA is positioning itself to overcome the challenges of a competitive market, low profit margins, and skilled labor shortage. With the support of ANCA and the AIMS system, FABA looks forward to a future of increased efficiency, reduced costs, and improved product quality.
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.
For further information, please contact:
Amanda Bakun
Marketing & Communications Manager – Americas
248-497-1168
amanda.bakun@anca.com
With SINAMICS G220, Siemens is launching a new high-performance drive to join the SINAMICS drives family and recently introduced it to the North American market. SINAMICS G220 is an innovative multi-purpose adjustable speed drive with built-in Clean Power technology, which reduces harmonics by up to 97% without the need for an AC line reactor or DC choke. SINAMICS G220 is significantly more efficient in terms of space utilization and operation. SINAMICS G220 makes the system engineering and its integration into a production or processing machine much easier.
SINAMICS G220 is also the first drive to join the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, the Siemens-wide business platform for digital transformation. SINAMICS G220 drives are an integral part of the TIA Portal and feature a digital twin in Startdrive, the drives commissioning tool from Siemens. This allows the behavior of the drive to be tested and optimized before the hardware is available.
When it comes to integrated safety, SINAMICS G220 reaches the next level by meeting hardware based SIL 3 functional safety requirements. Thanks to its built-in media and S2 system redundancy, maximum system availability is guaranteed and the continuity of critical processes are maintained.
SINAMICS G220 ensures the improved sustainability of processes through robust, safe, secure and efficient design and operation. This new drive contributes to a sustainable future along its entire lifecycle from design to delivery thanks to the carbon neutral production sites and paperless delivery system. This new drive is suitable for all industries, but especially food-and-beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, oil-and-gas, marine, automotive and tire manufacturing.
The new SINAMICS G220 drives are the first drives in the SINAMICS family to join the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, the open digital business platform that enables machine builders and machine users to accelerate their digital transformation.
In a digital age now, evaluating the performance of our advertising and PR has become more challenging, but we do it to a substantial level at our agency.
Nobody reading this probably remembers the “bingo card” used long ago by trade magazines, which allowed the readers to request information from advertisers and PR producers. Yes, kids, people waited 30 days to get catalogs in the mail vs. the scenario today, with 30-second access to company information. However, the bingo card gave us hard information on the inquiry and keep in mind there was a bit of labor involved in filling out the card and sending it to the publisher, which reflected a more serious interest level. As a result, we had trackable evidence of who had inquired, which could be subsequently used in the sales process and back-end assessment of publication lead quality. I spent my earliest days here at the agency doing that, as well as using the follow-up info from rep and sales organizations to assess their performance for clients. Made for some interesting presentations at client sales meetings!
Today, we track all appearances of our clients’ ads and PR online, in print and on social media. We assign an equivalent ad dollar value and can thus present the client with always impressive ROI. This is done through a complex system of online searching and print magazine scans.
The information is then made into pdf and/or link form and amassed in a data base archive in real time. We also engage in CTS protocols to assess the performance of both individual publications and the clients’ sales organizations.
The bottom line…all the content we create and place for our clients is carefully monitored for performance, in this new media environment. You shouldn’t expect any less from an agency.
For more information on how we prove our value to clients every day, call me.
Tim Daro
847-934-4500
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ANCA is proud to announce the appointment of Edmund Boland as the new General Manager of ANCA CNC Machines. Edmund is the son of ANCA co-founder Pat Boland and brings an impressive 15-year tenure at ANCA. Pat Boland, ANCA co-founder said, “When Pat McCluskey and I founded ANCA, our primary goal was to design the best technology that solves real customer problems. I am proud that my son has joined this mission and has accepted this important leadership role in the business to continue fostering a culture of innovation.”
ANCA is a privately owned business and proud of its reputation for being first to market with technology that has proven time and again to revolutionize the cutting tool industry. Celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, Pat McCluskey, ANCA Co-founder comments that “being privately owned brings great benefits as it means that we can focus on investing and developing new innovations while maintaining our long-term view of the market to design products with longevity and customer focus.”
Edmund Boland said: “I am honored and thrilled to be a part of ANCA CNC Machines, such an exciting company in the cutting tool industry. Every day, I am amazed by the skill and prowess of our customers, who continue to push the entire industry forward. ANCA is in my blood, and our commitment to innovation is unparalleled. Throughout our extensive history, we have consistently been the first to market with new technology, investing over 15% of our revenue every year into research and development.
“Technology is truly in our DNA, for example, ANCA’s Integrated Manufacturing System (AIMS) which is one of our latest products could be considered akin to the impact of a printing press and is set to revolutionize the cutting tool industry. I am excited to lead ANCA into a future of continued innovation, growth, and success, while educating the market about the transformative power of our new nanometer control system and ensuring the success of our internal investments such as in our machine shop or our sub-micron metrology equipment.
“We take pride in hosting the only customer competition in our field, the ANCA Tool of the Year, and I am particularly excited that this year we will have a new category of Female Machinist of the Year. Together, these, and many other initiatives will contribute to the continuous growth and prosperity of our esteemed company.”
Edmund’s journey at ANCA began in February 2008, and throughout his career with the company, he has held key positions in the finance, operations, strategy, regional management and applications teams. This diverse experience has afforded him a deep understanding of ANCA’s operations and a comprehensive perspective on the company’s strategic goals.
Prior to assuming his new role as General Manager, Boland led ANCA’s European Branch with remarkable success during the unparalleled challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. His exceptional leadership and strategic vision enabled ANCA to navigate through this disruptive period while ensuring uninterrupted supply of high-quality CNC machines to customers worldwide.
As General Manager, Boland eagerly looks forward to collaborating with the talented team at ANCA to address the challenges and seize the opportunities presented by the current global environment.
Boland’s exceptional expertise and leadership make ANCA CNC Machines well-positioned to further solidify its position as a global leader in CNC machines. His strategic direction and unwavering commitment to excellence will drive innovation, enhance customer satisfaction, and foster overall company growth.
ANCA CNC Machines extends its warmest congratulations to Edmund Boland on his new role as General Manager, marking 15 years of dedicated service and expertise. The company looks forward to a bright future under his guidance and leadership.
About ANCA CNC Machines
ANCA CNC Machines is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and service of advanced CNC grinding machines. With an illustrious history spanning over 50 years, ANCA is renowned for its cutting-edge technology, innovative solutions, and exceptional customer support. ANCA’s comprehensive range of products includes tool grinders, CNC grinding machines, software, and automation solutions, catering to diverse industries such as aerospace, automotive, medical, and general manufacturing.
For further information, please contact:
Amanda Bakun
Marketing & Communications Manager – Americas
248-497-1168
amanda.bakun@anca.com
Innovative Broaching Solutions for Both CNC Lathes and Machining Centers
Platinum Tooling, the importer and master distributor of live tools, angle heads, Swiss machine products, knurling and marking tools manufactured by various international suppliers, will now carry REV broaching tools exclusively in North America. This announcement was made by Platinum Tooling president, Preben Hansen, at their headquarters in Prospect Heights, Illinois, near Chicago.
R
EV S.R.L., located in Northern Italy, is the manufacturer of innovative broaching solutions for CNC lathes and machining centers. The tools are ideal for machining simple keyways or internal and external profiles, both teeth and splines. Common profiles including square and hexagon are easily achieved and custom profiles are available. REV Broaching Tools offer excellent performance with long insert life and high surface quality.
The REV motorized broaching tool is designed for use on live tool lathes. Single machine set-up eliminates the need for secondary operation or outsourcing. REV tools are ideal for high production runs, offer easy installation and fast processing time. These tools are designed for maximum rigidity, offer long tool life and an excellent finish.
REV static broaching tools are for use on CNC lathes with or without Y-axis. They offer a patented eccentric bushing which eliminates alignment errors for machines without a Y-axis. The tools have a sturdy two-piece construction and are ideal for smaller runs. They are designed for use in boring bar holders on lathes and for use in collet chucks or Weldon holders on machining centers. REV tools allow for a wide variety of standard and custom profiles and sizes.
REV broaching tools are a perfect complement to the Heimatec live tools that are sold by the extensive network of Platinum Tooling manufacturers’ representatives and distributors throughout North America.
For further information, please contact:
Preben Hansen, President
PLATINUM TOOLING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
16 E. Piper Lane
Suite 128
Prospect Heights, IL 60070
Phone: 847-749-0633
Fax: 847-749-2445
Email: phansen@platinumtooling.com
Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. in Prospect Heights, IL, near Chicago, serves its growing North American customer base with an extensive inventory of machine tool accessories. Its experienced staff is dedicated to providing the most innovative tooling and technology. Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. serves the auto, aero, medical, woodworking, composites and other industries, as well as an ever-increasing number of machine tool OEMs, through its network of manufacturers’ representatives. Platinum Tooling is the importer of Heimatec, Henninger, Tecnicrafts, Hommel + Keller QUICK tools and REV broaching tools in North America. In addition, Platinum Tooling represents Rineck Shrink Fit Tooling in the United States and Mexico.
Save time with continuous production from bar stock to finished tool
By Kaine Mulder, ANCA Product Manager
Recent events have applied extreme pressure to supply chains, with labor and raw material shortages, freight delays and increased energy costs. The need to further adapt has become significantly more important, particularly as these pressures are exacerbated by demand, driven by expectation in our “instantaneous” global culture.
ANCA continually strives to work with its customers to adapt and grow along with these market changes and pressures. One such method assisting customers to adapt is blanket grinding, enabled by ANCA’s unique robot cells offered on each of our platforms.
ANCA’s blanket grinding approach allows for continuous and complete tool production from longer bar stock to finished product using an automated solution, saving time in eliminating extra processes or handling.
Utilizing ANCA’s machine platforms with a robot cell, blanket grinding offers flexibility across a range of tool sizes and applications. Blanket grinding allows for full automation of tools of similar geometries, by consolidating all tool grinding processes into one single machine. A batch of complete finished tools can be produced without interruption directly from lengths of ground bar stock with no operator intervention. Ultimately this gives you the flexibility to respond to customer demands in a dynamic and agile manner. All you need to do is simply load a pallet of ground bar material into the cell, and the machine will take care of the rest.
Blanket grinding is great for:
Beginning with the full 330mm bar stock material loading into the collet; the blank and tool geometry is ground, including any features (such as rear chamfer, for example), before the finished tool is cut off. The tool is then removed by the robot and loaded into the finished pallet. This program continues along the remaining bar stock until all useful raw material is consumed. To complete the automation process, waste is handled by the cell, before new bar stock is loaded into the collet.
ANCA’s machine platforms with the addition of a robot cell, can be utilized to implement the blanket grinding process. Tool size and application will determine which machine is right for you.
The two main features offered by the TX, beneficial in performing the blanket grinding function are the large working envelope and the high torque spindle. These attributes not only allow work on longer bar lengths, but also enable production of a larger range of tool sizes and geometries without limitation, including tools which require a high material removal.
The TX platform also fits any of ANCA’s robot cell solutions, including RoboMate, and the dedicated TXcell offering, which offers large format cell automation, many standard options and the flexibility for automated custom solution.
The nimble RoboMate cell is offered on both TX and MX platforms and offers customers a low barrier to entry for blanket grinding and production automation.
Customers are increasingly demanding products that are more unique and with higher complexity – but more importantly, with immediate response and shorter delivery time; when meeting these expectations, costs take a back seat, while focus is on delivery.
Using ANCA’s robot automation solutions in blanket grinding enables you to realize these demands with minimal disruption to existing production lines, less planning, reduced manual handling and increased utilization and efficiencies. These benefits can compound to deliver an overall value proposition and increased return per tool.
Blanket grinding may also offer a reduction in floor space by removing separate machines and consolidating processes into a single footprint to produce the same tool. The process consolidation allows changes in parts and features to be easily handled. For example, grinding of shank features (Weldon flats or coolant slots) and the handling of very small parts can be made simpler by adding many features in a single setup.
Become more agile
You can provide a quick response to customer requests without the need for re-tooling or disruption to high volume production lines, while also guaranteeing highest quality across the batch.
Reduce costs
Applying blanket grinding will go a long way to improving cost recovery, through increased utilization and efficiencies as well as removal of manual labor and setup times. There is also a benefit in reduced footprint through process consolidation into a single machine.
Blanket grinding can reduce costs through:
Reduce lead times
For further information, please contact:
Amanda Bakun
Marketing & Communications Manager – Americas
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.
As further evidence of the ongoing (at light speed) development in part production across all industries, four of our clients have married machining with metrology. Essentially, the measurement of a machined or additive part is being done in the cutting theater, thus eliminating the labor- and time-intense process of taking parts down the hall to a CMM for validation against the CAD file.
In this “marriage” arrangement, the cutting parameters are captured, fed to a cloud-based or host server, instantly compared to the CAD specs and then, as needed, the machine is adjusting its cutting of the very next parts. This is a genuine giant step on the path to digitalization and machine learning. Is that AI I see coming over the horizon? Actually, no, it’s pulling into the driveway!
Here’s what just four of our forward-thinking clients are doing…
ANCA, the global leader in tool grinding machines, has joined with Zoller in the AIMS system, which stands for ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System. You can watch it here. All done in a virtually unattended environment, too.
Zimmermann, a leading builder of large portal milling machines for the aerospace and very large base mold industries, has partnered with Hexagon for in-process measurement.
Nidec, a gear machine builder, has literally walked across the street in Detroit to join with Wenzel for advanced gear machining/measurement projects. This marriage was celebrated at the last IMTS and many of you media moguls attended our press conference to see it in action.
Finally, our metrology client Exact has joined (literally) the family of In-Place Machining, which now boasts a new Measurement & Alignment Services Division. As a precursor to machining and throughout that process, which is typically done on large workpieces such as power gen rotors, wind turbines and marine diesel power plants, laser and CT measurement is performed. Thus, data capture and instant adjustments in the cutting and finishing operations are made possible.
It’s a new day in every aspect of manufacturing plus machine maintenance and we’re proud to serve such innovative and creative thinkers, who use AND blend the technologies in their markets to move the ball farther down the field and help their customers succeed.
Sound like companies YOU should be dating? Check them out.
www.anca.com
www.zimmermann-inc.com
www.nidec-machinetoolamerica.com
www.inplace.com
