Latest Press

Providing Risk Mitigation Solutions to the Medical Implant, Device, and Instrument Communities Through Ultrasonic Testing Capability and Expertise

CAROL STREAM, ILLINOIS – The demand has never been greater for specialized supply chains that deliver medical materials to meet the production demands of OEM’s. These businesses are acutely aware of the need to use quality metals and materials in their products to assure performance, durability and long-term reliability. Due to the recent revisions to ASTM standards F136 and F138, Banner Medical has installed a multi-axis, computer controlled Ultrasonic Inspection System designed and built by Matec Inspection Companies, Inc., for precision ground bars.

ASTM F136 and ASTM F138 are commonly specified standards in the design of titanium and stainless steel surgical implants; and recent revisions to each standard call for ultrasonic testing at final diameter for all centerless ground, or peeled and polished bars, which are greater than or equal to .375” in diameter.

“The decision to purchase this highly versatile inspection system was driven by the current and future needs of our customers. We are experiencing greater demand for ultrasonic testing of medical grade raw materials and the recent changes to ASTM standards F136 and F138 will increase demand even further in the very near term,” said Bob Khin, Vice President of Quality Assurance, Banner Medical.

“We recognize the impact these revisions will have on our customers. Ultrasonic testing at final diameter has the potential to add significant delays and cost to the supply chain. Our new ultrasonic inspection unit allows us to ensure the precision of centerless grinding and testing under one roof. We are providing our customers with a cost effective, time saving solution to the problems which could arise as manufacturers begin to comply with these changes. We will maintain the inventory, production capability, and testing equipment in a medical focused factory,” said Dan Stoettner, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

To fully comply with industry testing standards, Banner Medical has hired additional qualified personnel to operate the equipment and implement the proper management systems including Rick Wallen, Director of Technical Services. He will assume full responsibility for the ultrasonic testing program. Rick was employed at Zimmer Inc. for 34 years in various roles and most recently served as Principal Engineer, Quality. He was responsible for all nondestructive testing requirements company-wide.

“We feel very fortunate to have Rick join our team. He is an industry recognized expert in ultrasonic testing and Quality Management Systems, and we are certain he will make an immediate impact within our organization. Rick is an ASTM certified Level III Engineer and an ASQ certified Quality Auditor. He is going to help us provide the very best service to our customers,” said Bob Khin.

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Banner Medical serves the medical device, implant, and instrument industry with medical-grade metal materials; Banner Medical is ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 certified, and FDA CFR part 820 compliant.

For more information:

BILL NORLANDER
Medical Products Specialist
494 East Lies Road
Carol Stream, IL 60188-9425
P:630.868.1230
F:630.653.7555
E: bnorlander@banner-medical.com
www.banner-medical.com

MIKE HADLEY
Supply Chain Manager
494 East Lies Road
Carol Stream, IL 60188-9425
P:630.868.1229
F:630.653.7555
E: mhadley@banner-medical.com
www.banner-medical.com

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Siemens Introduces North American Version of Sinamics S120 Cabinet Module Drives

North American users can now make full use of the benefits of a modular product, built to NEC (NFPA 70) standards, to configure common DC bus lineups and high horsepower drives, with optional UL/cUL listing

Siemens announces a new version of its popular Sinamics S120 Cabinet Module (CM) drive packages, compliant with North American standards and offered with optional UL/cUL listing. This unique product enables easy configuration of complex common DC bus lineups for multi-motor coordinated drive systems, as well as high horsepower (hp) stand-alone drives for a wide variety of industrial applications.

Key to the global growth of the Sinamics S120 CM range is its modularity and flexibility. Pre-designed, fully type-tested modules, including line side components, line infeeds (bus supplies) and motor inverters, all with a broad range of standard options, are selected and configured by the customer. Compared to the traditional approach of custom-engineered systems, this approach offers significant reduction in engineering and manufacturing lead times, which translates into reduced project costs and a compressed delivery schedule, while minimizing technical and commercial risk on even the most complex drive systems.

Individual cabinet modules from Siemens have a standardized power and control interface, which allows them to be freely positioned in a lineup that best suits the particular application and makes them easy to install and connect. The broad range of standard options including the DC bus current rating and enclosure type, for example, is available to tailor selections to best meet jobsite and environmental conditions. Despite standardization, this design offers a high degree of flexibility for both power and control circuits. For line side converters, there is a choice of non-regenerative Basic Line Module (diode rectifier) or fully regenerative Smart and Active Line Modules. Both of these are IGBT inverters, the Smart Line Module being a more basic six-pulse unit, while the Active Line Module offers low harmonics exceeding the demands of IEEE 519.  Unity or controllable power factor and DC bus voltage control allows stable operation of motors even on irregular power supply systems. Basic and Smart Line Modules can also be configured in 12-, 18- or 24-pulse systems for low harmonic operation. All these configurations are now compliant with the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and Short Circuit Current Ratings per UL508A supplement SB, up to 100 kA.

The SINAMICS S120 firmware, combined with Drive-CLiQ (the flexible backplane bus), allows users to assign control units multiple Line and Motor Modules, plus mount the control units and associated I/O and sensor modules anywhere within the line-up or even remotely in a centralized control cabinet or control room. Drive-CLiQ provides automatic electronic nameplate, real-time control data transfer, diagnostic and parameter value gathering and fault tolerant transfer protocols. For external control systems, high-speed industrial Ethernet communications can be parameterized for EtherNet/IP, PROFINET or Sinamics Link (peer-to-peer), while programming can be done via a dedicated port or Ethernet TCP on the Ethernet network simultaneously with Profinet or EtherNet /IP.

Sinamics S120 Cabinet Modules were designed to address the need for a complete, ready-to-connect-and-run drive system that enables customers to configure an enclosed drive lineup with a central line infeed (rectifier) and common DC bus, supplying power to multiple motor modules (inverters).  Typical uses for such systems requiring multi-motor coordinated drive systems include paper machines, steel rolling mills, test stands, cranes, mixers and oil/gas field equipment.  Very high horsepower single drive applications also benefit from this Siemens system.

The use of a common DC bus configuration with these new drive packages allows energy exchange between motors that are simply powering and others regenerating power back to the AC system, which can save up to 80% of the energy consumed when using standard installations.

For specific product information and inquiries, call (800) 879-8079 ext. Marketing Communications or send an e-mail to: SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com

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Siemens Introduces Four-Week Lead Time on Generation II Simotics® 1FK7 Servomotors

Field-replaceable 24-bit encoders in 10 styles and reduced lead times highlight new line of servomotors; three inertia versions, seven shaft heights on highly-configurable line

Siemens Industry, Inc. announces reduced lead times for its Generation II Simotics 1FK7 servomotors.  Highly-configurable to suit a wide variety of applications, this new line features seven shaft heights, Quick-Connect power connector and  high-accuracy 20- and 24-bit field replaceable encoders in 10 styles, all combined with a four-week lead time beginning July 1, 2013 — and ultimately reduced to three-weeks beginning January 1, 2014 on all models.

The Generation II servomotor offers three inertia versions — standard, high-dynamic for rapid acceleration jobs, and high-inertia for maximum smooth running.  These motors are designed for operation without external cooling and the heat is dissipated through the motor surface.  With 10 styles of field-replaceable encoders, the 1FK7 Generation II servomotors provide easy maintenance in the field, with reduced downtime and operating cost savings.  Further, a 10 percent improvement in continuous (S-1) power is achieved since the encoders are mechanically and thermally decoupled from the motor.  The mechanical decoupling also means the encoder is more resistant to vibration conditions on the machine.  In addition, there is no need for battery back-up on the absolute encoders.

Generation II Simotics 1FK7 servomotors provide users with  3x overload, 2.5 percent torque ripple, cross profiling for easier mounting, Siemens Drive-Cliq interface for easier field commissioning and unit recognition with the Siemens Sinamics S120 drive family, plain shaft or keyway design, three IP ratings and are supplied with or without holding brake.

The full application of engineering assistance and service of the global Siemens network supports this new line of servomotors.

For more information on these new Siemens servomotors, please visit www.usa.siemens.com/simotics.

For product information and inquiries, call +1 800 879 8079 ext. Marketing Communications or e-mail SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com.

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New Angle Head Line from Heimatec

Standard and custom styles available for all popular machine tools; offered for all tapers, including HSK and BT30; fixed and adjustable models

Heimatec, a world leader in live tools and multi-spindle drill heads, today announces immediate availability of its newest development, a line of standard and custom angle heads, available in all popular sizes and styles to accommodate today’s machine tools and CNC machining center builders.

Designed for heavy milling, deep drilling and tapping operations often found in the off-highway, energy, rail and other heavy-duty industries, this new Heimatec line of angle heads features twin or double twin sets of matched angular contact bearings plus a rear radial support bearing, ensuring maximum stability in use.

All the gears on these angle heads have inclined teeth made from high-resistance gear steel and have been specially hardened, ground and lapped in sets to provide the smoothest transmission output possible.

Heimatec angle heads are made from high-tensile strength aluminum. High-precision spindle bearings maintain the highest possible spindle concentricity.

Full 360º body rotation with positive compression locking, 90º incremental repositioning without indicating, maximum torque to 150 Nm, gear ratio 1:1 standard with others available, spindle speeds to 18,000 rpm and interchangeable torque arms are other standard features of this line from Heimatec.

CAT 40, BT 40, BT 30, HSK 63A, CAT 50, BT 50 and HSK 100A taper styles are available, as well as custom modifications such at 18” extension shafts. Heimatec offers a full one-year warranty on all parts and labor.

Click HERE to view a short video on the product.

For further information and literature, or to arrange a demo on this new line, please contact:

Preben Hansen, President
HEIMATEC INC.
16 E. Piper Lane Suite 129
Prospect Heights, IL 60070
Phone:  847-749-0633
Fax:  847-749-2445
Email: info@heimatecinc.com
Website: www.heimatecinc.com

Connect with Heimatec Inc:  

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Heimatec is an international tooling manufacturer, based in Renchen, Germany. Its experienced staff is dedicated to providing customers the most innovative tooling technology possible. In 2010, the company opened Heimatec Inc. in Prospect Heights, IL, near Chicago, to serve its growing North American customer base with sales and service, plus an extensive inventory of products. Heimatec serves the auto, aero, medical, off-highway, rail, energy, woodworking, composites and other industries, as well as an ever-increasing number of machine tool OEM’s worldwide.

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350°F Electric Shelf Oven for Curing Composites

No. 1014 is a 350ºF electric shelf oven from Grieve, currently used for curing composites at the customer’s facility. Workspace dimensions on this oven measure 84” W x 30” D x 54” H. 25 KW are installed in Incoloy-sheathed tubular elements to heat the oven chamber, while a 1000 CFM, 1-HP recirculating blower provides horizontal airflow across the workload.

This Grieve shelf oven features 4” insulated walls, aluminized steel exterior, Type 304, 2B finish stainless steel interior and six 200 lb. capacity (each) shelves supported by ball slides with shelves extending 30” in front of oven for easy loading/unloading.

Controls onboard No. 1014 include all safety equipment needed for handling flammable solvents, including explosion-venting door hardware, plus a 12-port vacuum manifold with pressure gauge and hand valve at each port, solenoid valve to relieve vacuum and 2-HP rotary vane vacuum pump with pre-filter.

For more information, please contact:

THE GRIEVE CORPORATION
500 Hart Road
Round Lake, IL  60073-2898
Phone:  (847) 546-8225
Fax:  (847) 546-9210
Web:  www.grievecorp.com
Email:  sales@grievecorp.com
Attention:  Frank Calabrese, VP

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TRD Uses Modular Tombstone Fixtures to Improve Production of Cylinder Components By Over 40%

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Manufacturing Solutions from the EMAG Group – A Partner In Emerging Markets

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the world economy will grow by 3.5 percent this year, with the impetus coming less from Europe and more from dynamic, newly industrialized countries. One example is the automotive industry. According to the association for the German automotive industry (VDA), China’s share of the market in passenger cars increased by 59% and that of Brazil by 18% during the first few months of 2013. The same market is also growing in India and Russia. For a long time, new production facilities have been planned and are under construction, providing great opportunities for the machine tool industry – as the example of EMAG proves. Specialists are developing turnkey manufacturing systems that are tailor-made to suit specific market conditions, with the new production facilities in particular gaining substantially from this increased market activity.

Whether in the automotive or energy supply industry, the development of industrial key sectors within the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) has a direct influence on the machine tool industry, as it is this branch that, in the end, must supply most of the necessary manufacturing solutions. There are numerous indicators for this fact. For instance, according to Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad will – over the next 3 years – will see an investment of 3 billion Euro in six assembly facilities and fifteen sub-supply companies for the national automotive industry, with more international sub-suppliers also establishing outlets in the market.  Similar activities are reported from Brazil. According to Anfavea, the country’s automobile association, approximately 22 billion USD are to be invested in production between now and 2015. In India, economic growth is generally attracting “an abundance of investment projects in the country’s infrastructure, as well as in new industrial complexes,” states GTAI.

The German machine tool industry is prepared for such a dynamic development and the opportunities it provides can be seen in the textbook case of EMAG. Their specialists see themselves as “partners in solutions” for the metalworking industry. Such an approach is of great importance, especially in the emerging markets. “As it happens, we don’t just deliver a machine tool. We deliver closely pinpointed manufacturing solutions that are, in every respect, tailor-made to customer requirements”, explains Dieter Kollmar, Managing Director of EMAG Holding GmbH. “This applies, of course, to typical factors such as batch sizes, component variants or, more generally, the flexibility of the processes applied. At the same time, we determine locally the technologies, automation equipment, interfaces and control systems required.“ The advantages for the customer are obvious, especially where an existing production line is extended or where a greenfield manufacturing facility must be created in a new market place. Our manufacturing systems are always “from a single source.”  Even complex processes with peripheral machines and equipment are presented as turnkey projects by EMAG, thus considerably reducing the efforts of local production planners.

VL 2: Highly effective, truly outstanding space saver

The VL 2 is a pick-up turning machine with which the EMAG engineers are fulfilling a combination of two extreme demands: highest possible output rates on the smallest possible footprint. “This is a truly all-important aspect,” confirms Dieter Kollmar. “Although the floor space requirement for this vertical turning machine is just about 5 square meters, it is a machine of substantial capability, including a fully comprehensive automation concept with conveyor belt, workpiece storage and pick-up spindle. In combination with vertical turning, this results in very fast machining processes.  “In other words, short loading travel guarantees the lowest possible component cost. Compared to horizontal turning machines, productivity rates increase quite noticeably. And maintaining the VL 2 is simple. All service units are freely and quickly accessible. The user can set up the machine in one step. “That too is important, when productivity levels enter the equation. Operators without prior experience, working at a new and unfamiliar location, will be able to quickly familiarize themselves with the machine. All in all, this is an optimal solution for those who want to extend production with as little investment as possible,” notes Kollmar.

VT 2-4: For demanding shaft production

A similar approach is shown with the VT 2-4 Vertical Turning Machine, with which the EMAG specialists have created an equally fast manufacturing system for shaft production. Even demanding machining processes can be realized on it. When machining shafts up to 400 mm length and 63 mm diameter, component costs reduce considerably, with extremely short chip-to-chip times (as with the VL 2) being the reason. Workpiece grippers transport the workpieces into the machine and remove them again, once they have been machined. Depending on the workpiece, the changeover can be accomplished in just 6 seconds. And the actual turning process is fast, too. 4-axis machining allows the component to be machined from two sides simultaneously. Vertical alignment of the workpieces provides consistent process integrity, as the unrestricted chip flow prevents the formation of clusters in the machining area.

Central project management

“We are convinced that these EMAG solutions are optimally designed to cover not only the specific requirements of an emerging market, but also those of Europe and the USA,” as Dieter Kollmar his company’s philosophy. Everything is greatly simplified, starting with production planning, as there is no need for separate workpiece and finished component storage, with the added advantage of a reduced floor space requirement. At the same time, the EMAG Group engineers act as central project developers, having access to machines with optimal interfaces. This guarantees a fast run-in and makes the machines maintenance-friendly. “When it is a question of arriving quickly at a wholly integrated, highly effective manufacturing solution, this approach must – from our point of view – be the first choice,“ Kollmar concludes.

For more information, please contact:

Kristal Kilgore
EMAG LLC
38800 Grand River Avenue
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Tel: (248) 875-0313
Fax: (248) 477-7784
E-mail: kkilgore@emag.com
Web: www.emag.com

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Sharpening the Focus on FDA Supplier Controls for Medical Implant-grade Cobalt Chrome

CAROL STREAM, ILLINOIS — Firth Rixson Metals, a global leader in specialty metals manufacturing and distribution based in the United Kingdom, and Banner Medical, a leading provider of supply chain solutions for medical-grade materials to the device, implant, and instrument industry, announce their exclusivity agreement for sales and marketing for Cobalt Chrome in the United States, effective January 1^st, 2014.

“The medical-grade metal materials that Firth Rixson Metals produces are of the highest standards. By combining this offering with Banner Medical’s expertise in quality assurance, we will meet the stringent demands of the medical industry,” stated Elinor Oldroyd, GM of Firth Rixson Metals.

“Banner Medical specializes in medical-grade materials and offers deep expertise in the quality management that is necessary to fully comply with FDA 21 CFR 820. The depth, breadth and detail of Banner’s approach to quality management and supply chain management is unique and that distinction justifies the patent-pending status of Banner’s Essential Quality Systems,” says Banner Medical Executive Vice President / Chief Operating Officer Dan Stoettner. “Firth Rixson shares our commitment to vigilance and quality in both products and service.”

The Firth Rixson-Banner Medical agreement focuses on the Device industry’s need for precision-ground cobalt chrome materials. Stoettner went on to say, “Given the importance of cobalt chrome to today’s device, implant and instrument industry, we strongly believe that the Firth Rixson-Banner Medical alliance can help our customers realize true supply chain control on Cobalt Chrome materials, making them able to effectively address the unprecedented FDA scrutiny which exists today in the United States.”

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Firth Rixson’s technological and operational excellence, combined with the firm’s economies of scale, has made the company the metals provider of choice for demanding customers in diverse specialized industries in more than 40 countries.

 

Banner Medical serves the medical device, implant, and instrument industry with medical-grade metal materials; Banner Medical is ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 certified, and FDA CFR part 820 compliant. 

 

For more information:

BILL NORLANDER
Medical Products Specialist

BANNER MEDICAL
494 East Lies Road
Carol Stream, IL 60188-9425
P: 630.868.1230
F: 630.653.7555
E: bnorlander@banner-medical.com

 

MIKE HADLEY
Supply Chain Manager

BANNER MEDICAL
494 East Lies Road
Carol Stream, IL 60188-9425
P: 630.868.1229
F: 630.653.7555
E: mhadley@banner-medical.com

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A Red Hot Connection

The composite camshaft is still gaining ground in the marketplace. The main reason for this is the considerable weight reduction it brings, compared to its one-piece rival. The composite version is by now also widely used in the HGV sector. However, the main disadvantage of many current assembly processes is the high joining force applied, which creates unacceptable tolerances in positioning and alignment of the cams. By contrast, the patented heat shrink assembly process from EMAG offers a decisive advantage, as it ensures that “ready-to-fit” camshafts, gear shafts and other precision composite units can be produced without problems.

The advantages of the composite camshaft are well known: less expense, less weight, the possibility to use different materials for the various constituent components, greater flexibility in production and the ability to implement new cam geometries, such as negative radii, with ease. The necessary reduction in fuel consumption – and with it those of CO₂ emissions – are easier to achieve with an increasing use of composite camshafts.

Alternative processes for the joining of cam and shaft have one serious disadvantage: the two components cannot be joined with the necessary accuracy to avoid a subsequent finish grinding process. In many cases, the joining of cam to tube is carried out using a form-fit process like press-fitting, knurling and/or spline/serrated gearing. The joining forces required for these processes can deform the components and result in unacceptable tolerances in cam position and orientation.

The heat shrink assembly process from EMAG means precision joining

Thermal joining, i.e. the heat shrinking of cam onto tube, ensures that the required tolerances are achieved with a reaction force-free process. The know-how to tightly control the process parameters of “temperature” and “time” – and the mechanical design of the joining equipment – are of the utmost importance in this process.

An optimal combination of robot and special-concept gripping technology allows for fusion gaps of < 15 µm to be achieved safely. The concept’s great flexibility allows camshaft designers more freedom in their designs and ensures that the process can also be used for medium batch sizes, where frequent component type changes are the order of the day. The high degree of precision of the composite camshaft drastically reduces the need to subsequently grind the cams or – where precision cams are used – does away with the requirement completely. A further advantage of this process lies in the possibility of using different materials for the composite shaft. This includes forged cams, for instance in 100Cr6, or finish-ground cams, even dimensionally accurate sintered cams that do not require a downstream finish-grinding operation. Secondary components, such as bungs and endpieces, can – just like the actual shaft itself – be made of more advantageous materials.

All this allows the camshaft to be made to suit the requirements of the engine and to optimize it in terms of load bearing capacity and manufacturing costs.

And now one step further:

Where the camshaft needs to be ground after heat shrink assembly, the joining machine can be linked up to a grinder. This is particularly easy when using an EMAG grinding center of the VTC DS Series. With this setup, the joining machine robot transfers the assembled camshaft directly to the loading position on the grinding center. The advantages of this process from EMAG also apply to the machining of other components. When machining gear shafts, ground gears can be joined tightly on the shaft, without needing to account for the grinding wheel overrun at the design stage. It also minimizes the length of the shaft and makes the whole unit more compact.

Maximum flexibility

The EMAG process is characterized by only a very few machining components being in direct contact with the workpiece. It allows for the machines to be reset in the shortest possible time (typically less than 15 minutes).

Joining in seconds and achieving the highest possible quality

The heat shrink assembly process offered by EMAG combines flexibility with productivity, while freedom of design and choice of production technologies ensure a short cycle time. While one cam is heat shrinking, the next one is already being preheated. Equipping the heat shrinking machine with a number of preheating units allows for the optimal application of this technology to the task at hand. It is these advantages that may well be the reason why so many firmly established manufacturers of camshafts and other precision assemblies are showing such a great interest in the new process, are asking for machining tests, or are already applying the process under actual production conditions. In the ideal case, the customer will take advantage of the synergy provided by the EMAG Group and ask for a complete concept to be prepared that covers everything from pre-machining to heat shrinking and end machining.

The advantages of the heat shrink process:

• Great accuracy, requires no downstream processing after heat shrinking
• Saves on material and offers weight reduction
• No deformation after heat shrinking
• Allows the combination of different materials
• Freely selectable component sequence
• Freely selectable angular and axial position
• Faster resetting for product changes

The advantages of the composite camshaft:

• Less expensive
• Less weight
• Cams can be made of different materials
• Greater flexibility in production
• New cam geometries – such as negative radii – can be implemented easily

For more information, please contact:

Kristal Kilgore
EMAG LLC
38800 Grand River Avenue
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Tel: (248) 875-0313
Fax: (248) 477-7784
E-mail: kkilgore@emag.com
Web: www.emag.comEMAG LLC
38800 Grand River Avenue
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Tel: (248) 875-0313
Fax: (248) 477-7784
E-mail: info@usa.emag.com
Web: www.emag.com

Attention: Peter Loetzner

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A Lesson in Machine Tool Economics

When Task Force Tips, Inc. (TFT) decided to study the true costs of ultra-priced, high-speed machining, the company expected nominal gains on its machine-control investment; but when TFT began cutting the same precision parts in one-third of the time, it was, in the words of the company owner and president, Stewart McMillan, “a wake-up call.”

See the video on this story HERE.

 

Breaking the price/cost perception barrier

Task Force Tips (TFT) is a manufacturer of highly engineered fire suppression tips, nozzles and other agent delivery equipment used by fire departments globally. For more than four decades, the company has always invested in premium machine tool brands associated with quality, performance and logically, higher price tags. Even so, it was the latter variable – the perceived barrier of price and cost – that prevented company owner and president, Stewart McMillan from ever considering more ultra-priced, high-speed machining options on the market.

“I hadn’t really looked at the economics when it came to an INDEX machine,” recalls McMillan. “And why? Because it always seemed like the INDEX brand was so prohibitively expensive. I never even thought its machines were within our league.”

That was prior to IMTS 2008, before TFT brought the company’s first INDEX machine into its 168,000 square foot facility in Valparaiso, Indiana, where TFT manufactures over 5,000 products across three shifts, seven days a week, all year around.

“It was an INDEX C100 automatic production lathe, ultimately fitted with a Siemens 840D control package,” McMillan says. “We started making parts on it and our production times became typically 30%. I don’t mean a 30% reduction. I mean our run time for a part dropped to 30% of what it was before.”

As to why the company’s new machine made such an unprecedented productivity impact, McMillan points to both the high speed design of the machine and to the equally capable Siemens control package, which represented yet another paradigm shift for TFT.

Previous to the INDEX C100 purchase, TFT had scant experience with Siemens control packages. Much like the INDEX brand, Siemens five-axis controls were perceived as prohibitively sophisticated and just plain different.  This lack of familiarity had been reason enough for TFT not to consider Siemens.

These were the company’s perceptions in 2008, before the INDEX C100 machine came into the plant, powered not by a Siemens control package, but by a more commonly accepted brand of CNC.

“We had all kinds of bugs in the control that came with the machine the first time,” McMillan recalls. “INDEX had a particular customer that had insisted on another more familiar brand of control, and so they were making the machine with that control. I don’t think that the other customer realized just how significant the Siemens control was to the machine. We didn’t recognize it either. A service representative commented to one of my employees that we really should have the Siemens control for what we were doing, that we were pushing the machine far beyond the capabilities of the original control.”

Upon learning that its new machine was underperforming for TFT, McMillan says INDEX swapped out the machine with an identical model, with one difference. This time, the INDEX C100 was powered by a Siemens motion control package, and TFT was able to set out in earnest to explore what price/cost lessons could be learned from its machine tool investment.

Zero to 5,000 RPM in one second

McMillan recalls that an immediate revelation was seeing the difference a few thousand RPMs can make. The company began to run jobs at 5,000 to 6,000 RPM, ramping up from zero to 5,000 RPM in less than one second and ramping down just as fast. Several economic lessons soon emerged from this capability, as the sustained speed of the machine maximized motion in new time/cost saving ways.

“We never realized before just how much time we were losing waiting on the spindle to stabilize at a new commanded speed,” McMillan reports. “The turret indexing was also extremely fast, with the multiple tools overlapping to cut at the same time with incredibly fast accelerations.”

The INDEX C100 also leverages speed in new ways, as TFT discovered. The company can run more than 1,000 parts without having to change an offset. In addition, an automated remnant removal feature enables the machine to run continuously, by rapidly reloading bar stock without operator interaction.

“On the rest of our machines, we need to pick the remnant out and load a new bar into it,” McMillan explains. “That step should take just a few minutes. But the way things work, a machine can sit idle for six minutes before somebody realizes it, and then it takes five minutes to reload, and all that lost time adds up.”

Another speed-related discovery was the integration of rapid traverse rates, which have always been less than rapid in the company’s experience “A lot of machines advertise rapid traverse rates at maximum speed, but the fact is, unless you’re traveling 10 or 12 inches, traverse speeds have never reached maximum for us.”

Taking motion accuracy literally

As to how the machine eliminates slower traversing and other cost related functions, McMillan says the design of the INDEX C100 is unlike the design of conventional and yes, lower-priced machine bed coordinate systems.

“The INDEX doesn’t use the same coordinate system as other machines. It uses a set of parallelogram bars, a very unique system for rigidity,” McMillan explains. “The machine has a picture frame mount for its turret. The turret is not leveraged off a set of ways like most turrets.  It’s close to where it’s sliding, so there’s not a big length over diameter ratio in terms of the tools of the turret hanging out from its support structure. This gives the machine a lot of rigidity for turning, and you can accelerate the axes so fast that you really do achieve faster traverse rates. The window on this machine is just a blur of motion.”

TFT’s lead programmer, Nate Price, sees additional efficiency advantages made possible by the INDEX machine’s unique coordinate system, whereby measurements and motion can be programmed based on actual numerical reference points and not on arbitrary points in space.

“On the INDEX, every machine space coordinate, every offset, every measurement that’s used to define how the machine operates has a legitimate explanation of why it is what it is and to where it relates,” Price explains. “This makes it much easier to automate these measurements; whereas, in the past we would measure manually, because these were arbitrary points. On the INDEX, they are defined, literal points. We know exactly what they relate to, so we can define them automatically before the program ever gets to the machine, before the set-up ever starts.”

(Click here to see: Normal Lathe Coordinates and Index C100 Coordinates)

Advanced cost control

With the Siemens 840D control package driving the INDEX C100, TFT would document yet more lessons in machine tool economics, including reduced setup times. The faster indexing speed of the turrets contributed to an 80% reduction in setup times compared to the setup times of TFT’s other premium machines.

According to Price, the Siemens 840D control interface brought a refined and intuitive approach to machine programming, setups and operation — an approach that was especially empowering to him as a programmer.

“I don’t know if anybody just doing set-ups would understand how much of a difference the Siemens control has made in the programming,” Price explains. “It has enabled me to more quickly and easily write the programs, write the post-processes, thus making the setup of special routines go much faster.”

In addition to easier programming and faster setups, Price says the machinists have found that the Siemens 840D enables them to more efficiently control and capitalize on the production potential of the INDEX machine.

“The control gives you ample shortcuts,” says Price. “There is a method of presenting messages to the operator that was not present in the other control. There is so much happening on the machine, it is really difficult to capture all that information on a single screen, but the control helps you keep track of what everything is doing. It’s really easy to get into more detail, without having to go through a lot of pages.”

As another example of CNC operational efficiency, Price points to the way the control manages error messages.

“The machine wants to see several conditions exist before it will start a cycle,” Price explains. ”On the previous control, it was not real good at telling you that it was not in a condition to start a cycle. It wants the chucks closed. It wants the gantry in safe position. It wants the sub-spindle in a safe position. It wants to know where everything’s at and it presents a giant list for the operator to reference in order to start a cycle on the machine. But, when you press Cycle Start on the Siemens control, if those conditions aren’t met, the control will guide you through what needs to change to meet those conditions, so you can start your cycle.”

Another advantage brought about by the Siemens control was faster tool loading, made possible by faster and easier CNC programming.

“Tool loading was a big area of improvement,” Price says. “You essentially give the control a mini-program that tells it what tools you’re going to be putting in for this job that you’re setting up. The control will then present the stations on the turrets for you, tell you what tools to put in and what tools to take out. And it’s entirely guided. This has been a huge departure from what we traditionally had dealt with. It really accelerates set-up time.”

More profit per square foot

McMillan and Price claim that the lessons derived from their machine-tool investment can be measured in broader and perhaps even more dramatic ways.

“I started to look at the numbers from a different perspective,” McMillan relates. “You have all these initial and ongoing costs to build a shop, to put in a floor, to put a roof over it, heat it, cool it, and all these costs can equate to so much per hour. Now you buy a machine that’s $600,000 versus a machine that’s $300,000 over 10 years. We run almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which helps our analysis.  For us, it comes out to about an eight dollar per hour difference to buy the $600,000 machine. And for eight bucks more an hour, we’re getting triple the production out of that same square footage.”

Another way the company has measured its return on its investment in advanced machine-control manufacturing has been to witness the change in the people uplifted by the technology. Now, owner, programmer, machinists and others at TFT are enthusiastic about the possibilities of their more advanced, CNC-based manufacturing.

McMillan says that it will be such investments in machines and in people that will keep his company from selling itself short, having proven that with the right machine and the right motion control technology, anything is possible.

“We had a job that ran a couple of weeks ago,” McMillan recalls. “I received several e-mails before I even came to work that day. Different people were sending me e-mails that said in effect: Wait until you see what we’re doing with the INDEX today!”
See the video HERE!

For more information, contact:

Siemens Industry, Inc.
Motion Control Business — Machine Tools
390 Kent Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL  60007
Tel: (847) 640-1595
Fax: (847) 437-0784
Web:  www.usa.siemens.com/cnc
E-mail:  SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com
Attention:  John Meyer, Manger, Marketing Communications
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/siemens_cnc_us
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/SiemensCNC

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