Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Standard live tools in stock for immediate delivery from Platinum Tooling for DMG Mori, Doosan, Haas, Mazak, Miyano, Nakamura, and many other popular machine brands.
Platinum Tooling, the exclusive North American importer for Heimatec live tools and angle heads, today announces immediate availability of live tooling for most popular turning center models including DMG Mori, Doosan, Haas, Mazak, Miyano and Nakamura. According to Preben Hansen, president of Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc., “We are now carrying a substantial inventory of live tools for our customers’ machines. It represents a significant financial and warehouse space commitment that we have made to support the North American machine tool market.”
Hansen added that the company will be announcing its in-stock arrangement for many other lines of machine tools, moving forward, including Biglia, Hwacheon, Hyundai, and SMEC. Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. serves its North American customers with a full team of manufacturers’ reps, plus its Chicagoland facility provides sales and customer service support, application and engineering advice as well as repair services for the company’s line of live tools.
Literature detailing all the Heimatec products is offered at the company’s website, www.platinumtooling.com. Interested parties may also contact the company directly with inquiries.
For further information and brand-specific literature, or to arrange a demo on any Heimatec tools, 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 worldwide, through its network of manufacturers’ representatives. Platinum Tooling is the exclusive importer for Heimatec tooling, Henninger speeders, Tecnicrafts Swiss Collets & Guide Bushings, and AMF marking & cleaning tools for North America.
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Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company and a comprehensive 3D metrology service provider and hardware sales company, kicked off a new initiative to raise awareness of the capabilities of In-Place Machining Company.
Taking place across the company’s social media platforms each Monday, hence the hashtag #MachiningMonday, this marketing tool will lead to a greater awareness of all the services that (IPM) offers. This concept was developed by Kelly Baldasare, Content Creator at the Exact Metrology Cincinnati, Ohio office. Besides raising awareness, Baldasare hopes that it will “…show the power of what IPM, Exact Metrology, and now the newly acquired OASIS Alignment Services can do together as one team.”
People often ask, “How does metrology work with machining?” The answer is that the possibilities are endless. #MachiningMonday wants to answer this question by showcasing the extensive on-site machining and engineering capabilities of IPM. Baldasare added, “Most people don’t recognize this, but a lot of machining services require metrology and/or precision alignment to make sure accuracy is obtained and to make sure there is no component damage that is being missed before services are performed.” For example, #MachiningMonday recently showcased IPM’s field machining services including lapping and grinding, tapping and reaming, axial, radial and thrust bearing field machining without shaft rotation.
While headed by Baldasare, this initiative is also being driven by Keith Naidl (Creative Services Director of In-Place Machining Company) and Katherine O’Maley (Marketing Manager of OASIS Alignment Services: A Division of In-Place Machining Company). Baldasare is excited to continue bringing new rhetoric to the Exact Metrology discussion. She concluded, “We are all very excited about how our joint capabilities will benefit our customers and we look forward to solving their most challenging issues together as one team.”
Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company, is ISO9001, AS9100 Certified as well as ITAR Registered.
Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company, with facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, Moline, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, plus affiliated offices throughout the country, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
In-Place Machining Company: On-Site Machining Solutions In-Place, Any Place in the World.
In-Place Machining Company, with facilities in Wisconsin, Washington, Virginia, Ohio, California, and Ontario, Canada, is the premier provider of high-precision engineered on-site machining, metrology, and large scale cutting & drilling services for a wide range of renewable energy, aerospace, industrial, and military customers throughout the world.
OASIS Alignment Services: A Division of In-Place Machining Company
OASIS Alignment Services: A Division of In-Place Machining Company, provides 3-Dimensional Metrology Services, Precision Alignment Inspections and Diagnostics and Mechanical Services across a wide range of industries including aerospace, automotive, power generation, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, converting, printing, plastics, textiles and more. OASIS has completed thousands of successful projects since its inception in 1982 and continues to set industry standards in alignment procedures, specialized tooling and reporting techniques. OASIS operates service centers in New Hampshire, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, California, Washington, and Ontario and Québec, Canada. For more visit www.oasisalignment.com
Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company
Dean Solberg
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Local: 262-533-0800
www.exactmetrology.com
deans@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company
Steve Young
11575 Goldcoast Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Local: 513-831-6620
Toll Free: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
stevey@exactmetrology.com
Six ways to make sure your manufacturing business is cyber-secure
By Thomson Mathew—ANCA Software Product Manager
While smart factories are revolutionizing the manufacturing industry through innovation, being connected comes with new risk factors that must be addressed. A Deloitte study revealed that 48% of manufacturers identified operational risks—including cybersecurity—as the greatest danger to their factories.
Manufacturing can be a lucrative ‘get’ for cyberattackers, targeting your intellectual property or blocking production. Businesses risk financial, time and productivity losses if they don’t get the balance right. So, how can you make sure your business is safe?
The cloud offers manufacturers an unprecedented level of flexibility, from lights-out manufacturing to remote real-time data. But this level of connection can expose your business to attack.
While it may be your first concern, the risk isn’t limited to connected machines. Manufacturers can also be vulnerable to phishing attacks, ransomware and internal breaches, among others. This means company phones, email addresses and laptops should all be protected. Relying on supply chains also means manufacturing can be disrupted by attacks on suppliers and distributors. Having a clear picture of risk areas is the first step to creating a secure network.
A false sense of security can be devastating to a manufacturing business if a cyberattack eventuates. Even if you’re on top of what needs to be done, you must ensure everyone in the business understands the risks—human behavior is a significant factor in compromised systems!
Operational technology, including tooling machines, creates endless opportunities for manufacturers. In the past, these machines had no external links to networks and so weren’t vulnerable to digital attacks.
Running machines 24/7 means relying on the network to remain secure even when you’re not there. Because of these risks, ANCA machines have been designed to use whitelisting to ascertain networks can only be accessed by predetermined parties. That means new software and devices must be authorized before they can be added, massively reducing the risk of introducing viruses, malware or weak points. Each piece of software has been thoroughly assessed for vulnerabilities before being whitelisted, so manufacturers can be assured of their machines’ security.
If you’re using a tooling machine, you’re exposing your systems to external third parties. The potential consequences are that you could lose data, you could lose productivity time, or you’ll have ongoing maintenance. You’re putting your machine at risk.
Your manufacturing business isn’t just the machines in your factory. It includes other businesses— like material suppliers, logistics companies and even accountants—and all of their extended networks. Any vulnerability they have can affect your business outcomes.
Speak to each of your stakeholders about what they do to protect their networks. You may not be able to change their approach, but it’ll help you to mitigate the risk at your end, for example, by choosing a more secure supplier or looking into vertical integration.
Even the most secure cloud and digital systems can fail. To ensure your IP is as robust as possible, and to limit the impact on your productivity, you should be performing regular offline backups away from your network.
It’s best to be overcautious. Store multiple backups in different places to better distribute the risk of further data loss—and make sure those locations are secure, too.
Automating this process eliminates the need to remember to do it (often until it’s too late) but performing periodic manual backups will give you the best coverage.
Cybercrime is big business—some reports suggest it’s the equivalent of the world’s third-largest economy, inflicting damages in the trillions of dollars every year. Globally, spending on cybersecurity is expected to grow to almost U.S. $350 billion by 2026.[1], [2]
With so much at stake, the goalposts are constantly changing. New viruses appear in the market every day, with rapid patching and greater security a constant feature. To guarantee your business’s ongoing safety, be ready to respond to new threats by frequently updating all software—not just your antivirus—and deferring to machine experts as situations change.
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.
[1] https://cybersecurityventures.com/hackerpocalypse-cybercrime-report-2016/
[2] https://cybersecurityventures.com/cybersecurity-market-report/
Continue readingBy Johanna Boland, Group Strategy and Communications Manager at ANCA CNC Machines
When I moved into the Communications role at ANCA, an Australian manufacturing company, I anticipated our marketing activity would be straightforward, and, if anything, a little bit dull.
I knew I would be working in the technology sector, and that was interesting, but I wasn’t sure how much creativity would be encouraged or needed in a B2B organization.
And to be honest that is what I found. We are a fully privately-owned Australian manufacturer running for over 45 years from Melbourne and export 99 per cent of our product overseas. ANCA is thriving with around 1,000 employees and is a world leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines, motion controls, sheet metal solutions and components.
We have customers in over 45 countries and facilities in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a network of representatives and agents worldwide. So as a business ANCA was doing well.
My first job was to benchmark against our competitors, and we were easily meeting the same standards. We had a strong brand, advanced product management process, advertised, participated in the right exhibitions, produced good, printed sales materials and had a passable website. All respectable, solid traditional marketing activities.
But it wasn’t just traditional marketing that enabled us to take the top position in our market. We make a really great product with extraordinary technology backed up by a global sales and service infrastructure. It was a positive customer experience that saw us dominate our market.
We were successful and our customers loved us – so why break what wasn’t broken? Finding my feet, I realized the potential of this opportunity.
With a more progressive marketing strategy we could offer greater customer value and stand out in our market. We wanted to be progressive in channels but also in our approach and content.
Firstly, we considered the customer experience and from reviewing social media, I got a very strong sense of the people behind the machines. These cutting tool manufacturers considered themselves as craftspeople who made objects just as beautiful and refined as a guitar.
Tapping into this passion and profiling the person as well as the technology has differentiated us compared to our competitors. Telling our users’ stories has helped us better engage and inform customers.
We also looked at our channels and digital was the one to tackle first. Our website was old and clunky – but again, against our sector we were not doing badly.
The business wasn’t shouting for a new website, but with dated architecture and visuals the site wasn’t the perfect match for our brand. We boasted technology that could grind to an accuracy of <0.002 millimeters, yet our website was over ten years old, and looked it.
In our new website we have a careers section to highlight how cool ANCA was to work for, video integration for highlighting new products, a news and media section to add value for our customers and it is integrated to our customer relationship management system (CRM) for lead generation and visibility.
Our next step will be to launch an e-commerce platform in a few months – something I am sure our competitors are not ready for and which will further help position us as a progressive business and grow revenue.
Our content marketing not only adds value to the customer but it also profiles our experienced technical experts and reinforces ANCA’s brand as the leader in its field. Social media has also provided important access to the voice of customer and our Product managers regularly use the global Cutting Tool Facebook Forum to seek customer insights and understand what the market is thinking.
We were the first in our industry to really have a go at social media and are now streaks ahead of our competition in both followers and engagement. In fact, our competitors are copying our campaigns in their own social feeds. Thankfully it is much easier to start in front than to catch up.
Posting regular content and engaging with customers’ posts has built a thriving community. We see tons of fantastic user generated content with customers sharing photos of the tools they have produced on our machines every day. Using the hashtag #MadeonANCA, we now have hundreds of mini customer testimonials that give meaningful credibility to our brand.
Going back to the people behind the machine, we prioritized activity to improve the customer experience, rather than selling the product. Our #ToolTipTuesday series has been a hit.
We post a short informative video with tips on how to use our software. These videos have attracted almost 85,000 views on YouTube since launch. A sales person recently had a call from Boeing asking about a machine after seeing a tool tip which piqued their interest.
Given our machines can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, this was a cost-effective sales lead. Our #ANCAFlashBackFriday posts spark conversations about past achievements and memories to help reinforce our heritage and brand loyalty. We are also about to launch our own TV show — ANCA Academy — to host on our YouTube channel. What I am most proud of is our Tool of the Year competition, which is now in its fourth year.
The team built a campaign that has attracted over 100 entries from Turkey, India, Italy, France, Thailand, USA, Germany, Poland, China, Russia, Japan, Korea and Malaysia. We livestream the results at the major trade fair of the year and gain significant media coverage to boost our customers’ brands.
Last year there were almost 30 entries received from across the world, achieving 70 media appearances seen by over 80,000 fans and generating over 200,000 engagements on social media.
Awards are not a new concept, but this format was for our industry, especially using social media as part of the campaign. We use our Facebook channel for the community to like the entries and select the finalists, helping grow our own Facebook page and reach a broader audience.
We found an influencer, Alfred Lyon, and asked him to be a judge. Alfred is a customer in the USA who has over 45 thousand followers on Instagram – and I don’t imagine that many people would bother to follow if they weren’t interested in content featuring cutting tools.
At a trade show in Germany when we announced the winner on the stand a customer came up to me and thanked me for giving their industry a platform to be recognized.
Four years into working for ANCA I have seen the value of thinking creatively and bringing new and different ways of building your brand to a business. Traditional marketing remains fundamental, but building a personality around our product, telling a story and considering the person behind the machine has helped us gain a more vibrant and open reputation.
Johanna Boland is Group Strategy and Communications Manager at ANCA CNC Machines.
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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Today, Walter Friedrich, the president and CEO of GMTA (German Machine Tools of America), Ann Arbor, Michigan, has named Marius Braun to the post of Vice President of Sales for the company, effective January 1, 2022. Marius Braun will supervise the North American sales for this powerhouse distributor of various gear making and related lines of machine tools for automotive and other power transmissions, plus cleaning equipment and the newly acquired line of lasers for motor lamination production, Steifelmayer.
Marius Braun has worked in the USA since 2018. He was previously a regional sales manager for Hermle and a Tier One Key Account Manager for Magna.
For GMTA, Marius will oversee the sales of the gear making machine lines sold by the company, most notably PROFILATOR, originators of the patented Scudding® technology for gear generating. In addition, he will supervise the efforts on BvL parts washers, the STIEFELMAYER laser cutting machines for motor laminations, the SAMAG Multi Spindle machining centers, the ARNOLD laser welding machines, and the entire line of RASOMA vertical lathe and special purpose machine.
“GMTA is a leading supplier of gear making machines to the North American market and Marius has many related skills that will allow him to make a strong start for us, as we enter another busy IMTS year,” noted Walter Friedrich.
For more information on this announcement, please contact:
GMTA (GERMAN MACHINE TOOLS OF AMERICA)
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: 734-973-7800
Fax: 734-973-3053
Web: www.gmtamerica.com
Email: sales@gmtamerica.com
Attention: Walter Friedrich, President/CEO
In a world where machine shops are struggling to stay open and maintain their business and in a day when “going into dad’s business” is not what it once was, Platinum Tooling is an exception to the rule. Located in Prospect Heights, Illinois, the company is set to reach an important milestone. In 2022, company President Preben Hansen and his family will celebrate 100 years working in metal cutting and four generations of Hansen men in the industry. How cool is that?
The story began with Preben’s grandfather, Louis Eckart Hansen, who learned his trade in Copenhagen, Denmark in the early 1900s. Louis worked as a machinist in the Danish Navy’s repair facility. Preben’s father, Svend Eckart Hansen, honed his skills under the guidance of Louis. In 1958, Svend emigrated with his family, including young Preben, to the U.S. Despite not knowing English, he found employment within days of arriving in Chicago, because of his skill as a tool maker. Svend began his career as a machinist and ended it in the 1990s as a master tool maker at Ramcel Precision Stamping and Manufacturing LLC in Northbrook, Illinois.
With manufacturing and tooling in his DNA, Preben worked in the machine shop of the former Fulton Machine Company in downtown Chicago, while attending the University of Illinois/ Chicago and pursuing a degree in engineering. Following college, he worked in the shop at Oakley Industries building custom machinery. After several years in the shop, Preben moved to the front office and into an inside sales position. Later, at Jemco Tool & Die, he learned programming and set-up on their CNC lathes and machining centers which was his introduction to machine tools and their accessories. His next job was at HPI, now known as Pioneer Heartech Precision Inc., a distributor of tool holders and related products, in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Preben started as an Outside Sales representative of tool holders and rotary tables, then became the company’s Sales Manager. This was followed by work at Lyndex-Nikken, another machine tool accessory supplier in Mundelein, Illinois. Here, Preben was introduced to live tools and once again worked as Sales Manager. In 2010, Preben started a joint venture with heimatec GmbH, becoming the President of Heimatec, Inc., a company specializing in live tools, angle heads and multi-spindle drill heads. In 2018, Heimatec, Inc. was purchased by Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. with headquarters located in Prospect Heights, Illinois. Preben Hansen is the COO and President at Platinum Tooling.
In total, Preben has over 30 years of experience in the machine tool accessory market and over 40 years in the manufacturing industry. Given his credentials, it’s no surprise that Preben has established himself as a leading authority on these topics in the North American machine tool accessory market. He often hosts knowledge bars at trade shows to SRO crowds.
In keeping with this family tradition, Preben’s son, Luke Hansen, joined his dad’s company in 2018 as a Technical Sales Specialist for several of the product lines sold by Platinum Tooling, including Tecnicrafts collets and guide bushings for Swiss machines. After graduating from high school, Luke joined the army in search of his calling and received great training there. Upon his discharge, he decided to put into practice the motivational and goal orientation skills he had learned in the military. In his current position at Platinum Tooling, Luke continues to expand his knowledge of the machine tool accessory market as well as build valuable relationships with the North American sales and distribution network of the company.
Reflecting on 100 years as a family in the manufacturing industry, Preben Hansen says, “The machine tool industry has been and continues to be an extremely vital part of our country’s continued success. My son Luke and I are proud to be 3rd and 4th generation professionals involved in this exciting industry.”
For more information, please contact:
Preben Hansen, President
Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc.
16 East Piper Lane, Suite 128
Prospect Heights, IL 60070
847-749-0633
www.platinumtooling.com
phansen@platinumtooling.com
Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. in Prospect Heights, IL, 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 worldwide, through its network of manufacturers’ representatives. Platinum Tooling is the importer of Heimatec, Henninger, Tecnicrafts and AMF Tooling for North America.
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Learn how to set up a collet adaptor, a fundamental skill that all operators need to grind accurate tools and maintain stability of batch grinding
Each month, the ANCA Academy show will cover a different technical topic – from set up through to grinding. The educational videos will help ANCA machine users understand new applications and features.
Hugh Ingham, ANCA Mechanical Engineer hosts the new show and said: “I love working at ANCA because we design and apply really interesting and effective technology. It is important that we make sure we are helping our customers and those interested in getting into cutting tool grinding produce the best possible product faster, more accurately and at the lowest possible cost. The first episode will explain a PCA adaptor, how they work and how you can set your machine up for long and stable batch runs.”
“ANCA already has our Tool Tip Tuesdays, monthly newsletter, The ANCA Club, face to face training, social media and YouTube channel but we think there is so much to learn about our technology that we decided to start our own dedicated TV show. Make sure you send in any ideas or topic suggestions because this show is entirely dedicated to help our customers get even more out of their investment in ANCA. That way we both succeed.”
“The first episode covers the fundamentals of these types of collet adaptors, what makes them unique and how with some simple tricks, you can reduce your setup time and increase your productivity. After watching this episode, you will be able to confidently set up your ANCA PCA for reduced radial and axial runout and enjoy the benefits of long and stable batches.”
“If you have a brand new or an older ANCA machine and want to get right into accurate and repeatable grinding, then you definitely don’t want to miss this.”
Topics covered will include:
Sign up to our customer dedicated newsletter and don’t miss an episode: https://machines.anca.com/E-Sharp-News/Sign-up
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boland
Group PR and Communications Manager, ANCA
M: +61 407799779
Johanna.Boland@anca.com
https://machines.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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Poly Crystalline Diamond (PCD) products are widely used in industry for their superior abrasion resistance and longevity when machining non-ferrous materials. By virtue of their uniform carbon lattice structures, diamond is the hardest material available and therefore lends itself well to manufacturing processes requiring high speeds, feed rates and extended wear behaviors. PCD is not typically used to machine ferrous materials such as iron or steel due to a chemical reaction that occurs between the diamond and the iron molecules. The Carbon atoms in the diamond react with the Iron (Ferrous) atoms of the iron or steel to produce Iron Carbide (Fe3C), causing the tool edges to collapse. However, it can tackle bimetal applications involving aluminium and cast iron.
The areas that PCD tooling excels in is the machining of non-ferrous materials, composites, electronic components, timbers and precious metals.
| Non-ferrous Metals | Polymers and Other Materials | Precious Metals |
| Aluminum | Composites | Platinum |
| Carbide | Carbon Fibers | Gold |
| Titanium | Glass Fibers | Silver |
| Nickel | Ceramics | Bronze |
| Lead | Polyether (PEEK) | |
| Copper | Timber and wood | |
| Brass | PCB |
When machining these materials, PCD tooling exhibits superior wear resistance, heat tolerance and tool longevity.
Using PCD in tooling is not new, however, the explosion of lightweight materials used in all industries as manufacturers race to create lightweight and durable products highlights how versatile PCD tooling is becoming. Aluminium and composite products continue to grow quickly with the rapid expansion of consumer electronics, light-weight transportation and more efficient power generation.
Linked to the growth in non-ferrous componentry and PCD tooling is the downward pressure being applied to machine tool builders. Lowering cycle times and increasing surface finishes enables a profitable business proposition for PCD tooling manufacturers by reducing manufacturing costs per tool and increasing quality and durability for the end user.
To enable ANCA’s customers to create high-quality, low-cost tooling the new ANCA Motion SparX Generator has been designed and built using the latest power electronics. Power Electronics allows the creation of a wide band-gap generator to achieve high current and high frequency simultaneously. This enables higher mega-amp per second Nano and Pico-pulses and far greater control of the erosion process. These combine for a much faster and controllable erosion process than conventional electronics and allow for the complete manufacture of PCD tooling using nano grade PCDs (example: Element Six CMX850 with 0.85µm diamond grains and CTX002 with 2µm grains) through to very large diamond grades (example: CTH025 with average grain size of 25µm and CTM302 a multi-modal PCD with grain sizes of 2µm to 30µm)
Additionally, by virtue of the 5-axis kinematics of the ANCA EDG machines utilizing a rotary copper electrode, almost infinite tool geometries can be created including complex end-face and fluting geometries. This linked to very aggressive pricing and performance with supreme flexibility enables tooling manufacturers to create high quality PCD tools competitively. Additionally, with the increase in performance, decrease in cycle time and increase in surface finish specification, users are able to purchase arguably the most technologically advanced erosion machine available. ANCA is the only supplier of EDG erosion machines in the market that has a synchronized, adaptable, intelligent and controllable erosion process suited perfectly to the vast array of non-ferrous materials.
To highlight these benefits, ANCA conducted testing between tools created on an ANCA EDG, tools created on a competitor laser machine and lastly on a competitor erosion machine. Testing utilized a 12mm 2D shear brazed (neutral rake face) tool due to laser ablation systems being unable to create large fluted tools. The PCD material was Element Six CTM302.
Testing showed definitively that not only did the ANCA EDG match the quality and cycle time of laser created tools, but it was vastly superior to the like-for-like erosion results.
| Laser Competitor | Erosion Competitor | ANCA EDG | |
| Settings | – | Standard Finish | Standard Finish |
| Surface Finish (µm Ra) | 0.200 | 0.400 | 0.200 |
| Cycle Time | 26m : 24s | 56m : 00s | 26m : 20s |
| Edge Corner Radius (µm) | 9.45 | 6.25 | 3.22 |
Additionally, the cutting edges were 3x keener on the ANCA created tools as opposed to the laser ablated tools. Keen cutting edges are very important in the manufacture of aluminium and composites as they reduce burring while increasing surface finishes. In composites, keen cutting edges also reduce the risk of delamination during machining.
The key take-away from this testing was that not only is the ANCA EDG with the new ANCA Motion SparX Erosion Generator well suited to all types of PCD and the varying associated industries, but that erosion processes utilizing power electronics with high current and high frequency simultaneously positions the ANCA EDG squarely in the sights of both traditional erosion and laser technologies.
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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Greg Groth, the Brookfield, Wisconsin Division Manager, was part of a panel discussing additive manufacturing, its challenges and opportunities
Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company and a comprehensive 3D metrology service provider and hardware sales company, had one of their employees give a presentation on 3D scanning and how to use it. Greg Groth, the Division Manager at the company’s Brookfield, Wisconsin location, presented at Rapid+TCT, North America’s largest additive event. Held recently at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, Groth was part of a panel discussion entitled “3D Scanning: Why do it and how.”
He discussed Exact Metrology’s capabilities, with an emphasis on CT technology. Groth also cited how CT fits into the company’s business model and how it supplements additive technology. In addition, the discussion covered the challenges that arise with complex additive parts and the need to incorporate 3D scanning into the quality process that validates parts. He also shared several examples of complex projects Exact has performed over the years.
When talking about additive manufacturing today, Groth said that there is a growing need for evaluation of additive parts once they are made. “We are naïve to the thought that even though additive circumvents the traditional manufacturing restrictions (draft/shrink) when making parts, the end result part is not perfect.” He added that these parts need to be validated. Due to the fact that additive parts are so complex, inspecting them is a challenge. Thanks to CT scanning, this has become easier.
Even though CT technology has helped capture internal geometry for additive manufacturing better than other methods, there are still limitations of material penetration. Part design should think about the way the part will be inspected, whether using contact or non-contact measurement techniques.
Depending on the complexity of the part, most additive substrates can be scanned using structured light or laser scanning. However, complex powered metal substrates are feasible for CT scanning if their material properties and scale don’t impede the penetration of the X-rays on the CT scanner. The denser the material, the more power is required.
In conclusion, Greg Groth said, “I think all additive markets can find value in the scanning and validation process. With the wide variety of scanning technology available, I don’t think any market is untouchable.”
Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company, is ISO9001, AS9100 Certified as well as ITAR Registered.
Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company, with facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, Moline, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, plus affiliated offices throughout the country, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
In-Place Machining Company: On-Site Machining Solutions In-Place, Any Place in the World.
In-Place Machining Company, with facilities in Wisconsin, Washington, Virginia, Ohio, California, and Ontario, Canada, is the premier provider of high-precision engineered on-site machining, metrology, and large scale cutting & drilling services for a wide range of renewable energy, aerospace, industrial, and military customers throughout the world.
For more information, please contact:
Greg Groth
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: 262-533-0793
www.exactmetrology.com
gregg@exactmetrology.com
Recently launched at Eastec 2021, LaserUltra dramatically increases capacity and reduces waste through highly accurate and fast in-process measurement and compensation
ANCA leads the market in inventing, developing, and offering its customers the latest technology to realize the benefits of automation and lights out manufacturing. LaserUltra is the next generation of the highly popular LaserPlus, an in-process measurement technology only available with ANCA that gave customers the power to operate unmanned overnight with confidence they could retrieve their finished tools the next day within specification. LaserPlus was itself a game changer for the industry and already significantly faster than external tool measurement processes.
The 70% reduction in measurement time compared to Laser Plus is achieved through the new Analog measurement. The Analog measurement is a continuous edge scan instead of number of digital points along the cutting edge. This process also eliminates variations caused by machine standing idle, errors due to manual wheel corrections and the requirement of skilled operators. In its place LaserUltra has increased accuracy, productivity, and reduction of scrap.
ANCA’s LaserUltra allows the measurement of tool geometries to tolerances of 0.002mm without removing the tool from the grinder, saving time in the manufacturing process, and ensuring maximum accuracy in measurement is maintained over large batch grinding.
Pat Boland, ANCA Co-Founder said: “The intersection of 5 axis milling machines, advanced CAD/CAM software and advanced profile geometry cutting tools is revolutionizing the Die and Mold and Aerospace machining industries. ANCA’s Laser Ultra tool measurement system together with RN34 software gives tool manufacturers all they need to manufacture complex profile endmills productively to outstanding accuracy.”
LaserUltra offers customers:
Thomson Mathew, ANCA Software Product Manager said: “gone are the days of manual or external measurement and compensation for critical dimensions or profile forms due to wheel wear or other grinding factors as LaserUltra can measure and compensate within a couple of microns. All this is done in process without taking the tools out of the machine with complete control of process stability and capability. These measurements are displayed at various locations to give our customers complete visibility and trust in their grinding process.”
LaserUltra is an automatic OD, profile measurement and compensating system for ANCA’s TX, MX and FX machines. It is ideal for measuring and compensating tools to maintain tight tolerances (0.002mm) in unmanned production grinding. The in-process measurement is available in both digital and analog for fast and accurate measurements to enable productivity and performance improvements.
It is permanently mounted inside the machine and will not interfere with typical grinding processes and accessories. Using the laser, the operator can perform accurate in-process measurement and compensation without removing tools from the machine.
Thomson continues: “It gives customers flexibility to service multiple markets, supporting a large range of cutting tool applications, for example, all types of endmills or step tools — including profile, compression routers and Threadmills and several more. Furthermore, different versions of LaserUltra can cover large diameter ranges and various lengths depending on user cases. And finally, LaserUltra can generate reports which can be configured depending on customers’ requirements.”
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boland
Group Strategy 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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