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EMAG Announces ECM/PECM Machines Now Offered to North American Market

Leading supplier of electro-chemical technologies introducing new machines for aero, auto, medical and nano markets

Farmington Hill, Michigan – EMAG L.L.C. here today announces the introduction of its ECM and PECM machines to the North American market.  As a longtime European leader in these technologies, the company will sell and support these machines with application engineering, field commissioning and technical service from its Detroit-area location.

Electro-chemical machining takes many forms, but all involve the electrolytic dissolving of metal substrates.  This technique is often utilized in applications involving hard-to-machine materials such as Inconel, high-nickel alloys, titanium etc.

Because ECM is a non-contact machining process with no heat input involved, the process is not subject to the variances inherent in conventional machining, such as tool wear, mechanical stress, microcracking caused by heat transfer, plus surface oxidation and recast layer present with EDM (electrical discharge machining), for example.  By contrast, the ECM process is characterized by stress-free stock removal, smooth and precise transitions in machining contours with burr-free surfaces.  End products from turbine blisks to dental implants and automotive industry products are ideal uses for this technology, according to Tobias Trautmann, product manager for ECM/PECM Products at EMAG ECM.

The many advantages of the EMAG ECM and PECM technologies for the end user include:  low tool wear on the cathode, ideal for batch production; surface finishes to Ra 0.05, depending on the material, suitable for high precision pro

duction in nearly all machining areas; reproducible cutting depth to <20mm; extremely high-precision machining; no negative thermal or mechanical effects on the material, so no changes in microstructures; basic material properties are unaffected; hardness, magnetic and other performance properties are unchanged; nano and extremely thin-walled section contours are possible, critical in aero and medical applications, for example; high repeatability, owing to the consistency of the mechanical components and predictability of the machining conditions; minimal secondary operations; roughing, finishing and polishing in one machine.  The process allows users to employ multiple fixtures and run the process simultaneously.

Standard features offered on the EMAG ECM Basic Series machines are a Siemens S7 controller with full graphics display, current relay and voltage monitor, pH control and conductance monitor, temperature control module, machining area of 1150mm x 950mm (45.27” x 37.40”) and two-handed operator safety controls.  EMAG also provides ancillary equipment interfacing for work cell set-ups, including pre- and post-op cleaning stations and multiple machining units, as well as robotic workpiece handling.

Precise Electrochemical Machining (PECM) machines operate on the same basic principle of electrolytic dissolution, but include a mechanical oscillation mechanism for more intricate 2D and 3D microstructures. All standard machines include EMAG scalable generator technology up to 30,000 Amps, pulse frequencies to 100 kHz and a machine base of MINERALIT® or granite.

The Premium Series further offers precision imaging, surface finishes up to Ra 0.05 (relative to the material) and a high degree of precision in lowering speeds, essential for micromachining.

Complementing this new machine series is the EMAG test laboratory.  Users can examine a variety of test cut scenarios to determine the optimum conditions for machining, fixturing, process performance and materials specification, matching the requirements to the most productive machines and systems available.

For more information:

EMAG 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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EMAG Announces Collaboration with Local College for Training

Leading supplier of machine tools partners with Oakland Community College; $200,000 agreement from Michigan New Jobs Training program to create 21 new jobs

Farmington Hills, Michigan – EMAG L.L.C. announces its receipt of a five-year, $200,000 agreement with Oakland Community College (OCC), through the Michigan New Jobs Training (MNJT) program, for the training of 21 new employees in manufacturing technology, CNC machine tools, mechanical maintenance, electrical and robotics disciplines.

Peter Loetzner, EMAG CEO, accepted the award from Dr. Timothy Meyer, chancellor of Oakland Community College, and J. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Executive, during the Oakland County Economic Outlook Luncheon, held at the Troy Marriott on April 26, 2012.

Beginning the speeches at the event, OCC Chancellor, Dr. Timothy Meyer noted the critical importance of education and training in the creation and retention of manufacturing jobs in Southeastern Michigan, an area hard hit by the recent economic downturn in the auto industry and other manufacturing sectors of the economy.  He then introduced Oakland County Executive J. Brooks Patterson, who continued this theme, citing the recent creation of 36,000 new jobs in Oakland County as well as other awards made to companies who’ve chosen to locate in the area.

Introducing Peter Loetzner, Meyer then detailed the collaboration between OCC and EMAG, noting how the study of mechatronics would raise the skill level of both engineers and the plant workforce to higher levels of technical competence and multi-functional abilities.

During his remarks, Loetzner recounted his own experience as a student in this now rapidly growing field of mechatronics, where mechanical engineering melds with electrical and electronic engineering to help students better understand the inter-relationship of components on a machine.   Mechatronic engineers and field technicians are now highly valued individuals in many industries, Loetzner noted.  He added that EMAG will have at least 20 openings in engineering throughout the next few years at his company, the result of increased sales and the EMAG commitment to serving the North American market from its expanding headquarters in the Detroit area.  He further commented how such programs have the dual advantages of growing the manufacturing base in the area, as well as raising the skill level of the employees, which in turn attracts more businesses to Oakland County.

EMAG has engaged in training for its employees as well as its customers’ programming, operator and maintenance personnel throughout the company’s history, both in Germany and in America.  The company sells its machines to job shops and original equipment manufacturers’ metalworking departments worldwide, with a heavy concentration in the automotive and off-highway machinery markets.

Loetzner thanked the OCC and Oakland County personnel who helped develop this program, especially Meyer, Patterson and Sharon Miller, the vice chancellor of external affairs at OCC.  He concluded his remarks on a humorous note, “As we say in mechatronics, keep thinking INSIDE the box.”

Sharon Miller next spoke at the event, citing the creation of five new jobs programs in the last year, awarded to companies ranging from the start-up mode such as Oxus, a portable oxygen equipment distributor for the medical industry, to the multi-national truck parts supplier Meritor, who added 63 employees in Troy, Michigan as a result of the MNJT program.

Dr. Meyer concluded the speaking with several observations on the nature of education.  He cited the need for institutions to be more proactive in redesigning their curriculum to better suit the needs of the local manufacturing base, plus the need to partner with more companies in the area, as well as community organizations.  “After all,” he concluded, “community is our middle name!”

EMAG equipment covers the entire spectrum of machining processes in the metalworking industry, offering the latest technological advances in turning, drilling, milling, grinding, gear cutting, electrochemical machining and laser welding for the automotive, oil field, power generation and earth moving equipment industries.  EMAG is a trendsetter in the field of vertical turning centers, multi-spindle machining centers and multi-functional production machines, and has become an important partner in the realization of complete process streams in the manufacture of automotive transmission, engine and chassis components.

Oakland Community College is the largest community college in Michigan, and the 21^st largest in the nation.  With five campuses throughout Oakland County, OCC offers degrees and certificates in more than 160 fields including university transfer degrees in business, science and the liberal arts, as well as workforce training and certificate programs.  Approximately 750,000 students have enrolled at the college since it opened in 1965.

OCC also announced an award to Denso, one of the world’s largest suppliers of automotive components, totaling $2.6 million to support the creation of 169 jobs in e-learning, project management, leadership, quality and engineering at the company’s Southfield, Michigan facility.

For more information:

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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EMAG Uses The Same CNC and Remote Monitoring On Various Machine Tools Sold to Major Agriculture Equipment Builder

Siemens Sinumerik 840D is the control of choice on turning, grinding and turn/grind models, resulting in substantial savings for its customer and EMAG

EMAG L.L.C. is the U.S. subsidiary of a major German machine tool builder who specializes in machine tools for the production of automotive, off-highway, agricultural and oil field components.  The company’s equipment ranges from basic prismatic part turning centers to large workpiece, five-axis machining centers, gear hobbing machines and alternative cutting equipment such as lasers and electro-chemical machining centers.  This wide variety of machine tools requires an assortment of control technologies to power and manage the motion.  For one recent customer requirement, where a major agricultural equipment builder in Iowa needed grinding, turning and turn-grind machines, EMAG looked to its longtime partner Siemens for a standardized CNC solution.

CEO Peter Loetzner put it simply, “We needed to devise a control solution that would satisfy all the needs of the various machines we were supplying to this demanding customer, based on a common platform, to enable easier design, integration, start-up, commissioning on-site and training for our customer’s operations and maintenance personnel.”  After reviewing the entire line of CNC offerings from various suppliers, the decision was made to use the Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC for all of the grinding, turning and turn-grind machines to be supplied.  Collaboration was a key element in the decision-making process, as Loetzner explains.

“The control we selected offered great flexibility in application, which was very important to us and our customer.  They were seeking a scenario that would allow considerable cross-training of their operators, who might run a turning center one day, then a grinding or turn-grind center the next.”  Loetzner further noted the control chosen offered his machine designers and the customer’s production management team an enhanced remote monitoring feature, so changes could be made on the fly with very little downtime.  As a result, over 20 machines of various sizes and styles can be monitored over a wireless network, enabling process engineers to see what the operator sees on each machine.

Furthermore, owing to the global capabilities of Siemens, Loetzner commented on the control’s ability to function

in U.S., German and even Asian factories with seamless data integration.  Regardless of the machine tool’s location, EMAG and its customer are able to monitor the performance of any particular machine and even report comparative production data from one continent to another.  Because it sells into every industrialized nation, EMAG “…works with its customers on every aspect of a job, from the order process to tooling usage, materials handling strategies to predictive maintenance.  The cultural differences are substantial sometimes and the control must be programmed to adapt to such variations.  We have been most satisfied with the help Siemens has provided to us, worldwide, in this area.”

Those differences, he continued, must nonetheless be based on a common technology to streamline the integration of the CNC on the machines under construction.

Loetzner cited specifics from the project referenced in this story.  “We were looking at a fairly diverse group of machines being supplied to the customer.  Frankly, many of their operators were more comfortable with a CNC that is very popular in the American job shop community.  However, we were able to demonstrate the immediate advantages of the Siemens control to them and they accepted our recommendations.”  This value proposition, he said, hinged on the greater capability of the Sinumerik 840D to run different machine types, which translated into considerable savings on the training and commissioning side of the equation.  Coupled with the remote monitoring and programming aspects of the Siemens control solution, the customer was convinced.

More than 75 percent of the EMAG machines at this particular customer are equipped with robotic devices, enabling a lights-out manufacturing scenario, another instance where the Siemens remote monitoring via Ethernet feature benefits both the machine tool builder and its customer alike.  Loetzner explains, “Remote monitoring of the machine tools can be done directly through the Sinumerik CNC in a one-to-one exchange between our customer and us.  Alternatively, we can communicate with Siemens and our customer in a three-way exchange of machine data and cycle information, all protected through a firewall for security and customer peace-of-mind.  That’s important with all our major OEMs, of course.”   Loetzner cited one customer in the agricultural machine building market, who’s used the remote monitoring capability of the Sinumerik CNC on a wide variety of EMAG machines for over three years currently, with all data communicated through a single information network, accessible by both EMAG and the control supplier.  Significant reductions in downtime, service calls and troubleshooting identification time have been achieved, translating into documented savings for everyone.

As a further advantage to the machine tool builder, the space reduction of more than 20 percent in the control, compared to competitive brands, meant a smaller footprint for the machine, further improving the workspace productivity of the EMAG machines for their customer.  Especially in brownfield applications, where a limited space is being utilized to maximize production for an OEM, this physical space-savings combines with other advantages of the Siemens control, according to Peter Loetzner.  These include reduced wiring and lower power consumption with the attendant lower operating temperatures, due to reduced ambient heat.

At this particular customer, the EMAG machines are used to produce gears, gear blanks, shafts and splines for

powertrain applications.  Gear hobbing and synchronous support grinding are among the advanced machining technologies performed here.  Heavy, hardened steels are the most often worked substrates.

The specific control used on these machines is the Siemens Sinumerik 840D solution line, a distributed, scalable and open control for up to 31 axes of motion, incorporating the CNC, HMI, PLC, closed loop control and communications functions into a single NC unit.  Sinumerik Safety Integrated further provides a comprehensive, yet efficiently packaged suite of personnel and machine protection functions, fully compliant with internationally-accepted standards.

Commenting on the competing brands of CNC often found in job shops worldwide, Loetzner noted that the Siemens communication architecture easily accepts input from such devices, owing to its ability to capture, standardize and transmit all data in a seamless manner through its legacy tracking.  “This service is another example of a forward-thinking supplier, such as Siemens, responding to brownfield conditions in the marketplace,” he noted.

EMAG machines are used by the majority of American companies for the production of such products in the Agriculture, Earthmoving, Motorcycle and Automotive and subsequent leading TIER1 suppliers.  The machine builder has had a presence in the American market for over 20 years and, according to Peter Loetzner, “…we’ve received great support from Siemens, both in Germany and in the United States, for on-site service, application engineering, parts distribution, remote monitoring implementation and communications between our customers and us.”

For more information on this story, please contact:

EMAG L.L.C.
Peter Loetzner
CEO
38800 Grand River Avenue
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Phone:  248-477-7440
Fax:  248-477-7784
Web:  www.emag.com
Email:  info@emag.com

OR

SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
DRIVE TECHNOLOGIES
MOTION CONTROL
MACHINE TOOL BUSINESS
390 Kent Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Phone: 847-640-1595
Fax: 847-437-0784
Web:  www.usa.siemens.com/cnc
Email:  SiemensMTBUMarCom.sea@siemens.com
Attention:  John Meyer, Manager, Marketing Communication

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Siemens Industry Sector is the world’s leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products, solutions and services for industrial customers. With end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise, and technology-based services, the sector enhances its customers’ productivity, efficiency and flexibility. With a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, the Industry Sector comprises the Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services Divisions as well as the Metals Technologies Business Unit. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/industry.

The Siemens Drive Technologies Division is the world’s leading supplier of products, systems, applications, solutions and services for the entire drive train, with electrical and mechanical components. Drive Technologies serves all vertical markets in the production and process industries as well as the infrastructure/energy segment. With its products and solutions, the division enables its customers to achieve productivity, energy efficiency and reliability. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/drivetechnologies.

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