Tag Archives: Siemens

Rattunde Utilizes Precision Motion Control For Tube and Bar Production System; Up To 11,000 Parts Per Hour Reported with Zero Rejects

By Bernard and Company Tags: Ad agencies, BernardandCompany, CNC, Cosmos, Industrial PR, Profibus modules, Rattunde, Siemens, Siemens Industry, Simatic S7 PLC, Simotics servomotor, Sinumerik 840D CNC, Tim Daro No Comments

Through the use of Siemens SINUMERIK CNC technology, plus PLC and HMI, on a combination servo-controlled cold saw cut-to-length and brush deburring system, Rattunde customer achieves triple the output on small engine exhaust components

Rattunde ACS + BDM tube and bar production system at Cosmos.

Rattunde Corporation of Grand Rapids, Michigan is the five-year-old subsidiary of Germany’s Rattunde & Co. GmbH, a machine tool builder of tube, pipe and bar processing equipment. The company is already making its mark in the American manufacturing industry, as demonstrated by a recent success it had at Cosmos Manufacturing of South Chicago Heights, Illinois, a major supplier of small engine exhaust tubes to the leading outdoor power equipment manufacturers in the country.

The Rattunde system, incorporating a servo-controlled cutoff saw and brush deburring mechanism, is consistently producing up to 11,000 parts per hour at Cosmos, according to Mike Jemilo, the end user’s general manager. “This number represents triple the output production for Cosmos.” He continues, “Better still, it’s been in operation more than a year and we have not reported a single reject, with only routine maintenance and zero downtime due to machine problems. This is truly a win-win scenario for the machine tool builder and us alike.”

At the heart of the Rattunde system, according to Richard Stadler, company president, is the computer numerical control (CNC) system used by this builder. It consists of a Sinumerik 840D CNC, Simatic S7 PLC with various analog and Profibus modules, plus numerous Simotics servomotors, motor protection devices, circuit breakers and other components supplied by Siemens.

Machine performs all servo-controlled saw cut-to-length, washdown, brush deburring and packing operations on a single line, controlled by Siemens CNC and HMI.

At Cosmos, this Rattunde system is used to process mill-length tubes to customer-specified dimensions, using a fully NC-controlled cold saw. Cut-to-length parts are then automatically measured for dimensional accuracy and brush deburred. Production of these parts runs up to 11,000 units per hour, according to Cosmos’ Mike Jemilo. Because of the overall improvements in automation, speed and parts handling, plus the precision of the Sinumerik CNC system, Cosmos is further experiencing significant reductions in parts handling, secondary operations and final assembly.

The primary products being produced on this equipment at Cosmos include mountings, connectors and sections for muffler tubes in dozens of lengths, typically in 3/8-inch, 7/16-inch, 12 millimeter and 1/2-inch sizes. Products are routinely run in mild steel, aluminized steel and stainless steel on the same Rattunde system, with offline pre-programming done by the Cosmos engineering team. The final products are sold by Cosmos to leading manufacturers of chain saws, leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other small engine-powered equipment.

All machine functions and 13 axes of movement are affected by the Siemens CNC, which also provides remote monitoring capability for the builder Rattunde.

Jemilo concluded by citing the Rattunde service advantages. “From the initial contacts with their application engineering, through the build process, commissioning and on-site training, we’ve been extremely impressed with their work — very professional and responsive. Our previous system had nowhere near the production of the Rattunde solution and we are already working with this supplier on our next system.”

From the machine tool builder’s perspective, the same relationship is echoed about Siemens. Alec Banish, vice-president at Rattunde, commented, “We were asking Siemens to do some fairly complex operations in motion control, including 13 total axes with an articulating gearbox, plus the conveyor and part articulations, spindles and servomotors.” He further noted the scalloped motion of the ID/OD brushing with disc transfers all presented unique motion challenges for the control hardware and software alike. “The Siemens servo technology automated our entire process in a totally controlled, high-precision manner, allowing customers such as Cosmos to process a wide variety of materials, dimensions, shapes and lengths with easy-to-manage presets.” Banish concluded by saying, “The Siemens support is greatly enhanced by the remote monitoring capability of the Sinumerik CNC. About 70 percent of our issues are resolved remotely, working between us and Siemens or directly with the customer’s plant personnel.”

Prior to the implementation of the Rattunde system, all the piece part work done at Cosmos required two or three saws, with the attendant fixturing, parts handling, logistics and labor costs. These bottlenecks in production were eliminated by the fully automated and single operation processing of the tubes provided by the Rattunde system. Four tubes are processed per cycle, with servo control of the entire bundle, as it moves through the saw, brush and loading zones on this fully integrated machine line.

Rattunde builds various production systems for tube and bar product manufacturers.

From a factory utilization perspective, the prior system at Cosmos ran in three shifts for six days, each week. Today, with the Rattunde system on the floor, occupying a far smaller footprint, one shift per day working just five days produces the same output with far superior quality and virtually no rework, according to company sources.

Rattunde President Richard Stadler further comments on the power of the Siemens CNC and related motion control products. “We’re using all ten channels and pushing the axis capability to some extreme limits, but have seen absolutely no problems in signal degradation or processing speeds.” Stadler also observed the Sinumerik CNC program storage capabilities were quite impressive. “All the operator needs to do is provide a size range indication onscreen and all the relevant programs appear for easy selection. Repeatability is obviously critical for our customer, who often process dozens of shapes and sizes per shift.”

He recalled meeting the Cosmos team at FABTECH in 2009. “They approached us with their scenario and it was right in our wheelhouse. We did some test cuts and time/motion studies for them and the results were quite impressive, both to them and to us,” Stadler muses.

Rattunde operates facilities in Grand Rapids, Michigan as well as a service center in Burlington, Ontario to better serve their North American customer base.

Rattunde markets its tube and bar production systems to makers of precision parts. Currently selling 60 percent automotive, the company’s systems produce airbag canisters, cam shaft cylinders, steering components, rack mounts, driveshafts, frame components, seating parts, headrests, shock absorber parts, door impact devices, luggage racks and a variety of axles. In addition to the cut-off and brush deburring system detailed here, the company also supplies production systems to perform various types of secondary machining operations, including threading, facing, chamfering and ID turning.

For further information on this story, please contact:

RATTUNDE CORPORATION
4980 Kendrick St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Phone: 616-940-3340
Web: www.rattunde-corp.com
Email: r.stadler@rattunde-corp.com
Attention: Richard Stadler, president or Alec Banish, vice-president

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.

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

By Bernard and Company Tags: Ad agencies, BernardandCompany, CNC, emag, Industrial PR, Industrial press release, Machinery, remote monitoring, Siemens, Siemens Industry, Siemens Machine Tool Systems, Sinumerik 840D, Tim Daro No Comments

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

VL Series vertical turning machine from EMAG, with short loading and cycle time

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

Universal VLC machine does turning, milling, grinding and drilling

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.

Production VSC from EMAG is a vertical pick-up turning center capable of milling, turning, grinding, drilling, even gear profiling and honing.

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.

Shaft machining is done on a VTC, with full 4-axis machining plus loading and unloading, all controlled by a Siemens CNC.

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.

Siemens Sinumerik 840D solution line CNC, shown with Sinamics drive package

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

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Siemens Introduces New Simotion D Motion Controllers That Enhance User Productivity

By Bernard and Company Tags: Ad agencies, Industrial, Industrial PR, Machinery, Motion controllers, Siemens, Siemens General Motion Control, Siemens Industry, Simotion D, Simotion D445-2, Tim Daro No Comments

ATLANTA, Sept. 26, 2011 — Siemens Industry, Inc. announced today the extension of the upper performance range of its popular Simotion D motion controllers. The new generation of Simotion D445-2 multi-axis controllers has new features such as onboard Profinet interfaces, high-speed I/O, and with three times the performance, a single controller can support up to 128 axes of motion.

Simotion D motion control systems are the ideal solution for production machines covering all levels of performance — from simple single-axis positioning tasks to complex synchronous applications — with extremely short cycle times on a large numbers of axes. Thanks to its scalability, Simotion D offers users a high degree of flexibility for the ever-changing demands on machine automation. The Simotion D drive-based multi-axis control system not only offers PLC, motion control and advanced technology functions, but also an integrated drive control based upon Siemens Sinamics S120 drives.

Today, with the new Simotion D445-2 DP/PN and D455-2 DP/PN versions, the performance range has been extended even higher. Compared to the previous generation, the maximum quantity has been doubled to 128 axes and the memory capacity significantly expanded. This has increased the PLC and motion control performance by a factor of three. With Simotion D445-2 DP/PN and D455-2 DP/PN, the previously optional Profinet I/O interface has now been integrated on the modules as standard. This frees up the option slot for other expansion cards. The onboard interface is equipped with an integrated three-port switch and facilitates different network topologies such as line, star or tree structures, without the need for additional external switches. The interface not only supports real-time (RT), but also isochronous real-time (IRT) data exchange and can be operated as a controller and / or device of another controller.

In addition to the Profinet interface, Simotion D445-2 DP/PN and D455-2 DP/PN also have two Profibus and two Ethernet interfaces, as well as 28 digital I/Os, of which 16 can be used for technology tasks such as output cams and measuring inputs with micro-second resolution.

For more information about motion control solutions and services from Siemens, point your web browser to www.usa.siemens.com/motioncontrol. Join the community by following us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/siemens.dt.us and talking to us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/siemens_dt_us.

The new Simotion D motion controllers for production machines cover all levels of performance, from simple positioning tasks to demanding applications with extremely short cycle times or large numbers of axes, up to 128.

Please forward all inquiries to: Siemens Industry, Inc. Motion Control Business 390 Kent Avenue Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 Attn: Marketing Communications

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

Siemens Industry

Siemens Industry, Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Siemens’ global Industry Sector business—the world’s leading supplier of production, transportation and building technology solutions. The company’s integrated hardware and software technologies enable comprehensive industry-specific solutions for industrial and infrastructure providers to increase their productivity, sustainability and profitability. The Industry Sector includes six divisions: Building Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, Drive Technologies and Osram Sylvania. With nearly 204,000 Siemens Industry Sector employees worldwide, the Industry Sector posted a worldwide profit of $4.7 billion on revenues of $47.3 billion in fiscal 2010. www.usa.siemens.com/industry

Drive Technologies

A division of Siemens Industry, Inc., the Drive Technologies Division is the world’s leading supplier of electrical and mechanical products, applications and solutions that cover the entire drive train. Drive Technologies is the global leader in energy-efficient motors and drives, as well as products and services for production machinery and machine tools. Technologies include standard products, industry-specific control and drive solutions, as well as mechatronics support and online services for web-based fault management and preventive maintenance. Drive Technologies provides its customers with energy-efficiency, productivity and reliability in industries as diverse as clean and renewable energy, transportation, oil and gas, utilities, metals and mining, machinery manufacturing and machine tools. With nearly 36,000 employees worldwide, the Drive Technologies Division posted worldwide revenues of $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2010. www.usa.siemens.com/drives

Forest City Gear Keeping “Control” Of Its Gearmaking

By Bernard and Company Tags: Ad agencies, BernardandCompany, Forest City Gear, Industrial, Industrial PR, Machinery, Press Release, Siemens, Siemens Industry, Siemens Machine Tool Systems, Sinumerik 840D, Tim Daro No Comments

Mark Cunningham operates a Gleason gear shaper with Siemens CNC onboard. “It’s very user friendly,” he says.

Using CNC technology on advanced machine tools helps company sell its products worldwide

Roscoe, Illinois is home to many more gear companies than your average town of 10,000 people, but the reason is obvious. During the peak of the machine tool boom in nearby Rockford, it was critical to have these important components made locally. Over the years, that market has changed and so have the gear companies here, each taking its expertise in other directions to offset the decline in local machine tool building.

Forest City Gear Inc. took a different track to remain competitive globally. As Fred Young, CEO of the company, which was founded in 1955 explains, “We decided long ago to do two things. First, to make the very best fine and medium coarse pitch gears in the world, and to do so by using the best machines, people and quality assessment practices possible. Second and just as important, we became committed to reinvesting our company’s profits in newer and better machinery, based on the global standards and the ongoing technical advancements made by machine tool builders around the world.”

Kevin Chatfield has worked on CNC machines for 20 years. Here, he uses a Samputensili gear grinder for internal, external and form grinding. “No other CNC can do all the work the Siemens does.”

This precision gear and spline maker performs nearly every aspect of production in-house, including blanking, turning, hobbing, shaping, milling, gear grinding with form wheels and generating grinding, thread grinding, broaching, honing, straightening, laser marking, magnetic particle inspection, metal-etching, CMM, hardness testing and final surface inspection. Forest City Gear continues to subcontract heat treating and plating. The blanking department, though relatively new, has been expanded several times to keep pace with increasing production. The company boasts nearly every leading brand of gearmaking machine tool on the world market, because, as Young puts it, “We really do put our money where our mouth is, to use that old expression. In a typical year, we invest between 25 and 40 percent of our gross sales back into better gear machines and metrology.”

Brian Turnbull runs various machine tools, including a Hoefler gear grinder, and notes, “The CNC is easy-to-use, very easy to layout and gives me no problems navigating.”

Among the most advanced gearmaking machines in this shop are four Gleason shapers, two Samputensili grinders (form and generating style) plus a Hoefler gear grinder. All these machines have something in common.

At the heart of any machine tool, of course, is the CNC that drives it, controls the motion, detects and integrates all the cutting parameters, feeding back that information to the computer logic of the control to ensure the part being made is as close as possible to the programmed specifications. Meanwhile, the ergonomic or operator-to-machine interaction must always be considered, because a control that’s too difficult to learn and use will result in substantial and costly delays in production. While Forest City Gear has the classic mix of longtime and newer employees, who all bring a variety of computer knowledge and machining skills to the job, this company has consistently sought the most advanced equipment on the market, as part of its “Excellence Without Exception” motto and its practical desire to stay ahead of the competition in the global gear market.

Forest City Gear is among the world leaders in fine and medium pitch gears, selling high-precision applications in medical, aerospace, defense, avionics, instrumentation and performance racing markets.

The control on these machines at Forest City Gear is the Sinumerik 840D from Siemens with specialized gear software. As Young explains, “The extensive gear software developments available are quite remarkable. Most have been a cooperative venture between a machine builder, the CNC builder and folks like us. The result has been software that’s specific to hobbing, shaping, gear grinding and thread grinding.” He also notes features of the Siemens CNC that have yielded positive impacts on the production at Forest City Gear, including “…sophisticated executive software for all machine movements and the fast program reading that allow us to cut and grind much faster, with more options such as reverse direction, segment cutting and combined operations, when compared to other controls we see.”

Company CEO Fred Young notes, “Most of the best gearmaking machines in the world use Siemens CNC and I’ve seen a lot of them, in my time.” He adds the controls have great flexibility, more motion precision and greater diagnostic capabilities than competitive brands he’s used at his company.

Typically, the CNC is used for all axis, rotary and spindle movements and the machine operators particularly appreciate the multiple standard cycles for cutting with degressive feeds, increasing speeds plus special cycles for gear tooth removal and reversing directions to improve finish or reduce cutter wear.

Forest City Gear cuts a wide variety of standard and exotic materials in the production of its gears and splines. These include titanium, Inconel, 4340, 300M, Vascomax 250 and 300, Nitralloy 135M, 9310, 4150, 4140, 8620, aluminum bronze, 13-8, 15-5, 17-4, 316 and 440 stainless, Hastelloy, Ferrium and numerous thermoplastics. The shop can carbide rehob to 60-62 RC and gear grind at all hardnesses.

Kevin Chatfield, a longtime Forest City Gear employee with 20 years’ CNC machine experience, works with the Samputensili grinders and says, “I’ve used all the brands of controls we have here… and for many jobs, no other control can do what the Siemens 840D can do. One example would be the internal, external and form-grinding I do on the Samputensili machine. If the other controls could perform these operations at all, which is doubtful, it would be a very slow process.”

Mark Cunningham, a 12-year veteran of CNC, runs the Gleason machines and notes the controls are very user-friendly. “The screens are easy-to-program and modify, then you get a clear picture of what’s happening at every step in the cycle. The precision is so good, we sometimes need to ‘lie” to the program to get what we want from the machine.”

Brian Turnbull, a newcomer to Forest City Gear, but a longtime machinist, had worked with a competing brand to Siemens CNC and was initially hesitant. “Then, as soon as I saw the easy layout, plus how quickly it could be set-up and go into action, with no trouble navigating at all, I was convinced Siemens was simply a better control.”

Young notes one last point about the CNCs on these machines. “These machine tools produce our most complex parts, including helical splines and internal gears most other shops simply cannot or will not make. The cycle and program read times on the Siemens controls are critical to our production work, plus these are the most expensive machines in the shop, so their run-time cost is the highest.” He adds, “Most of our jobs, though not all, here are short runs on very expensive materials. If the machine takes too long to complete the first part or has repeat rejects, we lose money — it’s that simple. I’m proud to say that neither our operators nor our production supervisors allow that to happen. And the controls on the machines are a big reason why we stay so successful in achieving that accuracy and consistently good part production at Forest City Gear.”

The company has remained among the leaders in the market for high-precision gears, owing to this strategy of buying the best machines, hiring the best gearmakers available and verifying the output of this 100-person shop by using the power of the industry’s leading quality lab, which occupies a cleanroom-level environment in the middle of the factory. As Young explains, “We do checking of our gears and splines at various test stations located throughout the shop, but the final proof resides in our quality lab. Our equipment is so sophisticated, even our competitors often bring us their work to have it checked. It’s one of the things that’s led to our current customer base of about 400 companies, about twenty percent of whom are other gear companies or gear producers themselves.”

For more information on this story, please contact:

FOREST CITY GEAR CO., INC.
Fred Young
CEO
11715 Main Street Roscoe, IL 61073
Toll-Free: 866-623-2168
Phone: 815-623-2168
Fax: 815-623-6620
Web: www.forestcitygear.com
Email: sales@forestcitygear.com

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Three-Week Lead Time On All Siemens 1FK7 Servomotors

By Bernard and Company Tags: 1FK7 servomotors, Ad agencies, BernardandCompany, Industrial, Industrial PR, Machinery, Press Release, Servomotors, Siemens, Siemens General Motion Control, Siemens Industry, three week delivery time, Tim Daro No Comments

ATLANTA — Siemens Industry, Inc. announced today a value-added service for its popular line of 1FK7 servomotors. Using a configurable options menu to build exactly the motor required, customers can now place an order for any Siemens 1FK7 servomotor and have it drop-shipped in three weeks. Thanks to the diverse range of options available, this new service applies to over 100,000 possible configurations. All compact (CT) and high-dynamic (HD) servomotors in the 1FK7 family are included.

With a total of 6150 option pairings and 18 color choices, servomotors in the 1FK7 family can be configured to 110,700 possible designs. Options include stall torque and RPM rating, encoder style and bit resolution, holding brake functionality, shaft style, IP rating, AC line supply voltage and electronic nameplate recognition via Drive-Cliq^®. 1FK7 geared motor options are not included in this program presently.

Siemens is now making this service available to customers in the U.S. market. With the motion controller Simotion^® and the drive system Sinamics^® S stocked in the United States, Siemens is also able to supply complete motion control systems in three weeks’ lead time.

According to Arun Jain, general manager, Siemens Motion Control Business, “We have made the commitment to significantly shorten servomotor delivery times. The 1FK7 family has a wide user base for motion control applications, so we have selected this very important line for our major customer service initiative. We have devised and implemented an entirely new protocol for motor manufacturing and production at our factories.”

For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/motioncontrol.

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

Siemens Presents New Innovations That Enhance Machine Tool Productivity

By Bernard and Company Tags: Ad agencies, AeroDef, BernardandCompany, CNC, Industrial PR, Industrial press release, Machinery, Siemens, Siemens Industry, Siemens Machine Tool Systems, Sinumerik 840 D, Tim Daro No Comments

CHICAGO, April 5, 2011 — At this year’s AERODEF show in Anaheim, California, Siemens will demonstrate new solutions and services for machine tool end-users and manufacturers. Under the theme, “Productivity in motion,” the presentation will focus on turnkey solutions for the aerospace manufacturing industry.

For machine tool end-users and OEMs, Siemens will exhibit new value-added services ranging from condition monitoring and manufacturing IT to innovative solutions for CNC training and machine tool retrofit, as well as the newest innovations in CNC (computer numerical control), motor and drive technology.

SOLUTIONS FOR MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE

Condition Monitoring and Manufacturing IT are two value-added services that are continuing their introduction to the U.S. machine tool market.

Condition Monitoring is an internet-based service from Siemens that supports maintenance processes while simultaneously forming a platform for cross-company service and support between OEMs and machine operators. Services can be configured over secure Internet connections from anywhere in the world via a standard PC, an internet connection and a web browser.

Manufacturing IT solutions from Siemens provide software tools for fast, easy integration of machines in a production network, while ensuring that production planning, scheduling and execution
is always problem-free and based on the very latest data.

An entire line of powerful software modules for production machines ensures optimum integration of the machines in the IT-environment and supports a wide range of different functionalities including:

Production data management (MDA / PMT / PDA)
Numerical control program management (DNC)
Tool management (TDI)
Maintenance management (TPM)
Service management (RCS)
Computer interfacing (RPC)

SOLUTIONS FOR AEROSPACE

For the aerospace market, the new Sinumerik 840D solution line is the latest in CNC technology that increases performance and user productivity. The Sinumerik 840D sl is a universal and flexible CNC system featuring the innovative Sinamics S120 drives that can be used for up to 31 axes. It is a distributed, scalable, open and inter-connecting system offering a wide range of specialized functions for milling, drilling, turning, grinding and handling technologies.

The Sinumerik 840D offers users innovative features that increase productivity on the manufacturing floor, especially the challenging segments of high-speed and five-axis aerospace machining.

SOLUTIONS FOR THE JOB SHOP

For the job shop, the new Sinumerik 828D numerical control will be presented. Perfect for
mid-range machine tools, the Sinumerik 828D is designed to address the needs of complex milling and turning machines in the job shop segment. It combines CNC, PLC, operator panel and axis control for six CNC measurement circuits in a single, robust operator panel.

The Sinumerik 828D is capable of full graphical, high-level language command and supports ISO programming that is customary in the United States. Programming time can be further reduced for small-batch production with the use of the ShopMill and ShopTurn graphical workstep programming system, while high-level language programming can be used in conjunction with programGuide to significantly reduce programming times for large-scale serial production.

With the introduction of the Sinumerik 828D, modern PC and mobile phone technology is now available to the mid-range machine tool. Extensive online help animations and a new type of input prompting system with moving picture sequences provide the basis for exceptional user convenience. USB, Compact Flash (CF) card and Ethernet ports enable high-speed data transfers onto storage media or integration of the control system into corporate networks. Through the use of its Easy Message functionality, the Sinumerik 828D offers production status monitoring by text messaging (SMS). Depending on the recipient’s profile setting, the machine will transmit information about workpiece machining status, report on the tool condition currently in use and send machine maintenance bulletins to a mobile phone, anytime and anywhere. These combined functions are designed to help keep machine downtime to a minimum.

SOLUTIONS FOR CNC TRAINING

Newly introduced to the American machine tool industry, and based upon the new Sinumerik Operate user interface, SinuTrain is the ideal solution for control-identical CNC training.

With SinuTrain, actual NC programs are developed and simulated, to speed the program generation protocol. In this way, machine tool operators not only learn the control language commands, but they also visualize part programs on a PC screen that are identical to the machine tool’s screen. As a further benefit, programs generated through SinuTrain can then be used on actual machines.

SinuTrain is available for different needs and budgets including a trial version, a study version, a single-user license and an educational license. It is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Simplified Chinese, and requires Windows^® XP (32-bit). Support for Windows 7 (32- / 64-bit) coming in 2011.

For more information about CNC solutions and services from Siemens, point your web browser to www.usa.siemens.com/cnc.

For specific product information and inquiries:

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Core3D provides dental labs with new materials and new products through advanced manufacturing techniques

By Bernard and Company Tags: Ad agencies, BernardandCompany, CNC, Core3D, dental, Industrial PR, Industrial press release, News Release, OpenHealth, Press Release, RenShape, robotic ultrasonics, Siemens, Siemens Industry, Siemens Machine Tool Systems, SINUMERIK 840D sl, Tim Daro No Comments

International firm uses robotic ultrasonics and conventional machine tools to supply product, usually with 24-hour turnaround; achieving near 24-7 unattended operation with over 15 percent reduction in scrap material on very expensive substrates.

OpenHealth, one of the world’s leading providers of business and technical solutions to the dental healthcare industries, was formed by the owners of five major international dental lab groups — Aurum, Cordent, DTS, Race and ZMC — who combined to harness the strategic synergies of their respective lab and milling center services. The milling and technology business, under the brand name of Core3D Centres and operating six facilities, brings the OpenHealth group’s expertise and comprehensive service package to labs, dentists and educational institutions in 15 countries on three continents.

We interviewed Tim McKimson, Core3D’s Worldwide Director of Engineering, at OpenHealth’s Las Vegas-based Core3D facility, located near the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI), where restorative and cosmetic dental techniques are taught to practicing dentists and lab technicians, Here, Core3D provides a full range of CAD/CAM/CNC machining and finishing services to LVI and dental labs across the United States. Led by technical operators Mark Ferguson, Danny Palomares and Drew Hrubes, the Core3D team prepares CAD files developed from data typically gathered with an iTero oral scanning wand or from CAD files from scans of conventional dental impressions from the patient’s mouth, which are then digitally captured in a dental scanner from companies such as 3shape. CADENT and other software are typically used to image the impression and begin the process of creating the crown, bridge, abutment, coping, implant or even full denture restoration, as required by the individual lab. 3D CADENT files are G-coded at a remote location of the parent company for transfer to the CNC machine tools at the various Core3D facilities worldwide.

The next step is translation of the digital impression to a RenShape® mold, using conventional machine tools. In most cases, the required structures are designed simultaneously, then the mold with coping is introduced to the DMG Sauer ultrasonic dental machine for preparation of the final structures. This is where the most advanced substrates are processed, ranging from conventional, yet difficult to machine metals such as titanium and cobalt chrome, to the newest advanced materials, including glass ceramics, lithium disilicate and zirconia. These substrates are quite expensive, therefore extreme care is taken in their handling and processing to reduce scrap and conserve operating costs.

As McKimson explained, the decision to cut with ultrasonic technology was relatively easy, given the inherent wear conditions and high cost of conventional tooling. In the ultrasonic process, a combination of electrolysis and fluid lubrication act in concert to create an ionic attraction of particles, removing material in a highly predictable and accurate manner, without the mechanical stress implicit in conventional machining techniques. As a result, the surface of even the hardest materials can be machined with the necessary tactile smoothness required for dental implants.

The DMG Sauer ultrasonic machines located at this Las Vegas facility, fully operated by Siemens Sinumerik 840D sl CNC technology, are loaded with blanks of material into a 66-position feeder station, then delivered into the cutting theater by a Motoman robotic arm with Schunk pressure grippers. The Sinumerik 840D sl recognizes the code on each workpiece pallet and each job is identified by the patient’s name to minimize the risk of error in work product delivery. As McKimson further notes, in detailing the accuracy of the ultrasonic machining technique, each tool used is obtained from the 25-position tool changer and its position is monitored by an integral Renishaw probe. The technicians often load three sets of the tools needed for the 66-piece runs, ensuring virtually 24/7 unattended operation of the machines. Through the capability of the Siemens CNC, a remote alarm can be sent when tool breakage or other off-normal condition occurs during production.

The extremely hard materials being machined are produced with accuracies in the 2-4 micron range, owing to the combination of ultrasonic technology and the high precision of the Sinumerik CNC, according to McKimson, who notes the reliability of this accuracy has been a significant advantage in reducing scrap at Core3D.

In another area of the facility, conventional mills are used to make polyurethane models and Wieland Zeno 4820 and 4030 mini-milling machines are also utilized for the production of various crowns, wax/resin forms and models, veneers, inlays and implant abutments.

As evidence of the decidedly international nature of this emerging dental giant, all the zirconia and lithium disilicate materials are provided in the IPS e.max System from Ivoclar Vivadent, a company based in Liechtenstein. The company has branches in the United States and Canada, which supply the Core3D Centres in those countries. The templates and cutting tools are closely controlled and validated by the manufacturer to ensure that the preparation of these materials in dental applications is properly executed.

In commenting on the use of the DMG Sauer ultrasonic machines, McKimson notes that it was the machine builder who recommended the Siemens control. “They knew we were dental technicians and engineers, not machinists, by nature. The Siemens control has been extremely easy-to-use and our training time from the builder was minimal. Troubleshooting is mostly done by our operators, with only occasional assistance from Siemens.” Danny Palomares, one of the technical operators, agrees. “My training is in the dental lab world, not on machine tools. It was a great relief to have such a sophisticated control operate with relatively simple language commands and cycle adjustments.”

Palomares is also responsible for the translation of the lab’s incoming data files, so he is involved from start-to-finish with most of the projects done at this Core3D facility. In a single day, for example, he might use Delcam DentCAD, then hyperDENT CAM software, all translating the cutting paths from the dentist’s impression to the Siemens CNC on the DMG ultrasonic machines in this facility. As McKimson adds, “The sub-routines on the Sinumerik CNC make our job much easier to accomplish and faster to complete. Plus, when you add the upside of at least 15 percent reduction in the scrap that we’ve realized with the ultrasonics, it’s a real win-win situation for us.”

While there are substantial differences between the European and American dental labs in terms of the materials and assembly techniques used, and despite the fact that literally all projects are highly customized based on the individual needs of the patients and the preferences of the labs and those of the dentists performing the procedures, in the end, the typical project is being turned in 24 hours or less.

For Core 3d Centres, utilizing the best-in-class equipment is critical. In complement the quality machines here, a key part of the overall efficiency protocol in the Core3D network of companies, McKimson points out, is the “know-how” provided through their CAM-DO committee. This global technical committee conducts regular online meetings to discuss what’s working and what’s not in their various worldwide operations and then optimizes and standardizes the processes. He recalls one unanimous vote of approval was voiced on the performance of the DMG Sauer ultrasonic machines with Siemens controls. Core3D currently has nine such machines in their network, all used to process the most advanced materials.

® RenShape is a registered trademark of Huntsman Corporation.

For more information on this story, please contact:

Core3D Centres
Tim McKimson
Engineering Technology Director
5955-2 Wigwam Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89139
Toll-Free: 1-888-750-9204
Phone: 702-750-9204
http://www.core3dcenters.com/
tmckimson@core3dcenters.com

Siemens Industry, Inc.
John Meyer
Manager, Marketing Communications
390 Kent Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
(800) 879-8079 ext. Marketing Communications
www.usa.siemens.com/cnc
SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com

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Winner of Siemens Orange County Chopper 10th Anniversary Bike Named from IMTS 2010

By Bernard and Company Tags: Ad agencies, BernardandCompany, Bob Pool, IMTS 2010, Industrial, Industrial PR, OCC, Orange County Chopper, Siemens, Siemens General Motion Control, Siemens Industry, Siemens Machine Tool Systems, Tim Daro No Comments

CHICAGO — During this year’s IMTS, Siemens raffled off a 10th anniversary motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers (OCC), the custom build shop owned by Paul Teutel and popularized on national TV. Over 3000 people registered for the raffle during the six-day event, held at McCormick Place in Chicago, this past September. Recently, the winner received the bike from OCC.
The winner was Bob Pool, machining supervisor at Riverview Manufacturing Inc., located in Palmyra, Missouri and a division of Doyle Equipment Manufacturing Company, across the Mississippi River in Quincy, Illinois. Doyle is a major manufacturer of dry bulk handling machinery and Riverview fabricates large-capacity fertilizer spreaders and other equipment for its parent company.
As Bob tells his story, “I’d gone to IMTS with a colleague from Riverview and we noticed the crowd at the Siemens booth. We were waiting in a very long line to get our picture taken with Paul Teutel from Orange County Choppers and the nice young lady who was registering us asked if we wanted to sign up to win the motorcycle. I’d ridden bikes all my life but never owned one. I figured I’d take the chance, but didn’t think about it much, after signing up. The photographer said the photos would be up at the website a couple days later and, when I checked, I couldn’t find them, so I called Siemens. The next morning, I came into the shop and saw a message from Siemens. I called and asked about the photos and got steered to the right spot on the website, but the person said he was really calling for another reason. To my surprise, he said I’d won the bike!”
After signing the necessary forms and briefly considering a trip to OCC to ride it home, Bob decided to take receipt of the bike by delivery. It arrived and he immediately took for a ride…several, actually, he says. “I knew the weather was about to change here in the Midwest, so I got in all the rides I could. Now that it’s turning cold, it’ll go into a nice, warm place.”
Riverview is a 25-person shop with full CNC machining, welding and assembly capabilities, all used to produce the 6- and 8-ton spreaders and other Doyle brand equipment built here. Bob says he looks forward to taking very good care of his new bike and using it for many years to come. “I’m really enjoying it and am sure glad I stopped by the Siemens booth at IMTS!”

For more information:

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Energy Management Considerations with Today’s Drive Systems

By Bernard and Company Tags: Drive Systems, Energy Management, Motion Control, Siemens, Siemens General Motion Control, Siemens Industry No Comments

ENERGY MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS WITH TODAY’S DRIVE SYSTEMS
It’s a process, not a product; multiple drive factorscontribute to system energy efficiency

by John Krasnokutsky, Siemens Industry, Inc., Marketing Manager, Motion Control Business

Energy Monitoring Equipment Selection and Optimization (Mechatronics / Parameterization)
Hardware: Common DC Bus / Infeed / Regeneration

While it is valid to state that energy efficiency is defined as the same level of production being achieved at an overall lower energy cost, it is equally important for today’s machine builders and automation engineers alike to remember than an energy-efficient system can actually translate into higher productivity. This is achievable through a comprehensive approach to energy management.

It is a fact that most of the energy loss in a system occurs in three areas, namely, the generation, distribution and conversion of energy into useful work, the last being accomplished through heat exchangers, pumps, motors and drives. This paper will concentrate on the last product group, as it is also a fact that over 25% of all electricity consumed in America is used on industrial electric motor-driven systems. Electric motors represent 65% of the power demand in American industry and, owing to the inefficiency of most motor control systems, the potential for energy savings in an industrial facility can approach 70% for any process where electric motor power is employed.

That said, energy management is a process, rather than a product or series of products installed on a machine, or inline, to achieve a basic energy saving of kW hour consumption. This process must be ongoing and perpetual, meaning that any defined goal should be viewed as a momentary metric of achievement, rather than a final end. While any vendor, including our company, can supply the right products and support services to hit a target mark of energy savings, the mindset of the customer is key in keeping the process recurrent. This ensures a continual increase in the productivity levels achieved, defined as a factor of the energy consumed. In many ways, it can be viewed in the same manner as an ongoing, effective but constantly evolving quality management system at your company.

Three essential elements are the basis of such a process.

First, energy monitoring systems must be in place to effectively determine the current consumption. These can include, but are certainly not limited to, energy consumption displays, infeed/supply monitoring devices, power factor meters and more. Next, the proper calculation tools are needed to properly evaluate the life cycle costs of any investment. These tools can be as simple as a motor sizing chart or the software programs used to parameterize drives. However, a more formal mechatronics protocol may be beneficial to your operation. In this scenario, a thorough evaluation of both mechanical and electrical/electronic influences on your system, be it a machine or a process line, is conducted. The results can often open the eyes of machine designers, process engineers and system integrators alike. To realize the benefits this analysis the proper products and system solutions must be implemented.

This is where a competent supplier can be an effective partner for your operation. For example, the solution you need might involve a vector drive that utilizes an energy optimization function to enhance the efficiency of the motor during partial load operations. In a system with multiple motors, energy savings might be realized to a substantial degree by the use of a drive unit with a common DC bus. The designer can also select the most appropriate infeed solution for the machine, pump or process operation, given the particulars of performance and required output. This may include an appropriately sized infeed unit with regenerative capability, the ability to put unused or braking energy back on the incoming power line.

Some applications may allow the use of high efficiency standard induction motors and, in the process, realize a potential savings of 1-3%. The use of frequency converters (VFD) for speed control might raise this to an 8-10% savings. VFDs have myriad applications throughout industry on fans, pumps, blowers and compressors, as well as in wasted energy recovery on cyclical acc/dec and regeneration on lost braking energy applications.

Optimizing your entire system through mechatronic analysis of the machine or process design, can result in a potential savings of 15-20% by the avoidance of over dimensioning of motors, plus partial load optimization by means of energy-related flow control. This analysis may also point to the ability to use controlled energy infeed and recovery.

In order to determine the true efficiency of any drive system, it is necessary to demonstrate the amount of energy required by its power components and a corresponding examination of how the system uses energy. How different drive concepts used on the same system under identical power load must also be considered. This latter exercise might look into partial load efficiencies with various motor and drive combinations, straight comparisons betweens synchronous servo vs. asynchronous induction motors or direct drive vs. motor/gearbox combinations, drives with braking components vs. regenerative drive technology, as well as solutions with single vs. multi-drive, common DC bus solutions.

A corollary to this discussion should also include a review of potential hydraulic/pneumatic component change outs in certain applications where replacement with an integrated package of motion control and PLC technology might better resolve closed loop pressure control of axes, for example. Fewer components and their related power consumption can lead to overall system productivity improvements, as well as ongoing enhanced energy efficiencies. Reduced programming, diagnostic and commissioning times can also flow from such an approach, providing even more opportunities for overall machine or process improvements. Tracking the energy efficiency of such a system may seem problematic at first, but here again today’s sophisticated mechatronic and virtual production protocols can be utilized to validate the real-world performance characteristics of such designs, far in advance of their implementation.

As the emergence of new technologies has impacted many of the products used in energy-efficient systems, it is equally important to take a more holistic look at operational sequences and the overall integration scheme when designing, retrofitting or rebuilding for improved energy utilization. The results can be many, including precise process and power factor control for optimum energy use and significant cost savings, plus the collateral benefits of lower carbon footprints, reduced maintenance due to decreased mechanical stress and lower total cost of product quality derived from less mechanical wear and better production control.

Author: John Krasnokutsky
Email: john.krasnokutsky@siemens.com
Website: http://www.usa.siemens.com/motioncontrol
Siemens Industry, Inc.
5300 Triangle Parkway
Norcross, GA 30092

For an informative PowerPoint presentation or more information on this subject, call (800) 879-8079 ext. Marketing Communications or send an e-mail to: SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com.

Siemens Five-Axis Milling Roadshow

By Bernard and Company Tags: Ad agencies, BernardandCompany, IMTS, Machinery, Press Release, Siemens, Siemens General Motion Control, Tim Daro No Comments

Seeing is believing at IMTS

Sinumerik MDynamics Milling Roadshow is coming to IMTS 2010.
If your company is looking for the way to more efficiently cut parts for aerospace, automotive or medical, one thing is certain — the demand for five-axis CNC machining has risen dramatically. And now there’s MDynamics: using one solid CAD/CAM/CNC process chain will get you to market faster than your five-axis competitors who will be lagging under a less integrated approach.

What is Sinumerik MDynamics?
“For users, it is extremely important to get from the blueprint to the finished part quickly, precisely and cost-effectively,” says John Meyer, marketing communications manager, Siemens Industry, Inc. “Sinumerik MDynamics combines our milling expertise together with our powerful Sinumerik CNC hardware platform, intelligent CNC functions, and our unique CAD/CAM/CNC process chain to form integrated technology packages for three- and five-axis milling.”

Seeing is believing.
According to Robert Scholz, international business development manager, Siemens Industry, Inc., Motion Control Business, “Together with leading machine tool OEMs, Siemens will demonstrate how users can benefit from accurate, high-speed machining and perfect workpiece surfaces. Every roadshow event will demonstrate part programming and simulation with NX CAM, followed by five-axis part manufacturing using MDynamics functions and Sinumerik CNC. With real applications for the automotive, aerospace and medical industry, we will prove to our customers that we are the perfect fit for every industry.”

From A-Z and everything in between, Siemens has you covered.
By providing a uniform and integrated system that ranges from programming directly at the CNC for simple parts, to a CAD/CAM system for complex workpieces, Siemens has the right solution for all CNC machining needs. With NX CAM, Siemens provides manufacturing engineers with an open and flexible 3D system that applies not only to the development of part models and drawings, but also to full NC programming and machining simulation. NX enables 3D and 2D construction in a full-, partial- and non-paramaterized form. The fully-integrated NX CAD/CAM system supports a complete part model to CNC program process and even offers 3D quality inspection programming in the same system. NX CAM provides optimized output for Siemens-controlled machines with additional programming commands and automated post-processor functions. During planning and into production, special focus is placed on the process related to the workpiece.

This process chain includes:
Product and process development using advanced CAD/CAM software
Part program generation for the most advanced machine tools
Optimized part program and post-processor output for maximum machining performance
Integrated and offline simulation for checking and optimization of manufacturing process on the PC
Optimized and highly-efficient manufacturing on the machine

See what Sinumerik MDynamics can do for your business!

Attend the Siemens Sinumerik MDynamics Milling Roadshow.

Roadshow schedule
20-minute demonstrations every day
during IMTS, September 13–18, 2010

12:30 p.m. — Milling for Medical
DMG/ Mori Seiki, booth S-8900

1:30 p.m. — Milling for Automotive

Grob Systems, booth S-9066
2:30 p.m. — Milling for Aerospace
MAG, booth S-8519

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