Equipment improves Hepcomotion’s processing times

Posted on September 2, 2010 by admin
Hepcomotion has invested in a 6 x 1m vertical machining centre as well as four bearing grinding machines in order to optimise production economy and to extend its commercial potential.
The new machining centre has been installed at the company’s UK manufacturing headquarters in Tiverton.
Hepcomotion has invested in a 6m x 1m vertical machining centre that has now been installed at its UK manufacturing headquarters in Tiverton
Claimed to be three times faster and five times more powerful than existing machines, this investment enables Hepcomotion to process larger sections more economically.
It is already said to be opening up new business opportunities for large ring segments for continuous motion systems.
The 1m Y axis of the new machine also extends the scope for larger product machining while allowing the company to reduce the number of setups.
Not only does this enhance customer choice but it also enables Hepcomotion to reduce its lead times.
As bearing quality is a critical factor in the overall performance of the company’s products, these components are manufactured in house by BPC, a Hepco Group company.
Four new bearing grinding machines have recently been installed at Hepcomotion’s Braintree factory.
The machines are intended to enable right-first-time processing and to allow the company to machine to even tighter tolerances.
Again, the new machines will result in faster processing times and shorter lead times.
This will speed up the supply of bearings both to Hepcomotion for inclusion in its linear motion systems and to BPC’s direct customers.
The new machines support the company’s move into larger bearings, which give customers the ability to carry heavier loads.
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Aberlink CMM used for vacuum-brazing operations

Posted on September 2, 2010 by admin
Materials-engineering company Wall Colmonoy has purchased Aberlink’s Axiom Too and Zenith Too Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) to enable its vacuum-brazing and heat-treatment operations
Based within the company’s machine shop, the Axiom Too allows machine operators to make regular in-process checks and measure first-off components.
The larger Aberlink Zenith Too CNC CMM is situated in Wall Colmonoy’s environmentally controlled inspection department, where it is used to accurately measure single large components and multiple, jig-mounted smaller parts.
The Zenith Too CMM range has attracted orders from customers involved in the aerospace, automotive and heavy-engineering industries.
The Zenith CMM series encompasses 10 machines with XYZ specifications from 1,000 x 1,000 x 600mm to 1,000 x 3,000 x 800mm.
The Zenith Too’s cutting edge, all-aluminium construction, advanced drive design and raised guideways ensure that the machine’s low-inertia characteristics guarantee speed of operation.
The machines’ accuracy and repeatability figures are further aided as the range’s measuring structure is completely independent of the machine’s granite surface table.
The Aberlink series is suited for use within environmentally controlled inspection areas and on the shop floor, where its low thermal mass and robust characteristics enable the accurate measurement of medium/large or multiple components to take place nearer to their point of manufacture.
The Zenith Too’s hardware is complemented by Aberlink’s intuitive Windows-based software.
A byproduct of any Zenith Too CMM inspection routine is that a simultaneous picture of the measured component is created in real time on the operator’s computer screen.
Dimensions between the measured features, mirroring those that appear on the component’s drawing, are then picked off as required.
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CNC collet chucks for workholding applications

Posted on September 2, 2010 by admin
Royal Products will exhibit its new Quick-Grip CNC collet chucks for workholding applications at IMTS on 13-18 September.
According to the company, which will be found in Booth W-1622, its new CNC collet chucks offer a number of advantages over traditional collet chuck designs.
A special installation tool compresses the rear end of the collet so that it can be inserted.
Upon expansion, the collet locks into place via a hook-and-groove arrangement.
Another major advantage offered by the Quick-Grip system is the 1/16in gripping range of the collets.
This wide range is possible because each segment of a Quick-Grip collet is completely separated from the other segments by a vulcanised rubber spacer.
This design enables the parallel gripping of the workpiece over the entire closing range, providing an advantage over spring-type collets.
The installation tool incorporates steel pins that align with drilled holes on the collet face.
When these pins engage the face holes and when the trigger on the tool is actuated, the collet becomes temporarily compressed.
In its compressed state, the collet can then be inserted into the collet chuck, where the hooks on the rear of the collet segments become axially aligned with a retaining groove in the chuck.
Releasing the installation tool allows the collet to spring open, seating the hooks in the groove and drawing the matching ID/OD tapers into full, positive contact.
At this point, the 10-second collet change is complete.
Quick-Grip collet chucks have a full collapse range of 0.062in (1.6mm).
In addition, these collet chucks tend to be shorter than their spring-type counterparts.
Quick-Grip collet chucks are available in
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Hybrid machine aids polymer seal production

Posted on September 2, 2010 by admin
A special-purpose hybrid turning/grinding centre supplied by Heidenhain is playing a key role in the production of special square-section polymer seals being used in extreme aerospace applications.
Based on the reground and reconditioned bed of a Hardinge HLV manual centre lathe, the machine was completely re-engineered by Chris Stinchcombe, managing director of Machine Tool Controls (MTC) of Pontypool.
As well as panel build, the project involved the installation of a cross slide and a headstock packer to raise the centre height by 65mm and to carry the Acu-Rite linear encoder and two tool posts.
The machine will help produce the critical closure areas of aerospace seals of diameters from 5mm to 350mm and between 2mm and 10mm in section.
A carbide knife blade in the front tool post is used to clean cut the moulded edge of the seals at 45deg and a grinding spindle in the rear tool post position is used to grind the inside diameter (when the seal runs on a shaft) or to produce a step on the outside diameter (if the seal is to be located in a housing).
Key for the machine operator to maintain the position of the slides and tolerances is the use of an Acu-Rite 200S LCD panel-mounted digital readout (DRO) supplied by Heidenhain, a provider of angular, linear and rotary encoders, DROs and CNC systems.
The 200S provides a clear display for the operator to maintain the + 0.025mm tolerance on the 5mm diameter of the smallest seal and + 0.1mm on the largest.
Thanks to the capability of the DRO, the operator can monitor the rotational speed of the grinding wheel and spindle motor as well as benefit from a full onboard help menu display and interlock guarding for the chuck.
Depending on the sizes of the seal, the machine will use one of four different sizes of vacuum chuck.
The chuck is located on the headstock with aluminium inserts tailored to suit the appropriate size of the component in order to locate it against the backing plate.
The seal, which has already been ground and pre-sized on a mandrel, will be pushed into the chuck and held by vacuum ready for processing.
Cutting and grinding cycles are very short, taking between 10 and 20 seconds according to the size of the component, and batch sizes vary from low call-off specials to around 5,000.
The MTC-supplied package also included a pair of SENC 150 five-micron-resolution precision glass linear encoder scales for the machine’s X and Z axes.
Each scale incorporates roller bearings to reduce any backlash effect when positioning and to extend scale life.
An integrated scanning sensor within the scale was also important to resist contamination and work in conjunction with the potentiometer within the machine’s hand wheels.
Control of the vacuum chuck is via dual foot pedals, one to operate the chuck and the other to control the extraction unit that removes any dust from the guarded machining zone.
The carbide knife blade is held in a Multiflex tool post that enables the manual adjustment of the angle of approach to the seal, while the Fimec 12,000rev/min electric grinding spindle that is in the rear tool post also has rotary position adjustment.
A special carbide open grit wheel was initially used but was subsequently changed to a diamond impregnated wheel to provide more consistent operation.
Stinchcombe services a range of industries, including aerospace, heavy engineering, steelworks and carpet manufacturers, as well as model makers requiring a mill or centre lathe retrofitted with a DRO.
He said: ‘The Acu-Rite 200S DRO has proven very popular in the retrofit market for turning, milling and grinding operations, providing a very clear and functional display of two or three axes of movement on its 5.7in [14.5cm] LCD display.
‘The large 3D tactile keypad makes data input easy for the operator and the ability to hold 16 tool offsets/diameters, preset and zero reset as well as near-zero warning,’ added Stinchcombe.
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Trepanning centres produce cost-effective tubes

Posted on September 2, 2010 by admin
Mollart’s TPA trepanning centres have the ability to machine bores between 80-300mm diameter by up to 1.2m deep from solid to create a section of tube from an up to 600mm diameter bar or billet.
According to the company, an advantage of the TPA ‘big bore’ process, apart from rigidity and speed of penetration of the tool head, is that the core of the material is salvaged for further use and not lost in swarf.
The TPA range of 600 and 1200 trepanning centres are said to provide a cost-effective method of tube production that would normally involve rolling and seam welding or tube drilled and bored from solid material.
‘Trepanning becomes the most viable process on difficult to machine materials, which can become very unpractical to roll,’ said Ian Petit, sales director.
The TPA machines use a hollow end-mill-style rotating cutter head, with the larger TPA-1200 being powered by a 45kW motor via three-speed gearbox.
The material to be processed is held stationary in a fixed hydraulic chuck and is supported using a steady on the bed.
The tool head has a relatively narrow cutter width to produce a kerf of just 10mm through a series of standard ISO insert cartridges equispaced on its inner and outer diameters.
On a 250mm diameter cutter, for example, up to eight cartridges would be utilised for balanced cutting with coolant fed from two high-flow pumps, each having a 300 litre/min capacity in order to clear swarf and maximise the penetration rate without degrading the life of the tooling.
Mollart Engineering is planning to launch its TPA range of trepanning centres at the IMTS exhibition in Chicago.
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Spray guns for light-viscosity painting tasks

Posted on September 2, 2010 by admin
PCL has launched the Lite spray-gun range, which is suitable for light-viscosity painting applications.
Two models are available: the SGO1L for suction feed and the SGO2L for gravity feed.
Both are made from lightweight aluminium and come with a standard 1.5mm nozzle.
Ergonomically designed for comfort, the Lite spray guns come ready for immediate use, complete with a cleaning brush and a hose tailpiece adaptor.
These models have a working pressure of 3-4bar and a pattern width of 140-180mm for the suction version and 120-250mm for the gravity gun.
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Pump produces high pressures for waterjet cutting

Posted on September 2, 2010 by admin
The iP60-50R water-jet pump produces 1.1gal/min of ultra-high pressure water for precision waterjet cutting, water blasting, cleaning and surface-preparation applications.
If one of the pump’s two intensifier systems should fail or require service, the second intensifier system can continue operations until the intensifier pump can be shut down for service.
The IP60-50R water jet intensifier pump fro Jet Edge features a redundant intensifier pump design
It supports orifices up to 0.015in and, like all Jet Edge waterjet pumps, features Jet Edge’s reliable tie-rod design.
This design has no threaded cylinder, no threaded end caps and no threaded hydraulic cylinder, making it less prone to cracking than threaded designs.
Matched-metal components prevent galling of hydraulic system components.
Jet Edge water-jet pumps feature hydraulic accumulators, which reduce wear on the hydraulic pump.
Hydraulic fluid also is cooled and filtered.
The pumps feature a rugged hydraulic centre section that incorporates high-duty cycle-rated piston seal and wear rings.
Jet Edge’s hydraulic systems have a 4,000hr warranty and feature attenuators that smooth pressure fluctuations and deliver a constant and steady stream of ultra-high pressure water to the cutting tool, ensuring optimal cut quality.
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Tube-bend machine enables automobile production

Posted on September 2, 2010 by admin
Rotec has invested in three Crippa tube-bending and forming machines to enable it to produce advanced tubular systems for high-performance UK automobile manufacturers.
The CA Linear 580 tube-bending machine uses the latest technologies to create an 80mm OD left/right stack-tool boost machine with multi-radius and push-bending capability as standard.
The five-axis electric bending machine was designed for the furnishing and automobile industries.
Movements are fully driven by CNC axes powered by digital electric motors and it has provision for push bending with variable radii.
The CA Linear 580 can bend at 1 x tube diameter and at different bending radii within the component.
There is a provision for punching in the cycle and it is possible to change the bending direction from right to left in around 60min.
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Smart load sensor provides autonomous operation

Posted on September 1, 2010 by admin
Sensor Technology has developed a smart load sensor that provides all the information needed to optimise efficiency and increase profitability in materials-handling and warehouse operations.
Scheduled to be launched at the Sensing Technologies exhibition at the Birmingham NEC on 28-29 September, the Loadsense device allows weighing processes to be fully integrated with handling operations.
The Loadsense load sensor can be integrated with a crane hook, a fork lift or another handling device
All live data is captured in real time and can be transferred to a database, stored, totalised and analysed.
For instance, the user may need to know how much material he or she has transported or he or she could be handling two or more materials simultaneously that need to be accounted individually.
Alternatively, if working for multiple customers at the same time, the user can bill each appropriately.
The Loadsense load sensor can be integrated with a crane hook, a fork lift or another handling device.
It features an onboard single-chip computer for recording, analysing and archiving readings and a wireless communications capability that can transfer data in real time to a host computer.
Internal batteries make the Loadsense’s operation completely autonomous.
As such, it can be deployed with minimal disruption to operations and will automatically begin transmitting data.
No special training is required to install or operate the unit.
The Loadsense is built around an intelligent load sensor, a handheld display and a receiver.
The load sensor is based on strain-gauge technology and is calibrated as standard in the one- to five-tonne range, with other ranges available on request.
The transmitter, operating on an unrestricted 2.4GHz waveband, enables accurate load data to be sent to the display – a full-colour, TFT touch-screen computer running Windows XP and Labview.
The display provides a real-time measure of the load, while the computer records and processes real-time values.
Tony Ingham of Sensor Technology said: ‘Our main markets are materials-handling and warehouse operations, where the intelligence will convert raw data into instant stock counts.
‘We have already had enquiries about raising nuclear fuels rods, monitoring window cleaners’ cradles on high-rise buildings and winching and weighing building materials,’ he added.
Theatre stage hands could lift and lower scenery from the wings, rather than from a remote-control room.
Using Loadsense with a tractor-mounted winch, the user could assess roadside trees’ susceptibility to wind speed.
For applications involving liquid discharge, a system could be configured to monitor and control flow.
The Loadsense could be wirelessly integrated into a Scada or manufacturing enterprise system (MES) control system, producing instant operating reports and emailable customer bills.
It also improves operating safety because users are free to remove themselves from dangerous locations.
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Transducer measures compressive and tensile forces

Posted on September 1, 2010 by admin
The new S9M force transducer from HBM can carry out the high-precision measurement of compressive and tensile forces within test benches, testing machines, hardness testers and experimental work.
The transducer works with strain gauges (SGs) and is accurate thanks to its so-called S-type geometry.
The S9M force transducer works with strain gauges and is accurate thanks to its so-called S-type geometry
The S9M has an accuracy class of 0.02; the earlier S9 model had an accuracy class of 0.05.
Compensation for parasitic influences, such as lateral forces or bending moments, is said to be excellent, while measurement reliability is improved.
Integrating the transducer into an application is claimed to be simple.
The transducer is also unaffected by temperature variations including temperature gradients.
The S9M is available with different nominal (rated) force ranges, from 500N to 50kN.
The SGs are hermetically integrated into the measuring body and are safely protected.
The transducer can be used under adverse ambient conditions because it is made from stainless steel and benefits from an IP68 degree of protection.
The transducer is mechanically fully compatible with its predecessor, the S9, so that it can be used to upgrade existing equipment while all accessories can continue to be used.
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