On the Radar

Power drawbar

A cutting tool is held in the spindle taper with gripper fingers that are pulled into the taper with the spring pack of the power drawbar. The pull-in force is multiplied by an intensifying mechanism, while the spring force on the clamping sleeve pushes the balls outward. The angle design of the clamping ring and cylinder shoulder increases the spring force by 300%. The cam inside the spindle then closes the gripper fingers, locking the tool securely.

Loss of hydraulic pressure will not release the tool and the power-off design requires pressure applied to the hydraulic piston and transmitted through the rod to push the clamping sleeve down. This unlocks the intensifying mechanism. After clearing the cam, the gripper fingers open and the face of the holder ejects the tool with a controlled stroke.

Advanced Machine and Engineering Co.
www.ame.com

Boring head

PrimeBore’s boring head offers axial grooving and outside turning capabilities.

Vernier dial adjustment provides a feed-in accuracy of 0.0001" (0.002mm) on diameter. The boring head features 0.177" (4.5mm) radial stroke adjustment and automatically defined cutting edge position. Using finely adjustable external balancing weights, the head is capable of speeds up to 12,000rpm. The expanded boring range is 0.188" to 8.189" (3mm to 208mm).

Wohlhaupter Corp.
www.wohlhaupter.com

Solid carbide thread mills

All program includes 17 new sizes designed for maximum reach. Providing machining of stainless, titanium, and Inconel, both 2XD and 3XD tools feature a single tool solution for through and blind holes and allow full bottom threading to within one pitch. Pitch diameter is controlled and STI threads can be produced for aerospace threading applications.

Emuge Corp.
www.emuge.com

Multi-part electrode

The Delcam Electrode system can produce multi-part electrodes or a family of electrodes, as well as more conventional designs. Electrodes can now be displayed in the history tree of the tool on which they will be used, simplifying project management. All electrode drawings will update automatically if they change.

Multi-part electrodes can reduce machining time and EDM compared to using several individual electrodes. Multiple electrodes from a single blank can save materials and reduce costs by using a single holder for the combined electrode.

A wizard-based process allows users to define the region where the electrode will be used, extract the shape needed to produce the required feature in the part, edit the design to provide clearance from the main surface of the tool, and blend it into the blank size needed to fix the electrode into its holder. Once the electrode for the first area has been defined, the user then re-runs the wizard to include other burn areas in the multi-part electrode.

A second electrode can be created within the blank by re-running the wizard, so that once the first electrode has worn out, the electrode assembly can be rotated to use the second one.

Included software

• PowerSHAPE CAD software
• PowerMILL CAM system, with collision prevention technology
• PowerINSPECT inspection software

Delcam
www.delcam.com

Vertical machining center

The Vertex 75x II line includes six models suited for tight-tolerance applications. An optimal HSK-80 taper spindle connection complements the existing HSK-63 and 40-taper tool interfaces. A choice of rotary axis drive systems allows for customized machine configuration.

A cast-iron bed provides a rigid thermally stable machine structure. Guideway mounting surfaces are hand-scraped, achieving high volumetric accuracies.

Features

• Linear axes stokes (X, Y, Z): 750mm x 800mm x 700mm (29.5" x 31.4" x 27.5")
• Positioning accuracy (X, Y, Z): 0.001mm (0.000040")
• Spindle choices: 15,000rpm, 18,000rpm, 25,000rpm, and 30,000rpm
• Table sizes: 225mm to 500mm (9" to 19.7")
   

Mitsui Seiki USA Inc.
www.mitsuiseiki.com

Milling cutters

Carbide grades for milling inserts IC808 and IC830 have wear-resistant, physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings. The combination of coating layers, with thicknesses of up to 50nm and post-coating treatments of replaceable inserts, eliminate defects in the upper coating layer and provide additional durability.

The Helido Upfeed H600 family of indexable milling cutters combines convex and concave surfaces to improve chip formation and chip evacuation. The insert geometry has alternating facets inclined in opposite directions, resulting in six indexable cutting edges.

Millshred offers sintered chip crushing inserts with high-strength shredded cutting edges that are able to withstand heavy loads throughout rough milling routines.

Doveiqmill – a family of indexable face mills with a cutting edge angle of 50° – includes double-sided replaceable inserts with positive inclination of cutting edge. The geometry of the inserts, and their rigid clamping in the mill pockets, results in the mirror surface of workpieces when milling with rough cutting data as opposed to finish machining.

Iscar Metals Inc.
www.iscar.com

Straight & curved rail and roller block systems

Saibo SB-LGV roller block systems are available in three widths and two styles to meet load requirements up to 7,200N.

An adjustable preload system allows precision level control needed for most applications. The systems can be mounted horizontally or vertically, and come in nine sizes of roller blocks for straight rails and seven sizes for application incorporating straight and curved rails.

Each block has drilled and tapped holes for mounting tooling, cameras, or test equipment. Available in hardened steel to 60+RC or in AISI 440 C stainless, straight and curved rails are precision ground from high carbon bearing steel hardened to 50RC with straightness ≤0.05mm/1,000mm.

LM76
www.lm76.com

Expanded rotary table line

A new line of rotary tables has four models with table diameters of 6.7", 7.8", 9.8", and 12.6". The commonly available 5C collet and collet closure system provides easy handling of small parts.

The Dual Lead Worm Gear System provides an uninterrupted motion, high worm gear efficiency, and easy adjustment for backlash. The unit has a continuous type input increment of 0.001°. It is compatible with CNC drives from FANUC, Siemens, and Fagor.

Sharp Industries Inc.
www.sharp-industries.com

Automatic tool changer

CTA-HSL tool changers are suitable for applications on CNC milling machines, vertical and horizontal machining centers, CNC lathes, and multi-tasking machines.

The compact tool magazine tool changers accommodate high quantities of tool holders in a restricted area and are suitable for smaller machine tools.

Tools exchange time varies from 0.6 to 1.2 seconds depending upon the unit frame size, tool weights, and the length of the exchange arm.

ITI Tooling Co. Inc.
www.indexingtechnologies.com

Vibration app for the Apple iPhone

VibeRMS for the iPad is now available for the iPhone. With the addition of a cable and single-channel DAQ and vibration sensor, users can turn their iPhone into a professional vibration data collector.

Features

• Reports with integrated photos
• Velocity, acceleration, and displacement readings with full spectra
• ISO, ANSI, and custom severity charts
• Email, print, and save functions for reports

GTI Predictive Tech.
www.gtipredictive.com

Gear honing machine

The SynchroFine 205 HS gear honing machine features direct-driven, digitally controlled spindles for the tool and workpiece, enabling precise, rigid synchronization. The gear finishing process produces quality comparable to grinding results for spur and helical gears, as well as shafts. Software checks the stock allowance and workpiece runout and then optimizes the X-axis approach distance. Measuring the workpiece does not affect the cycle time and the process can reduce cycle times by 3 seconds to 5 seconds.

A pick-up design enables automation. The workpieces and dressing tools are loaded and unloaded by the workpiece spindle. The large X-axis travel allows for additional stations adjacent to the loading/unloading station inside the machine, such as a two-flank roll-checking device. External robots and conveyor systems can be integrated.

The X- and Z-axis are equipped with linear motor drives. The cutting tool is clamped with a hydraulically operated system, and the tool spindle can be swiveled into a vertical position, enabling easy access.

German Machine Tools of America
www.gmtamerica.com

Electric top-loading oven

No. 1007 is an electrically-heated, 500°F (260°C) top-loading oven, used for curing composite components. Nichrome 60kW wire heating elements and three 3hp recirculating blowers of 9,000cfm provide horizontal rear-to-front airflow to the workload.

The unit meets NEMA 12 electrical standards, while the floor of the workspace is reinforced for 5,000 lb loading to support the customer’s fixtures.

Controls include a digital programming temperature controller, 16-point strip chart recorder, and tower light to indicate machine status.

Features

• Dimensions: 26.5ft x 2ft x 2.5ft
• 4" insulated walls
• Aluminized steel interior and exterior
• Motor-operated rear-hinged door
• Compressed air manifold with eight connections

The Grieve Corp.
www.grievecorp.com

Double-sided shoulder milling platform

With four cutting edges and multiple corner nose radii available, the VSM490-15 inserts provide stability and deliver 90° shoulders and floors. Two insert geometries are available: MM (universal), for a range of work materials; and ML (light) with sharper cutting edges resulting in lower cutting forces for mild steels and stainless.

VSM490 cutter bodies have an integral chip gash design for chip evacuation, and hardened-steel construction with hardened pocket seats improve resistance to deformation.

VSM490 is available in the Novo application that helps users define machining features, such as shoulder milling in specific work materials.

Widia
www.widia.com

One tool drilling and chamfering

The D4580 chamfer body provides drilling and chamfering in one tool. The two-in-one approach reduces machining time by eliminating some tool changes.

D4580 is suitable for use with a wide variety of materials, including ISO material groups P, M, K, N, and S, and for all holes with 45° chamfers. Available in 6" and metric body sizes with chamfer widths up to 0.011" (2.8mm), the chamfer body is suitable for use with all corresponding solid carbide drills.

Walter USA LLC
www.walter-tools.com/us

Sliding-jaw air chuck

The model 625 sliding-jaw air chuck (0.0001" total indicated runout [TIR]) with top tooling attached offers top jaws permanently mounted onto the chuck’s master jaws to grip the ID of the part’s central bore. An air-detect axial locator ensures proper seating of the part upon robot-arm placement onto the chuck. This chuck is capable of 0.0001" TIR total accuracy and repeatability on all critical surfaces that interface with the part.

Northfield Precision Instrument Corp.
www.northfield.com

Standard ball screw products

Precision ball screws operate through ball bearings to transfer the load between the nut and screw. The bearing balls ride along an ogival-shaped thread formed from two arcs of the same radius with offset centers.

Ball screws have efficiencies that are more than 90%. By design, ball screws travel smoothly over the entire travel range and can be attached to the nut by a number of different configurations, including mounting and pinning the ball nut flange, standard flange orientation, and proper ball nut orientation.

Nook Industries
www.nookindustries.com