Hurco Chipmaker Challenge opens – apply before Aug. 8, 2014

Indianapolis – One entrepreneur will win a Hurco CNC mill or lathe at the Hurco booth on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, as part of the first-ever Chipmaker Challenge contest. The application period started July 1, 2014, and will conclude Aug 8, 2014. The top five finalists will appear at IMTS to pitch their business plan, win a brand new machine, and control their future with Hurco CNC technology.

 

“The idea of the Chipmaker Challenge evolved as we discussed ways to add some excitement to IMTS and get publicity for the entrepreneurs in our industry who do remarkable things each and every day,” said Joe Braun, general manager of Hurco North America. “Our customers are competitive, proud of the businesses they’ve built, and the products they make. We decided to model the Chipmaker Challenge after the television show Shark Tank in order to create an exciting, competitive, entertaining event that showcases manufacturing entrepreneurs and highlights the hi-tech aspect of manufacturing in this country. We know there is an effort to rebrand manufacturing so young people and their parents better understand 21st century manufacturing and we hope the Chipmaker Challenge might bring more attention to the industry,” continued Braun.

 

In addition to the Chipmaker Challenge, IMTS attendees will be the first in the world to preview the new 3D printing capabilities incorporated into the Hurco control’s WinMax software, the first to see the new MAX5 control console, and the first to experience the new 3-axis conversational pocketing strategy named AdapiPath that includes controlled chip load, controlled tool engagement, and a rest machining cycle in addition to a smooth toolpath motion. With a theme of Control Your Future, Hurco will showcase their CNC technology that is focused on making shops more profitable with demonstrations on their most popular CNC mills and lathes in addition to new models. 

 

For aerospace parts, the new VM30UHSi 5-axis high speed machining center equipped with an Erowa robot will be of particular interest, according to Hurco. The machine’s 18K spindle supports the high surface speeds desired for aluminum and the 40-station tool changer supports complex operations that are typically required of aerospace parts. Additionally, the Hurco control’s fast processing speed is beneficial for complex 3D, 5-axis aerospace part programs. For complex geometries that are often GD&T plane-to-plane, the VMX30UHSi provides increased accuracies and less setups since parts can be done in one. Further, Hurco’s patented motion system, UltiMotion, is extremely beneficial for aerospace parts. Due to the advanced trajectory algorithm of UltiMotion, it is able to generate motion that is smoother and faster than any hardware-only solution on the market, according to the company. The benefits include a 30% reduction in cycle time and parts with higher quality surface finishes because UltiMotion provides an overall reduction in machine jerk, up to 50% during direction changes, and less overall vibration. UltiMotion is standard on both 3-axis and 5-axis Hurco mills and has noticeable benefits for both NC and conversational programs. The technology is only available on Hurco mills because Hurco invented it.

 

Hurco will also premiere the company’s new MAX5 control that features bigger, brighter LCD screens and numerous ergonomic features. “Our engineers spent thousands of hours perfecting the control console and leveraged the latest technology available. Since we consider our customers to be the true experts in usability, we hosted a series of usability tests last summer. The input from our customers was extremely valuable and increased the ergonomics and usability of the console considerably,” said Braun.

 

Other models on display at Hurco booth S8319 include the new 3-axis VMX6030i, the 5-axis VM10Ui, the new 5-axis VCX600, the 5-axis VMX42SRTi, the high speed 3-axis VMX42HSi, the 3-axis VM20i with a rotary table, the TMM12i mill turn lathe, and theTM8i lathe.