FCP4 High-Production Drill Grinder

November 28, 2017
FCP4 High-Production Drill Grinder

ANCA offers the FCP4 high-production drill grinder (FCP4). Producing drills from 0.8 to 4mm with the new technology provides an exciting opportunity for drill makers, with important efficiencies and cost benefits by manufacturing a complete HSS drill on a single machine, according to the company. From a blank piece of raw material, the FCP4 grinds the flute, relief and point, producing a finished drill.

Grant Anderson, CEO at ANCA said: “Considering the yearly production of high speed steel drills is about 1.8 Billion drills, the opportunities are huge. The high-volume commodity drill market is a new market for us but is a great fit given our forty plus years’ expertise in tool and cutter grinding and our world leading technology.”

The new machine will enable a complete drill to be manufactured every 20 to 25 seconds. Up until now, a drill has typically been manufactured on two or three separate machines, which is a large investment to make and a big task in changing drill sizes - often taking several hours and creating needless waste with scrap setup drills. The CNC capability of the FCP4 also has significant advantages in quicker changeover and less setup times required, making the option of smaller production runs viable.

“We think we can bring a huge benefit to the industry as up until now there is little competition or product choice for volume manufacturers of HSS drills. Drill manufacturers are typically restricted to using machines that are old and cam-operated, and with older machines wearing out there are currently very few options for upgrading or improving their capabilities,” Grant continued. 

Simon Richardson, FCP4 product manager said: “We listened to our customers who, in this market, faced a lack of choice and responded to their needs to develop our own solution. With our extensive market knowledge and research and development capabilities, I am confident this new machine will be well received and unleash a whole new world of possibilities for our customers.” 

The FCP4 will be fully CNC operated comprising of eight axes, using a principle similar to a Swiss auto, whereby it has a multiturret, capable of undertaking several operations simultaneously. It uses an ANCA Motion CNC system including AM5C drives, AMI5000 Touchpad, Commander, AMCore and Motion Bench.

Related Glossary Terms

  • computer numerical control ( CNC)

    computer numerical control ( CNC)

    Microprocessor-based controller dedicated to a machine tool that permits the creation or modification of parts. Programmed numerical control activates the machine’s servos and spindle drives and controls the various machining operations. See DNC, direct numerical control; NC, numerical control.

  • grinding

    grinding

    Machining operation in which material is removed from the workpiece by a powered abrasive wheel, stone, belt, paste, sheet, compound, slurry, etc. Takes various forms: surface grinding (creates flat and/or squared surfaces); cylindrical grinding (for external cylindrical and tapered shapes, fillets, undercuts, etc.); centerless grinding; chamfering; thread and form grinding; tool and cutter grinding; offhand grinding; lapping and polishing (grinding with extremely fine grits to create ultrasmooth surfaces); honing; and disc grinding.

  • high-speed steels ( HSS)

    high-speed steels ( HSS)

    Available in two major types: tungsten high-speed steels (designated by letter T having tungsten as the principal alloying element) and molybdenum high-speed steels (designated by letter M having molybdenum as the principal alloying element). The type T high-speed steels containing cobalt have higher wear resistance and greater red (hot) hardness, withstanding cutting temperature up to 1,100º F (590º C). The type T steels are used to fabricate metalcutting tools (milling cutters, drills, reamers and taps), woodworking tools, various types of punches and dies, ball and roller bearings. The type M steels are used for cutting tools and various types of dies.

  • relief

    relief

    Space provided behind the cutting edges to prevent rubbing. Sometimes called primary relief. Secondary relief provides additional space behind primary relief. Relief on end teeth is axial relief; relief on side teeth is peripheral relief.

Additional Products from ANCA Inc.

With nanometer resolution and control over the tool grinding path, the MicroX ULTRA delivers a high level of surface and edge quality. This achievement is made possible through intelligent algorithms that operate collaboratively and in synchrony.

As the only micro tool grinder with nanometer control, optimized mechanical layout and axes travel, integrated tool measurement and progressive automation, this six-axis grinder is the ideal solution for volume production of tools down to 0.03mm.

Flexibility is a key feature of the tap grinding process on the TapX. The specially designed machine and powerful ToolRoom software ensure a vast range of tap types and sizes can be designed and manufactured in one set-up. Combine this with the benefits of quick changeover time and it's not…

The FX7 ULTRA not only grinds tools faster than other machines, but also produces tools with both finer surface finishes and greater accuracy — which means superior tool performance and quality.

Utilizing ANCA’s machine platforms with a robot cell, blanket grinding offers flexibility across a range of tool sizes and applications. Blanket grinding allows for full automation of tools of similar geometries, by consolidating all tool grinding processes into one single machine. A batch of…

With the ANCA RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) regrinding solution, tools of various types and diameters and from different orders can be dynamically loaded, rather than having to sort them by diameter or customer as was previously necessary in mixed batches.

To increase the stiffness of the C-axis, the MX7 ULTRA combines developments to the nanometer or micro degree resolution in the linear and rotary axis, tuning parameters, several system enhancements, and major mechanical changes.

ANCA has designed a special dental drill loading kit including tailored RoboMate pallets for FX machines using a Fanuc 200iD robot loader. The pallet top allows a reduction of the insertion depth of the shank with an 8mm pocket depth, so that drills with only 10mm of available shank length can be…

The FX5, with the new 12kW spindle delivers increased productivity up to a diameter of 10mm. At 19kW, the new high-powered spindle option can enhance productivity further for tools up to 12mm and above. The high-powered spindle option on FX5 matches the grinding spindle fitted to the FX7 machine…

The 70% reduction in measurement time compared to Laser Plus is achieved through the new Analog measurement. The Analog measurement is a continuous edge scan instead of number of digital points along the cutting edge. This process also eliminates variations caused by machine standing idle, errors…

PRODUCTS

11/20/2024
Jorgensen Conveyor and Filtration Solutions, Mequon, Wisconsin, highlighted its distinctive…

10/23/2024
The Starrett AVR400 offers full CNC capabilities including X-Y-Z positioning and comprehensive zoom…

10/23/2024
TIN Coated Thread Gages have high dimensionally stable HSS construction with TIN coating that…