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IMTS – the largest and longest-running industry trade show in the Western Hemisphere, will run September 12-17, 2022, in Chicago. Industry professionals from around the globe will visit IMTS to discover the latest innovations in digital and traditional manufacturing. WFL will be presenting the M50 MILLTURN complete machining centre as well as the latest digitalization and automation trends. The solutions range from smart software to screw programming through to intelligent tools and clamping devices.
Trade fair visitors can experience live machining at the M50 MILLTURN / 3000 mm. The multifunctional turning-boring-milling center is designed for complete machining of complex chuck and shaft parts up to 670 mm swing over bed. Turning, milling, drilling, hobbing, shaping, gun drilling as well as ID machining can be performed under any angle of the tool. The interpolation of up to 5 axes makes machining of any geometrical profile possible. Large safety windows provide the best possible overview of the working area. The machine also has an innovative and energy-saving lighting concept with LED lamps. On this machine, trade fair visitors will be able to witness a demo part being machined live.
Increase in performance for the turning-boring-milling processes thanks to WFL prismatic tools
WFL develops special tools, which are perfectly tailored to the MILLTURN and are used to machine complex workpieces. Hard to access machining area often require long special tools. WFL prismatic tool holders can be used for precisely this kind of challenging machining operation and are secured to the turning-boring- milling unit in addition to the HSK or Capto tool system with a prismatic tool accommodation. These tooling solutions enable users to maximise the machine‘s full potential.
Digitalization
WFL continuously optimizes the machining processes in their machines. However, there are always inter- ruptions requiring operator intervention, such as measurements and controls. It is important to minimize these interruptions to make best use of the availability and productivity of the machine. This is ensured by software packages in the machine control as well as additional intelligent clamping devices and tools auto- mating the processes.
One of these tools is WFL iControl, the new process monitoring system. iControl directly processes signals coming from the machine or from external sensors, such as coolant flow rate, coolant pressure, vibration sensors in a boring bar or the clamping force of a clamping jaw.
Machine states are recorded with myWFL Cockpit. The program monitors override positions and logs pro- gram runtimes. This provides a constant overview of the machine's productivity and the variability of program runtimes. myWFL Energy permanently measures and logs the machine's energy and compressed air con- sumption. This consumption can also be broken down into individual tools or process steps, allowing com- parisons to be made. myWFL Condition Monitoring enables the user to move spindles and axes by running an idle program at cyclical intervals. The program uses sensors to record forces and vibrations. Long-term evaluation shows, for example, whether there is an imminent change in the bearing or in one of the guide systems. This helps to avoid unforeseen downtimes and plan machine maintenance in a timely manner.
Always productive – automation solutions from WFL
Depending on the customer's requirements, different automation variants are used for automatic workpiece loading and unloading. The series ranges from bar feeders to gantry loaders to articulated and mobile ro- bots. Peripheral transport and storage systems for workpieces, tools and jaws can be combined as desired. FRAI and WFL act as your turnkey partner for high-end automation.
Related Glossary Terms
- boring
boring
Enlarging a hole that already has been drilled or cored. Generally, it is an operation of truing the previously drilled hole with a single-point, lathe-type tool. Boring is essentially internal turning, in that usually a single-point cutting tool forms the internal shape. Some tools are available with two cutting edges to balance cutting forces.
- boring bar
boring bar
Essentially a cantilever beam that holds one or more cutting tools in position during a boring operation. Can be held stationary and moved axially while the workpiece revolves around it, or revolved and moved axially while the workpiece is held stationary, or a combination of these actions. Installed on milling, drilling and boring machines, as well as lathes and machining centers.
- chuck
chuck
Workholding device that affixes to a mill, lathe or drill-press spindle. It holds a tool or workpiece by one end, allowing it to be rotated. May also be fitted to the machine table to hold a workpiece. Two or more adjustable jaws actually hold the tool or part. May be actuated manually, pneumatically, hydraulically or electrically. See collet.
- coolant
coolant
Fluid that reduces temperature buildup at the tool/workpiece interface during machining. Normally takes the form of a liquid such as soluble or chemical mixtures (semisynthetic, synthetic) but can be pressurized air or other gas. Because of water’s ability to absorb great quantities of heat, it is widely used as a coolant and vehicle for various cutting compounds, with the water-to-compound ratio varying with the machining task. See cutting fluid; semisynthetic cutting fluid; soluble-oil cutting fluid; synthetic cutting fluid.
- gang cutting ( milling)
gang cutting ( milling)
Machining with several cutters mounted on a single arbor, generally for simultaneous cutting.
- inner diameter ( ID)
inner diameter ( ID)
Dimension that defines the inside diameter of a cavity or hole. See OD, outer diameter.
- interpolation
interpolation
Process of generating a sufficient number of positioning commands for the servomotors driving the machine tool so the path of the tool closely approximates the ideal path. See CNC, computer numerical control; NC, numerical control.
- milling
milling
Machining operation in which metal or other material is removed by applying power to a rotating cutter. In vertical milling, the cutting tool is mounted vertically on the spindle. In horizontal milling, the cutting tool is mounted horizontally, either directly on the spindle or on an arbor. Horizontal milling is further broken down into conventional milling, where the cutter rotates opposite the direction of feed, or “up” into the workpiece; and climb milling, where the cutter rotates in the direction of feed, or “down” into the workpiece. Milling operations include plane or surface milling, endmilling, facemilling, angle milling, form milling and profiling.
- shaping
shaping
Using a shaper primarily to produce flat surfaces in horizontal, vertical or angular planes. It can also include the machining of curved surfaces, helixes, serrations and special work involving odd and irregular shapes. Often used for prototype or short-run manufacturing to eliminate the need for expensive special tooling or processes.
- turning
turning
Workpiece is held in a chuck, mounted on a face plate or secured between centers and rotated while a cutting tool, normally a single-point tool, is fed into it along its periphery or across its end or face. Takes the form of straight turning (cutting along the periphery of the workpiece); taper turning (creating a taper); step turning (turning different-size diameters on the same work); chamfering (beveling an edge or shoulder); facing (cutting on an end); turning threads (usually external but can be internal); roughing (high-volume metal removal); and finishing (final light cuts). Performed on lathes, turning centers, chucking machines, automatic screw machines and similar machines.
