CNC Machining (General)

CNC specialist NUM has significantly expanded its portfolio of motors for machine tool applications by launching a range of high-performance brushless torque motors. Employing innovative optimized magnetics, NUM's new TMX series direct-drive motors have an extremely low cogging torque. They are ideal for applications that demand very smooth and accurate rotation, especially at low speeds. Typical uses include direct-drive machine tools, rotary tables and radial positioning units.

Hydromat Inc. offers a 12-station rotary transfer machine. The Eclipse is a ground up redesign of the famous Hydromat concept with all new components. This machine platform offers multiple tool spindles in a single footprint integrated with one chip management and coolant system.

Blum-Novotest offers its new laser measuring system LC50-DIGILOG, which has been completely redeveloped to future-proof the speed, precision and in-process reliability of tool measurement in machine tools thanks to the latest possible applications. The hardware also features lots of technical innovations.

Cincinnati Inc. has released a new carbon fiber resin material for its SAAM (Small Area Additive Manufacturing) 3D printing system. The new material is impact resistant, lightweight and has a very high strength-to-weight ratio. Carbon fiber reinforcement makes the material stiff, durable and very low warping – and advanced inter-layer adhesion results in accurate, quality parts with good dimensions. The material's superior surface finish makes it perfect for custom tooling applications, as well as assembly, CMM, welding and CNC fixtures.

HEIDENHAIN says its top-of-the-line lathe control, the CNC PILOT 640, has been impressing customers for many years with its numerous advantages and is now available with even newer upgrades. Most notably, a new TURN PLUS feature is now standard on new purchases that allows the creation of a lathe program by the push of a button with up to 90 percent time savings.

Five-axis machining is a powerful tool for reducing setup times and increasing accuracy on complex parts. But investing in a 5-axis machine tool may not be in the budget, especially for smaller shops. The all-new TRT160 tilting rotary table from Haas Automation not only puts 5-axis capabilities well within reach of the average job shop, but its new smaller size also provides greater mounting flexibility than its predecessor.

Cloud-based management software is helping CNC machining to design, test and produce tools faster and more accurately than ever before. ANCA has developed its own Redax 2.0 software package to network grinding machines to send and receive data.

The CPX Linear has a large working envelope and powerful grinding spindles to achieve high precision and productivity for blank preparation. Using the pinch peel method of grinding, it offers the same strength, rigidity and thermal stability expected from an ANCA tool grinder.

Starrag offers the innovative Heckert DBF 630 6-axis machining center with B over A trunnion table coupled with 45 kW (60 hp)/1,700 Nm (1,254 ft-lb) torque fully integrated U axes head to enable turning, as well as milling, boring, drilling and thread generation operations to be completed in a single setup. OEMs and top-tier suppliers in the oil and gas market, for example, are making significant savings on workpieces such as fluids ends, gate valves, drill bits and pump housings.

Synova is launching a new CNC machine with full 5-axis capability to process complex 3D geometries. Applications targeted include the machining of industrial diamond employed in toolmaking, as well as various composite materials used in aviation. The LCS 305 offers enhanced accuracy, quality and speed with highly dynamic axes, water-cooled linear and torque motors, mineral casting machine bed and fully automatic offset calibration system.

Hardinge Inc. introduces the new Kellenberger 100 (pictured) and Kellenberger 1000 Universal CNC grinding systems. These innovative systems improve the precision and productivity for the most demanding range of machining applications. The updated functional and user friendly design elements on both of these systems allow you to have the control and performance you require.

To perform the complex mathematical calculations required for metrology based real-time adaptive control of CNC machining processes, powerful coordinate measuring machine (CMM) software needs to be directly integrated within the manufacturing system. CappsNC, from Applied Automation Software Inc., an adaptation of CappsDMIS CMM software, has been developed to program any machining center to perform advanced measurement, metrology and GD&T calculations using the standard DMIS language. Powerful offline programming, with automatic collision avoidance and 5-axis path generation, allows programming of all machine configurations including multiple-axis mill-turn machines.