Quality Control Processes

Sandvik Coromant has unveiled its CoroPlus suite of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions aimed at helping manufacturers prepare for Industry 4.0. The concept is designed specifically to improve the control of productivity and costs through a combination of connected machining and access to manufacturing data and expert knowledge.

Clearly verify the presence of dust in production: Companies check the hall air quality efficiently with the new air monitoring system AirWatch. KEMPER's sensor technology is able to determine and document the number and weight of nanoparticles and then analyze it with smartphone, tablet or PC and compare it to limit values.

END USER: Kluba Machine LLC, (636) 390-4088. SOLUTION PROVIDER: CNC Software Inc., (800) 228-2877, www.mastercam.com. CHALLENGE: Improve cycle times and spindle uptime while maintaining part quality. SOLUTION: CAD/CAM software.

As the plans for more and more machined metal parts include numerical surface finish specifications, the need diminishes to visually qualify that a part has, for example, "a mirror finish with no burrs" or to have the machinist with the finest touch scratch the surface with his fingernail to make sure it's "matte and rough."

Doug Wetzel, managing director at contract manufacturer Protomatic, Dexter, Mich., is finding business to be slower than he wishes. Like many other U.S. job shops, the 45-year-old company is experiencing a slowdown caused by tumbling oil prices and worldwide political and economic uncertainty. The difference is Wetzel isn't too worried. His advice to fellow manufacturers is to not let market uncertainty paralyze them from seeing a slowdown's silver lining— namely, time to prepare for the inevitable upturn.

Marposs Corp.'s Brankamp CMS system for collision monitoring is designed to reduce or even eliminate machine collisions that generally lead to high repair costs and long downtimes. The Brankamp CMS system detects dynamically increasing forces with damage potential within milliseconds and sends a stop signal to the machine drives.

Networking option: Could the introduction of a small electrical cabinet turn out to be a big step toward more widespread implementation of the Industrial Internet of Things? This special electrical cabinet, called the SmartBox, was developed by machine tool builder Mazak Corp., working in collaboration with networking equipment provider Cisco Systems Inc. The SmartBox is designed to overcome concerns about complexity and security that have led to resistance to connecting machine tools to a plantwide network.

How often should a metalworking fluid be tested? It depends. Metalworking fluid is used in most machine shops, because it aids in evacuating chips and cooling and lubricating the tool/workpiece interface. To optimize fluid performance, it must be maintained, which is done by testing a fluid for performance and chemistry.

Careful consideration when implementing inspection processes yields efficiencies. Manufacturers continually search for ways to increase profits and reduce costs. Trying to find cost savings where chips are made makes sense and is usually where the most-significant improvements are found. However, efficiency gains can also be made in nonvalue-adding areas, like inspection.

Schaumburg-based Heidenhain recently introduced the VS 101 camera system as a new feature of its flagship TNC 640 mill-turn machine in order to automatically monitor the setup situation and machining result, according to a a company news release.

GTI Predictive Technology, Manchester, N.H., today announced the immediate availability of GTI PowerReader, the latest tool in the GTI Predictive Technology Tool Box. The GTI PowerReader allows users to optimize machine cycles to help increase output and avoid new capital equipment purchases, according to a GTI Predictive Technology news release.

Designed to improve the manufacturing process, the new Walter Tool-ID system reportedly allows users to transfer tool data from the presetting device to the machine tool and evaluate the parameters that are run on the machine, according to a Feb. 2 news release from Walter USA LLC, Waukesha, Wis. The tool data, which may be contained in a laser-engraved matrix code on the tool, can be picked up using a scanner and automatically transferred to a machine control unit, the company explained, noting that "time-consuming and error-prone manual data entry" may be cut from the equation.