Automation & Controls

END USER: RCBS, (800) 533-5000, www.rcbs.com. CHALLENGE: Automate ID finishing of ammunition reloading dies. SOLUTION: Flexible brush hones on CNC equipment that improved quality and throughput while eliminating operator injury and fatigue. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Brush Research Manufacturing Co.

J.W. Winco Inc. offers series GN 351 Vibration Isolation Mounts, Cylindrical Type in metric sizes.

HEIDENHAIN Corporation has coupled the new ACANTO Absolute Length Gage with the established and versatile ND 2100G GAGE-CHEK metrology readouts.

Makino has released its new real-time machine process monitoring and data management software solution, the MPmax (Machine Productivity Maximizer).

END USER: Sonic Industries Div., Sargent Aerospace & Defense Group, (310) 532-8382, www.sargentaerospace.com. CHALLENGE: Reduce cycle times while holding critical dimensional and finish tolerances. SOLUTION: Automated honing machine with superabrasive tools.

NB Corp.'s rotary ball spline has a nut that rolls on the ball spline shaft making it capable of both linear and rotary motion and provides sub-millimeter accuracy every time.

Five shops use different lights-out machining strategies, but all are focused on creating stable processes.

END USER: The M.K. Morse Co., (800) 733-3377, www.mkmorse.com. CHALLENGE: Eliminate dirt and debris from machine coolant when grinding cermet-tipped saw blades. SOLUTION: Filtration system capable of removing particles to 1μm.

Continuing to provide the Quadra-Chek metrology digital readout for 2-D geometries, Heidenhain Corp. introduces it with a new dark gray faceplate. It is now called the Quadra-Chek ND 1200.

Productive Times. End user: Specialty Carbide Products. Challenge: Productively and consistently grind carbide burs. Solution: A CNC grinding machine integrated with a robot for loading/unloading. Solution provider: Excalibur Tool Inc.

While some may question its use, on-machine probing can reduce setup time while boosting in-process dimension control and enabling part verification.

Even low-volume operations producing many different parts can benefit from lights-out production.