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News Release from: ACI (UK)
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 09 October 2003
Machine tool control partnership
agreements formed
ACI (Europe) has announced major supply partnership agreements with two of the largest machine tool companies in the UK - Bridgeport Machines and 600 Centre.
ACI (Europe), the leading measurement and control group, has announced major supply partnership agreements with two of the largest machine tool companies in the UK - Bridgeport Machines and 600 Centre The agreement covers the supply of Acu-Rite 200M two-axis digital readouts for use on Bridgeport's world renowned Series 1 standard milling machines, and the use of Anilam Series 6000 multi-axis CNC systems on 600 Centre's cost-competitive Richmond vertical machining centres
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 30 Sep 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Announcing the deal at ACI's Newport Pagnell (Bucks) headquarters, managing director Phil Goulding, commented: "The endorsement by both 600 Centre and Bridgeport Machines reflects both companies' desire to reinforce their respective market positions by continually developing and supplying machines boasting unrivalled cost-to-performance specifications.
"These agreements are the latest in a series of similar such supply partnerships that ACI (Europe) has with a growing number of leading machine tool suppliers." With more than 350,000 machines installed worldwide over the past 60 years or so, Bridgeport's Series 1 has long been recognised as the de facto standard for knee-type milling.
Of cast iron construction and with a 2.2kW motor, the machine has X, Y and Z axes travels of 914mm by 305mm by 406mm and a speed range of 60 to 4,200 revs/min.
Further reading
Tool/workpiece probing cycles added to controls
ACI is including tool and workpiece probing cycles as standard features on its Anilam 6000 Series multi-axis CNC system.
Milling in two/three axis cost-effectively
Demonstrations of a two-/three-axis CNC for intuitive knee-type milling operations will highlight the system's cost-effectiveness and user-friendliness.
Measuring distance and position accurately
As well as demonstrating four-axis DROs, a range of linear scales will also serve to reinforce both the accuracy and performance benefits of its glass linear encoder technology.
Quill and ram travels are 127mm and 305mm, respectively, and throat distance is 171mm to 476mm.
The machine features a patented airflow cooling system, zero runout spindle taper and dual saddle and knee locks for rigidity.
Acu-Rite's 200M two-axis DRO's milling functionality embraces full and partial bolt hole calculations, centreline calculation, single tool diameter compensation and electronic edge finder input.
The 200M is provided as standard with Position-Trac distance encoded reference marks on the Acu-Rite glass linear encoders (available in varying lengths and with resolutions from 0.5 to 10 microns), to ensure users are provided with accurate and fast location of workpiece absolute zero.
"Clearly, the Acu-Rite system provides our Series 1 with unparalleled capabilities on a machine of this class," says John McTernan, Bridgeport Machine's Marketing and Business Development Director.
"The Series 1 has always been a step above the competition, and by utilising Acu-Rite's DRO technology, Bridgeport's customers really are provided with a win-win situation in terms of both specification and costs." Similar sentiments are expressed by Tim Hately, director and general manager of 600 Centre, when referring to the optional use of the Anilam 6000 Series CNC on the Richmond VMCs.
"The Anilam control is a high-specification system ideal for use across both production and toolmaking sectors.
While being very user-friendly, the control offers very high performance ? which adds to the capability of the Richmond machine.
Importantly, the CNC is also backed up by strong service and support from ACI.
"The result is a vertical machining centre-control package that represents tremendous value for money." Anilam's 6000 Series combines the company's market-leading conversational Machinist Language programming routines with G Code programming on a digital platform having a powerful 586 DX4 133 PC processor and 16 Mbyte of RAM, plus a 12 inch TFT screen.
The control has enhanced mould and die capability (scaling, mirror image, modal corner rounding/chamfering, for example) as well as a host of canned cycles including mould rotation and draft angle.
It also features a CAM programming mode for interactive programming using icons (moves shown as they are being programmed), menu-driven tooling, tool compensation and interference checking, and built-in post-processor.
Simulation graphic functions embrace rapid, feed and compensated moves (colour differentiated) isometric views, auto part fit, window zoom and static tool display, for instance.
The canned cycles also include: Irregular pockets - a simple routine of prompts produces clearances of irregular shapes; Geometry - the geometry calculator, for determining points, lines and circles, automatically forms the program foundation; and Bolt hole pattern and drill cycles are created by simple question and answer routines.
The control also features Anilam's Integral Programmable Intelligence, so there is no need for a separate PLC unit and, compared to older CNC systems accompanied by a separate bank of drives, these are now housed in one compact module.
Targeted at users looking for a VMC with a high and rigid build quality, capable of high metal removal with longevity of production life, the Richmond VMC range enters the market at well under GBP 35,000 ? but it offers a machining package with larger capacities than normally expected within that price band.
At the machine's heart is the 15mm minimum thick, heavily ribbed base with a deep column construction of annealed and stress relieved Meehanite castings.
INA ballscrews and NSK spindle bearings feature along with THK linear ways.
The Richmond machines offer 560mm in Y and Z axes with up to 1020mm in X.
Positioning accuracy is +/-0.005mm and repeatability is within 0.0025mm.
The BT 40, heavy duty spindle is powered by a 11kW high torque drive giving maximum speed options of 6,000 or 8,000 revs/min.
There is a choice of a 20-tool capacity carousel-type electronic tool change or twin-arm type having 24 tools.
Both systems have a tool-to-tool time of three seconds.
Rigid tapping is also standard.
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