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News Release from: ACI (UK) | Subject: ACI and 600 Group
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 December 2004
CNC partnership works well in VMC market
The partnership agreement between measurement and control group ACI Europe and leading machine tool supplier 600 Centre, is proving a clear winner in the highly competitive VMC marketplace.
The partnership agreement between measurement and control group ACI Europe and leading machine tool supplier 600 Centre, which sees the Anilam Series 6000 multi-axis digital CNC being offered as an option on the 600 Centres cost-competitive range of Richmond vertical machining centres, is proving a clear winner in the highly competitive VMC marketplace Tim Hately, director and general manager of 600 Centre, says the value-for-money yet high-performance Richmond-Anilam package is enjoying "substantial" success in both production and toolroom applications, providing users with a capability that competitors find hard to compete with in terms of performance, specification, features and price
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 30 Sep 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"The Anilam control is very user-friendly due to its high-level graphics and simple step-by-step programming via its conversational Machinist Language, and it complements the high-quality build of the Richmond machine," he says.
"The result is a tremendous value for money package that has caught the eye of potential users." Targeted at users requiring a vertical machining centre capable of high metal removal with longevity of production life, the three-machine 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 machines heart is the 15 mm minimum thick, heavily ribbed base with a deep column construction of annealed and stress relieved Meehanite castings.
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.
INA ballscrews and NSK spindle bearings feature along with THK linear ways.
The Richmond machines offer 560 mm in Y and Z axes with up to 1,020 mm in X.
Positioning accuracy is + 0.005 mm and repeatability is within 0.0025 mm.
Table lengths are 750 mm, 925 mm and 1,120 respectively, by 510 mm wide, and maximum table loading is 700 Kgs.
The BT 40, heavy duty spindle is powered by a 11 kW high torque drive giving maximum speed options of 6,000 or 8,000 rev/min.
There is a choice of a 20-tool capacity carousel-type electronic tool change or twin-arm type having 24 tools.
Rigid tapping is standard.
The machines are pre-wired for four-axis machining with options of NC rotary table, through coolant spindle, probing systems and a manual twin-pallet changer.
Phil Goulding, managing director of ACI Europe, says the Anilam 6000 Series CNC combines the companys 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: a.
Irregular pockets - a simple routine of prompts produces clearances of irregular shapes; a.
Geometry - the geometry calculator, for determining points, lines and circles, automatically forms the program foundation; and a.
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.
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