Product category:
Control systems, DROs, etc, for machine tools
News Release from: ACI (UK) | Subject: CNCs, DROs - machine tools
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 11 April 2007
CNCs, DROs give easy students'
programming
A university engineering department didn't want students spending hours lwriting programs, so it sought machine tool control systems that allowed quick and easy programs development.
Anilam digital readout and CNC control technology was the determining factor in machine tool selection when Queen Mary, University of London, UK, needed to re-equip its Department of Engineering by introducing CNC machining for the first time "It was essential we installed quality, cost-effective machines that exhibited the required machining capabilities, of course, but they also had to feature best of breed control technology that was easy to use," said laboratory superintendent, Chris Straw
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 30 Sep 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"We found exactly what we needed with the machines supplied by Gate Machinery International - a mixture of Gate PBM turret mills and Eclipse CNC mills, and G-330E and ECL-360 conventional and CNC lathes, featuring Anilam Wizard 550 DROs and Anilam 4200T turning and 5300 milling CNC systems." He said: "These value-for-money machines demonstrate quality build characteristics as well as high-end controllers based around user-friendly conversational programming/operating routines.
They are therefore ideal for our 'teaching' environment." Straw explained: "Importantly, the work we perform is primarily based on the production of small batches (usually one- or two-offs) of often complex workpieces or fixturing for test and prove out purposes, so our criteria for machine selection revolved around the most sophisticated programming/machining routines available on fit-for-purpose machines that would come within our overall budget." He said: "It didn't take us long to realise that Gate Machinery International had offered us an unrivalled package." The investment was driven in particular by a large new research contract involving complex hip joint work - just one aspect of the college's standard under- and post-graduate degree courses that attract an annual intake of 150 students.
The department is one of the few in the country with a prestigious Grade 5 (out of 5) Research Rating: its recent involvement in the creation of the British Olympic Team's bobsleigh and its use of an F16 flight simulator are just the tip of its impressive pedigree.
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.
It was, however, the contract concerning hip joint replacement parts - and specifically to simulate manufacture of the parts and development of the appropriate equipment/fixturing to replicate joint action - that highlighted the need for new machining capability if required component surface finishes and machining tolerances were to be met on, for example, balls and sockets, and spar tapers.
"After sending tenders to several companies, Gate Machinery International was the only supplier that responded with a range of machines that met our constraints and was willing to work with us on additional aspects of machine safety (extra guarding).
Also, the level of service and back-up offered by them and by the control supplier - ACI (UK) - was very impressive," said Straw.
"Effectively, we needed the power of CNC machines but not their production capabilities.
Time is obviously a consideration, but the main consideration is ensuring we get things right." He said: "The control systems were the main concern; this department is all about developing skilled engineers/engineering principles in all materials (ie, plastics, ceramics, ferrous, non-ferrous, hard metals and stainless), not CNC operators." Straw said: "So, we didn't want students spending hours learning G codes and writing programs, and the Anilam systems were the only controls we saw that eliminated this problem through their ability to enable users to quickly and easily develop new programs via their Machinists Language programming functionality." He continued: "One example of the gains we have made by investing in CNC and using Anilam control technology is the production of a specific taper angle on a hip joint spar: this previously took up to three weeks to produce on a conventional machine; with the ECL-360 CNC lathe with Anilam 4200T control, it takes only half a day.
The taper angle along a certain distance of the spar is critical, and achieving this with the Anilam control is now very straightforward and repeatable.
Indeed, tolerances of 1.5 micron are regularly achieved on hip joint components." Gate Machinery International supplied a total of nine machines over a 12-month period, a mixture of two PBM-1000 and one PBM-2000 turret mills (736mm by 305mm by 406mm in X, Y and Z, 3HP and spindle speeds of 60-4,200 rev/min) and one PBM-Super mill (862mm by 400mm by 406mm, 5 HP and spindle speeds of 60-3,600 rev/min), as well as three G-330E high-speed, 80-2,000 rev/min precision centre lathes featuring 330mm swing over the bed, 195mm over the cross slide, 1000mm between centres and 490mm over the gap.
These all have Anilam's two-axis Wizard 550 DRO, an intuitive system where all prompts, instructions and help functions are visible as text or graphics on the flat screen and graphics guide users through the simple questions.
Operation-specific soft keys also feature.
For milling, the system is supplied as standard with bolt hole pattern calculations for full and partial circles with graphics, zero reset and preset features, tool diameter compensation and near zero warning, for example.
For, turning, system features include taper turning functionality and 16 tool offsets that, when used with the axis lock feature, ensures tool deflection is reduced even under load.
Also supplied was an ECL-360 CNC lathe.
This 25-3,000 rev/min spindle speed machine has a swing over the bed of 360mm, over the cross slide of 180mm and 880mm between centres.
If features the Anilam 4200T CNC with constant surface speed.
CNC functionality also includes create, delete/undelete, list, copy, rename and print, and the system also features constant surface speed as standard, to help guarantee consistent surface finish and extended tool life.
The control can run in several operational modes - including teach mode achieved via single or dual handwheel operation with dual axis interpolation.
A 3HP, 60-4,200 rev/min ECM-1 CNC turret mill completes the line-up, with 660mm by 305mm by 100mm in X, Y and Z, and featuring Anilam three-axis Series 5300 CNC boasting, for example, integrated CAM functionality, an extensive library of canned cycles and a draw graphics mode for part verification prior to machining.
All CNC machines are programmed offline at Queen Mary, though an IDEAS CAD link with the Anilam CNC systems' CAM functionality is occasionally used.
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