Product category:
Control systems, DROs, etc, for machine tools
News Release from: Heidenhain (GB) | Subject: MANUALplus lathe control
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 March 2007
Control saves 40% on lathe programming
time
A control system that allows a CNC lathe to be operated as a manual machine is cutting programming times by about 40% compared to previous controls, said a 'downhole' oil industry tools manufacturer.
Given its location at the heart of the UK, Cutting and Wear's involvement with the oil and gas industries may be somewhat of a surprise to some However, with almost 40 years experience of developing and manufacturing 'downhole' tools and equipment for the drilling industry, geography is clearly not an issue
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Employing 55 people family-owned Cutting and Wear is enjoying the benefits of a booming oil industry, which accounts for 90% of its GBP 4.5 million turnover.
This increased by 25% in 2006, with a prediction of similar growth this year.
Manufacturing makes up 70% of Cutting and Wear's business, the balance coming from other activities, including its patented QuickTip hardfacing system and extensive range of other hardfacing products, that either extend the life of components used in the exploration/drilling industries or give them particular cutting or milling characteristics required by the job they are performing.
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Central to Cutting and Wear's success are the values instilled in the business, with all employees contributing to meeting the challenge of winning business in the face of overseas competition.
"While our customer base is split 50/50 between UK-based and overseas customers, the vast majority of the product we manufacture will eventually be exported," said Tony Mettam, Cutting and Wear's finance director.
"We believe that to compete in these circumstances you have to provide value for money in terms of products and ensure on-time delivery".
"It is here that we have developed a niche in the market to supply customers who need a one-stop engineering service, whereby we can both manufacture the parts and hard face them." To ensure that Cutting and Wear remains competitive it has recently invested in new machine tool technology in the form of a Dean Smith and Grace Series 4000 extra heavy-duty, flat-bed, CNC lathe equipped with a Heidenhain 4110 MANUALplus control system.
While Heidenhain is a familiar name in the world of 5-axis machining it has also been very successful in developing the MANUALplus lathe control, which allows the machine to be operated as you would a manual machine, and programmed without having the need to master CNC terminology.
For simple operations such as turning parallel diameters or facing, the operator can choose to use the machine's handwheels but for more complex operations, such as profile turning, grooving and threading, the conversational-based control can take over.
Charged with getting the best from this machine and control is programmer/operator Reece Boardman.
"The key element of the control system is its simplicity.
The conversational system is self explanatory and as a result programming is easily carried out on the machine.
We are finding that we are cutting programming times by about 40% compared to previous controls.
This, when combined with the other time saving elements such as tool setting and the extensive memory, does away with the need to download stored programs and means we are producing the first off parts much quicker." With the vast majority of Cutting and Wear's work being oil and gas related one particular feature of the MANUALplus control has proved very effective.
"We have found the threading cycles function extremely useful," saidBoardman.
"In particular, with API threads we often have to re-cut threads to ensure a perfect fit and the MANUALplus control allows automatic 'pick-up' of threads, while the chuck is stationary, which simplifies things greatly.
Other threading options that we make use of are the ability to vary infeed rates and pullout angles." The fact that the MANUALplus 4110 was designed for short production runs with machinists in mind makes it an ideal fit for Cutting and Wear's manufacturing demands.
Its simplicity is complemented by its ability to support the machining of a wide range of components from the simple through to complex CNC components.
This simplicity is reflected in the limited training required to become fully conversant with the control's capabilities. Request a free brochure from Heidenhain (GB) ...
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