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Product category: Probes and sensors
News Release from: Renishaw | Subject: Tool and work probes for machine tools
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 18 August 2005

OEE issues to be addressed at UK
Aero-Engine Expo

For manufacturers of aerospace components, maximising machine tool uptime, increasing the rate of output, and minimising scrap and re-work, is critical to success.

Renishaw will be addressing the increasingly important issue of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) at the Aero-Engine Expo being held at London's Olympia Conference Centre from 5th to 6th October 2005 Exhibiting at stand A7, Renishaw will highlight a wide range of manufacturing solutions that can improve OEE performance

For manufacturers of aerospace components, an increasingly demanding environment means that maximising machine tool uptime (availability), increasing the rate of output (performance), and minimising scrap and re-work (quality), is critical to success.

Failing to address these areas of potential loss eats into the time spent making good parts.

World class performance is generally accepted to be around 86% (90% availability, 95% performance, 99.9% quality).

In reality, most firms struggle to exceed 50% and many operate at levels far below this.

Improving OEE can free up significant capacity for aerospace companies.

Renishaw is helping companies to improve their OEE in each of the three key areas: * Availability - the use of probes can reduce machine tool downtime by automating the setting of tools and parts.

Touch probes can identify the location and orientation of parts, establishing work co-ordinates and eliminating dedicated fixtures.

Tool setting probes, whether contact probes or laser tool setters, measure tool length and diameter at real cutting speeds, unlike offline pre-setters which cannot detect effects like spindle run-out and pull-up.

All feedback is automatic, eliminating operator error.

* Performance - Performance losses include unexpected stoppages, which can be minimised by checking tool condition using on-machine tool setting systems to detect broken tools before they cause more scrap.

Inspection probes can establish material condition on castings and billets, allowing manufacturers to eliminate 'fresh air' cuts and tool breakage due to mis-loaded parts.

Rework is another factor that limits performance.

Inspection probes can be used in-cycle to control the size of critical features, to measure tool wear by observing the size of machined parts, and to monitor thermal drift on machine tools during extended cutting cycles * Quality - Renishaw's calibration systems allow manufacturers to evaluate and improve basic machine tool performance, so they can be confident that machines are capable of meeting the part tolerances parts required.

A touch probe can also verify finished component features.

Specific products to be shown at Aero-Engine Expo include TRS1, a new tool recognition system for high-speed broken tool detection, new PC-based on-machine verification software for inspection on machine tools, an ultra-compact high accuracy touch probe for small machining centres, and the QC10 ballbar system for machine tool performance analysis. Request a free brochure from Renishaw ...

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