Automation
Italian Builders Focus On High-Tech Solutions
More than 96,000 visitors attended the 26th edition of Italy’s biennial machine tool show, Bi-Mu, from October 3 through 7 at the Fiera Milano exhibition center in Milan. While attendance remained roughly the same as the previous edition, this figure is “not only positive, but also rewarding, considering the particularly turbulent context,” says Giancarlo Losma, president of Ucimu, the Italian machine tools, robots and automation manufacturer’s association. Many exhibitors say the financial crisis and dollar-Euro exchange rate have had an adverse impact on business in the U.
Read MoreMazak Establishes New Department
Mazak Corporation has established Mazak Automation Systems, a new department at its North American headquarters in Florence, Kentucky. The company says the department will offer a comprehensive range of automation solutions and enable customers to benefit from the company's experience in manufacturing and machining technologies. Systems include process and software engineering, project management, application support, customer support and customer training.
Read MoreMachining Center For Lights-Out Production
Incorporating a flexible manufacturing system, the Mycenter-HX400iF HMC from Kitamura Machinery features a 12-station flexible pallet container (FPC) system. According to the company, the center’s rigid construction; precision; intuitive controls; ability to move easily between difficult materials; and its ability for high speed production make it suited for lights-out production. The company’s multi-pallet systems enable manufacturers to incorporate an unmanned machining development process for a multitasking machine environment that optimizes up-time.
Read MoreCAD/CAM Software Expands Machining Flexibility
CNC Software’s Mastercam X3 is designed to increase machining flexibility by emphasizing on speed and automation. With feature-based machining, high speed tool motion and faster toolpath generation, X3 is said to improve shop-floor productivity. The software’s feature-based machining capability allows automatic milling and drilling of solid models because it can evaluate a part’s features and automatically develop a machining strategy.
Read More"Show And Tell" CAD/CAM Lessons
VX Corporation has released its Show-n-Tell communication tool that is designed for on-screen, step-by-step lessons and to automate, design, review and markup 3D files. The tool is built into VX CAD/CAM. With the “Show-n-Tell” tutorials, there are no video drivers or codecs to install or reams of paper to print.
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Lathe and Feeder Talk Via Ethernet Interface
Research into the connectivity and communication between machine tools and equipment like bar feeders, part unloaders, pallet systems and even high-pressure coolant systems is yielding useful ability on the shop floor. In this case, LNS uses Internet technology in its S65 bar feeder to communicate with a PC-based Fanuc CNC running a Mori-Seiki NZ2000 lathe.
Read MoreCNC System Platform
Siemens Energy & Automation introduces its SINUMERIK solution line CNC system platform. The line comprises the panel-based 802D sl, the PC-based 840Di sl and the 840D sl, available in both panel and PC-based versions. The network-centric architecture of this line can be effectively combined with SINAMICS, the company’s drive technology, to design stand-alone as well as plant-wide automation solutions.
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Automation Helps Move To High-Volume Production
This tool manufacturer had to automate its processes after switching from low-volume special orders to high-volume production runs. Since implementing Tsudakoma tilting rotary tables along with robotics and a pallet conveyor, the shop has increased sales by 400 percent.
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Programming A Robot The Way You Program A CNC Machine Tool
Programming a robot with the same CAM software used for a multi-axis machine tool makes it unnecessary to “teach” the robot by jogging it manually from point to point and recording these point-to-point moves as the robot’s motion commands. Robotmaster is a software package that provides this CAD/CAM-based, off-line programming for robots. It runs fully integrated inside Mastercam CAM software for CNC machine tools.
Read MoreBar Feeders Feature Five-Year Warranty
IEMCA announces that its bar feeders are now backed by a five-year warranty. The five-year warranty, available for a limited time, covers all parts and labor for the first year of ownership and the cost of parts for the next four years. The warranty does not affect machine pricing, and is automatically included wit
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