Carlton Die Castings, a Scottish die casting and CNC machining specialist, provides quality and service to ensure that castings arrive on time every time with no rejects

Carlton Die Castings vision is to provide an unrivalled service in die casting and CNC machining, says Sales Manager Greg Wilson. ‘While some companies insist on the false economy of sourcing their castings in China and low cost European companies, Carlton Die Castings provides the quality and service to ensure that castings arrive on time every time with 0 percent rejects.

What price can be put on that?’ Carlton’s is a family-owned business based in Paisley with excellent communication links for the UK and Europe being situated immediately adjacent to Glasgow Airport, major motorways and shipping terminals.

Castings are produced to ISO 9001:2000 standards by both gravity and high pressure processes in aluminium and zinc, while an extensive CNC machining capacity enables the supply of castings fully machined and ready for assembly.

A policy of continual modernisation has seen recent investments in a 725 ton Buhler die casting machine and an 11 pallet, ultra high speed Matsuura machining centre.

These are added to the already extensive range of gravity and high pressure services and CNC machining.

The company offers a design service that can assist with product design at the initial stage.

Carlton can make prototypes machined from solid or from sand or silicon moulds from the designed alloy so that a component can be assembled and tested to represent the final application.

Markets cover all aspects of manufacturing from floodlights and electrical switch gear to forklift trucks, oil exploration and rail track safety, and the company specialises in castings for hazardous conditions manufactured to ‘Zone 1′ requirements.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/cta/cta157.html

CNC sheet metal bending cell’s mechanical gripper allows the bending of parts up to a DIN A4 format size and a weight of no more than 2.0kg can be automatically bent.

With the new mechanical gripper an additional module for the BendMaster automation component, now even bending parts up to a DIN A4 format size and a weight of no more than 2.0kg can be automatically bent.

The connection takes place via the pneumatic gripper coupling.

An additional sliding axis significantly reduces regripping time - by 15s for each eliminated regripping action.

The new gripper technology augments the vacuum technology in the BendMaster.

This combination makes the vending machines of the TruBend Series 5000 into universal bending cells for small and large workpieces.

Conveyor belt connection and pallet conveyor complete the logistics relating to the bending cell.

Poorly stackable components such as boxes or complex bending parts are discharged from the bending cell via the conveyor belt.

The bending process is not interrupted by the disposal of the finished parts occurring parallel to the uptime.

The pallet conveyor allows the Euro pallets to be moved in and out without interrupting the bending process.

Large series can be smoothly processed without downtime by loading new blanks parallel to the uptime and unloading finished parts.

A single control unit serves both conveyor belt and pallet conveyor.

At EuroBLECH, Trumpf demonstrated both innovations in combination with the tried-and-true TruBend 5130 and the BendMaster.

The TruBend 5130 offers a maximum press tonnage of 1,300kN on a fold length of 3230mm.

Trumpf is the only manufacturer offering the 6-axis backguage in automated operation.

The bending cells use the ACB angular position measuring system in combination with high axis speeds to achieve maximum process reliability and angle precision.

With a track up to 14 m long and the use of customized conveyor technology components, Trumpf offers maximum flexibility and productivity in the bending cell.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/tru/tru254.html

This capability can save secondary bending operations or even the need for a second bending machine.

The Elect’s multi-stack tool mounting facility allows multi radius and variable radius bending of the same tube to take place in a single setup.

Bends with very little straight between them, even compound bends, can also be accommodated, along with tight bends that can have a radius less than the tube diameter.

The inherent precision and control of all the axes positioning guarantees consistent, accurate bends.

All critical machine setting parameters are managed by the Siemens 840D SL CNC.

This Solution-Line control system, which interfaces with BLM’s VGP3D graphical programming and simulation software, provides fully automatic and interpolated simultaneous movement of all nine machine axes.

This eliminates dead time within the tube bending cycle, ensuring that optimum output rates are reached consistently.

The VGP3D software creates the part program and displays on screen in real time the shortest and most efficient bending cycle.

Any possible collision points are highlighted and alternative strategies proposed on screen.

This collision avoidance routine eliminates any likelihood of expensive machine downtime, tool damage and material wastage.

The software simulation cycle gives the actual time it will take to bend the component on the machine.

After a tooling change the BLM Elect automatically initiates a single machine protection cycle, which runs at 20 per cent of the normal speed and power.

This ensures that should a collision be caused by inadvertent operator error it will not damage the machine or tooling.

The BLM Elect has a robust bend head and machine frame, and its compact integrated gearbox contributes to the greater clearance area around and beneath the bend head.

This enables more complex components to be completed in a single cycle.

The machine’s precise calibration cycle means that it is set right first time and a first-off part, and all subsequent parts, will be to specification.

Two models are available: the Elect-63 having a maximum tube OD capacity of 63mm (2mm wall thickness in steel); and the Elect-80 having a maximum tube OD capacity of 80mm (2mm wall thickness in steel).

Both models have an optional variable radius/boost bending facility.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/blm/blm129.html

Sugino Corp. (Itasca, Il), is proud to introduce the latest advancement in their widely successful Selfeeder line, the 4TH5 CNC four-spindle turret unit. This is a CNC mechanical feed and inverter speed controlled unit. It allows the manufacturer flexible programmable control of the spindle rotation rpm and cutting feed. The 4TH5 was designed to be easily integrated into high volume production applications and transfer lines to perform a variety of operations including: drilling, rigid tapping, facing, and chamfering.

The four-spindle turret design provides exceptional versatility thanks to its CNC variable speed spindles that allow the 4TH5 to create finished holes at a single station, including class 3 thread production. With 4 tool indexes to counter-bore, drill, chamfer and tap, the 4TH5 allows consolidation of processes at a single station. Also, it can perform high-speed rigid tapping by using convenient G-code programming. The 4TH5 is particularly effective at producing high volume work for a lower cost per hole vs. expensive machine tools, maximizing productivity while cutting your net cost per hole.

The 4TH5 features a servo feed motor with infinite control capability allows it to perform a wide range of variable feed applications including: drilling, tapping, slower enter feeds, pecking in deep holes, and reduced exit speeds to reduce burrs. It comes complete with the servo motor CNC controller which allows programming from a programming console, touch panel or a personal PC. The remarkably small 4′ x 1.5′ footprint conveniently fits into tight spaces on your production line, allowing you to generate more money per square foot in your facility.

http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/552509

Comprehensive Milling Package

Release Date: November 24, 2008

CNC Software announced the release of Mastercam X3 Mill, which, according to the company, offers expanded machining flexibility and an increased emphasis on speed and automation.

Features of Mastercam X3 Mill include these:

Feature-based machining (FBM). FBM evaluates a part’s features and designs an effective machining strategy. It can detect solid machining features for pocketing, contouring, and drilling routines. FBM can machine pockets using new 2D HST roughing, rest mill, and finish operations. It also creates drilled, tapped, counterbore, and countersink holes, and performs spot drilling and predrilling based on user-controlled settings. All toolpaths are fully associative and editable after creation.

Multiaxis functions. Both the Port5ax and Flow5ax toolpaths include a new feature that allows an overlap/blend to be added at the beginning and end of a toolpath.

Mastercam in SolidWorks. This new X3 package brings Mastercam toolpaths directly into SolidWorks. It includes a suite of cutting strategies, including feature-based machining, high-speed machining, and a set of automated cleanup toolpaths.

Other new features include:

• import full SolidWorks history trees
• support for cutting STL files
• 3D high-speed toolpath enhancements
• 2D high-speed toolpaths

Work holding and fixtures play a crucial role in enhancing productivity in competitive manufacturing. Optimum fixturing and tooling can substantially enhance the capacity of CNC machines. Problems related to poor quality and productivity are direct consequences of poor fixturing in terms of its choice or design. Reduction in set up change is a challenge most manufacturers face and this is directly related to quality of fixturing.

Focus Areas:

The workshop will highlight and discus on:

* Basic of fixture design
* Geometrical dimensioning and tolerancing
* Group discussions and exercises on fixture design, Problem solving and trouble shooting.
* Trends in fixturing
* Design of Pneumatic/ Hydraulic fixtures for volume production
* Single minute exchange of Die (SMED)
* Lead time reduction using standard / modular fixture elements
* Group presentations

Faculty:

The workshop would be conducted by Industry experts from Productivity and Quality Improvement Services (PQIS) and BOSCH Ltd. The workshop will be highly interactive where participants can actively participate and solicit feedback from faculty.

Who should participate?

Managers, Engineers and Middle Management personnel involved in the functions of Design and Development, Manufacturing, Production, Quality Assurance and other related functions from Machine Tool, Automobile and Auto Ancillaries, Tool Rooms, Aerospace, Defense and Railway establishments, General Engineering etc.

http://machinist.in/index.php

CNC machines can be a lifesaver in an industry setting. They speed up work in those tedious jobs that seem to never end. Although they can be a bit pricey new for solo use, you can put one to work on your wood working room for around half the price if you buy used.

About CNC Machines - How Do They Work?

CNC machines, aka Computer Numerated Control machines, are mechanical drillers, in a nutshell. When they are programmed properly, the CNC equipment can produced drilled holes in record time. This technology first hit industry in the 1970s and turned manual labor on its head. Production times were reduced significantly by this milling machine.

The reason CNC machines were so revolutionary is because they could complete the work of many human drillers in record time, and the work they were produced all but eliminated human error. Many industrial industries rely upon CNC equipment every day.

CNC Machine Types

If woodcutting is your thing, a CNC lathe is the way to go. This machine can cut your wood in any width and shape you want with minimal error and incredible speed.

For a milling machine, a Bridgeport machine is the best choice. Although these machines are extremely pricey, they can also make milling significantly more productive.

CNC machines can also be used for engraving. They can engrave on nearly any surface, and with the right programming, they can engrave a huge variety of different fonts, letters, and designs.

CNC Machines on a Budget

These machines might be ultra productive, but most individuals could never make enough use out of them to justify their hefty price tag. However, if you have a small but growing business, a CNC machine could take you to the next level. Buy used, save big time, and watch your profits grow.

Refurbished CNC machines are even cheaper than ones that are merely used but have never had any problems. A refurbished machine is one that has been repaired by a professional, and the extent of the repairs will impact the price you can get on one. You don’t have to fear these refurbished machines because they have had a few problems in the past. In almost every case, a refurbished machine will come with a warranty that will give you peace of mind about your investment. Shy away from those “buyer beware,” no warranty type of packages. A good refurbisher won’t mind backing up their own work.

The technical writer Guy Morris is particularly interested in areas relating with cnc tools and cnc woodworking machines. His contributions on cnc machines can be found on http://www.insidewoodworking.com

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