Production Machining

DEC 2016

Production Machining - Your access to the precision machining industrial buyer.

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By Russ Willcutt A t a certain point in any machine tool's life, it's natural for a shop owner to wonder whether technology has advanced to the point that it's time to invest in new equipment. Take Swiss-type lathes: What advances have been made over the past decade that would justify such a capital investment? Plenty, as it turns out. Improvements include high-speed, chilled spindles for better material removal and machine stability, B-axis positioning for feature contouring, reliable automation for loading and unloading the lathe, high-pressure coolant systems for chip clearance and processes such as gun drilling, and the ability to hold tight tolerances repeatedly. In addition, what were once expensive options—such as the ability to convert from a Swiss lathe to chucker mode quickly and easily—are now being included in standard machine tool packages, delivering a powerful array of machining capabilities. Add to that laser cutting, eliminating the need for a secondary operation, and sensors supporting data-driven manufacturing, and it becomes that much easier to achieve a timely ROI. Keeping Your Cool According to Graham Noake, vice president of Tsugami/ Rem Sales (Windsor, Connecticut), about 10 years ago, the company observed the competitive landscape to identify improvements that could be made to both the design and the functionality of its Swiss lathes. Known for its commitment to achieving thermal stability in its machine tools, the company also realized this had resulted in a somewhat confined tool zone, since one way to control and stabilize the interior temperature was to keep the enclosure relatively small. However, a small tool zone limited the number of tools that could be used at once and shortened the length of tool travel. To accommodate a larger cutting zone, which allowed ADVANCES IN Swiss-Type Technology R&D; efforts in recent years have led to higher efficiencies, increased agility and expanded capabilities for shops performing Swiss-type turning. :: Using either oil or water-based coolants, high-pressure coolant systems deliver 2,000 psi, improve chip clearance, extend tool life and enable processes such as gun drilling. CNC SWISS-T YPE 32 PRODUCTION MACHINING :: DECEMBER 2016

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