Friday, September 11, 2015

How To Select Bar Feeders

A bar feeder is the workshop equipment that undertakes the task of automatically feeding metal bars into CNC milling machines. Those types of tools are used to increase the productivity of a workshop and allow CNCs to work unattended and during the night or weekends.

Bar feeders are considered to be a CNC extension, so they are directly connected and controlled by the latter. Operators, however, may also set a particular feeding rate that is fit for an application manually. The metal bars are held on the storage chamber and are taken out one by one to be passed into the CNC milling chamber. Bar feeders today are capable of detecting abnormal operation, stopping the feed automatically.

Things to consider when buying one

There are many different bar feeder models in the market today, offering different production qualitative and quantitative characteristics. As these machines are destined to work together with CNCs, compatibility and sizing are especially important when considering buying one. Here's a list with the most significant factors to consider before making a bar feeder choice:

Magazine Size Needs
The size of the magazine that holds the bars is a critical factor to consider when buying a bar feeder. Determine what type of bars you want to process (gauge class) and calculate how many of them can be held on the magazine. Then consider the feeding rate to figure out how many hours of unattended operation you can get from the feeder. Usually, a minimum of 8 hours (night shift) should be preferred.

Lengths of Part and Spindle

Each part that is produced on the CNC requires a specific amount of bar length to be realized. Machinists should calculate the total bar size, subtract the length of the part that is held on the CNC spindle and divide with part length to determine the number of the workpieces can be produced with each bar. This can indicate if a bar feeder choice is good or not, as sometimes a slightly longer bar could be enough for one whole extra product.

Safety of Operation

As bar feeders are required to work well for long periods of time without the presence of personnel, it is very important to have safety features that monitor the operation and check for errors in the process. Some safety net mechanisms that are used by modern bar feeders include sensors, load meters, infrared beams and streaming webcams that send video technicians remotely.

Space Requirements

Floor area is sometimes a workshop's most limited resource, and bar feeders are known to challenge this. As the machines get fixed on the spindle side of the CNC and since they are relatively long in almost all cases, machinists should carefully calculate whether their workshops have enough space for the addition of a bar feeder. Not only should the bar feeder fit next to the CNC, but there should also be enough space for maintenance, access to all compartments, and space to clench/unclench bolts. If the bars are loaded onto the machine with the use of a small crane, there should also be enough space to accommodate its maneuvering as well.
 

Find bar feeders, rotary tables and more at www.cncindexing.com.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Vertical Machining Centers And Their Most Common Applications

Vertical Machining Centers (VMC) are most probably the most common metalworking machine found in every workshop around the world. Their operating principle is based on a rotating milling head that is placed on the top while the workpiece is mounted on an adjustable table at a plane that is parallel to the ground.

VMMs come in two types that boast different sets of capabilities and thus they are suitable for different applications. The first type is the "bed mill" that allows the workpiece table to move perpendicular to the rotating axis of the cutter. The other type is the "turret mill" that lets the workpiece table move parallel to the cutting tool in addition to the perpendicular direction.

Vertical Machining Centers (VMC) are most probably the most common metalworking machine found in every workshop around the world. Their operating principle is based on a rotating milling head that is placed on the top while the workpiece is mounted on an adjustable table at a plane that is parallel to the ground.

VMMs come in two types that boast different sets of capabilities and thus they are suitable for different applications. The first type is the "bed mill" that allows the workpiece table to move perpendicular to the rotating axis of the cutter. The other type is the "turret mill" that lets the workpiece table move parallel to the cutting tool in addition to the perpendicular direction.

Advantages over Horizontal Centers

Vertical machining centers are much faster and easier to set up compared to the larger and more heavy duty horizontal millers. This makes them ideal for the processing of smaller parts, or for performing less demanding metalworking tasks. In addition to this, vertical mills can perform much more intricate work at very tight tolerances, something that is practically impossible with most horizontal centers. Another significant difference is the retractable quill that is available in VMCs and helps in the accurate boring of holes.

Ways VMCs Are Used

Vertical Machining Centers can be used in a wide scope of metal processing tasks depending on the expertise and different cutting heads, rotary tables or offset boring heads that may be available. Here is a list with the most common uses for this type of machine tool:

1. Face or slab milling is the most obvious application of a VMM. The workpiece is mounted parallel to the working table as the cutting head removes material from the top surface, flattening, indentation or leveling the processed item.

2. In a similar way, if the workpiece is silently mounted, the milling is performed in an inclination. This angular cutting can produce dovetails for joints.

3. For even more demanding and complex results, there is the straddle milling that involves two parallel milling cutters mounted on the same arbor and separated by an exact spacing. This makes the simultaneous cutting of two points possible, which is very useful when in need to mill hexagons of bolt heads for example. This will also need the addition of a rotary index table as the milling arbor is not rotatable.

4. In the same way, machinists can also achieve high fidelity concaves or simply remove any rough edges through corner rounding. This required good calculation and measurement skills to get right.

5. Using special key-slot cutting heads that boast certain diameter and width, machinists can mill keyways along the axis of shafts. These keyways can have different shapes such as squares or round-end for example.

6. Spline and gear milling is also possible using vertical milling centers following the straddle milling principles.

7. Finally, vertical mills can drill and bore holes thanks to their adequate speed and torque values, as well as their retractable quill that helps in the accuracy part of the process.


Learn more about CNC machine tools and which one meets your needs by contact Absolute Machine Tools Inc.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Industries And Jobs That Deep Hole Drilling Machines Are Used In

Gun drills are basically straight fluted rods that use highly pressurized fluids to achieve cutting into great depth in metal materials. The depth to diameter ratios that can be realized by those specialized tools ranges from 250 to 500.

Around this fluted rod that is essentially the drill, circulates the coolant that keeps drilling temperatures below melting point for both the drill and the workpiece while the chips that are produced from the process flow outside the drilled hole.

Features

The tip of the gun drill itself is the point that is called to withstand the deformation forces generated by the extreme pressures. For this reason, gun drill manufacturers choose the strongest metal alloys and composite materials that stay unaffected by intense pressure and sudden temperature changes for many years of operation.

In order for a gun drill to deliver the required levels of drilling accuracy, everything has to work precisely as intended and the affecting factors must all be carefully calibrated. This suggests for extreme manufacturing quality and the cost is naturally the equivalent. The speed with which gun drill machines can cut through rigid metals such as steel can reach up to 75 cm per minute. This makes up for the increased cost as speed of processing dramatically increases.

Uses

Gun Barrels

The most obvious use scenario for the gun drilling machines is for the drilling of gun barrels, which is where this specialized tool got its name from. Gun drills are ideal for the boring of such long holes into rigid metal materials.

The smoothness of the gun barrel's inner surface that only gun drills can achieve ensures that the projectiles will travel straight inside the barrel. The accuracy of the gun drills guarantees the homogeneous heating of the barrel, durability to explosive forces and long lifetimes. Before gun drilling machines were available, casting was used for the production of gun barrels.

Molds and Dies

Another case of gun drilling machine application is for the manufacturing of molds that are suitable for the production of metal parts or tools. In this case, gun drills are especially useful as the molten material may have to be inserted through a relatively long hole and into the casting mold.

Tool Manufacturing

A popular application for gun drills is tool manufacturing. There are several types of mechanical tools that feature deep holes that serve as fitting positions for extensions etc. Deep hole drilling machines can help boring the hardened alloys that tools are made of and can even achieve polygonal features.

Musical Instruments
Last, gun drilling machines are extensively used in the music instrument manufacturing industry and especially for wind instruments that require deep holes of small diameter. These instruments can be flutes, oboes, bassoons, saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, ocarinas and reeds. As most of these instruments are made out of brass and other soft metals, gun drill machines are required to work with precision and delicacy as the slightest deformation will result in wrong tonal performance.
 

If you're looking for a great deal on a gun drilling machine, visit Absolute Machine Tools Inc. for more information on their CNC machines.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Different Types Of CNC Lathes & How To Choose The Right One For Your Needs

If there is one machine that changed the way we produce parts and goods forever, that is the Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) lathes. These advanced pieces of machinery break free from the milling limitations of the traditional lathes that only offered axial cutting, and manage to mill, drill or cut from various angles and process on six axis. The cutting head movement and chock speed are automatically given by a controlling computer that manages the metal processing and the tool changes based on the given design.

A CNC lathe can be programmed through the inputting of a series of commands that correspond to specific positioning and processing activities. Alternatively, a CAD file can be imported to the CNC software and a processing procedure will be generated automatically. The benefits of this automation for the workshops that utilize CNCs are multiple with the most important being the freeing of human resources and the improved production rates.

Because of the wide range of available CNC lathes in the market, buyers may have a difficult time choosing the right one for their needs. The following types are the most commonly used lathe categories that can serve different purposes:

Flat Bed Turning Centers

Flat bed lathes are the most commonly used type of CNC lathes. Their working bed is positioned perpendicular to the ground plane, enhancing the stability of the working piece that is pushed downwards due to the cutting forces. This stability has beneficial effects to the life cycle of the equipment as it works almost free of any vibrations. The only element that makes flat bed lathes problematic under certain conditions is their high spacial requirements.

Slant Bed

To address this problem when dealing with confined space in workshops, you could go for the slant bed choice. This is basically a lathe with an inclination on the X axis and from this difference derive great benefits and also some disadvantages. The benefits include less chip accumulation on the bed and much less floor area occupied. The drawbacks concern vibrations and greater wear and tear rates.

Vertical Turning Centers

Another choice could be the vertical turning lathes (VTL). This approach puts the cutting head on a perpendicular position to the workpiece that is placed on a rotating bed. Cutting vertically enhances the rigidness and allows for great milling precision. VTLs can cut at high rates (cut deep) and require the least floor area from all the described types.

Multitasking Turning Centers

Why go for a milling head when you can two or three of them working together though? Apart from the raised cost of purchase, multitasking CNC lathes are the best available solution for high manufacturing rates. Boasting the ability to auto-change tools and perform multiple machining tasks at once makes this type of CNCs the most efficient automated machine in a workshop. All that they require is some monitoring and validation work from the operator.

CNC Swiss Lathes

Swiss type lathes are high-precision tools that can produce workpieces of unprecedented dimensional accuracy, in the rate of tenths of thousandths of an inch. This is achieved through the combination of multiple holding points and guides that make the workpiece rotate at zero deviation from the set center point. If swiss type lathes are combined with "live tools," manufacturing rates of small products can reach very high levels.

Find top of the line lathes and other CNC machine tools at Absolute Machine Tools, Inc. Contact us today for a free quote.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Uses Of Rotary Tables Horizontal

After making significant improvements to its design, today's CNC rotary tables horizontal have greater capacity for more workload, allowing it to process heavier and larger metal components than before. With its improved power and greater tolerance for more work, the latest models can handle up to 110,000 lbs. of workload capacity.

The latest versions have more significant improvements with its powerful motors and advanced hydraulics. One of the biggest developments is that changes are made on its gear and shaft system, lessening friction and having better motor transmission. The newer versions are more efficient, have greater operational capacity and longer service life.

Horizontal CNC Rotary Tables

The CNC rotary tables horizontal is mostly used by shaping, boring, and drilling metals. It can also be used as an indexer or full-rotating axis with just a simple modification on its base.

With its improved hydraulic brake system, these CNC machines are also perfect for heavy cutting as its hydraulics ensure firm clamping while operating it.

And with its cross-cylindrical roller bearings, CNC machine users can now work with heavier workloads with improved high-rotation accuracy and fewer backlashes.

Why Should You Choose CNC Rotary Tables

CNC stands for computer numerical control. With these controls in place, industries can work with heavier workloads with less human intervention. This makes CNC rotary tables horizontal the ideal tool for large-scale manufacturing.

CNC machines can be operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with minimal human intervention. And since they're computer-controlled, these devices can be programmed to manufacture a certain pattern, which can then produce hundreds of the same design.

Upgrading the machine's capabilities won't cost much. CNC machines can be improved by installing new software. Users don't have to acquire new hardware and other manual machines to boost the device's performance.

What's good about CNC rotary tables horizontal is that they don't need skilled engineers to operate it; simply train an operator to do the job. Most training programs are available through "virtual software" programs where trainees feel like they're just playing a computer game.

And it doesn't take a whole office staff to operate the machine. In fact, a single operator can handle this computer-controlled device.

Maintenance and Upkeep

In order to maintain the device in the best condition, a maintenance schedule should be regularly followed. This would help with any defects and anomalies. There should also be proper clean up after every uses and lubrication is also needed to thwart rust formation.

The CNC machine should also be cleaned and the parts disassembled regularly in its interior in order to decrease the chances of corrosion in the gear and shaft system.

Experts stress the necessity of after-use cleaning to reduce wear and tear. It is advisable to remove the chips and debris to maintain the operability and precision of CNC devices. Use a brush or clean rag for cleaning; don't use compressed air.

Prevent rust and corrosion by applying machine oil on the vital components. Also, check for surface scratches or dents on the machine, which could cause mutilation on the work pieces. Any oddity can also affect the machine's precision, operability, and efficiency.

Users should regularly check the machine as well for their own safety. In addition to maintaining the device's operability and optimum performance, any malfunction could cause bodily injuries on the user. There may be loose components or fragments that could fly away and cause injury to persons nearby.
 


Change the way you work with hard metal pieces with rotary tables horizontal. Discuss your industry needs with CNC Indexing & Feeding Technologies about our horizontal and tilting rotary tables today.


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Handling Indexing Rotary Tables

Indexing rotary tables offer impeccable precision, optimum performance, and overall efficiency. With functioning above reproach, these indexing devices are the best tools for the job. They are a good addition to every business' manufacturing arsenal.

In addition, the new versions of indexing machines are now reinforced with bronze roller bearings, fortifying its components against wear and tear. Other parts are also protected against deterioration due to rust, dirt, and grime.

Working with CNC Rotary Tables

CNC indexing rotary tables have an assortment of functions, making it an ideal tool for companies engaged in metalworking, fabrication, and manufacturing. These devices offer accuracy and efficiency, enabling these companies to process their metal pieces more efficiently. Machine operators only have to feed the metal components into the machine and let the device perform its fabricating application.

Rotary Tables and Its Control Options

Today's generation of CNC rotary tables are designed with computer numerical controls, allowing its operator to operate it with ease. With these controls in place, there is minimal human intervention in manufacturing operations. All the operator needs to do is input the command parameters into the machine and it will perform the programmed tasks.

The user can adjust the pressure and speed of the CNC indexing rotary tables to produce the exact amount of force on the work pieces. Using its controller, he or she can fiddle with the CNC machine's cylinder and piston cups, permitting a predetermined processing of functions and patterns.

The user can program the machine for automated repetitive indexing and machining operations. Here are some of the key control options for operating these precision indexing machines:

Division Mode: This option permits operators to alter the manner of rotation of the CNC device. All that is required is to input the specified number of rotations.

Degrees Mode: This selection provides operators with the option to adjust the rotational degrees of the machine.

Program Mode: By entering the predetermined set of instructions into the computer control, operators can customize the manner by which the machine will perform its application.

A separate button is also available to allow the user to halt all operations abruptly and disengage its motor.

Convenience of Using CNC Indexing Rotary Tables

Before CNC devices, a drill press is typically used to machine holes. This is manually operated by placing the drill over the workpiece. The user then selects the desired force and speed for rotation and activates the machine to drill. This tool is usually employed in smaller-scale manufacturing businesses but not in large-scale ones.

In a fast-paced work manufacturing environment, a manually operated drill won't fit in. That takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. It simply won't do for fast-paced, large-scale business.

CNC devices can be programmed to perform various functions with minimum human intervention. All it takes is just setting up command parameters and watch as the machine performs its tasks and procedures large quantities of output with precision and utmost efficiency.

What's more, CNC devices can also be used for milling, cutting, shaping, forming, etc. It isn't just limited to a single work capacity.
 

Speed up your manufacturing process and improve efficiency with machine rotary tables. Consult CNC Indexing & Feeding Technologies for more information about CNC rotary tables.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

What Are CNC Rotary Tables And How Do They Work?

If you're in the business of manufacturing and fabrication, CNC rotary tables are the best tools for your business. You might want to consider having these computer numerical control devices in your arsenal alongside your usual manufacturing and other traditional machines.

There are a wide variety of CNC Rotary Tables, indexers, and accessories on the market to meet every large-scale manufacturer's indexing, rotating, and overall production goals.

For example, Ganro Industrial Corp. (formerly operating under the name Golden Sun) offers CNC Rotary Tables to provide solutions to all rotating and indexing requirements in working on small to large work pieces. These gadgets can also be used for vertical or horizontal applications, manual or automated operations, and four- or five-axis works.

These wonderful machines also allow the processing of multiple workpieces, thereby improving fabrication and overall production processes. What's more, CNC rotary tables offer workpiece precision, lessens production errors, reduces production costs, and trims the manufacturing cycle times.

The Need for CNC Rotary Tables

Did you know most large-scale companies have automated its production processes with the help of CNC rotary table machines? This scenario is similar to Henry Ford's automated system when he mass-produced cars back in the early 1900s. With CNC rotary tables, you get accuracy and precision in metalworking.

What's more, these CNC devices can be used on a 24-hour-day, 365-day-year basis. They're switched off only for occasional maintenance.

In addition, it also works as a positioning device, allowing its operators to perform works at fixed patterns or intervals. These manufacturing devices are also equipped with index plates that allow ease of indexing operations. In addition, dividing plates may also be fitted for work positioning and division purposes.

Primary Uses of CNC Rotary Tables

Did you know CNC rotary tables have a variety of uses? You can use these brilliant machines to shape spanner flats on a bolt; drill holes on a circular flange or bore them at predetermined settings; produce round objects, cylinders, or cones; shape complex curves, arcs, or angled shapes, or cut metal pieces.

CNC Rotary Table Parts

A typical rotary table has five primary parts:

Work table: This is the circular working area used to clamp down the workpiece.

Crank is the component that controls the rotary table's rotational direction.

There are usually 2 clamps in every rotary table, which are used to fasten the workpieces on the work table.

Base: Rotary tables have two bases. One is used as a vertical axis of rotation; the other as a horizontal axis.

Indexing Pin: This component locks the rotary tables onto common angles.

What Advantages Can Be Derived from Using Rotary Tables?

Simply input a set of parameters on its controller, and these CNC devices will produce the programmed design at exactly the same pattern.

CNC machines can be updated simply by improving its software. It saves money from buying new hardware or other accessory gadgets.

Working on Metal Pieces with Rotary Tables

Safety should be the main concern for anyone working on these CNC devices. Improper operation could result in an unfortunate accident. Wearing appropriate protection is also key to reducing the risk of incurring injury. And more importantly, novice operators should work the machine under the supervision of a qualified operator.

If you're not sure what tool to use to meet your fabrication, manufacturing, and overall production requirements, consider CNC Rotary Tables. Contact  and discuss what your business needs.
 



CNC rotary tables are the new wave of manufacturing and fabrication tools. Contact CNC Indexing & Feeding Technologies for more information about manual rotary tables and more.