Designed for volume production of round and non-round shaft parts, Zeus M has grinding length to 950 mm, max diameter of 430 mm, and center height of 220 mm. Product handles workpieces up to 80 kg and combines cylindrical, non-round, plunge, and high-speed peel grinding (HSP) in one machine. It employs polymer Granitan machine bed, galvanic-bond and ceramic-bond CBN grinding wheels, and 130 mm rotary diamond dressing.

MIAMISBURG, OH - United Grinding Technologies, Inc. (UGT) announces the Zeus M, the latest high-performance CNC universal grinding machine for round and non-round shaft parts from Studer Schaudt.

The Zeus M is designed for volume production of camshafts, crankshafts and gear shafts, as well as steering assembly parts, eccentric shafts, axle components, turbo rotors and others. With a grinding length up to 950 mm, a maximum diameter 430 mm, and a center height of 220 mm, the Zeus M handles workpieces weighing up to 80 kg. The Zeus M combines cylindrical, non-round, plunge and high-speed peel grinding (HSP) all in one machine.

A polymer Granitan machine bed provides optimum vibration dampening and thermal stability. The sliding Z-axis with digitally controlled ball screw drive and X-plus Z-axis with hydrostatic guideways offer ultra-precise axes positioning and repeatability for precision shaft grinding. High-frequency motor spindles combined with galvanic-bond and ceramic-bond CBN grinding wheels from 70 mm to 650 mm diameter enable constant circumferential grinding wheel speed of up to 200 m/sec.

The results are short grinding times, long-lasting tool life and optimum grinding performance. The 130 mm rotary diamond dressing form roll is positioned next to the tailstock for easy access, while assuring precise dimensional accuracy between the dressing tool and the grinding wheel.

CBN and compressor shafts

In most cases, gray cast iron compressor crankshafts are ground with corundum tools under optimized processing conditions, a situation that provides very little room for process improvement. However, the use of CBN as a grinding medium opens up new possibilities.

Earlier attempts to introduce CBN failed for a number of reasons - excessive cost, high wear and tear resulting from slow cutting speeds, unsuitable dressing tools and a low degree of machine rigidity.

The Zeus M has been designed and optimized specifically for the use of CBN. Cutting speeds of 200 m/sec, rotating diamond dressing tools and superior machine stability make the Zeus M an ideal CBN machine. And compared to conventional grinding approaches, CBN considerably increases the intervals between dressing and grinding wheel changes.

Clamping chuck

Another problem confronting users of more conventional process solutions is clamping the crankshaft in the eccentric chuck in order to machine the lift pin. The crankshaft is clamped eccentrically into the chuck so that the crank pin can be centered and ground cylindrically. As a certain amount of adjustment is necessary for eccentricity, expensive clamping devices and large chucks are often required.

Special chucking is no longer necessary with the Zeus M. The workpiece is clamped with ease in a central clamping chuck, and the pin is cylindrically ground using a programmed path operation. The eccentricity changeover takes place in the machine control, and manual adjustments are no longer necessary. All of this adds up to higher precision, more flexibility and shorter changeover times.

Features

The Zeus M workhead has a C-axis speed range of 1 to 300 RPM. Spindle torque is 25 Nm. The work center is typically MT 4. Tailstock quill stroke is 150 mm.

Depending on the application task the optimum guideway system can be selected accordingly. This could be the cost-effective linear anti-friction guide-way system for cylindrical grinding, the ball bearing system or the hydrostatic guide-way with hydrostatically threaded spindle for camshaft grinding.

For the two-slide versions the concept of the guide-way systems allows the movement of the two slides right next to each other with only a very small safety gap for the grinding wheel protection covers. As a result, even cams or journals positioned closely to each other can be ground simultaneously.

State-of-the-art Siemens digital control and SIMODRIVE axis drive components are at the heart of the new Zeus M. Machine operation, setup, changeover, dressing and programming of even complex parts are easily accomplished through an innovative step-by-step, on-screen operator interface developed by Studer Schaudt. The Siemens Sinumerik 840D control package features application-specific software routines. WOP (work oriented programming) system permits automatic generation of speed profiles from just a few parameters. Remote diagnostics, process control and trouble-shooting via standard telephone line and machine modem link are easily facilitated.

Digital Model 104/D CNC, with 850 MHz Pentium III processor, uses menu system to capture part, tool, and position data. Existing part programs can be run without editing. Control offers integrated 10BaseT/100 Ethernet, 2 Gb data storage capacity, and 15 in. LCD display. GE Fanuc Series 18i MB5, with 5-axis capability, provides straightforward operator interface and interactive screens. Siemens Sinumerik 840D, suited for high-speed moldmaking, includes ShopMill for milling and drilling.

High-Speed Control Options Include Fadal 104/D digital CNC, GE Fanuc Series18i MB5 CNC and Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC

CHATSWORTH, CALIF - JULY 20, 2004 - Fadal Machining Centers today announced three high-speed CNC standard options, including the new Fadal digital 104/D CNC, GE Fanuc Series18i MB5 CNC and Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC. Each of the high-speed CNC controls will be demonstrated on a Fadal VMC 4020 at IMTS Booth #A-8218. The high-speed CNC controls are standard options available on Fadal VMC's at no additional cost.

The Fadal 104/D digital CNC uses a menu system to capture part, tool and position data and is compatible with all Fadal controls. Existing Fadal part programs can be run on the new control without any editing. Additional software features include Quick Code, part rotation & scaling and limitless variable and user-defined macros. An 850 MHz Pentium III processor enables the high speed 104/D digital CNC to demonstrate a ten times increase in cutting feed rates without deviating from part tolerances. The increases in cutting feed rates are complemented by the control's ability to run DNC 100 times faster through an integrated 10base T/100 Ethernet. Standard features include increased - 2GB - data storage capacity, eliminating the need for expensive expanded memory. A larger and brighter 15" LCD display, 101 PC keyboard and mouse. Other standard features include two USB ports for data transfer or the use of external devices, and a 3.5" floppy drive and Remote Manual Pulse Generator (RMPG).

The GE Series18i MB5 CNC combines a very robust processor with simultaneous five-axis capability. It features Manual Guide i software, which provides an easy-to-understand and straightforward operator interface, interactive screens and powerful machining functions. With a few keystrokes and within a third of the time required on a standard CNC ISO environment, it is possible to input, test and execute a program. A machining program can be simulated in the 2D or 3D solid model view, displaying the cutting path and tooling. Standard G code programs can be animated, too. The Series18i MB5 CNC delivers a number of advances, such as eliminating bottlenecks and reducing machine tool cycle time with a fast processor, 2-MB memory and Fanuc Serial Servo Bus (FSSB) that connects the CNC to multiple servo amplifiers over a single high-speed multi-drop fiber optic connection.

The Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC was designed for high-speed moldmaking operations. It features ShopMill for milling and drilling, which minimizes setup time by reducing workpiece programming and tool measurements to a few button pushes. The 840D CNC delivers comprehensive control of high-speed machining with look-ahead, dynamic feed forward and programmable acceleration, especially useful in high-speed contouring operations. The control delivers faster program execution speeds for a smoother surface finish when contouring at high spindle speeds. With smoothed acceleration, wear on mechanical parts is reduced and travel response optimized, enabling higher performance and longer service life. A contouring mode, with programmed corner rounding, enables faster machining of corners, reducing cycle time.

For more information contact: Fadal Machining Centers, 20701 Plummer Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311, phone 818/407-1400, fax 818/407-0020. www.Fadal.com.

ABOUT FADAL MACHINING CENTERS:

Fadal manufactures three lines of VMCs (Performance Series, Standard Series, Remanufactured Series), HMCs, multiple CNC controls and a full line of rotary tables, indexers and pallet shuttle systems. Fadal VMCs range from 20" x 16" to 65" x 35" table size (80" travel available with 30-inch Y) and are utilized for cutting a broad range of materials, such as steel, titanium, aluminum, plastics and wood. Extensive training and support programs are offered by Fadal, which include 24-hour response technical support teams and a global network of distributors trained to deliver world-class after-sales support.

In traditional automation systems, the tasks are clearly distributed. A programmable logic controller (PLC) links inputs and outputs, and the CNC coordinates the motion of the axes. Today, parts of the drive control are performed by either corresponding PLC functions or special positioning mpdules, or they are delegated to a lower level within the position controller itself as in the case of servo amplifiers. With the advent of local intelligent power electronics, the entire control circuit and the integral profile generator are often embedded in the drive. Units such as these are now only parameterized by the higher-level control system, and usually receive their jobs via a field bus.

In contrast, other systems feature central control systems that assume the power control of the individual drives. In these cases, it is essential to have a fast bus connection between the power and monitoring sections and the control system, which is connected to a high-performance computer.

The strength of a motion control system stands and falls with the performance, flexibility, and scope of functions offered. In particular, the convenient, simplified handling of the software blocks that control the drive technology is a key advantage. Sophisticated, specialized motions, whose direct programming would be highly intricate in the DIN language of CNC, can be easily realized by using function blocks. In such cases, operator control is simplified and more understandable, especially if the necessary communication between function blocks takes place in the background, without involving the user.

This form of drive programming is made possible by the control system hardware and software architecture in a PCbased control system from Schleicher Electronic, which makes integrated CNC/PLC automation equipment. In this complete solution, a single-processor system takes charge of all the controller tasks, from motion and sequence control through visual display and connectivity with the enterprise.

Windows®-based solutions have become the established means for designing operator interfaces, but the real-time performance required in industrial scenarios cannot be provided by a PC running Windows XP alone. Schleicher deploys a combination of operating systems tuned to work together. ProNumeric uses the VxWin® package from KUKA Controls that combines the Wind River VxWorks® real-time operating system with Microsoft Windows XP. Time-critical tasks are performed in hard real-time by VxWorks, and the graphic HMI functions and connectivity use the Windows XP interface.

The memory areas of the operating systems remain separated and protected by the x86 MMU (Memory Management Unit). The KUKA VxWin real-time driver ensures that VxWorks has priority for processing all the time-critical tasks. A changeover from VxWorks to Windows only takes place if the task management facility of the real-time operating system reports it is running with no load. Windows and the realtime operating system communicate with each other via a TCP/IP network.

This control system architecture offers a strictly deterministic time response and ensures the hard real-time capability of the PLC runtime and the CNC functions. At the same time the Windows environment can be used via OPC for tasks such as the visual display and processing of operator dialogs. In addition to which, it is possible to use Windows-based project planning tools with access to online manuals and standard Windows programs.

The ProNumeric PC-based control unit offers integration of the PLC with the motion functions controlled by the CNC. As with separate hardware, the CNC is responsible for the motion control, while the PLC, running in parallel, controls and monitors the peripherals. The PLC is programmed according to IEC 61131-3 with STL, FBD, LAD, ST, and sequential function charts. ProNumeric allows the user to select the programming environments in accordance with IEC 611313, commissioning tools for servo axes, network tools, and other functions.

PC-based systems can also be configured as communication centers. In addition to providing the fieldbus interface connection for actuators and sensors, PC-based systems offer an ideal platform for interaction with various drives, even those from different manufacturers. A further advantage of this interface is that the CNC is relieved of its position control tasks, freeing up its computing capacity.

Third Wave Production Module(TM), 3D Version, predicts cycle time, forces, power, chatter, and torque across entire tool path. Featuring ISO tooling definition as well as importable CAD and CNC files, it provides scientific approach to analyze machining processes, balance machine loads, and improve equipment utilization. Additional features include 5-axis milling, turning, and drilling modules; tool temperature and pressure analysis; and automated NC code optimization.

MINNEAPOLIS, September 15/--Third Wave Systems (TWS) is pleased to announce the launch of Third Wave Production Module(TM), 3D Version, at EMO 2005 in Hannover, Germany on September 14-21, 2005. This mechanistic modeling software accurately predicts cycle time (cut and non-cut time), forces, power, chatter, and torque across the entire tool path. With ISO tooling definition and easy to import CAD and CNC files, this package gives engineers and programmers the ability to reduce cycle time and improve tool life while maintaining part quality by running a number of what-if scenarios offline without interrupting production on the shop floor. The software provides a scientific approach to analyze machining processes, balance machine loads, and improve equipment utilization. Features of the new version of Production Module(TM) include 3D capabilities, 5-axis milling, turning, and drilling modules, analysis of tool temperatures and pressures, automated NC code optimization, and capability to import solid models and tool paths.

"Customers have been eagerly awaiting the release of Production Module(TM) 3D," commented Kerry Marusich, Third Wave President and CEO. "The new capabilities in this package are the result of collaboration with our clients about features critical to performance and results."

Also at EMO, visitors will have the opportunity to preview Third Wave AdvantEdge(TM) Version 4.7. This pioneering Finite Element Modeling software provides validated, detailed information about heat flow, temperatures, stresses, tool life, and surface characteristics. With an intuitive user interface, machining processes can be easily modeled to dramatically reduce costs and improve machining performance and part quality. New features of Version 4.7 include increased performance, indexable drill, stack up drilling, and face milling modeling, 3D tool wear, STP CAD file import, and brittle material/ceramic material modeling.

Founded in 1993, Third Wave Systems provides machining modeling software and services used by Fortune 500 aerospace and automotive companies to dramatically reduce costs in product design and manufacturing. Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, Third Wave also has offices in Detroit, MI, Sheffield, UK, and major distribution in Japan and Europe.

The 'Lights Out' unmanned turning package developed by Colchester for its Tornado range of lathes is now available on the latest two-axis 220 and three-axis 220M as well as existing A-Series. machines

The 'Lights Out' unmanned turning package developed by Colchester for its Tornado range of lathes is now available on the latest two-axis 220 and three-axis 220M as well as existing A-Series machines in A50 and A90 specifications. The Lights Out package comprises the Colchester developed MBF 1000 integrated bar feed, swarf conveyor, tool monitoring and sister tool replacement, in-process gauging and production scheduling software in a purpose-developed competitively priced unit. With the four Tornado models, bar up to 65mm can now be machined.

In the case of the new three-axis 220 M, with its six driven tool positions and full C-axis spindle with disc brake clamping, users can now incorporate certain machining centre or drill spindle operations such as drilling and tapping or milling into a single unmanned turning operation.

This capability creates all the advantages of lead time reduction and lowered tooling costs by making parts out of bar instead of forgings, castings or billets.

The MBF 1000 bar magazine is fully integrated with the Fanuc control on the Tornado range.

It has no mechanical stops, takes minutes to change over from say hexagon to round bar and programming is quick by using dialogue input.

As each bar is measured, the onboard software computes the number of pieces from each bar and recalculates when to stop the automatic machining cycle.

The production schedule software provides direct on-machine control over batches while the tool monitoring, based on axis torque loading, will initiate sister tool replacement from the 12 station VDI turret or stop the machine if the problem is deemed more serious.

Through the on-board Renishaw LTO2 optical transmission probe, workpiece accuracy can be monitored, tool offsets automatically updated or the machine stopped, if a problem is detected.

The samsung PL25A CNC lathe is designed for heavy- duty cutting and combines rigidity and power along with anti-vibration and anti-backlash mechanisms for high accuracy machining.

Latest model in the new range of Samsung CNC turning machines, available from Yamazen (UK), is the PL25A. Designed for heavy-duty cutting, the lathe combines rigidity and power along with anti-vibration and anti-backlash mechanisms for high accuracy machining. With super precision spindle bearings and rapid turret indexing (0.2 sec station-to-station), the Samsung PL25A is both a highly precise and productive machine.

This slant bed lathe is available in two model variants -- 500 and 1000.

Both have a 520mm swing over the bed, an 11/15kW motor, a 10-station turret (as standard), a top speed of 3500 rev/min and a maximum machining diameter of 350mm.

The PL25A/500 has a distance between centres of 625mm and can machine parts up to 530mm long while the PL25A/1000 has a centre distance of 1125mm and a maximum machining length of 1030mm.

Tailstock travels are 490 and 990mm, respectively, while two-axis control is by way of either Fanuc or Samsung CNC systems.

Rapid traverse rates are up to 24m/min.

Rigid design of the bed is centred around a single tube-type structure which provides high resistance to rotation and bending stresses.

This makes the lathe ideally suited to a wide range of machining tasks including heavy duty and intermediate cutting operations.

With its well-proportioned slides, a substantial turret and a high all-round build quality; the PL25A is a sturdy and robust machine which can handle quite large and bulky components.

Other features of the lathe include gearless spindle drive and feed systems (to suppress vibration and heat for optimum machining accuracy) and a centralised slideway lubrication system which includes a pressure sensor to ensure effective delivery.

While the coolant tank has been separated from the machine in order to further reduce thermal effects and to simplify cleaning procedures.

Optional extras available with this rugged lathe include: a 12-station quick-change turret, swarf conveyor, parts catcher, bar feed, automatic door, manual tool presetter and an automatic measuring unit.

Yamazen (UK) is the sole UK distributor for the four-model series of PLA CNC turning machines built in Korea by Samsung.

Able to control up to 5 axes and a spindle, Advantage 400 includes 32 digital inputs, 2 analog inputs, 16 digital outputs, and variety of programming features. Product also includes ability to send torque or step and direction command formats. Dual-processor control utilizes dedicated DSP based CPU to service motion control tasks, and Pentium-based PC is at heart of user interface. Unit comes with 8.4 in. color LCD and can include Ethernet and USB utilities.

Chatsworth, Ca. - Delta Tau Data Systems, Inc. has released the Advantage 400 CNC control system. Created for the machine tool builder and retrofitter who require a powerful, feature packed control, which sets up quickly and whose price does not limit performance, capability, or flexibility.

The Advantage 400 will control 5 axes, a spindle, includes 32 digital inputs, 2 analog inputs, 16 digital outputs, and all the programming features customers would expect from a high-performance control package, all in a standard configuration and at a very reasonable price. The Advantage 400 includes the ability to send torque or step and direction command formats.

The Advantage 400 is a dual-processor control utilizing a dedicated DSP based CPU to service the motion control tasks. A Pentium based PC is the heart of the user interface. The DSP motion control CPU ensures the machine is accurate at any speed. The Pentium based interface allows Delta Tau to include utilities such as Ethernet and USB at no additional cost to the user. The control comes standard with an 8.4" color LCD.

The Advantage 400 is a perfect example of how intelligent design and technology is bridging the gap between software and hardware and bringing unprecedented levels of performance and value to the shop floor.

For more information contact: Delta Tau Data Systems, 21314 Lassen Street Chatsworth, CA 91311, PH: (818) 998-2095, FX: (818) 998-7807. Web address: http://www.deltatau.com e-mail: sales@deltatau.com.

About Delta Tau Data Systems

Delta Tau Data Systems is the global leader in high-performance machine control products. By developing and manufacturing a full range of motion control products, software, and accessories, Delta Tau delivers motion control solutions that solve the simplest to the most complex positioning applications. Products are marketed through a worldwide distribution network and application engineers are located globally to provide timely customer support.

Model GX7 entry-level CNC tool and cutter grinder handles single tool jobs as well as batches of tools with different types and geometries. Able to grind variety of tools in one set-up, product has polymer concrete base, direct-driven linear and rotary axes, and 5DX CNC. Direct driven A-axis can also be used as spindle and run at 600 rpm, and each wheel pack has its own dedicated programmable coolant outlet. All axis saddles are made from single-piece casting.

Melbourne - ANCA has announced the launch of GX7, a new CNC sharpener. GX7 CNC Tool and Cutter Grinders is an entry level sharpening machine with flexibility and speed. It is equally productive on single tool jobs as well as on a batch of tools of different type and geometry.

The features and benefits

GX7 is suitable for grinding a wide variety of tools in one set-up. Drills, step drills, end mills, burrs, profile tools, routers as well as special tools can be efficiently sharpened using suite of ANCA ToolRoom[R] software applications. All axis saddles are made from a single piece casting resulting in extreme rigidity. The grinding spindle is also mounted on a single piece casting which ensures machine overall robustness. The mechanical concept of axes configuration ensures that the machine is compact, yet providing sufficient work envelope.

Some features and benefits are:

* Polymer concrete base for better robustness.

* All linear and rotary axes are direct driven, which increases reliability and reduces vibrations.

* ANCA new 5DX CNC and new generation of digital servo drives mean:

- Better surface finish

- High grinding speeds without compromising accuracy.

- Touch Screen

- Integrated modem for remote diagnostics

- Uninterrupted Power Supply

- USB port on the front panel for additional equipment

- Windows XP Operating System

* Direct driven A-axis can be used as a spindle and run at 600RPM which provides possibilities for cylindrical grinding.

* Each wheel pack has its own dedicated programmable coolant outlet. Removable coolant manifolds are used on each wheel pack for quick and easy change over. Additional programmable coolant outlets are located on the headstock.

* Optional automatic pop-up steady, manual tailstock and a range of tool clamping solutions to suit variety of applications.

* Optional ANCA semi-automatic Tool Measurement System, iView, can be quickly setup inside the machine and provide key outer envelope tool measurement data. The tool is measured in the same clamping as ground and measured data can be fed back into the grinding cycle for automatic compensation.

* Bi-directional interface to Zoller Genius III auomatic tool gauge.

To enhance the GX7's capabilities, it can be equipped with a 52 tools drum loader to ensure many hours of unmanned production. The loader utilises Nikken KM collets allowing a variety of tool shank sizes and in conjunction with the ANCA Ordermate software allows mixing of different tool geometries in one batch.

About ANCA

ANCA was founded in 1974 to design and manufacture high technology Computer Numerical Controls (CNCs) for the machine tool and metal-based industries. Today, ANCA has become a leading designer and manufacturer of complete, precision CNC tool and cutter grinding machines in a global niche market.

With its core values of precision, innovation, quality and technological excellence, ANCA is today an international organisation of more than 300 employees with a robust set of technological and entrepreneurial skills. Offices are located in major cities in Europe, North America and Asia; with dealerships represented in over 25 countries. ANCA continues to understand market demands and produce products and services to benefit its customers.

It will come as no surprise to learn that non-metallic composite components are used increasingly in the manufacture of commercial and military jet engines to reduce engine weight, increase customer payloads, and provide optimum sound suppression. The application of non-metallic materials to jet aircraft engines is relatively new, and there continue to be innovations in the field of composites.

Machining composite materials poses a number of challenges, so there is much to be learned from shops and plants that are now doing it successfully. One of those plants belongs to the General Electric Aircraft Engine (GEAE) group and is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One of the most important lessons this plant has learned about machining composites is that every element of the process must be considered carefully. Successful machining of composites requires the right machine, the right fixturing, the right cutting tools, and so on, only the degree of "rightness" required is far higher than typically encountered in most machining applications.

An unusual machine tool installed a few years ago to machine composites provides a case in point. Ultimately, the exact "rightness" of this machine depended on the type of spindle with which it was equipped. With the right spindle, all of the other right choices regarding type of cutting tools and cutting speeds and feeds could be made.

GEAE was attracted to the Albuquerque facility in 1967 because of the large machining capability available there. The plant had previously been operated by American Car & Foundry, Inc. (ACFI) under contract to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). It is a state-of-the-art facility and one of two sources for composite components in GEAE.

Management at the Albuquerque plant, in concert with Evendale Engineering (the Evendale, Ohio, facility is the principle assembly point for GEAE) became convinced early on that new methods for machining the very abrasive composite material would be required to meet industry standards. Compared to monolithic structural plastics, reinforced composites including fiber-reinforced matrix, metal matrix, and ceramic matrix, layered up in a multiplicity of configurations, provide attractive strength-to-weight ratios, fatigue resistance, thermal stability, and high temperature operation.

According to a GE spokesperson at Albuquerque, a number of projects were introduced to improve composite manufacturing following GE's purchase of the Albuquerque property from the U. S. Air Force in mid-1984. The result of one such project was the early-1991 installation of a Canadian manufactured Henri Line Gicamill 19; a gantry-type, five-axis high speed machining center. GE specifically looked for a gantry-type machine that allowed fixtures to be arranged on the machine table, while probing for table alignment and fixture orientation to develop JIT processing.

The Gicamill 19 has double way covers and positive air pressure to keep out particles and dust. No metal components are processed on the Line, which is now utilized on two shifts. A key element of the machine tool's successful operation is its spindle. It is a custom-altered, high-speed 24,000-rpm Swiss-produced Fischer Model MFWS 1424 spindle adaptable to several operations. When Line could not locate an acceptable spindle from American and European manufacturers, Fischer Precision Spindles of Maryland Heights, Missouri, the U.S. representative of E. Fischer AG, Switzerland, helped develop a shorter-length spindle to allow machining inside the ID of a composite component. In place of the standard ceramic bearing package, GEAE opted for precision-ground class-seven metallic bearings. Fischer MFW spindles also incorporate an oil scavenge system for contamination-free machining of composite components.

These wide-band, high-frequency Fischer spindles provide both high horsepower and high rpm to power a variety of tools. The job of tool selection becomes particularly critical given the variety of composite structures to be machined. For all practical purposes, tool steel does not provide the life or cutting efficiency required for producing aerospace composite parts, and carbide tools seem most useful for working foam core rather than solid composites. That leaves the big three: PCD (polycrystalline diamond), ceramic (typically aluminum oxide or silicon nitride fortified with strengthening agents), and CVD (chemical vapor deposited) diamond-coated tools.

Cost-wise, ceramics are up to ten times costlier than carbide tools, but PCD tools are more than half again the price of ceramics. The newer CVD diamond coated tools, both thick film and thin film (Norton/Amplex, for example) are somewhat more expensive. Ceramic tools are excellent for finishing and trimming operations, with high cutting speeds and resulting high tool temperatures often suggesting water-soluble coolants and coolant-through spindles.

PCD is good for rough cutting of highly abrasive composites and can last 100 times longer than carbide; PCD may be best for long machining runs with solidly fixtured, non-vibrating parts. The newer CVD diamond tools typically can cut at even higher speeds in semi-finishing and finishing operations on non-ferrous alloys and a range of advanced components. All of these considerations led to the specification of tools for the production of some very difficult composite parts.

Modular fixturing is certainly not a new idea. People have been building fixtures out of reusable mix-and-match components for more than forty years now. For the right applications, the modular approach can save substantial resources that otherwise would be spent on building and storing dedicated fixtures, plus offer so much more flexibility in the bargain. Yet, particularly in this country, modular fixturing has never caught on nearly as well as it should.

But the benefits are compelling. Most significant are time and flexibility, which make modular fixturing ideal for high mix, low volume production. Fixtures can usually be designed and built in several hours, and modified at a moment's notice. And once built, they can be rebuilt in less time than it takes some companies just to find a stored dedicated fixture. Part design or NC program changes are easily accommodated, as are holding enhancements, the necessity of which only becomes apparent once the first part is cut. Workpiece location can be established quickly and accurately. And because workpiece holding and location are determined essentially off line, machine setup and change-over can become even more efficient.

There are still other benefits for larger shops with more formalized production procurement procedures. For some companies, the process of making a fixture is nearly as complicated as making a part, involving engineering, methods, tool design, purchasing and outside vendors. The paperwork and interdepartmental communications alone can take weeks. With modular, the traditional formalities of fixture design and fabrication are significantly reduced, and sometimes bypassed altogether. To do this, however, requires manufacturers to take a different view of how to manage the process of workholding, and trust broader responsibilities to individuals on the shop floor.

A Case in Point

Wabco's plant near Spartanburg, South Carolina, is a good example of how modular fixturing can work in a medium size shop environment. The 183,600 square foot facility is dedicated to making air brakes, coupling systems and other components for rail transit vehicles. Interestingly, though Wabco--also known as the Westinghouse Air Brake Company--has experienced some changes in corporate parentage over the years, it is the very same company founded by George Westinghouse over 120 years ago to manufacture his then revolutionary new braking system for trains.

In some respects, Wabco had an advantage in applying modular fixturing. It came in when the plant started up just four years ago, so they were not overly burdened with time-hardened shop procedures. They were also spared the formal cost justification procedure, since they believed modular fixturing would be necessary just to get much of the work done. The "problem" was that most of the equipment in the Spartanburg plant was new. Much of the work coming into the plant had been run on manual machines; now it would be machined on CNC equipment, so they would have to find new ways to hold these parts. They had no intention of using modular fixturing on every part, but did expect it to carry the load for the low volume parts and for proving out jobs on their first trip through the plant.

Wabco produces roughly two thirds of their machined parts in the plant, with the rest going to outside vendors. That inside/outside balance is used to deal with fluctuations in the business, smoothing and stabilizing the loading of their own facility. They run some 10,000 different machined parts in the plant, most of which are castings. The prismatic parts are run across one of seven horizontal machining centers or three verticals. They do approximately 250 production setups a month on these machines, with runs averaging 50 parts. They also do some machining for their own maintenance and repair needs. Modular fixturing may be used in as many as thirty of the setups, which means that, on average, they are building about one modular fixture a day.

Given the variety of work that is run, and the number of modular setups that are sometimes in use concurrently, Wabco's investment in modular componentry is substantial. The initial investment approached $200,000 and they have bought more since. They use the Bluco Technik modular fixturing system, supplied by Bluco Corporation (Carol Stream, Illinois).

The basis of this particular system is a set of precision base and angle plates with alternating sets of locating and tapped mounting holes. Fixtures are built by mounting a variety of standard components--risers, edge-locating blocks, supports, clamps, and so on--onto the base plate in the proper configuration to hold a part. Ground dowel pins are used to locate the components on the plate, or relative to each other, and then the mounting is accomplished with standard cap screws. Most of the components have multiple locating surfaces, ground to a tolerance of [+ or -] O.0004 from any one surface to another. The same tolerance holds for any two locating holes on a base plate.