The future, 2020; Hardinge CNC retrofi ts; Bridgeport turret mill re-engineering; multislide
CNC auto revamped; ‘Industry 4.0’ technology of the day; CMM best practice;
plus yet another UK manufacturing initiative
march 1995
Our rst comment looks to the future, 25 years to 2020,
Key Events
66
rather ironically. The hexapod structure 5-axis machining
centre could become a mainstream proposition, we thought,
but we have stayed with traditional orthogonal slideway assemblies
plus rotary axes, as it turns out.
Maybe a new machining process, then? Laser-based machining
seemed to have potential, even able to bend metal. Its inclusion in
multi-process machines incorporating metalcutting, grinding and
laser-based machining was already envisaged, however, so nothing
unexpected there, and multi-process machines are indeed today
available, if not widely used.
We had underestimated the increase in computer power and 3D
printing 25 years earlier, we admitted, with one prediction for 2020
the increasing use of the latter to support personal and local
fabrication. Described as “unimaginable enough to be a contender”
in our comment, today it is reality. So, we were on target here.
What didn’t we predict for 2020? The world of easy connectivity,
vast amounts of data and its analysis through AI – Industry 4.0.
So, in a further 25 years’ time there’ll be a lot more 3D printing
(production, distributed and personal use) while connectivity, data
and AI will be all-pervasive, Machinery suggests.
Back to 1995, though, and retro tted Accuslide CNC slideways
for Hardinge turret lathes are in the news. KC Machine Tools is
offering these US-made systems, saying that there are 8,000
useable Hardinge machine carcasses in the UK. Cost for a
customer- tted solution is £15,000
(£30,000 today). Elsewhere,
Bridgeport is boasting that it has
re-engineered 224
manual turret mills
since starting the
service in 1991.
Rights to the
UK’s Winchester Machine Tools’ CNC multi-slide automatic lathe
have been acquired by BSA Tools, which already operates in the
multi-spindle, automatic lathe space. UK training/educational
machine tool builder Denford has unveiled a three-in-one CNC
machine to support the National Curriculum. It is a horizontal and
vertical lathe, plus a vertical milling machine. And Cincinnati
Milacron is celebrating the sale of its 3,000th new generation
vertical machining centre, rst introduced in 1988.
Sandvik Coromant machine activity monitoring software is being
offered on a try-before-you-buy scheme. Cost savings of 10-15% are
claimed, with this falling within the general 30% productivity boost
being hailed for ‘computer-in-manufacturing’ (CIM) techniques – the
Industry 4.0 of its day. In the same vein, we have news of what
today would be called a ‘digital twin’ solution – Virtual NC. It can
create an exact replica of the machining environment in which to
prove-out NC programs. Still in the IT eld, automated NC
programming via Camtek’s PEPS Expert Mill can cut programming
time by 90%, it is claimed. Feature-based technology is employed.
The National Physical Laboratory has formed the Co-ordinate
Metrology Association to promote best practice measurement
related to CMMs, still a developing technology and not the norm for
companies at this time. And yet another group to promote
manufacturing industry has been set up – Made in the UK. It is
backed by the country’s top 250 manufacturers and has House of
Commons/Lords backing. Just published is an interactive guide to
the EU’s Machinery Directive governing machine tool safety for
equipment offered within the EU market. Finally for news,
environmental concerns are being addressed by an Engineering
Council (today Engineering UK) competition where engineers design
something to address a relevant issue.
Features this month: cutting tool developments; grinding special
report; manual/CNC combination lathes; and the UK’s medical
device manufacturing opportunity.
▼
mar 95
Schengen
Agreement
comes into
force, seven
EU countries
▼ ▼
Delroy
Wilson,
Jamaican
reggae
singer,
dies, 46
25years ago
▼
Titanium Machining to Perfection
MonsterMill TCR – ensuring service life
and process reliability
▼
For more information:
cutting.tools/en/monstermill-tcr
The Queen & the
Duke of Edinburgh
visit Northern
Ireland; rst time
since IRA/Loyalist
1994 cease re
Yahoo!
incorporated
▼
Axel F (Beverly Hills
Cop theme), Harold
Faltermeyer,
enters UK top 10,
10 years after initial
international success
England
Rugby
team
win the
Grand
Slam
PA
fl owertiare /stock.adobe.com
RTimages /stock.adobe.com
ink drop /stock.adobe.com
Miroslav /stock.adobe.com
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