Product category:
Machinery and Production Equipment
News Release from: ACI (UK) | Subject: Anilam 4200T control system
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 11 April 2007
CNC package suits small runs for
university
Gate Machinery International supplied a total of nine machines to Queen Mary, University of London, Department of Engineering over a 12-month period.
Anilam digital readout and CNC control technology was the determining factor in machine tool selection when Queen Mary, University of London, needed to re-equip its Department of Engineering by introducing CNC machining for the first time "It was essential we installed quality, cost-effective machines that exhibited the required machining capabilities, of course, but they also had to feature best of breed control technology that was easy to use", says Laboratory Superintendent, Chris Straw
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 23 Aug 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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The popularity of Anilam control systems with machine tool builders and distributors as well as end users has been borne out again recently with comments from Gate Machinery International
"We found exactly what we needed with the machines supplied by Gate Machinery International - a mixture of Gate PBM turret mills and Eclipse CNC mills, and G-330E and ECL-360 conventional and CNC lathes, featuring Anilam Wizard 550 DROs and Anilam 4200T turning and 5300 milling CNC systems".
"These value-for-money machines demonstrate quality build characteristics as well as high-end controllers based around user-friendly conversational programming/operating routines".
"They are therefore ideal for our 'teaching' environment", he says.
"Importantly, the work we perform is primarily based on the production of small batches (usually one or two-offs) of often complex workpieces or fixturing for test and prove out purposes, so our criteria for machine selection revolved around the most sophisticated programming/machining routines available on fit-for-purpose machines that would come within our overall budget".
"It didn't take us long to realise that Gate Machinery International had offered us an unrivalled package".
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The investment was driven in particular by a large new research contract involving complex hip joint work - just one aspect of the college's standard under and post-graduate degree courses that attract an annual intake of 150 students.
The department is one of the few in the country with a Grade 5 (out of 5) Research Rating..
It was, however, the contract concerning hip joint replacement parts - and specifically to simulate manufacture of the parts and development of the appropriate equipment/fixturing to replicate joint action - that highlighted the need for new machining capability if required component surface finishes and machining tolerances were to be met on, for example, balls and sockets, and spar tapers.
"After sending tenders to several companies, Gate Machinery International was the only supplier that responded with a range of machines that met our constraints and was willing to work with us on additional aspects of machine safety (extra guarding)".
"Also, the level of service and back-up offered by them and by the control supplier - ACI (UK) - was very impressive".
"Effectively, we needed the power of CNC machines but not their production capabilities".
"Time is obviously a consideration, but the main consideration is ensuring we get things right".
"The control systems were the main concern; this department is all about developing skilled engineers/engineering principles in all materials, not CNC operators".
"So, we didn't want students spending hours learning G codes and writing programs, and the Anilam systems were the only controls we saw that eliminated this problem through their ability to enable users to quickly and easily develop new programs via their Machinists Language programming functionality".
"One example of the gains we have made by investing in CNC and using Anilam control technology is the production of a specific taper angle on a hip joint spar: this previously took up to three weeks to produce on a conventional machine; with the ECL-360 CNC lathe with Anilam 4200T control, it takes only half a day".
"The taper angle along a certain distance of the spar is critical, and achieving this with the Anilam control is now very straightforward and repeatable".
"Indeed, tolerances of 1.5 microns are regularly achieved on hip joint components".
Gate Machinery International supplied a total of nine machines over a 12-month period, a mixture of two PBM-1000 and one PBM-2000 turret mills (736 by 305 by 406mm in X, Y and Z, 2.2371kW and spindle speeds of 60-4,200rev/min) and one PBM-Super mill (862 by 400 by 406mm, 3.7kW and spindle speeds of 60-3,600rev/min), as well as three G-330E high-speed, 80-2000rev/min precision centre lathes featuring 330mm swing over the bed, 195mm over the cross slide, 1000mm between centres and 490mm over the gap.
These all have Anilam's two-axis Wizard 550 DRO, an intuitive system where all prompts, instructions and help functions are visible as text or graphics on the flat screen and graphics guide users through the simple questions.
Operation-specific soft keys also feature.
For milling, the system is supplied as standard with bolt hole pattern calculations for full and partial circles with graphics, zero reset and preset features, tool diameter compensation and near zero warning.
For turning, system features include taper turning functionality and 16 tool offsets that, when used with the axis lock feature, ensure tool deflection is reduced even under load.
Also supplied was an ECL-360 CNC lathe.
This 25-3,000rev/min spindle speed machine has a swing over the bed of 360mm, over the cross slide of 180mm and 880mm between centres.
If features the Anilam 4200T CNC with constant surface speed.
CNC functionality also includes create, delete/undelete, list, copy, rename and print, and the system also features constant surface speed as standard, to help guarantee consistent surface finish and extended tool life.
The control can run in several operational modes - including teach mode achieved via single or dual handwheel operation with dual-axis interpolation.
A 2.2371kW, 60-4,200rev/min ECM-1 CNC turret mill completes the line-up, with 660 by 305 by 100mm in X, Y and Z, and featuring Anilam three-axis series 5300 CNC boasting, for example, integrated CAM functionality, an extensive library of canned cycles and a draw graphics mode for part verification prior to machining.
All CNC machines are programmed offline at Queen Mary, though an Ideas CAD link with the Anilam CNC systems' CAM functionality is occasionally used.
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