FICEP CNC Angle Line Works Statue Parts

FICEP has revealed that its HP16T6 CNC angle line is being used by Hadfab to produce the steelwork for a statue designed by sculptor Antony Gormley. The 25m high statue, depicting a crouching man, will be completely constructed from steel angle profiles produced by Hadfab on the FICEP machine. The machine is said to have numerous optional extras available and can be configured to meet the customer's precise requirements.

FICEP claimed that the new technology incorporated in this machine, combined with the in-feed transfer speed of up to 100m/min gives it a clear advantage, The machine can be equipped with automatic feeding and loading, punching, drilling with tool changer, notching, marking utilising cassette or individual characters, quick-change punch and die sets, quick-change shear blades, and automatic part unloading for the out-feed conveyor.

It is further enhanced with the Steel Projects software suite. The machine was purchased specifically for this contract and brings the total number of FICEP machines operated by Hadfab to four. There are many challenges to be overcome with this complicated structure and Tekla software was used after the initial shape was designed in collaboration with Cambridge University. The model is then detailed in Tekla structures and interfaced with Steel Projects Winsteel to produce machine codes for the FICEP angle line.

The material is punched and sheared to length by the equipment and skilled, labour-intensive shaping of the material is done to form up to 550 nodes consisting of up to 27 angles meeting together to form locating points around the structure. These are to be joined together with longer angles bolted and welded in position. In total there will be 4,400 holes punched in the angle profiles and the total weight of the structure will be 60 tonnes. The statue is scheduled to take 18 months to complete.

Parker Replaces RSD Steel Parts With Peek Polymer

Parker Hannifin, based in Mainz-Kastel, Germany, has replaced the steel components of its RSD quick couplings with the Victrex Peek polymer. The company wanted to replace the components with one single injection-moulded part that reduced the number of components to be assembled and that controlled the overall production costs. The RSD couplings are used to connect and disconnect the hydraulic lines between a tractor and its various items of equipment (a trailer or a plough, for example) without using any tools.

The technology of the RSD coupling allows for the completely safe connection of a male connector, whether pressurised or not, under adverse conditions, such as under a maximum pressure of 250bar (3,626psi), and withstands a return flow rate that may reach 190 litres per minute (50.2 gallons per minute) and even beyond for a few seconds at a temperature close to 120C (248F). David Aragones, project manager at Parker Hannifin, said: 'Apart from the high performance demanded of the coupling, it was essential for us to control our production costs by reducing the number of metal components.

'Consequently, we sought a multipurpose material that was both highly flexible and capable of withstanding high loads over a wide range of temperatures in order to allow us to incorporate as many functions as possible in the clip,' he added. The Victrex Peek polymer valve minimises the number of components in motion during connection and disconnection. The shape of the clip and the elasticity and the fatigue resistance of the material ensure the reliable and durable connection of the pressurised male connector.

Aragones continued: 'The use of this high-performance plastic has allowed us to offer an entirely innovative, patented design. 'These connectors are particularly valued for their pressure-resistant characteristics and their compactness,' he said. Didier Padey, market development manager at Victrex Europe, said: 'Victrex Peek polymer retains its mechanical properties even in aggressive environments at high temperatures.

'Apart from its outstanding thermal performance, it also presents a unique combination of properties; in this case, it is the mechanical resistance and ductility, even under the most adverse conditions, that led to the specification of the Victrex Peek polymer for the valve clip of the RSD hydraulic couplings from Parker,' he added. Parker has achieved increased design freedom and simplified implementation by injection moulding, while improving the functions of its RSD coupling.

FeatureCAM Cuts Programming Time For 2.5D/3D Parts

Vector Tool and Engineering has reduced the programming time for feature-intensive 2.5D parts by 50-75 per cent since changing to Delcam's FeatureCAM knowledge-based CAM system. Since the changeover, the mould-making company has also reduced the programming time for less feature-intensive 3D parts by 25 per cent. Machining time has been saved by the software's more efficient rest-machining and trochoidal-milling capabilities.

Located in greater Kansas City, Missouri, Vector Tool and Engineering provides the complete engineering and fabrication of injection moulds and tooling for the plastics industry, as well as contract machining for the aerospace sector. The company is a subsidiary of Peterson Manufacturing, a provider of safety lighting products for the automotive and heavy-duty truck markets. While Vector Tool continues to see growth in new mould builds, the company also carries out extensive revision, rebuild and maintenance for its customers both inside and outside the Peterson Group.

This combination of work requires fast reaction times to keep customers up and running. Randy Bennett, lead programmer for Vector Tool, said: 'We felt that we needed a major improvement in efficiency that we were not getting from our previous software. 'The thing that sold us on FeatureCAM was its ability to automatically recognise features such as holes, pockets, bosses and slots in 3D solid and surface models. 'This means that we don't have to deal with each individual surface but can program features instead.

'This is much less time intensive because there are far fewer features and because the inherent commonality of features means that they can often be programmed from libraries,' he added. After the design phase is complete, the company's CNC programmers begin by importing the component. Once the programmer is satisfied with the way that the features have been defined, the next step is to pick tools and speeds and feeds for machining each feature. The natural repetitiveness of features means that it is often possible to pick a tool and machining conditions from a similar example that has been machined previously and saved in the software's library.

Many parts also have multiple copies of some features and, in this case, the relevant program can be copied to each location where it is needed. Bennett continued: 'Our switch to FeatureCAM has helped us improve our programming efficiency greatly. 'The productivity of our programmers has been increased substantially, especially on the feature-rich 2.5D parts, which constitute the vast majority of our programming workload. 'We have only used the new software for a few months so we believe that we should be able to achieve considerable additional productivity gains. 'We have also seen significant reductions in cycle time, especially on 3D parts, and surface finish has also been improved,' he said.

Curtis Vector Grinds Small Parts From Solid

Curtis Machine Tools has developed the Vector GFS cylindrical grinding machine to cope with components in the 1-2mm diameter range, which are difficult to handle and locate using conventional methods. The Vector GFS (grind from solid) is capable of producing a range of parts from hardened bar in one cycle using a multi-form grinding wheel. The key elements of the design are the stock feed unit, which feeds bar into the work spindle from a magazine located at the rear of the machine, and a puller unit, wherein a servo-driven gripper pulls bar material a precisely programmable distance through the work-spindle chuck.

Optional features available on the Vector GFS include the following: servo-feed slitting saw that permits part cut-off with square pip-free faces, regardless of the wheel approach angle; radially retractable tailstock that swings clear to admit the puller gripper; and slimline in-process diameter gauging using the Marposs Nano Unimar gauge, with a retraction system built into the tailstock body. Additional optional features include: two-point steady that can be programmed for fixed support with retraction for stock advance, or linked to the grinding in-feed in follow-down mode; C axis for non-round features; and work-handling systems based on the standard Vector robot, giving the possibility to execute further operations such as deburring, washing and palletisation.

Internal Diameter Gripper Holds Irregular Parts

SAS Automation has introduced an Internal Diameter Gripper (IDG) for parts that are heavy, fragile or have an irregular shape. The IDG grips and releases on command and is recommended for manipulating breakable and heavy parts. Unlike standard clamps, the IDG distributes force evenly over the entire contact area, making it suitable for irregular-shaped parts.

This IDG is a cost-effective solution when compared with bladder grippers and automated or magnetic clamps. Its rubber strips ensure a secure grip and can be replaced cheaply. A nose adapter can be easily customised for locating or part stabilisation.