Multitasking

June 1, 2009

Combining processes in a single machine can lead to better-quality parts and a reduction in the cost of producing those parts from start to finish.

Cost per part is always a key consideration when deciding on the manufacturing process and equipment to be used and should include all direct and indirect costs. The direct costs, such as equipment, depreciation, and labor, generally are well-understood. However, indirect costs are often ignored, misunderstood, or difficult to calculate.

Indirect costs include floor space, power consumption, environmental factors, and preventive maintenance.

It is only through an understanding of the process as a whole that the power of multitasking can be harnessed in a shop environment. Quite often this is where expert advice is needed.

“When multitasking machines were first developed, they were seen as being very complicated,” explained Mazak Canada General Manager Ray Buxton. “Manufacturers thought that a medium-sized run of parts was needed because of the increased programming and setup times. But now, as these machines are becoming  widely accepted, we see more and more one-off production being done with them as well.”

This type of equipment is continually evolving, often based on the needs of customers working in the field. In the years since the introduction of these machines, they have changed from being a lathe with a simple milling spindle to a machine with the full capability of both turning and milling.

Now operations such as drilling, grinding, and even gear hobbing can be accomplished within the same work envelope.

The Importance of Probing

As parts become more complex, guaranteeing part accuracy becomes paramount.

“Having the power to check the part while it is still on the machine is very important,” said Buxton. “You can know immediately if something is wrong with the part.”

This “predictable manufacturing” helps enable one of the benefits of multitasking: creating complex, highly accurate parts in a single setup.

Another addition to the latest crop of multitasking machines is cameras. Mazak has installed a Web-enabled camera in both the tool changer and within the work envelope itself. This enables both on-site and off-site monitoring.

“Our service technicians use these functions all the time,” said Buxton. “These cameras can help us diagnose a problem without having to send a technician out to the machine’s location, which really helps reduce downtime.”

As machining becomes more complex, problems too become more complex.

With more operations, movement, and tooling involved, multitasking as a machining concept can become intricate, to say the least. This is a situation in which proper training combined with timely support can be the difference between success and failure.

“The ability to do multitasking is becoming more and more relevant for shops across Canada. However, one of the impediments to this has always been training,” said Buxton.

Buxton cited the fact that the college system doesn’t necessarily teach and train this type of machining process, so it often falls upon the machine tool builder to do so. For a company like Mazak, for example, this means offering two types of training.

The first type of training combines classroom teaching with hands-on training on a machine. This is most often done in a Mazak facility such as the one in Cambridge, Ont.

The second type of training occurs on the customer’s shop floor and involves a Mazak applications engineer. The applications engineer helps the customer create a part from the design stage through to metal cutting.

The Equipment

Theory and practice alone cannot satisfy the needs of the customer, however. Constantly evolving and improving technology is the key in this segment of the machining market.

Late last year alone Mazak released two new multitasking models.

The Integrex i-150 is designed to handle small parts for such industries as medical manufacturing and aerospace. This machine’s configuration consists of a single horizontal, 15-HP main spindle for turning and C-axis control with a 6-in. through-hole chuck and bar capacity of 2.56 in.

Machining center capability is provided through an integral 10-HP, 12,000-RPM milling spindle, or an optional 20,000-RPM one, mounted on the vertical rotating B axis. Y-axis travel has been expanded to ± 3.94 in., and rapid feed rate of 1,576 IPM in the X, Y, and Z linear axes improves throughput, according to the company.

Other features include a work-handling device that acts as both an NC tailstock and a workholding vise to pick the part from the spindle, index it to 45 or 90 degrees for angled or backside operations, and even unload finished parts onto a conveyor.

The other new model is the Hyper Quadrex 150MSY. This machine has twin opposed turning spindles with 5,000 RPM and 30 HP each, plus full C-axis CNC control for part positioning and contouring at a resolution of 0.0001 degree. It also carries upper and lower 12-station tool turrets for fixed and rotating (live) tools alike and Y-axis machine travels for each turret for off-the-centerline machining.

In the twin-turret and twin-spindle configuration, the main and secondary spindles can operate together or separately, allowing a single part to be machined on all surfaces through a coordinated “hand-off” between spindles, or two different parts can be machined simultaneously on one machine.

Since the twin turrets can operate independently or together on the same part, opportunities abound for machining of two features simultaneously or balanced machining strategies. In balanced cutting, two tools work together on the same feature, such as rough and finish turning, rough and finish milling, or opposed feature drilling, tapping, or boring utilizing the Y-axes.

For more information, visit www.mazakcanada.com.

Application and Service Support

As technology becomes more complex, applications and service support become more important too.

“Purchasing a multitasking machine is a big investment,” explained Siroos Askari, product manager for Gross Machinery. “Because of this, customers not only need the most capable and reliable machine, but also a distributor that can support it.”

Gross Machinery, of Brampton, Ont., sells and supports the complete Mori Seiki product line, including the company’s well-known multitasking machines.

“Our application and service team has been trained in Japan by Mori Seiki,” Askari said. “This helps create a knowledge base to install and test the equipment and the ability to offer the best in application support. Our goal is to help our customer utilize this technology to its full extent by offering an application support program that starts right after machine installation. The NT series is a nine-axis machine, and because of this the customer needs more support, especially in the beginning.”

One unique opportunity offered by Mori Seiki is Mori Seiki University, which provides traditional on-site training, specialized classroom training, and the company’s new online training, Education On Demand.

“Every customer that buys a machine gets two “seats” for six months,” said Askari. “They can begin training immediately in order to be prepared when the machine is delivered.”

 Classroom teaching is important, but getting training on the shop floor cannot be overlooked.

“Training at the customer’s facility is very important. That is where they will be making their parts, so that is where it’s best to do the training,” said Askari.

 For more information, visit www.moriseiki.com.