ACF Machine, Inc., Union, Missouri, has recently instal led a new Citizen L720 CNC Swiss turning center.

The firm, operating since 1992, specializes in production CNC turning. It started out in Art Fink's garage with a single piece of equipment.

Today, Fink's firm has five employees in a 6,000-sq.-ft. facility with five pieces of CNC equipment. Each piece has a sub-spindle and live tooling.

Above (1-r): ACF's Doug Kappelmann, McClain Machine Tool's Gene Jacobs & ACF's Art Fink.

The new seven-axis Citizen Swiss turning center, purchased through McClain Machine Tool Solutions in St. Louis, features: a 10,000 rpm spindle; 18 tools (seven live); 700 series Mitsubishi Windows controls; bar capacity up to 20mm (3/4"); and a CAVL20 magazine barfeeder.
Fink noted that ACF Machine purchased the new Swiss turning center for the speed, efficiency and quality it offered, and to keep up with the company's growth. He especially likes the unmanned capabilities that it provides and that it is all Servo controlled (no pneumatics or hydraulics).

The company, which is ISO compliant, produces small to large production runs from all standard metals and most plastics in many shapes and configurations. They can also work with customers on parts design and development.

ACF serves a wide range of commercial and industrial customers throughout the mid-America region.

When asked about what accounts for ACF Machine's success and growth Fink stated, "Good customer relationships along with our industry knowledge and expertise." Fink and Shop Manager Doug Kappelmann combine for almost 45 years of manufacturing experience.

With unified, one-piece configuration, Legex[R] 322 offers opportunities to integrate automated measurement and inspection into processes. It measures and inspects components sized to 300 x 200 x 200 mm with accuracy of MPEE = (0.8+2 L/1000) [micro]m and speeds to 200 mm/sec. Features include MCOSMOS CMM software platform, UC 200S controller, ceramic-plasma coated Y-axis machine guide rail, thermally-stable components, and real-time temperature compensation.


(Aurora, IL) Mitutoyo America Corporation announces availability of the new Legex[R] 322, a high accuracy CNC Coordinate Measuring Machine that loads enhanced performance into a compact design.

With a unified, one-piece configuration and minimal footprint, the Mitutoyo Legex 322 CMM is designed for quick and easy setup and operation - offering new opportunities to integrate automated measurement and inspection into your process - even where space is at a premium.

Designed for measurement and inspection of components sized to 300mm X 200mm X 200mm, Legex 322 combines the highest accuracy in its class (MPEE = [0.8+2L/1000][micro]m) with high speed (200mm/sec.) to maximize productivity and lower processing costs. Typical production applications include measurement of precision metal molds and electrical discharge machining (EDM) parts as well as off-line setup of machine tools. The size and performance characteristics of Legex 322 also make it ideal for use in commercial, governmental and university laboratories.

Construction of the Legex 322 CMM employs advanced technologies to provide highest levels of accuracy and reliability. For example, FEM analysis used in the design of the Legex 322 enabled Mitutoyo engineers to ensure geometric accuracy by minimizing deformations caused by normal machine operations. Also, the integrated Y-axis machine guide rail is ceramic-plasma coated for precise performance. And, thermally-stable components plus real-time temperature compensation maintain accuracy even under extreme conditions.

The Legex 322 supports probes including contacting, scanning and touch-trigger probes as well as laser and vision probes to cover a wide range of applications.

The Legex 322 utilizes MCOSMOS (Mitutoyo Controlled Open System for Modular Operation Support), the industry's leading CMM software platform. MCOSMOS enables Legex 322 to support virtually every CAD format and offers modules for in-line measurement, data feedback and process management as well as for easy, intuitive training.

With 4,000 rpm spindle speed, 8-spindle Model A-36PC offers 36 mm diameter capacity and 8 individual CNC cross slides. Electronic connection to each spindle is completely integrated, allowing continuous rotation of machine. Twin pick-off spindles allow machining of back side of workpiece, while modular design permits addition of up to 23 programmable axes and 6 independent spindle speeds. Separate chip and coolant system behind machine eliminates chip build-up in base.

Schutte will unveil and demonstrate their new model A-36PC machine, at IMTS, in their booth #A-8667 in the south hall. This new full CNC 8-spindle flexible production machine is completely modular in its planned construction and application intensive regard for the needs of its users, based on today's manufacturing environment dictating shorter production runs, and ever changing customer requirements. The machine can be tooled for today's specific application and manufacturing criteria, yet upgraded on the customer's floor, as those needs change. Thus realizing the minimum of start-up costs, while creating the down-stream flexibility, which is so important in creating and gaining manufacturing optimization.

A very unique technical design has been incorporated into the Schutte CMC machine's, whereby the electronic connection to each spindle has been completely integrated; meaning that unlike other machine designs available in the market of this category, there are no hard wired connection cables to drive each spindle motor. This revolutionary design means a continuous and ongoing normal rotation of the machine, vs. only being able to make a minimum complete revolution and then the requirement to "unwind" in the reverse, because of these cables and their hard connections. The Schutte CNC design has completely eliminated these hard connections and this permits the machine to continue its complete revolutions uninterrupted and without the downtime associated with the unwinding process.

A further technology advancement is the adaptation of twin "pick off' spindles, which permits with ease, the ability to plan and machine the back side of a work piece, which has always been a difficult task within the multi-spindle world and in particular with CNC's.

A summary of the features of the A-36PC machine are:

o 36 mm diameter material capacity

o Curvic coupling lock of carrier of high accuracy

o 4,000 RPM spindle

o Solid material compound (granite) base for high rigidity

o Separate chip and coolant system, behind machine, eliminates chips from building up in machine base and allows for cooler temperature of cutting fluids.

o Water soluble coolants can be utilized

o 8 individual CNC end working units allow for high flexibility

o 8 individual CNC cross slides

o Fast idle time of < 1.0 seconds

o Modular design permits the addition of up to 23 programmable axis and 6 independent spindle speeds

It's no secret that CNC machines are highly productive. In fact, this is one of their greatest benefits. But this important benefit can lead to a problem. If you are thoroughly satisfied with the productivity of your CNC machine tools, how can you tell when they are being under-utilized? I define CNC machine utilization as the effectiveness level of your CNC machine tools. You can contrast your judgment of machine utilization against many factors, making the judgment of machine utilization level very subjective.

Don't confuse utilization with application. A machine's application is simply what you are using the machine to do. A vertical machining center that is being used as little more than a glorified drill press is every bit as important to its owner as an identical machine being used to produce three-dimensional shapes in molds.

Also, don't confuse machine utilization with personnel utilization. You may think you're making the best use of your CNC machine tools when in reality, you're making better use of your CNC people. For example, you may have one person running two or more CNC machines. Or you may have a CNC operator performing secondary operations during the CNC cycle. These are common practices, but they lead to under-utilization of CNC machine tools. It is likely that CNC machines will often sit idle--waiting for a CNC person to do something.

The miniRaptor, a compact version of Datron Dynamics' Raptor class of machining centers is now offered with a 51" x 51" footprint. The machine also features a 20" x 20" x 8" working envelope that can accomodate fixturing and batch-machining of small parts. The smaller bed size facilitates the use of a solid slab of granite for the machining table, which provides increased rigidity to minimize vibration, the company says.

The machine includes standard features such as a 60,000-rpm spindle with a 0.125" collet; a three-tool automatic tool management system; Microsoft Windows-based control software; a PC with 256 MB RAM and 40 GB part/program storage; a handheld controller; Ethernet networking capability, remote monitoring capability; a removable chip disposal tray; and a full machining-area enclosure with a door safety interlock system.

This package can be augmented with a number of options including a 600W, 60,000-rpm spindle with 0.250" collet; a 10-tool automatic tool management system; a Z-Correction probe that recognizes irregular workpiece topology; and more. A 3D probe extension that locates and compensates for material irregularities in XYZ coordinates and facilitates reverse engineering is also available.