Advanced machine tools in valve production

EDITOR'S PICK: New technologies are helping valve manufacturers meet customer demands in more cost-efficient ways.

For decades, as the type of valves being manufactured changed, so did the needs of manufacturers. Makers that once produced high volumes of simple valves, today focus predominantly on low-to-medium volumes of complex, high-precision products made from exotic materials to serve applications from oil and gas to nuclear power.
Inflexible, single-process equipment has been replaced by advanced machine tools with multi-tasking, 5-axis, and done-in-one part processing capabilities. These agile, automated machines quickly changeover from one part family to the next, while their strength, repeatability, and precision meets current machining requirements. Most important, the advanced machine tools produce high quality valves quickly.
The most popular advanced machine tools in small-to-medium-sized valve manufacturing include multi-tasking machines configured with twin turning spindles and twin tool turrets (plus Y-axis capabilities) or with a turning spindle and a B-axis milling spindle. For larger valve processing, shops prefer multi-tasking machines that can cut big parts requiring both ID and OD work and do so in single workpiece clampings.

Twin-spindle/twin-turret

Twin turning spindle/twin tool turret multi-tasking machines work well with medium-to-large-sized valve workpieces that require 5-axis machining. Equipped with bar feeders, these machines offer the same performance as high-volume machines can accommodate a wider range of part sizes.
These machines allow shops to change over jobs in a matter of minutes instead of days. Additionally, they provide the processing flexibility to quickly adjust for varying part volumes, switch from one job to the next, and squeeze in those frequently occurring hot emergency jobs.
However, some twin-spindle/twin-turret machines go beyond the capabilities of other comparable multi-tasking machines by performing both chuck and bar work simultaneously to further increase production flexibility. For example, the Mazak Hyper Quadrex 200 MSY multi-tasking machine gives shops the ability to take on jobs that involve chucked workpiece sizes up to 13.5" in diameter and bar-fed parts from 0.25" to 2.5" in diameter, processing both cylindrical-shaped components as well as prismatic parts. And with Y-axis capabilities, the machine performs off-centerline machining and completes valve parts in single setups through multi-tasking operations – milling, turning, drilling, boring, and tapping.
Unlike similar machines, both turning spindles on the Hyper Quadrex offer equal power and speed at 5,000rpm and 30hp, as well as full C-axis CNC control for part positioning and contouring at a resolution of 0.0001°. The spindles can operate together or separately, allowing a single valve part to be machined on all surfaces through a coordinated hand-off between the two spindles, or two different valve parts can be machined simultaneously on one machine.
Additionally, the upper and lower 12-station, 24-position tool turrets accommodate fixed and rotating tools. Both turrets mill with 7.5hp rotary tool capability. These turrets can operate independently or together on the same part, creating opportunities for the machining of two features simultaneously or balanced machining strategies.
In balanced cutting operations on the Hyper Quadrex 200 MSY for example, upper and lower turret X-axes arranged in line work together on the same valve part feature as rough and finish turning, rough and finish milling, or opposed feature drilling, tapping, or boring. In cases where the part configuration permits, balanced machining significantly increases metal removal to shorten cycle times.
For valve manufacturing company Richards Industries in Cincinnati the versatility of multi-tasking machines such as the Hyper Quadrex allows the shop to quickly changeover from one part family to the next. The machine’s larger tool magazine capacities, compared with single-spindle/single-turret equipment, allow for redundant tooling that significantly reduces machine changeover times. The machine’s single-setup part-processing capability makes it possible for Richards to hold very tight tolerances and provide the highest quality parts in short turnaround times.

Turning spindle/B-axis milling

Conval Inc., a valve manufacturing company in Somers, Conn., uses a twin turning spindle/B-axis milling spindle multi-tasking machine from Mazak because it can process various part types and materials.
With the Integrex i-100S, components are not pigeonholed to one particular machine or manufacturing cell because the multi-tasking machine can, if needed, process any of the shop’s components. Changeovers on Conval’s Integrex can take less than 20 minutes – beneficial because the shop goes from one job to the next anywhere from five and eight times per day with job lot sizes varying from one to 10 pieces.
The Integrex i-100S combines the capabilities of a high-powered turning center with those of a full-function machining center. It has a second turning spindle and a lower tool turret, eliminating multiple setups, fixtures, handling, and non-cut time. As a result, job changeovers drop and part accuracy improves because workpieces do not have to travel from one machine to the next.
The machine’s milling spindle with Y-axis travel and B-axis rotation delivers full 5-axis machining capability, so shops can process round parts with secondary operations, fully prismatic parts from solid slugs or from castings (chucked or bar fed work), and highly contoured sculptured parts. At the same time, the machine’s standard 36-tool (72-tool optional) capacity contributes to shorter job changeovers.

Trending toward barstock

As multi-tasking machines become more prevalent, valve makers have paired the machine with bar feeders to create standalone, self-contained automated systems that enhance output and machine utilization. Producing as many parts as possible from bar stock also helps reduce material costs – less material is machined away – especially important for valve shops working with expensive materials such as 316 stainless, F22 carbon steel, Inconel, Nitronic 50. Plus, time and manpower needed to cut and deburr blanks for each job are eliminated.
Many valve manufacturers machine all their bonnets, bushings, and specialty internal components out of bar stock. With multi-tasking machines that handle larger diameter bar stock, valve shops can produce even more of their components that way. The Integrex i-100 BARTAC-S multi-tasking solution, for instance, employs a large 4.4" spindle bore to bring high levels of productivity to the machining of bar material up to 4" in diameter.
The machine also features two turning spindles and a milling spindle that allow for full 5-axis machining and done-in-one operations to reduce lead times and improve workpiece accuracy by eliminating multiple setups.
Mazak’s Intelligent Bar Loader System automatically feeds out material the required distance from the chuck and minimizes the bar remnant. Also, an optional chuck pressure management system automatically changes according to part programs to accommodate a wide variety of workpieces. The system maintains not only the set chuck pressure per workpiece, but also the same pressure when changing material.

Large valve components

Besides dealing with tough part materials, stringent testing requirements and extremely high quality standards, valve manufacturers such as Emerson Process Management, in Marshalltown, Iowa, face the added challenge of large size valve components. For instance, valve body sizes of 40" and bigger with extremely complex features and produced in low or one-off lot sizes are common for such shops.
As with shops that produce small-to-medium-sized valves, large-valve makers look for speed, versatility, and flexibility in their machine tools to go from one type of valve to another as quickly as possible. But, these shops tend to place more emphasis on the capability to clamp/move a part once and machine it complete – as is the case with machine tool technology like that of Mazak’s Orbitec 20 machining center and its Integrex e-1550V II multi-tasking machine.
The ideal way to generate turned features on very big cumbersome valve parts is to do so while they remain clamped and stationary and let the cutting tool move around them.
The Orbitec 20 is a standalone valve body production center that completes most valve and other large part machining operations in one clamping, while also maintaining tight tolerances. In addition, the machine can be integrated with Mazak’s horizontal machining centers and the company’s Palletech solution to form a fully automated system that provides 100% complete done-in-one valve manufacturing.
For valve bodies and other large workpieces requiring turned features, the Orbitec 20 efficiently generates phonographic finishes on flange surfaces, machines tapered bores, and performs feed-out grooving operations. It also does trepanning, internal grooving, and concave machining.
The machine’s facing head configuration is basically a circle within a circle for linearly interpolated X-axis tool movement, as opposed to a linear slide. This provides internally counterbalanced machining and less part interference – nothing is protruding beyond the rotating head – when working on larger diameters.
For large valve processing, today’s advanced multi-tasking machine technology basically fuses together the capabilities of a horizontal machining center with those of a vertical turning center. The result is a machine that performs turning and milling for done-in-one processing of big, heavy, difficult-to-handle valve components – in this case, those measuring up to 78.74" in diameter and 56.69" tall.
Available C-axis rotary machine tables make workpiece positioning and turning operations possible, while powerful and rigid milling spindles with B-axis tilt from -30° to 120° accommodate both rotating (milling) tools and static ones (inserts) for turning. An ample tool capacity of 40 tools standard (up to 348 optional with Mazak’s Tool Hive) and two-pallet changer further enhance part-processing versatility.
Meeting valve consumer demands can be tough for manufacturers such as Richards Industries, Conval, and Emerson. But with the help of advanced machine tools, many manufacturers can meet high expectations.

 http://www.onlinetes.com/advanced-machine-tools-valve-production-mazak-122714.aspx#.VKJeCfuAEM

Taiwan's machine tool sales to grow in Q4 despite slow season

2014/10/11 14:38:06

Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) Sales in Taiwan's machine tool sector are expected to grow in the fourth quarter from a quarter earlier because manufacturers' efforts to enter niche model production will offset the adversary impact from slow season effects, market sources said Saturday.

Still, many of the manufacturers harbor hopes that the government and mainland China will reach a consensus on the on-going talks over a trade-in-goods pact so that local machine tool exports to China can enjoy tariff free status. That was considered especially important at a time when China and South Korea are set to conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement, which could give Korean products a competitive advantage.

In 2013, Taiwan ranked as the fourth largest machine tool exporter, after Germany, Japan and Italy. According to the Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders Association (TMBA), that year Taiwan sold US$3.55 billion worth of machine tools overseas, down 16.2 percent from a year earlier due to a global economic slowdown.

However, in the first eight months of this year, Taiwan's machine tool exports totaled US$2.49 billion, a 5.7 percent increase over the same period of 2013, as the world's economy was on the way to recovery.

Goodway Machine Corp., one of the local machine tool exporters which are upbeat about the fourth quarter outlook, said that it has secured about NT$2.4 billion (US$78.94 million) in orders for the three-month period.

The company said it has benefited from its niche products for certain sectors, such as the automotive, precision and medical industries, adding that it was possible for it to achieve its goal of generating NT$7.5 billion in sales for 2014.

Awea Mechantronic Co. said one plant located in Wujiang of Suzhou has started commercial production since the third quarter of this year to roll out customized computer numerical control (CNC) so its shipments for the fourth quarter could grow, accordingly.

Tong Tai Machine Tool Co. said that it has won orders worth about NT$2.5 billion for the fourth quarter, higher than that of the third quarter, due to solid demand for CNC and machine tools used by the automotive industry use.

Despite optimism toward the fourth quarter, the local machine tool sector remained worried over a China-South Korea FTA, which could hurt Taiwan's competitive edge in the huge China market in the future, local manufacturers said.

In 2013, China was the largest buyer of Taiwan's machine tools, accounting for 33.6 percent of the total exports, the TMBA statistics showed.

Local manufacturers are eager to see Taiwan cut a deal with China in the talks to eliminate tariffs on Taiwanese machine tool exports in the cross-strait trade-in-goods agreement, manufacturers said, adding that otherwise, they will encounter threats from South Korea.

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aeco/201410110010.aspx

Pre-engineered System loads and unloads machine tools.

Using vision guided robotics to tend machine tools, FlexMT™ can handle most any size and type of part, and is compatible with wide range of machine tools, including horizontal and vertical lathes, machining centers, 5-axis machines, and grinders. Modular system comes with choice of 2- or 3-finger gripper, and both infeed and outfeed conveyor. FlexMT 20 features ABB IRB 2600 robot with 20 kg payload and 1.65 m reach, while FlexMT 60 features ABB IRB 4600 robot with 60 kg payload and 2.05 m reach. 

The turnkey system increases machine tool utilization by up to 60%, can handle most any part, and is compatible with a wide range of machine tools

• Increased productivity: Increased spindle utilization by as much as 60%
• Reduction in operational costs: Suited for small batch runs and volume production
• Standardized, flexible and simple: Pre-built, quick installation, easy programming
• Health & Safety: Improved working environment

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — ABB Robotics has introduced the FlexMT™, a flexible, pre-engineered system designed to load and unload machine tools using vision guided robotics. Designed for both small batch and high volume production, the FlexMT increases spindle utilization by up to 60% over manual machine tending. The system can handle most any size and type of part, and is compatible with a wide range of machine tools, including horizontal and vertical lathes, machining centers, 5-axis machines and grinders.

The FlexMT comes equipped with a choice between a two- or three-finger gripper, and both an infeed and outfeed conveyor. With six standard plug-and-play options, including two separate deburring tools, a re-grip table, a needle marking unit, a turn station, and an air cleaning box, the modular system is capable of handling a variety of additional manufacturing operations.

Available in two variants: the FlexMT 20, which features an ABB IRB 2600 robot, with a 20kg payload and a 1.65m reach; and the FlexMT 60, which features an ABB IRB 4600 robot, with a 60kg payload and a 2.05m reach. The turnkey automation system comes complete with a robot controller inside its fully integrated control cabinet, providing easy and precise control of the robot, vision, conveyors and machine tool.

“ABB puts a lot of effort into creating solutions which are truly innovative and address the real needs of our customers,” says Frank-Peter Kirgis, global business line manager for ABB. “With the FlexMT we’ve hit many of our customers leading concerns. The solution is easy, fast and flexible to set up and program; all things our customers demand. The FlexMT can also give small and medium size companies a higher degree of automation.”

By facilitating a steady and predictable machine tool utilization of up to 90%, the FlexMT increases the approximate 50% spindle utilization of manual machine tending by as much as 60%. This provides a sustainable competitive advantage and a ROI in many cases of less than a year.

Additional system benefits include:
• Reduced operational cost and complexity: The vision guidance component reduces operational cost and complexity by allowing the FlexMT to recognize variations in part size and geometrical shape, and enabling it to pick and place parts that are presented on the conveyor in differing positions. The FlexMT can be used with existing machine tools and can run free from operator supervision for up to eight hours.
• Easy system set-up and programming: Control and communications with the robot are tightly integrated into the software, providing a very simple and intuitive set-up and teach-in. With one of the easiest to use operator interfaces on the market, teaching of a new part is possible in less than 10 minutes.
• Improved health and safety: The self-contained nature of the FlexMT improves working conditions by drastically reducing workplace injury related to heavy lifting, exposure to hazardous conditions including the presence of coolants, sharp edges, burrs, tooling and other dangers.

http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/Pre-engineered-System-loads-and-unloads-machine-tools-20031308 

MACH 2014 - 1st Machine Tool Accessories to reveal three new Kitagawa products

The ultra-compact fourth axis is suited to mounting BT30-taper machining centre tables, but provides manufacturers with a larger machining envelope on any size of machine. The thin profile also makes the NC table ideal for use with an opposing trunnion for securing and rotating a workpiece between centres in limited working areas. If so, it may be orientated in the horizontal or vertical plane. Detailed specifications include a 114 mm diameter table, 65 mm through-hole (for the CK160), 140 mm centre height, 340 Nm pneumatic clamping and 41.6 rpm maximum rotating speed. Indexing accuracy is 20 arc-seconds, with 4 arc-seconds repeatability. Workpieces up to 160 kg can be supported when the table is mounted horizontally, or 80 kg in the vertical. The second new product is a small power chuck with quick-change jaws, the QJR 07. The unit joins the existing QJR 08,10 and 12 models, all of which are interchangeable with the company's large, through-hole B and BB series. QJR chucks avoid the need for long-stroke cylinders or a reduction in gripping force. (Video above shows QJR chucks in general) The latest QJR 07 has a maximum gripping force of 60 kN, a 53 mm through-hole and can be run at up to 6,000 rpm. Manufactured from high grade alloy steel, the units have base jaws that are rapidly and simply changed using a manually-operated wrench. The units feature metric serrations to accommodate a wide variety of popular jaw types, including standard Kitagawa soft jaws. The chucks are, therefore, ideal for small and large batch production. The last of the trio of new introductions are rests for shaft machining on lathes and grinding machines. The wide range boasts a high level of build quality to ensure accuracy and safety on the shopfloor. Different versions encompass fixed or travelling positioning, vertical loading, crank shaft turning, models with an actuating cylinder, compact designs for restricted work areas and heavy duty models for components weighing up to 40 tonnes. Elsewhere on the stand, will be an Iemca Boss 21 bar magazine, which can be used with both sliding-head and fixed-head lathes. A compact model for feeding bar from 5 to 51 mm in diameter and with a maximum length of just over 2 m, it is said to be ideal if a long barfeeder is required but space restricted. Less material is lost through remnants than if a shorter bar is used and longer periods of unattended running are possible. The unit is actuated by an asynchronous motor, with the position of the stock is encoder controlled, while the remnant collector is at the rear of the magazine, together with the oil tank. A second Iemca barfeeder will be on show, the established KID 80, suitable for all types of single-spindle lathe, whether fixed- or sliding-head, CNC or cam-controlled. It can accept bar diameters from 5 to 80 mm and in lengths from just 90 mm to a maximum of 1,615 mm. Operation is entirely mechanical, without the need for a compressed air connection, assuring reliable performance and efficiency.

On show for the first time in the UK will be a master plate and segment system from US firm Abbott. Ideal for turning larger diameter workpieces, the arrangement consists of an aluminium master plate, similar to a thin pie jaw, which is pre-drilled and keyed to accommodate Abbott's standard, off-the-shelf segment rings.

- See more at: http://www.machinery.co.uk/machinery-news/1st-machine-tool-accessories-kitagawa-workholding/60356/#sthash.okkdZJ5s.dpuf

- See more at: http://www.machinery.co.uk/machinery-news/1st-machine-tool-accessories-kitagawa-workholding/60356/#sthash.okkdZJ5s.dpuf