CGTech has announced that it will exhibit version seven of its Vericut CNC machine simulation and optimisation software at Mach 2010.

The company said Vericut v7 features enhancements that reduce the time required for manufacturing engineers to develop, analyse, inspect and document the CNC programming and machining process.

CGTech VERICUT 7 software reduces the time for developing, analysing, inspecting and documenting CNC programming and machining.

CGTech said for Vericut v7, it had focused on the customer’s use of the software and how it could be improved.

John Reed, managing director at CGTech, said: ‘We modified the user interface to create a more natural and obvious sequence to the most common user actions.

‘The user’s interaction has a top-down flow through its graphical tree layout, with context-sensitive choices that appear as the user moves along in the NC program simulation.

‘We also focused on system and graphics performance,’ he added.

Vericut is CNC machine simulation, verification and optimisation software that enables users to eliminate the process of manually proving-out NC programs.

It is said to reduce scrap loss and rework.

The program also optimises NC programs in order to save time and produce a higher-quality surface finish.

Vericut simulates all types of CNC machine tools, including complex multi-axis machines from manufacturers including DMG, Mori Seiki, Mazak, Makino and Matsuura.

The software runs standalone, but can also be integrated with CAM systems such as Catia v5, Siemens NX, Pro/E, MasterCAM, EdgeCAM, GibbsCAM, Delcam Powermill, Missler TopsolidCAM and Open Mind Hypermill.http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/cgt/cgt143.html

The basic engine lathe, one of the most widely used machine tools, is very versatile when used by a skilled machinist. However, it is not particularly efficient when many identical parts must be machined as rapidly as possible. As far back as 1850 there were efforts to develop variations of an engine lathe that could be operated by a relatively unskilled person for mass-producing machined parts. The cutting tools were preset, or “set up” by a skilled machinist, and usually several cutting tools were in operation at the same time, reducing the time spent in machining each part. This is still the basic concept on which mass-production type lathes are based.

The turret lathe and automatic screw machine in their various forms have been developed and improved with the objectives of producing machined parts more rapidly and accurately at lower cost. On most machines of this type, the power available at the spindle has been greatly increased to take advantage of better cutting tool material. Mechanical power, in electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic form, has replaced human muscle power for such functions as feeding tools, operating chucks or collets and feeding bar stock in the machine.

Lathes and Lathe Components
Of the many standard and special types of turning machines that have been built, the most important, most versatile and most widely recognized is the engine lathe. The standard engine lathe is not a high production machine, but it can be readily tooled up for many one-piece or short-run jobs. It is also possible to modify the basic machine for many higher production applications. The modern engine lathe provides a wide range of speeds and feeds which allow optimum settings for almost any operation. There have been advances in headstock design to provide greater strength and rigidity. This allows the use of high-horsepower motors so that heavy cuts with carbide tools are practical. To utilize this high power without losing accuracy, new lathes incorporate heavier beds, wider hardened ways and deeper-sectioned carriages.

Headstock: The headstock is the powered end and is always at the operator’s left. This contains the speed changing gears and the revolving, driving spindle, to which any one of several types of work holders is attached. The center of the spindle is hollow so that long bars may be put through it for machining.

Tailstock: The tailstock is non-rotating but on hardened ways, it can be moved, to the left or right, to adjust to the length of the work. It can also be offset for cutting small-angle tapers.

Carriage: The carriage can be moved left or right either by hand wheel or power feed. This provides the motion along the Z axis. During this travel turning cuts are made.

Apron: The apron attached to the front of the carriage, holds most of the control levers. These include the levers that engage and reverse the feed lengthwise (Z axis) or crosswise (X axis), and the lever that engages the threading gears.

Cross Slide: The cross slide is mounted on the carriage and can be moved in and out (X axis) perpendicular to the carriage motion. This is the part that moves when facing cuts are made with power feed, or at any time a cut must be made “square” with the Z axis. This, or the compound, is also used to set the depth of cut when turning. The cross slide can be moved by its hand wheel or by power feed. .

Compound Rest: The compound rest, or compound for short, is mounted on the carriage. It can be moved in and out by its hand wheel for facing or for setting the depth of cut. It can also be rotated 360 degrees and fed by its hand wheel at any angle. The compound does not have any power feed but it always moves longitudinally with the cross slide and the carriage.

Tool Post: The tool post is mounted on the compound rest. This can be any of several varieties but in its simplest form is merely a slotted cylinder that can be moved left or right in the T-slot in the compound and clamped in place. It can also be rotated so as to present the cutter to the work at whatever angle is best for the job.

Bed: The bed of the lathe is its backbone. It must be rigid enough to resist deflection in any direction under load. The bed is made of cast iron or a steel weldment, in a box or I-beam shape, and is supported on legs, a cabinet or a bench.

Ways: The ways of the lathe are the flat or V-shaped surfaces on which the carriage and the tailstock are moved left and right. Each has its separate pair of ways, often one flat surface, for stability, and one V-way for guidance in a perfectly straight line. These ways are hardened and scraped or ground to close tolerances. The basic accuracy of movement of the carriage depends on the ways.

Size: The size of a lathe is specified by two or three dimensions:

• The largest diameter workpiece that will clear the bed of the lathe. The center is the headstock spindle center.
• The largest diameter workpiece that will clear the cross slide is sometimes also specified.
• The longest workpiece that can be held on centers between the headstock and the tailstock.

Turret Lathe
The standard engine lathe is versatile, but it is not a high-production machine. When production requirements are great, more automated turning machines must be used. The turret lathe represents the first step from the engine lathe toward the high production turning machines. The turret lathe is similar to the engine lathe except that tool-holding turrets replace the tailstock and the tool post compound assembly. These machines possess special features that adapt them to production. The “skill of the worker” is built into these machines, making it possible for inexperienced operators to reproduce identical parts. In contrast, the engine lathe requires a skilled operator and requires more time to produce parts that are dimensionally the same.

The principal characteristic of turret lathes is that the tools for consecutive operations are set up for use in the proper sequence. Although skill is required to set and adjust the tools properly, once they are correct, less skill is required to operate the turret lathe. Many parts can be produced before adjustments are necessary. These machines are normally used for small to medium-sized production runs where the engine lathe is too slow but the additional production rate desired does not warrant a special machine.

Square and Hex Turrets: A square turret is mounted on the top of the cross slide and is capable of holding four tools. If several different tools are required, they are set up in sequence and can be quickly indexed and locked in correct working position. So that cuts can be duplicated, the slide is provided with positive stops or feed trips. Likewise, the longitudinal position of the entire assembly may be controlled by positive stops on the left side of the apron. Cuts may be taken with square turret tools and with tools mounted on the hexagon turret simultaneously.

An outstanding feature is the turret in place of the tailstock. This turret mounted on either the sliding ram or the saddle, or on the back of the structure, carries anywhere from 4 to 18 tool stations. The tools are preset for the various operations. The tools are mounted in proper sequence on the various faces of the turret so that as the turret indexes between machining operations, the proper tools are engaged into position. For each tool there is a stop screw or electric/electronic transducer, which controls the distance the tool will feed and cut. When this distance is reached, an automatic trip lever stops further movement of the tool by disengaging the drive clutch.

Like the engine lathe, the modern turret lathe provides fast spindle speeds, wide speed and feed ranges, high power and great rigidity. The machine is operated in the high end of its speed range more than the engine lathe is, partly because the tools placed in the turret often work on small diameters on the workpiece, but also because the operator is more production conscious.

Horizontal Turret Lathes:
Horizontal turret lathes are made in two general designs and are known as the ram and saddle types. The ram-type turret lathe has the turret mounted on a slide or ram that moves back and forth on a saddle clamped to the lathe bed. The saddle-type turret lathe has the turret mounted directly on a saddle, which moves back and forth with the turret.

Vertical Turret Lathes:
A vertical turret lathe resembles a vertical boring mill, but it has the characteristic turret arrangement for holding the tools. It consists of a rotating chuck or table in the horizontal position with the turret mounted above on a cross rail. In addition, there is at least one side head provided with a square turret for holding tools. All tools mounted on the turret or side head have their respective stops set so that the length of cuts can be the same in successive machining cycles. It is, in effect, the same as a turret lathe standing on the headstock end, and it has all the features necessary for the production of duplicate parts. This machine was developed to facilitate mounting, holding and machining of large diameter heavy parts. Only chucking work is done on this kind of machine.

A vertical turret lathe, shown below, is provided with two cutter heads: the swiveling main turret head and the side head. The turret and side heads function in the same manner as the hexagonal and square turrets on a horizontal lathe. To provide for angle cuts both the ram and turret heads may be swiveled 30 degrees right or left of center.

The machine can be provided with a control that permits automatic operation of each head including rate and direction of feed, change in spindle feed, indexing of turret, starting and stopping. Once a cycle of operations is preset and tools are properly adjusted, the operator need only load, unload and start the machine. Production rate is increased over those manually operated machines, because they operate almost continuously and make changes from one operation to another without hesitation or fatigue. By reducing the handling time, and making the cycle automatic, an operator can attend more than one machine.

The turret lathe normally has a jawed chuck to hold the workpiece; however, a collet may be more suitable when producing parts from bar stock. A turning machine equipped with a collet and a turret is called a screw machine, but it is actually a special turret lathe. The special features of screw machines are aimed primarily at reducing idle time on the parts being machined, thereby increasing productivity.

Advantages of Turret Lathes
The difference between the engine and turret lathes is that the turret lathe is adapted to quantity production work, whereas the engine lathe is used primarily for miscellaneous jobbing, tool room or single-operation work.

Automated Equipment
There are turning machines that permit automatic chucking, indexing, feeding, spindle speed changes and other work that has to be done by the operator on the engine lathe. These automatic lathes represent a refinement of the turret lathe, and they are particularly suitable for long run, mass production applications.

Automatic lathes may be made up as single-spindle or multiple-spindle machines. Generally, single-spindle machines provide for turning the workpiece, which is held in a collet or chucked on the headstock. Multiple spindle automatic lathes usually provide means for indexing the workpiece to tools mounted on the various spindles. These tools might include drills, countersinks, boring bars and other rotating cutters. Both single- and multiple-spindle automatics may be made up with vertical as well as horizontal spindle alignment.

As far as the machining processes on an automatic lathe are concerned, the fundamental considerations are the high speeds desired for good productivity, the economics of the cutting process, and the balancing of speeds on various phases of the operation to obtain the desired rate of wear on each cutting tool.

Single-Spindle Automatic Lathes
The majority of single-spindle automatic lathes are designed to machine workpieces that are located between two centers. Some, however, hold the workpiece in a chuck, collet, or specially designed fixture. Most have horizontal spindles. A conventional single-spindle automatic lathe has six major components: base, bed and ways; headstock; work spindle; front tool slide; rear tool slide.

Tooling: Any of the several available workpiece holders that are suitable for the particular application may be used, including chucks, faceplate drives, collets and specially designed fixtures. Chucks, where used, should be power operated to avoid the time lost to manually actuate chucks.

Toolholders are normally designed with slots to locate, and clamps to hold individual cutting tools in their required locations. The assembled toolholders are, in turn, keyed and clamped in a specific location on the front and rear tool slides.

Applications: Axle and transmission shafts, gear blanks, pump drives and pinions are all particularly well suited for machining on single-spindle automatic lathes. In fact, almost any machinable metal part falling within its size capacity that can be chucked, fixtured or run between centers is a potential candidate for this machine. Single-spindle automatic lathes perform turning, facing, chamfering, grooving and forming operations, and are usually used for parts with moderate production rates.

Single-Spindle Automatic Screw Machines
Automatic screw machines are the present-day developments of earlier machines whose only function was the production of screws. Modern machines not only retain thread-cutting capabilities but also are capable of performing all turning operations. These machines produce a wide range of parts from bar stock fed through a hollow work spindle. Some machines are arranged to produce parts from coil stock.

Single-spindle automatic screw machines have horizontal hollow spindles aligned with stock feeding tubes. Most are cam controlled but camless versions, sometimes NC- or CNC-controlled, are more flexible and quickly set up, making them more suitable for shorter production runs. Machines are available in several sizes and have six major components: base, headstock, hollow work spindle, front tool slide, rear tool slide and turret.

The feedrates and motion of tool slides are controlled by cams or hydraulics. Spindle speeds are changed to suit workpiece diameter/material by means of change gears in the machine base. Bar stock is fed automatically to a swing stop, or a turret stop, after each part is completed and cut off. The collet is automatically released during stock advances.

Tooling: Round, square, hex, and other standard-shape collets are available in sizes to suit commercial bar stock sizes. Specials are also made to suit.

Applications: Single-spindle automatic screw machines are used to produce an extremely wide range of small parts including shafts, pins, knobs, screws, bolts and so on, from any machinable metal. Flats and slots can be milled and cross holes drilled. It is normal for one operator to operate several machines, the number depending on the frequency required for reloading bar stock and adjusting or changing tools.

Multiple-Spindle Automatic Bar and Chucking Machines
Conventional multiple-spindle automatic bar and chucking machines have two major advantages over single-spindle automatics-both of which reduce the time required to produce a part:

• The multiple-spindle machine performs work on each of its working stations concurrently; it is also possible to complete a different operation on a part at each position within the same time.
• The maximum time required to complete one piece is the time required for the longest cut, plus index time, and in certain instances the longest cut can be broken up into increments. For example, a drilled hole that is the longest cut of a certain part may be completed in three or more positions.

Part sizes and complexity of design can be accommodated equally well on multi-spindle or single-spindle machines. Shorter changeover time favors single-spindle machines for short production runs, but the shorter machining time per piece of the multi-spindle machine makes it more economical for long runs.

Multiple-Spindle Vertical Automatic Chucking Machines
Multiple-spindle vertical automatic chucking machines are manufactured by several machine tool builders in several sizes and models, ranging from four to eight spindles. One maker supplies a 16-spindle machine that is, in reality double spindles for each position of an 8-spindle machine.

These machines use less floor space than an equivalent horizontal model and are more flexible in application. They do not, however, accept bar stock. Some other advantages are that they are convenient to load, operate and adjust or change tooling.

Computer-Controlled Lathes
In the most advanced lathes, movement and control of the machine and its components are actuated by computer numerical controls (CNC). These lathes are usually equipped with one or more turrets. Each turret is equipped with a variety of tools and performs several operations on different surfaces of the workpiece.

These machines are highly automated, the operations are repetitive, and they maintain the desired accuracy. They are suitable for low to medium volumes of production.

George Schneider, Jr., is the author of Cutting Tool Applications, a handbook to machine tool materials, principles, and designs. He is the Professor Emeritus of Engineering Technology at Lawrence Technological University, and former Chairman of the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

http://www.americanmachinist.com/304/Issue/Article/False/85478/Issue

The custom manufacturing and machining marketplace debuts its latest job shops specializing in custom parts and machined components  St. Louis, Missouri – In a move to further help American machine shops compete globally with foreign manufacturers, MFGmatch.net, the first interactive custom manufacturing marketplace on the Web free for both the buyer and the seller introduced its new and improved US-focused CNC Precision Machining trade portal. The company reported in a press release sent to Missouri media sources the site includes offerings for a variety of machining services from manufacturers in the United States specializing in made-to-order parts, metal machined components, industrial parts and other custom products.

According to Maria Santos, an MFGmatch.net spokesperson, the newly introduced site provides access to a Precision Machining Directory. The publication has been co-created with the Industrial Leaders Group (ILG), parent company of MFGmatch and a leading online publisher of 30 plus buying guides and directories for the manufacturing and engineering communities. Santos said the custom manufacturing publication services as a useful resource for companies sourcing for made-to-order industrial parts, molded plastics, rubber components and other custom made items.

“It’s common knowledge China, India and other Asian countries are difficult for U.S. job shops to compete with due to their low manufacturing costs as a result of lower wages and operating expenses,” said Donald LaBelle, CEO of MFGmatch.net and founder of ILG. He concluded, “Our mission is to help promote and generate business opportunities for American machine shops and other custom manufacturers. Thus, we designed MFGmatch to show nationwide buyers of custom made products that the United States is often the better choice for machining services and doing business locally can in the long run be more cost effective.”

About MFGmatch.net

MFGmatch.net is a free custom manufacturing online marketplace for machine shops, product designers, engineers, foundries and other companies looking to buy and sell machines parts, precision components and other custom manufacturing services in local, national and international markets.

http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=167652&Itemid=33

Kail has acquired a Matsuura H+630 twin-pallet horizontal machining centre and a Toshiba TMF-10 Vertical Turning Centre from Leader CNC.

With a 26kW table motor and an 11kW spindle motor set upon a fully cast base that gives the TMF-10 an overall weight of over 11 tonnes, the Toshiba met rigidity and power requirements.

Ray Welsh, Kail general manager, said: ‘We had to consider the work envelope of the machine and, above all, the ability to machine as many faces as possible without repeatedly re-setting the castings.

‘The Toshiba has a rotating 1m bed with a 700mm working height that gives us sufficient working space, which drastically reduced setup times.

The setups are further reduced and production cycles improved, with a 24-tool carousel with driven tooling that enables the subcontractor to maintain its tool settings for its 20 to 30 castings that incorporate hundreds of internal component variations.

He added: ‘The bores on the castings vary from 2 to 8in diameter and this demands heavy machining on difficult materials.

‘The Toshiba has BT50 taper tooling that conveniently interchanges with the new Matsuura and, when fitted into an extremely rigid and robust machine, our tool life is drastically improved.

‘The rigidity of the Toshiba TMF-10 has improved surface finishes and production time, while improving tool life by over 100 per cent.

‘We can now take 4-5mm deep cuts with confidence in the rigidity and power of the Toshiba.

Welsh added: ‘This has improved tool life over 100 per cent and cycle times by over 50 per cent.

The machine operators are also said to be finding the Fanuc 18iT control system extremely user friendly.

The graphics system on the control simplify processes, while the canned cycle programme simplifies drilling and tapping on a PCD.

Added to this is the capability to utilise the Toshiba TMF-10 as a turning centre, as well as a machining centre.

Leader CNC installed the machine tool to the specific needs of Kail.

This involved moving the coolant sump to the side of the machine from the front to enable a fork lift to load and unload heavy components into the work envelope.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/led/led138.html

(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/82eea8/china_cnc_machine) has announced the addition of the “China CNC Machine Tool Industry Report, 2009″ report to their offering.

After three decades of development, the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) rate of China machine tools by output value increased from 26.2% in 2001 to 55.8% in 2009. During the first eleven months of 2009, China produced 139,000 CNC machine tools, including 125,000 sets of CNC metal cutting machine tool and 9,628 sets of CNC forming machine tool. It is evaluated that China’s output of CNC machine tool will be 150,000 sets in 2009.

In China, CNC machine tool is mainly produced in Liaoning, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In 2009, the output of three provinces accounted for 29%, 23% and 19% of the total output respectively. By region, Eastern China produced the largest amount of CNC machine tools, accounting for 49% of the total output, while the output of Northern China took 28%.

The report introduces the output of CNC machine tool, import and export, regional production as well as key manufacturers. The analysis on China CNC machine tool industry can be taken as a reference for investors.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Overview of China CNC Machine Tool Industry
2. Development of China CNC Machine Tool Industry
3. Upstream and Downstream of China CNC Machine Tool Industry
4. Segments of China CNC Machine Tool Industry
5. Regional CNC Machine Tool Markets
6. Key CNC Machine Tool Enterprises in China
7. Development Trends of China CNC Machine Tool Industry
8. Investment Opportunities and Risks

Companies Mentioned:

• BYJC-Okuma (Beijing) Machine Tool Co., Ltd.
• Doosan Infracore Machine Tool (Yantai) Co., Ltd.
• Little Giant Machine Tool Co., Ltd (LG Mazak)
• Qinchuan Machine Tool Group Co., Ltd.
• Qinghai Hua Ding Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Shandong FIN CNC Machine Co., Ltd.
• Shandong Ninglian Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
• Shandong Precion Group
• Shenji Group Kunming Machine Tool Company Limited
• Shenyang Machine Tool Co., Ltd.
• Tontec Technology Investment Group Co., Ltd.
• Weihai Huadong Automation Co. Ltd.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/82eea8/china_cnc_machine

Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907
Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

There’s no need to explain the advantages of barcodes for process and product quality monitoring, and producing engraved 2D data-matrix barcodes along with the human readable text directly on the CNC machining centers often reduce manufacturing costs significantly. But, using a standalone engraving machine to produce 2D data-matrix barcodes can cause manufacturing bottlenecks and add handling and setup time.

PRO 3 CAD/CAM prepares G-code programs produce 2D data-matrix barcodes on 3- or 4-axis CNC milling machines or multi axis lathes.

A new engraving software program, PRO 3 CAD/CAM from 2L inc. is available now, to prepare G-code programs for producing 2D data-matrix barcodes on 3- or 4-axis CNC milling machines or multi axis lathes. The developer says it allows users to conduct Direct Part Marking (DPM) using standard 2L engraving tools with installed CNC equipment. No special equipment or machines are required to begin engraving the barcodes.

PRO 3 is a full-featured, simple-to-use drawing program that produces standard G-code NC files that are compatible with virtually any CNC controller. So, users can produce 2D data-matrix barcodes with their existing CNC equipment.

The program creates precise engraving layouts using multiple fonts, drawn shapes, lines and incremental serial numbers along with 2D data-matrix barcodes. Engraving layouts can be precisely located using reference geometry or guidelines; layout orientation, alignment, spacing and size of multiple instances of text are easy to manage.

The 2D data-matrix barcodes can be produced using any standard 2L engraving tool with either a rigid toolholder or a spring-loaded engraving tool.

“Our new program offers a complete easy to use solution for both the daily straightforward engraving jobs as well as the much more difficult engraving such as 4 axis engraving or programming multi axis lathes”, added the spokesman.

http://www.americanmachinist.com/304/Issue/Article/False/85401/Issue

Subcontractor GB Precision has invested in a Studer S21 CNC grinding machine, which is suitable for use on high-accuracy components for the aerospace sector.

Micronz LLP supplied the S21 at the end of November and it is already proving its worth on many tasks, including the machining of bespoke thread forms with a maximum pitch error of 1.5 microns and the grinding of tapered polygons on the end of otherwise cylindrical geometric forms.

The machine also handles a range of high-precision grinding tasks for GB Precision, including the creation of external and internal spherical forms, often required for bearing races for aerospace components, where the surface finish across the whole part and the form accuracy is of critical importance.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/gbp/gbp103.html

atest CNC routers are described as true ‘heavyweights’ by the builder who says they offer minimal maintenance and maximum machine performance and longevity and infinite ‘look ahead’ contouring.

Techno introduces the new Premium Class of CNC routers.

This new family of routers is a true heavyweight with the 59in x 96in travel unit weighing in at over 6000 lb.

These new CNC routers feature welded and stress relieved all steel construction plus THK rails, bearings and ball screws on all three axes to guarantee minimal maintenance and maximum machine performance and longevity.

They feature brushless closed loop servomotors for optimal performance, speed and accuracy.

These routers also feature infinite lock ahead high speed contouring to take advantage of the brushless servo capabilities.

This new router series comes standard with a heavy T-slot table and is also available with a vacuum table option that still allows the use of the T-slots.

This provides the flexibility of both clamping and vacuum hold down as the situation might require.

The Premium Class line of CNC Routers is ideal for the heaviest and most demanding production routing of plastics, wood, aluminum, composites, etc,.

Beyond the heavy-duty frame and design, the new Premium Class line comes standard with Techno’s easy to use Windows PC based interface for communicating with any CAD/CAM or sign making software that outputs industry standard GCODE.

Most major functions are just one-click away with the Techno CNC Interface, including: a built-in GCODE editor, toolpath preview, production logging and reporting and free lifetime software updates via the Internet to name a few.

The Premium Class is available in 4-standard sizes of 59in x 50in, 59in x 96in, 59in x 120in and 59in x 144in with special sizes available upon request.

The brochure, identified as H859 is available free upon request from Techno, 2101 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, New York 11042-5416.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/toi/toi104.html

Mills CNC has introduced the 360 Training Academy in recognition of the need for precision manufacturers to change existing manufacturing methods and business practices.

Jeff Hart, 360 Training Academy manager, said the academy was established and precision manufacturers looking to improve performance should consider CNC programmer training as a strategic and cost-effective way forward.

‘Through investing in high-quality training, manufacturers can get the most from their CNC machine tools by sharpening up the knowledge and skills of CNC machine tool programmers and operators, allowing commercial and bottom line benefits to be realised,’ he added.

Hart said that these benefits include: job set-up completed more quickly and more efficiently; time and resources spent checking and re-checking work is reduced, and the likelihood of having to re-work or scrap jobs is eliminated; machine tool utilisation is improved and production bottlenecks are avoided by being able to exploit the full functionality of machine tools; and higher-value contracts can be won more easily as manufacturers can demonstrate that they have the right people, with the right skills, to deliver on time and on budget.

The 360 Training Academy is part of Mills CNC, a UK machine tool supplier and exclusive distributor of Doosan CNC machine tools in the UK and Ireland.

All CNC programmer training courses have been designed and are delivered by industry experts.

The courses are practical and hands on - the emphasis being on ‘learning by doing’.

Courses take place at Mills CNC’s facility in Leamington, which allows course attendees direct access to the very latest Doosan CNC machine tools and the ability to try out their newly learned skills in real time and in a real manufacturing environment.

Fanuc programmer courses cover everything from two-axis lathes right through to multi-axis turning centres - and milling machines through to mill-turn centres - with specialist and advanced Custom Macro A and Macro B courses also available.

Heidenhain programmer courses cover all aspects of three-, four- and five-axis milling.

All 360 Training Academy CNC programmer courses are supported by course manuals (supplied to course attendees) and, following successful completion, all attendees receive a 360 Training Certificate that details the course they have attended and the skills they have acquired.

‘Although the 360 Training Academy is located at Mills CNC - you don’t have to be a Doosan machine tool user or existing Mills customer to attend these courses,’ said Hart.

‘Since the academy was launched in September 2009, more than 40 per cent of course attendees have been users of other CNC machine tools,’ he added.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/mil/mil197.html