ANCA is set to unveil a remarkable new machine capable of producing the highest accuracy and quality cutting tools in the world at IMTS 2022

Cutting tools continue to be an essential component across many industries, as these industries expand their own product range and complexity, manufacturers increasingly demand high-quality cutting tools that meet unique requirements. For cutting tool manufactures, deciding what technology to invest in should be driven by business goals and at IMTS, ANCA will present the grinding tech to tackle now — demonstrating the advantages of investing in a technologically advanced future.

Pat Boland, ANCA Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director, said: “Designing the best technology requires a multi-pronged approach. We immerse ourselves in the market; are continually inventing; keep a keen eye on new developments and bring them into our applications. We seek out intelligent, talented people, and interact with customers daily to understand their specific needs. This is how we design and manufacture our market-leading solutions.”

ANCA Inc General Manager Russell Riddiford is head of the Wixom, Michigan ANCA office and said: “With a long four-year wait since the last IMTS, I am excited to show our visitors the latest technological advancements from ANCA. We have not been idle between shows – once again ANCA has industry-first innovations launching in Chicago this year, and we will be presenting technology that helps solve the challenges faced by many manufacturers in the market.”

“We are also pretty excited to announce the winners of the fifth ANCA Tool of the Year competition on our stand at IMTS. The ‘Oscars’ of the cutting tool industry, the contest celebrates the deep experience and creativity of tool manufacturers across a highly skilled grinding industry,” Russell concluded.

TRULY INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING WITH AIMS

The ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System (AIMS) optimizes cutting tool production through streamlined manufacturing, automation, and connectivity. With ANCA and AIMS, customers can achieve continuous, unattended production that dramatically reduces non-productive machine time, with smart automation that connects sequential tool production processes and offers connectivity across the whole factory.

This is Industry 4.0 — factory-wide integration. The technology considers a factory as a single machine, rather than separating it into many different process elements. This is a powerful concept that brings together one ecosystem and builds it to be as efficient as possible. AIMS, being a modular solution, can be deployed in stages, allowing for easy, gradual, and smooth transition from traditional to automated and integrated manufacturing.

A fully operational manufacturing cell will be displayed at IMTS, demonstrating a fully automatic process of tool manufacturing, from blanks to ground tools. Included will be ANCA’s latest premium machine MX7 ULTRA capable of manufacturing high quality cutting tools, along with an AutoSet job preparation station, AutoLine for pallet and tool transfer as well as AutoFetch – a robot responsible for material transfer between processes – pallet and individual tools between job preparation, grinding and tool measurement on ZOLLER measuring machine.

Jan Irzyk, AIMS Product Manager said: “AIMS can be configured in many ways but at IMTS visitors can see an unattended manufacturing workflow of two varieties of endmills on one MX7 machine. An important part of this workflow is closed loop measurement and compensation process using ZOLLER Genius as a measurement station. Depending on an individual customer’s requirements, our system can automatically transfer a tool from the ground batch, clean it, measure required geometries and transfer the results to the respective grinder where grinding parameters compensation is taking place to achieve required dimensional tolerance of the batch.”

ANCA TOOL OF THE YEAR 2022 WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT IMTS

The fifth #ANCATooloftheYear2022 competition winners will be announced live at IMTS. The ‘Oscars’ of the cutting tool industry, the contest celebrates the deep experience and creativity of tool manufacturers across a highly skilled grinding industry.

Pat Boland, ANCA Co-Founder said: “Reviewing Tool of the Year entries I am always in awe of the passion and talent of customers that push our machines to their limits and create tooling masterpieces.”

PRESENTING THE CPX IN-PROCESS OD MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

The CPX in-process OD measurement system is a quality control system that monitors and controls the OD of ground blanks within a batch production.

Batch grinding on a CPX with high material removal rates and to tight tolerances is a basic function of the machine, the OD measurement system takes it further by utilizing the Statistical Process Control (SPC) feature that comes standard with the OD measurement software. SPC is user defined, the tolerances along with the Cp and CpK values are constantly monitored, controlled, and reported to the user.

The OD measurement system is permanently mounted inside the machine and only called upon when required, based on the set tolerances and the frequency of measurement, an accurate in-process measurement and compensation is applied to maintain the blank OD to the nominal diameter.

The system is flexible with the ability to handle multiple diameters in one setup, making it perfect for complex blank geometries/shapes and longer batch runs.

AUTOMARKX: ANCA’S AUTOMATIC LASER MARKING STATION

AutoMarkX is an automatic stand-alone laser marking station replacing manual and labor-intensive processes. It is AIMS Ready, which means it can be used as a standalone machine but could be easily integrated to your lights out, unmanned AIMS manufacturing cell with automatic pallet transfer using AutoFetch robot.

The AutoMarkX eliminates the need for manual laser marking which is a repetitive and labor-intensive job which could be automated and therefore saving you money. By avoiding manual handling, tool quality is protected by eliminating risk of chipping.

AutoMarkX accepts up to two full pallets of tools, which means you can mark a large batch of tools unmanned. Flexible marking means the message could be etched on a single side of the shank or, using the AMX’s new rotary workholding on opposite sides of the shank as well as at the end of tool. This new feature will be demonstrated for the first time at IMTS. This latest laser marking option is particularly useful for applications where a unique tool identification code (e.g. Datamatrix) needs to be etched on the tool. Codes like Datamatrix are usually etched on the shank where they risk the exposure to excessive surface wear, rendering them unreadable. The end of tool is the best location to etch this type of code to overcome this issue.

GCX LINEAR: GEAR UP FOR THE EV REVOLUTION

Driven by the automotive industry’s electrification and the general rise of e-mobility, the demand for skiving cutters has seen 30% year on year growth. The GCX Linear provides a complete solution for customers to tap into this rapidly developing market, including the ability to produce skiving cutters, shaper cutters and regrinding of hobs. It offers advanced stand-alone software to design and optimize the tool, neatly interfaced with the gear tool package inside ANCA’s renowned ToolRoom software.

The machine is designed for accuracy with features including all axes with LinX linear motors and an enhanced headstock. GCX Linear boasts a series of technologies: AEMS dressing, MTC on grinding spindle and dresser spindle, integrated gear tool measurement and direct compensation – setting the new standard for producing skiving tools that achieve the highest DIN AA quality class.

ANCA has developed a world-first integrated gear tool measurement system, which enables all the grinding-measuring-compensation to be done in the machine. This is the only practical closed-loop solution in the market and will be on display at IMTS as part of the skiving cutter production process on GCX Linear.

NEW TOOLROOM RN35 AND CIM3D PREVIEW

Besides demonstrations on ANCA’s industry leading ToolRoom and CIM3D software, visitors will have a special preview of the upcoming RN35 release.

ToolRoom RN35 focuses on productivity and cycle time improvements especially machine running costs. New process optimization features help to enable reduction in cycle time which in return provides better quality tools and wheel life. This includes automated reduction in air grinding time and gaps calculated based on tool simulation models. Some of the major enhancements include:

• Feedrate optimization – Integration of Q-Prime feature in ToolRoom software to achieve constant Material Removal Rate (MRR) based on wheel manufacturers specifications. This is done by calculating and controlling non-constant feedrate where applicable to achieve better cycle time and extended wheel life.
• Airtime Reduction – Automated reduction in airtime by optimizing gaps based on tool simulation models and wheel shapes.
• Statistical Process Control (SPC) – Gives control of your production process during high volume manufacturing by monitoring the variations due to wheel wear and other process-controlled activities. Process capability data can be graphically displayed or stored for future QC purposes or further evaluation. It also helps customers to control critical tool dimensions like diameter by updating wheels at regular intervals.
• Profile Fluting – Gives the ability to control and maintain hook/rake angle along the trajectory of the cutting edge on a given profile. Increases cutting performance and life of the tool due to uniform hook/rake angle along the edge.

Other features include in-process measurement of tool geometries, enhancement to profile software as well as several more.

FX7 RFID and LASERULTRA

The FX7 is fitted with ANCA’s Dynamic Tool Loading System, which is ideal for customers manufacturing or regrinding a wide and varied range of tools in small to medium size batches. The tool management system with RFID links unique tool programs to the correct tool in a loader pallet.  This works in conjunction with automated Schunk collet changing to allow unattended grinding of random tool diameters and types.

The FX7 robot loader also changes wheel packs based on the individual tool grinding program linked to the RFID coding. With a six-station wheel changer and the ability to change collets the ANCA FX7 with RFID is the ultimate automation package.

The FX7 is additionally fitted with new LaserUltra, for automated post process tool measurement within the grinding machine itself.  Measuring cutter profile and diameter to +/-0.002mm, LaserUltra can provide compensation feedback to ensure accuracy and consistency with unattended tool grinding operations.

Visit ANCA at IMTS at Booth 237406.

About ANCA

ANCA is a thriving business with over 1,200 employees and a world leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines, motion controls and sheet metal solutions. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide. ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.

www.anca.com

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