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AD&P; > May 2014 > On Mfg 44 ON MFG ON MFG p Nikon ofers video measurement systems that combine accuracy with the ability to handle larger parts. One variant of the iNEXIV system combines video and touch- probe measurement capability. p Multitasking machine from Okuma is both productive and intelligence, making quick work of complex machining operations. p The Heller 4500 horizontal machining center features "Heller Blue," technology that helps provide energy efciency, as in operating pumps and motors when required. Efcient for Energy, Too It pretty much goes without saying that the H 4500 four-axis machining center from Heller Machine Tools ( heller-us.com ) is productive. That is, the machine, which has a HSK-A 100 spindle, a 500 x 630-mm pallet, 800-mm X, Y and Z-axis strokes (the pallet size is 500 x 630 mm), accelerates at 8 m/sec 2 , ofers a rapid traverse of up to 90 m/ min, and chip-to-chip time of as little as 2.5 sec, is also engineered to be energy efcient. Energy savings of up to 30% can be achieved with the machining center compared with conventional models. Rather than running the air, coolant and hydraulics all the time that the machine is on, these units are operated as required. That helps save energy. The company is referring to this approach to energy-efcient machine design as "Heller Blue." The standard spindle is a 10,000-rpm, 38-kW unit that provides 242 Nm of torque. The H 4500 is available with an optional 500-Nm, 52-kW, 12,500-rpm spindle—for "Power Speed Cutting"—that provides the torque necessary to machine tough iron and steel, yet the speeds that facilitate throughput when lighter alloys are being machined. Control is via a Siemens Sinumerik 840D or Fanuc 31i-B CNC. Video for Measuring Operations A solution for measuring large and tall mechanical parts is ofered by Nikon Metrology ( nikonmetrology.com ) in the form of two systems, the iNEXIV VMA-4540V and 4540, which ofer a 450 x 400 x 200-mm stage stroke for fast measuring operations. A feld-of-view (FOV) of up to 13 x 10 mm (at 0.35x) facilitates search and alignment of measuring targets. There is a specially designed Apochromat objective lens with high numerical aperture (0.11) and low distortion that provides crisp, clear images. There are episcopic, diascopic and 8-segment ring LED illuminators. There is autofocus (AF) capability, including an optional Laser AF for accurate height measurement of fat surfaces. While the VMA-4540V is video-only, the 4540 system can be ftted with optional Renishaw ( renishaw.com ) TP20 or TP200 touch probes, thereby ofering the ability to measure 3D parts when the features to be measured are not visible from above (e.g., the inner diameter of an oil seal). To simplify things, both video and touch-probe measurements are captured in a single fle. Made for Multitasking Because plenty of parts require more than one type of machining, Okuma ( okuma.com ) is ofering various multitasking machines, including the MULTUS U3000 and MULTUS U4000 multitasking machines. Both are 8 to 10-in. chuck class machines that are equipped with an automatic tool changer (40 tools standard; 80 tools optional) and an optional subspindle and lower turret. Both have a 240° B-axis range with 12,000 rpm H1-milling spindle with dual function capability. The H1 spindle uses CAPTO C6 tooling; the milling spindle motor is rated at 30-hp (intermittent). The H1-turret has a 0.001 degree B-axis which is provided by a traveling column-type Y-axis feed. The diference between the two machines is that the Y-axis range of the U3000 is 9.84 in. and it is 11.81 in. for the U4000 machine. The optional left and right spindles have a full contouring C-axis. The optional lower turret improves throughput and process balance. The machines are ftted with the Okuma THINC-OSP-P300 control. Not only does this controller provide functions including Collision Avoidance, but it has built-in intelligence such that the amount of necessary keystroke operations can be reduced by as much as 50%, which means more times cutting metal. 0514ADP On Mfg.indd 44 4/22/2014 1:35:42 PM