Perhaps the most common way to automate a CNC lathe is with a bar feed. The lathe that is served by this device can machine piece after piece as the stock advances, converting a bar of material into a batch of finished parts. Since operator attention might not be needed until the next time a bar is loaded, lights-out machining is possible with this system.Get more news about Automatic Cnc Lathe,you can vist our website!
However, there are costs to this type of automation. The bar feed is a precision machine tool in its own right, with both the price and the maintenance requirements that this implies. In addition, the bar feed imposes a cost in terms of floorspace. This machine might occupy a larger footprint than the lathe itself—a serious consideration for facilities in which space is at a premium. For these plants and shops in particular, EMCO Maier sees its swing loader as an automation alternative.
The swing loader is an option for the company’s Hyperturn and Maxxturn CNC turning centers. This option essentially provides the machine with its own built-in automation. A compact part-loading arm resides and moves entirely inside the machine housing—comparable to the automatic toolchanger within a machining center, except with programmability, greater range of motion, and a selection of end-of-arm grippers. The option is most commonly used to load castings or forgings, but it also provides a way to load blanks from pre-cut bar stock.
In the simplest configuration of the swing-loader-equipped machine, parts wait within an inclined chute for the loader to grab them as needed. This chute can be partitioned into separate channels so that blanks of different diameters or material types can wait in parallel, allowing the unattended machine to switch between different part numbers in any programmed sequence. Alternately, workpieces can also be delivered to loader using a timed conveyor.
If the swing loader is used to load pre-cut blanks in place of using a barfeed, then of course a saw has to be factored into the cost of the system. A single saw is sufficient to support several turning centers using the swing loader option. In fact, producing blanks this way might actually make the machining process more efficient, because a simple operation—cutoff—gets shifted away from higher-value machines and onto a low-cost saw.
One of the largest vertical turning and milling centers in the country will be installed in this Cincinnati-area job shop. Although installing the foundation for this huge machine was a massive undertaking, the company is building on other “foundations” as well.
A leading manufacturer of high-performance valve train components installed a twin spindle/twin-turret lathe to bring camshaft machining work in-house. Here, the company explains how it has become more effective using its multifunction lathe to produce small batches of custom racing camshafts.
Both small and medium series can easily be handled by the HALTER LoadAssistant, which is compatible with every new and existing CNC lathes. Your CNC lathe operator can operate the robot arm for loading of any workpieces with a diameter of 10-300 mm. The HALTER LoadAssistant quickly increases your flexibility and efficiency, even in small series. The robot is affordable, flexible and easy to move to another CNC machine. The payback period is less than a year.
The installation is performed quickly, the operation is learned immediately, and no robotic experience is required. Therefore you can immediately optimize your CNC lathe’s performance!