September 2010 Product Spotlight
Keyence recently released its new 3-axis MD-F3000 Fiber Laser Marker, representing a significant advancement in the evolution of direct part marking.
The MD-F delivers a full 30 watts of power directly on the target surface ensuring that dense, hard metals can be permanently marked and etched in a matter of milliseconds. The ultra-small head offers the smallest footprint in its class allowing for fast, easy installation in tight spaces. The MD-F’s head has a fanless design and is completely sealed from dirt and dust, making it perfect for metal processing and other harsh industrial environments. This provides greater stability, reduced maintenance, increased productivity and more mounting possibilities than ever before. Together with newly developed software, the MD-F offers the ideal combination of marking quality, speed, and ease of operation to meet the stringent marking requirements of today’s industries.
The MD-F3000 Series also incorporates Keyence's unique, proven 3-axis beam control system that debuted in the ML-Z9500 and MD-V9900 Series markers. The 3-axis design ensures that the MD-F provides high quality, distortion-free marking across the full 300mm x 300mm area without the need for costly mechanisms to index the target or marking head.
Combined with other standard laser marker features offered by Keyence, such as an internal power monitor, sample marking function, encoder inputs, date-time functionality, touch panel interface and storage of up to 2000 programs, the MD-F offers the optimum solution for any metal processing/marking application.
Keyence's Marking Builder-2 Software has also been upgraded with a new Quality Function which significantly reduces setup time. The Quality Function uniquely blends all of the advanced parameters entailed with creating high quality marks at high-speed into one set of options for a user to choose from. This makes it quick and easy to find the right settings to create the required mark in the desired time. Coupled with the 30W power of the MD-F, the marking time for high quality 1D or 2D codes is greatly reduced. The result is the ability to mark easy-to-read codes in-line, well within the production cycle time.
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Keyence
AER Control Systems Disk Pack mist and smoke collectors are setting a new and unparalleled standard in the industry and to the meaning of “going green.” Powered by the patented technology of Teslaira, this air cleaning equipment uses a set of precisely manufactured and spaced disks to create a boundary layer that repels contaminants from the air stream. At 99.9% efficiency, the disk pack eliminates the need for other filter media within the equipment for most applications.
If you’re thinking, “Oh yeah – I’ve seen this sort of thing in other manufacturer’s equipment”, you may want to think again. Originally developed for the US Department of Defense, this technology to-date has been in the market for evaluation purposes only, although it has been tested in dozens of different applications and by different metal working companies. It has just this year become available to the industry on a commercial basis through AER Control Systems.
Using Boundary Layer Momentum Transfer technology, or BLMT – the patented scientific principal behind the Disk Pack, this air cleaning equipment can be used for a wide range of applications without changing filters. Because it is NOT centrifugal technology but IS particle exclusion technology, it performs equally as well on a variety of contaminated inlet stream regardless of whether they contain water soluble coolant, straight oil or oily smoke. The AER Disk Pack also uses a Deadzone Shroud™ to improve equipment drainage and equalize flow, further enhancing equipment performance.
According to John Dixon, President of AER Control Systems, “the use of BLMT technology in the air cleaning industry is a paradigm shift and the most significant advancement in this industry in decades. It is the way that future filtration will be accomplished. And because the cost of the equipment is comparable to older traditional mist and smoke collection technologies, it will have a tremendous positive financial impact for metal working companies and our environment.”
At efficiency levels of 99.9% down to 2 microns or 99.65% for mass contaminant removal, the AER Disk Pack collectors are often the ONLY phase of filtration required, yielding a continuous duty, completely maintenance-free solution other than annually lubricating an easily accessible bearing within the equipment. When used in conjunction with HEPA filtration for heavy smoke applications, equipment efficiency reaches 99.97% down to 0.3 microns with the HEPA filter typically lasting one to two years.
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AER Control Systems
Verisurf recently released the 5th generation of its Verisurf X software. With Model-Based GD&T Inspection technology at its core, the all-new computer-aided inspection and reverse engineering software inspects parts faster and more accurately without any need for 2D drawings.
Verisurf Model-Based GD&T data can be:
- Imported from or created on virtually any 3D CAD/CAM model
- Inspected to manually or as part of an automated inspection process
- Reported on in a variety of industry formats
“The new X5 is loaded with innovative features that greatly expand the capability of metrology devices, yet this is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Ernie Husted, president of Verisurf. “Our new software has Model-Based GD&T Inspection at its core, making it possible to import Model-Based GD&T data, create it, inspect to it, and report on it.”
“No other inspection software implements GD&T inspection technology to our level,” added Husted. “It lets engineers say goodbye to 2D drawings and all of the additional time, money and inconsistencies that go with them.”
Additional Verisurf X5 features:
Verisurf’s new 3D Feature Scan technology automates the collection of discreet inspection points on 3D CAD models. This gives users all of the flexibility of non-contact 3D scanning without the time-consuming processing and issues associated with massive point clouds.
Verisurf’s new Database Write feature formats and writes inspection information to SPC applications and PLM databases used by major global manufacturers. The feature also supports Microsoft Access and SQL Server database formats for integrating Verisurf inspection data with numerous enterprise databases.
Verisurf’s enhanced Auto Inspection Planning now performs automatic calculation of composite positional tolerances, eliminating hours of Excel spreadsheet calculations and plotting by quality assurance personnel. Auto Inspection Planning also has a new deviation display column that continuously views all measured deviations.
Verisurf’s updated MEASURE module has new assembly guidance arrows with resizable digital readout panel. Working in conjunction with Verisurf’s industry leading Model-Based Inspection planning automation, the module helps users take more accurate measurements in the exact order and at the precise location needed.
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Verisurf
Quick and agile, the six-axis Motoman® MS 120 “Master Spot” welding robot features a 120 kg (264.6 lb) payload and is more than 43 percent faster than a traditional heavy-payload robot, resulting in shorter takt times and higher throughput. Uniquely designed to optimize automotive applications using DC spot guns with compact servo actuators, the slim-profile MS120 robot can be placed in close proximity to workpieces and other robots to create flexible, high-density layouts. These configurations can eliminate multiple stations, resulting in shorter production lines and smaller spot welding workcells.
Because it uses a lighter gun, the MS120 robot uses 33 percent less power even at its faster speeds. When combined with the improved efficiency of the smaller DC guns, the MS120 robot offers a 50 percent power savings.
With a streamlined body less than 500 mm (19.7”) wide, including the integrated spot harness, the compact MS120 robot has a 1,623 mm (63.9”) reach with a repeatability of ±0.2 mm (0.008”). The short-reach MS120 robot is designed to be mounted close to car bodies or other parts, and its low profile allows larger robots to reach over it to work. Spot utilities (power, water, air, motor and signal lines) are integrated into the profile of the robot arm preventing interference and reducing programming time. Integrated harnesses also last more than six times longer than traditional harnesses, reducing maintenance and improving uptime.
Fast processing of the DX100 robot and system-level controller speeds commands for the MS120 robot, while Motoman Robotics’ patented multiple robot control (up to 8 robots/72 axes) provides superior collision avoidance features and facilitates programming. Advanced control functions optimize robot acceleration characteristics, reducing cycle time. Featuring a robust PC hardware architecture, the DX100 controller uses a Windows® CE programming pendant with color touch screen.
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Motoman
LMC Workholding introduces new Neidlein FFBHZ face drivers for gear grinding, gear hobbing and gear milling, suited for high run out result operations with zero backlash. The Neidlein FFBHZ face drivers design offers less down time when changing drive diameter ranges within one face driver size. Hydraulic compensating drive pins guarantee shear force-free clamping of workpieces with badly machined surfaces at clamping areas. The built-in hydraulic cartridge is easy to change and maintain.
Neidlein face drivers quickly grip and turn a workpiece from its end, allowing the entire part to be machined in just one operation, including cutting off the ends and eliminating the need to flip the part. Face drivers allow turning applications to have increased flexibility to lower cycle times and allow large interrupted and heavy cuts. Neidlein face drivers offer fast set-up, quick change overs, improved part quality, reduced cost and lower maintenance.
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LMC Workholding
Thermadyne®, the producer of Thermal Dynamics® branded manual and automated plasma cutting systems, now offers the XT series of CNCs. The XT series combines multiple axis controls in one unit for simplicity of operation in plasma cutting.
With special features, like dual microprocessor control, the XT CNC is an affordable upgrade that can be paired with any plasma cutting system for improved cut quality and performance. When matched with Thermal Dynamics’ innovative Ultra-Cut® high precision systems with automatic gas control, the XT CNC achieves true integrated control and turns the most precise plasma system into one of the easiest to operate.
The Thermal Dynamics XT CNC features:
- Dual microprocessor control for true multitasking capability
- Integrated control of motion, torch height and plasma cut parameters
- Direct download of .dxf files
- 15 inch TFT flat panel touch screen
- Micro-CAD and automatic nesting software
- Ethernet interface
- Microsoft Windows XP operating system
- Fully integrated torch height control and collision sensor
- Remote troubleshooting capability via internet
For new installations, the XT CNC can be specified with any new Thermal Dynamics plasma system and can be installed on your choice of cutting table. For upgrades or retro-fits, the XT CNC is available with or without drives and servos.
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Thermadyne
MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. announced the release of its 2010 SPI® Precision Measuring Catalog. The 104-page, full color catalog features more than 7,000 of the most popular tools and accessories, including many new and unique products from SPI, also known as Swiss Precision Industries.
The catalog also features over 1,000 SPI brand precision tools and gages that ship with a certificate of calibration traceable to NIST or NPL. A symbol notates these items when they appear in the catalog.
“To be competitive in today’s market, manufacturers need to be entirely confident in the precision of their measurement tools,” says Allan Neuman, General Manager of SPI. “With this new program, we’ll be providing customers with a definitive guarantee that their tools are of high quality, defect free, and comply with the required standards. This results in savings of both time and money.”
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MSC Catalog