oscarspenc

GF Machining Solutions’ AgieCharmilles Cut 200/300 MoldTech series of wire EDMs is designed to meet the needs of moldmakers. According to the company, the machines are equipped with a bundle of dedicated technical features and capabilities for accurate, efficient machining of highly complex parts with variable surface heights or taper cuts. Suitable applications include plastic injection molds, aluminum extrusion dies, and components for the aerospace and medical industries. The MoldTech package is available on four GF Machining Solutions high-speed wire EDM models: the Cut 200 mS, Cut 200 Sp, Cut 300 mS, and the Cut 300 Sp.

The EDMs’AgieCharmilles AC Cut human-machine interface (HMI) helps to reduce setup and improve productivity. The Taper-Expert smart module for cutting highly precise large taper angles with quality surface finishes. The module enables the use of large-radius wire guides and soft brass wire, and compensates in real time for the pivoting point APKT Insert drift in the Z direction when the angle changes. The module is said to enable surface finishes of (Ra) 0.2 micron and better angle cuts ranging to 30 degrees.

The control also features Taper-Expert Advance, a taper adjustment function for fine-tuning the CNC parameters and control taper accuracy. The HMI also includes AC Opticam 3D, an onboard CAM system capable of importing 3D CAD files including Parasolid and IGES. Users can bring solid model files into the control, extract all ruled shapes and automatically generate the ISO code for each profile.

The EDMs’ Multijet smart threading system enables threading start holes as small as 1.5 mm in diameter, even when the machine is in a position to cut tapers ranging to 30 degrees. Additional features include a Power-Expert wire-breakage prevention module and Surface-Expert Carbide Grooving Inserts smart system that monitors and adjusts sparking parameters, which also helps prevent wire breakage.

ANCA is celebrating the art of Carbide Inserts toolmaking with a Tool of the Year competition. Customers will submit their favorite tool online and the winners will be announced live at IMTS 2018.The prize is a trip for two to ANCA’s headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, to see firsthand how the technology is created and to meet the team.

Pat McCluskey, joint co-founder of ANCA, says that, “As well as showcasing our latest products at IMTS, we want to celebrate the deep grinding knowledge and daily dedication of our customers who create beautiful tools that have helped shape our world. We know that grinding a tool is a craft and a passion for many of our customers. Grinding the perfect tool is as much about art as it is about science.”

The judging panel includes:

Here is how to enter:

Social media Cemented Carbide Inserts submissions will run from July 27 through August 20, when ANCA will gather all entries and post them on its Facebook page as an album. Submitters are encouraged to promote the competition album within their social networks to gain likes on their image. The five finalists will be selected according to the number of likes they achieve on their pictures. These finalists will be announced August 25, whereupon they will be asked to send the actual tools to IMTS along with the names and logos of their companies, to be displayed in the ANCA booth.

At IMTS, the top five tools will be judged by a panel based on the following criteria:

Entries should adhere to the following criteria:

Alfred Lyon, cutting tool supervisor at AB Tools, says, “The grinding of rotary cutting tools takes craftsmanship and is considered art by myself and many others in the round tool industry ( as well as the machining community). On many of the various social media platforms the passion for the craft is inspiring. I am happy to be a part of a competition that would showcase the talent and capabilities of the tool grinding community.”