Page 37 - MetalForming August 2016

On the EDM front, there’s plenty of new technology advances to catch up on at IMTS. “If you think of EDM as a mature technology, think again,” says Peter R. Eelman, vice president—exhi- bitions & business Development at AMT—The Association For Manufac- turing Technology. “We’re especially gratified to see the incorporation of the MTConnect communications pro- tocol in EDM machines being demon- strated at the show.”
Visitors to EDM displays at IMTS also will learn how, by placing advanced temperature sensors in the casting, the dielectric and the work zone and connecting them to CNC controls, today’s EDM machines can maintain casting temperature and eliminate the variables related to ther- mal expansion or contraction, allowing them to cut with greater accuracy and repeatability.
Other advances include machines that automatically switch from one wire diameter to another—use a larger
diameter wire for coarse cuts, then switch to a thinner wire for finer cuts, without operator intervention. In addi- tion, some wire-EDM machines feature vision systems that capture and com- pare the shape of a EDM-cut contour with a 3D model of the part. Any devi- ation from the desired dimensions is automatically adjusted for on the next part.
On the robotics front, manufactur- ers are leveraging gains made in force sensing and control that allow robots to work more collaboratively. Such technology will star in the Industrial Automation North America show. Says Steve Somes, president, Force Robots, in yet another IMTS press release in advance of the show: “Responding to external forces not only makes robots safer for collaboration, it also enables more tasks like assembly, grinding and deburring.”
Adds Matt Prellwitz, drive technol- ogy application specialist, Beckhoff Automation: “The Windows operating
system (OS) on newer PC-based con- trollers also can receive its own core. That means all machine and robot con- trol functionality can run independ- ently of the OS, which helps elevate performance and pushes kinematic applications to an exciting new level.”
Register Early to Save
Through August 12, individual reg- istration is $45 per person; group reg- istration (five or more) is $30 per per- son. Beginning August 13, registration increases to $65 for an individual and $45 for each group member.
“Discounts for groups are offered to encourage companies to send their manufacturing teams,” says Eelman. “Company groups gain a broader per- spective by gathering ideas from vary- ing viewpoints—engineers, machin- ists, managers, executives—to shape the future of the technology in their factory.”
Learn more and register to attend at www.imts.com. MF
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