Manufacturing Technology

CenterMaster to center, align drills

The CenterMaster accessory from INDEX is part of the company’s sustained investment in R&D focused on streamlining the setup and changeover process for CNC multi-spindle lathes. CenterMaster reduces the time needed to align a drill by up to 90%.

Previously, center alignment of a drill required specialized knowledge by the operator and a challenging, manual process that could take up to 30 minutes per holder. With CenterMaster, the user simply clamps a radio dial gage into the workspace and sets it to the quill. The gage and machine wirelessly communicate, automatically adjusting the holder along the X-axis. The system then guides the operator through adjusting the Y-axis via the machine’s touchscreen display.

The CenterMaster system allows operators with no specialized knowledge or experience to set up a drill in 2 to 3 minutes. Additionally, it provides a repeatable accuracy of <5μm.

https://us.index-traub.com

Dual.Material CT software

A reconstruction algorithm allowing scanning times to be reduced by typically 10-fold, the Dual.Material CT achieves this increase in efficiency on assemblies comprising two materials of different densities. It significantly improves the ability to distinguish between the two materials in the voxel (3D pixel) image reconstructed from 2D X-rays taken as the component rotates in the chamber of a Nikon X-ray CT machine.

Traditionally, CT scanning of assemblies made from two materials such as metal and plastic is unsuited to quality control (QC) in a production environment because a long scan time is required to generate datasets that are sufficiently clear to be processed, which is contrary to the requirements for real-time inspection. Alternatively, if scanning speed is raised, manual post-processing by highly skilled operators is needed to remove artifacts that appear in the images to achieve accurate results, slowing the procedure and introducing variability due to human intervention.

Depending on the size and complexity of the component, pre-launch trials demonstrated that Dual.Material CT is faster on a typical metal and plastic connector, making production line integration on the shop floor a possibility alongside sample inspection.

High-speed scanning with no need for manual data editing, due to the new software and automated part handling, enables fast and automated quality control of dual-material assemblies in a production environment, consistent with Quality 4.0 requirements.

https://www.industry.nikon.com

Scan-to-CAD for custom tool foam

Designing and fabricating custom tool foam inlays for toolboxes, workstations, travel cases, and reusable packaging fills the need for a custom solution superior to hand-cut tool foam in function and appearance.

Using portable 3D scanners to capture a part profile or layout of 24" x 48" or more with an accuracy of 0.02", the 3D files are then converted to CAD and the design is machined in two-color foam to nest each tool and fit the specific workstation, case, or drawer. The 3D scanning kits are available on a rental basis, complete with a video tutorial, or as a turnkey service. The two-color material, called Kaizen Shadow Foam, is a durable and closed-cell polyethylene that is dust-free, resistant to oils and solvents, and can be cleaned.