Designing High Speed

As the global market emerges, manufacturers find it increasingly necessary to optimize processes to remain competitive. To meet this need, many are turning to machines designed to provide value on a much more specific level. For instance, the requirements of companies machining parts for the medical industry will vary from those serving different industries, such as automotive. To make their customers as productive as possible, machine tool builders need to possess a clear understanding of their customers' markets and use that information to meet their unique needs.

While it has been customary for a machine builder to suggest options tailored to customers' specific demands, the market is now witnessing the development of machine packages pre-designed for those working in a specific industry. At Mikron, we have established, and now offer, the ProdMed line of High Speed Milling (HSM) machines for medical manufacturing.

In creating the ProdMed line, our first action was to identify current models of machines offering the greatest value to medical manufacturers. By drawing on the knowledge we have accrued from customers serving this industry, we were able to determine several aspects that provide specific benefit. For example, Mikron determined that the ability to efficiently produce prototypes presented a key area of benefit of HSM for medical manufacturers. The added speed and acceleration of an HSM spindle provides exceptional value when working with easy-to-machine prototyping materials. At the same time, manufacturers producing medical components will also often find themselves working with very difficult-to-machine materials, such as cobalt chrome, which is common for implants. For these types of jobs, it is necessary to generate significant cutting forces at lower cutting speeds. To fully meet the needs of manufacturers working with such a wide range of materials, it is necessary to present a spindle that excels at HSM machining, while still generating significant torque at lower rpm's.

Medical components also require a level of accuracy that was traditionally considered best achieved on EDM machines. This was due primarily to the thermal expansion and spindle vibration inherent to the milling process. To provide valuable HSM machines to medical manufacturers, machine builders must find a way to overcome these hurdles. Mikron's tools for accomplishing this are the three Smart Machining Modules (SMMs) described below:

The Advanced Process System (APS) is a module that directly monitors and records variations in spindle vibration throughout the machining cycle. Significant vibration throughout the machining process is easily discovered and programs can be altered to reduce or eliminate vibration that could cause unacceptable levels of accuracy. APS can also be used to generate alarm events, allowing the machine to automatically stop when an unexpectedly high level of spindle vibration occurs.

The Intelligent Thermal Control (ITC) module eliminates inaccuracy caused by thermal expansion and contraction. Using complex algorithms, the system determines how machine components have been affected by heat and automatically compensates to eradicate any negative effects. Furthermore, ITC 5-axis goes a step further, using probing to periodically measure and adjust for any thermal effects on a machine's rotary axes.

Lastly, the Remote Notification System (RNS) module allows machines to be set up to send notifications when certain events occur. This can be used any time an operator has to be away from a machine and can send communication of anything ranging from a tool breaking to a job finishing its machining cycle. As the production of medical parts often requires significant attention to process detail, many manufacturers find value in the RNS system.

After identifying all of the previously listed features that provide value specific to medical manufacturing, Mikron selected our HSM 400U and UCP 600 Vario to be adapted as ProdMed machines. The next step was to determine the options that would provide maximum usefulness to those producing medical parts and include them as standard on the machines.

One of the earliest decisions regarding the ProdMed line of machines was that they should utilize an oil-based coolant system. Over the past two decades, manufacturing as a whole has moved toward water-soluble coolant systems. Unfortunately, water-soluble coolant is much harder to completely remove from finished parts, raising a significant issue in an industry where part cleanliness is vital. Since it is much easier to clean parts when a standard cutting oil or base oil is used, all ProdMed machines possess the ability to use an oil-based coolant.

Another noteworthy demand of medical manufacturing is a strict accountability for process integrity. Often, this goes hand-in- hand with the requirement for extensive documentation. To help meet this need, the ProdMed machines are designed to do part measurement probing on the machine. This is accomplished by building in a functionality whereby the setup probe can take part measurements at any point in the machining cycle.

To meet the needs of an even more specific industry, the HSM 400U ProdMed Dental was also created. Since dental parts are no larger than a person's mouth, a machine dedicated solely to manufacturing these parts has no need for a large pallet. Accordingly, the HSM 400U ProdMed Dental contains a pallet that measures a mere 50mm x 50mm. This design eliminates wasted space and also increases the possibilities for automation. With the smaller pallet design, the capacity of the standard pallet-changer was able to be raised from 20 to 48 pallets, dramatically boosting the potential for unmanned, ‘lights out' machining.

Today, Mikron offers three models of machines tailored to the medical market: the UCP 600 Vario ProdMed, the HSM 400U ProdMed and the HSM 400U ProdMed Dental.

By drawing on the knowledge that we have accumulated from years of working with medical manufacturers, we have packaged together the features and options that we know are important to those serving the industry. It is our firm belief that providing machine tools designed around the needs of a specific industry, machine tool builders will help ensure their customers' success in the global market.