Workholding and machining equipment on show at MACH

Developed specifically to boost the productivity of a wide range of CNC manufacturing equipment including lathes, grinders, rolling equipment and machining centres, IEMCA's Automata 2.5 is an integrated gantry system for automatically feeding, unloading and storing bulk components.

With a standard load/unload cycle time of just seven seconds, the equipment offers positional repeatability of +/-0.1mm and will accommodate unmachined parts weighing up to 2.5kg as standard. A 5kg component option is also available. The ruggedly constructed Automata 2.5 incorporates accurate, PLC-controlled component location and easy-to-learn, intuitive controls. It also features a standard retooling time of seven minutes, making it suitable for busy machine shops with short production runs.

The system measures 1400 x 1800 x 2600mm and is physically isolated from the equipment it services, eliminating the transmission of mechanical vibration and maintaining access to the machine tool's doors. The Automata 2.5 is supplied network-ready for fast installation and is equipped with remote diagnostics and online software updates. The use of high-capacity palletisers or stackers with the gantry system enables lathes to be operated unattended as well as several machine tools to be controlled by a single operator, which increases productivity.

Kitagawa's TW2180 is an advanced twin-table, tilting-axis rotary unit capable of supporting simultaneous machining of two workpieces in a single set-up. It is 999mm wide and features two 180mm-diameter tables with maximum indexing speeds of 33.3rev/min. In addition, the new TW2180 provides a vertical tilt range of +110deg and a tilt axis speed of up to 16.6rev/min.

With clamping torques of 400Nm in the rotary axis and up to 800Nm in the tilting axis, the new TW2180 is suitable for aggressive, high-speed machining operations. It can also be fitted with an optional rotary joint, which enables pneumatic or hydraulic fixtures to be used without external pipe work, thus improving tool access and increasing the available machining area.

Gripping meter

Kitagawa's new JFT-S100 stationary gripping meter provides dual benefits of improved manufacturing quality and increased operator safety. The compact, battery-powered unit accurately measures the load exerted on workpieces by chucks or other workholding equipment. It is available with two- or three-point measurement and suitable for components of up to 75mm diameter.

The meter provides readings in 0.1kN increments up to a maximum value of 100kN with a repeatability of better than +/-2 per cent and outputs results on an easy-to-read backlit LCD display. The JFT-S100 weighs 1.3kg and incorporates an automatic zero adjustment, low battery alarm and power-saving auto-off facility. It also features simple controls and an onboard memory facility, making it equally suitable for general machine shop or critical workholding applications.

Other items shown at MACH include the B200 series, one of the most popular chuck ranges as well as two-, three- and four-jaw manual chucks, two- and three-jaw, standard- and long-stroke, open- and through-hole power chucks for internal, external, parallel and draw back gripping capabilities. In addition, the company is demonstrating a number of special-purpose models including finger chucks for automotive wheel manufacture or irregularly shaped workpieces.

The rotary tables display includes fixed- and tilting-head, single- and multiple-axis units suitable for both vertical or horizontal machining applications, along with water and rust-proof models for EDM work. All Kitagawa rotary tables provide high-grip strength and can either interface directly with the machine tool's controller or be supplied with the company's complementary Mac Mini, MMiH or MMiH2 control units.