“There are three important reasons behind automation”, explains Jos Smeets, Director of Doesburg Components. “The first is the relatively high hourly wage in Europe, the second is the physical burden on the operators, and the third is the distinct lack of highly-trained individuals. Back in 2009, we were achieving 60 % less turnover, but now we are running at full production capacity, and CNC operators are almost impossible to come by. Of the 10 CVs that you receive, you might hope that one of them is from a person with sufficient experience; that is how difficult it is”. Over recent years, Doesburg Components has significantly increased its staffing level from 60 to 103 people. “But further growth has to come primarily from automation,” explains Smeets. “We used the economic downturn to get in touch with new customers, and they are looking to purchase a great many products now and over the coming years. The number of braking system products that are processed on the new robot cell has been set to 150,000 parts per year, but the customer has already increased this demand to 240,000”.

INVESTMENTS
Doesburg Components has other major plans in the pipeline. The company intends to invest heavily in expanding its machinery. Smeets continues, “2011 looks like it will be a better year than 2008. A new generation of trucks and diesel engines is being made available, and these trucks feature increasingly more complex parts. Our engineers make regular visits to our customers to work on devising new designs for the new components. It is only by doing this that you are able to achieve fully-automated processing at the lowest possible overall cost price”.
To ensure that the company is prepared for the future quantity of products, Smeets wants to invest around 10 million Euros in new, robotized and automated machining centers over a period from 2011 to 2015. “But we place strict requirements on the machine and robot suppliers”, Smeets points out. “Up-time in the automotive industry is extremely important, so we only purchase machines from suppliers who can provide rapid service. We cannot find ourselves waiting a whole day for an engineer”.

TWO ROBOTS
The newest robot cell is the first part of the new investment drive. The robot cell includes two machining centers, a Quaser MK603S vertical machining center and a Toyoda FH630SX horizontal machining center. The machines were supplied by Alfred van Meegen and Toyoda Europe in Krefeld, Germany, while Fastems was responsible for the automation and complete delivery of the turnkey project.
The Quaser and Toyoda are positioned at right angles to one another. There are two robots, one in front of each machine. A buffer table is located between the two robots, onto which they place products and from where they pick them up again. “That is important to productivity”, explains Henk Kremers from Valkworks. Valkworks is the Fastems representative in the Benelux. “We based the design on the customer’s product. Does the product need to be machined on two sides? Does it need to be machined horizontally or vertically? How long is the machining time of the product and what is the robot’s handling time, including deburring? After looking at all of these aspects we decided that one robot would not be sufficient as it just wouldn’t be able to keep pace with the machining centers. So we decided to use two robots, with a buffer table between them”.

HIGH SPEED
Even the two Fanuc robots are barely able to keep up with the Quaser and the Toyoda. They are barely ever still. The firstrobot, in front of the Quaser, picks up unprocessed cast iron parts from the material station. Four parts are clamped at once on the fixture on the Quaser. After machining, they are deburred by the same robot while still clamped on the fixture, after which the robot places them onto the buffer table. The second robot then picks up the parts from the table and clamps them on the fixture on the Toyota. At this point, only one side of the parts has been machined. Four parts are clamped at once on the fixture on this machine as well. The Toyoda machines the other side of the parts. Once machined, the second robot retrieves the parts again one by one and deburrs them. The finished parts are then placed back onto the buffer table, from where the first robot picks them up and delivers them back to the material station. This work cycle is repeated continuously.
A door, which usually remains open, is located between the two robots. The buffer table is split into two halves, and the door can slide between the two. Kremers explains, “The door forms part of the safety system. If one of the two machines is out of action for measurements or minor maintenance, the other robot cell can still process 10 to 12 parts. It is important to keep machine standstills to an absolute minimum”.

COMPLEX
In addition to the power of the robot cell, the greatest challenge of this turnkey project was integrating the robot software with the machine tool control. Kremers continues, “The robot cell has been designed to process around 30 parts per hour, from semi-finished cast iron to fully-machined and deburred end products. This means that the robot controls the machine. The robot tells the machine when it can begin machining. What is more, it is important that the robots never collide with one another”. Fastems took care of the entire integration process, including software. The main control cabinet is equipped with a remote connection to the Fastems head office in Finland so should any problems arise, they are resolved from there immediately. Kremers concludes, “When the robot cell was delivered to Doesburg Components, it worked well pretty much from the outset. It was simply a matter of thorough preparation and knowing what the customer wants”.

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When it comes time to replace critical equipment, Standridge Color Corporation (SCC) rarely has to worry about late deliveries, faulty components or shoddy service. That’s because most of the machinery the company uses to produce the color concentrates, compounds and other plastics-industry products that constitute its core business is manufactured at its in-house machine shop. This strategy also provides the flexibility to try out new equipment designs and make alterations without having to deal with outside vendors, says owner and founder Bob Standridge.

Of course, the primary benefit of in-house production is cost savings, which amount to more than enough to justify the cost of the machining centers used for this work, Mr. Standridge says. Although these machines vary by make and model, the company relies primarily on equipment from Toyoda (Arlington Heights, Illinois) for manufacturing its most critical equipment, the twin-screw extruders used to mix various polymers and additives. When asked why he has stayed loyal to that builder since installing the first of its machines more than a decade ago, Mr. Standridge cites two critical factors: “The first is dependability,” he explains. “Their uptime is better than the other brands we have. The second factor is dimensional stability. It might take three cuts on another machine to remove the same amount of metal as one cut on a Toyoda.”

SCC traces its roots to 1980, when Mr. Standridge left a larger firm that performed similar work after recognizing an untapped market in smaller plastic industry manufacturers. The business grew one order at a time, and today, Mr. Standridge oversees seven U.S. plants as well as one in Europe and one in China. The twin-screw extruders and other equipment used at these locations is produced at the company’s headquarters in Social Circle, Georgia. That facility contains a 44,000-square-foot machine shop outfitted with approximately $6 million worth of machining and fabricating equipment, including six Toyoda machines.

The beginnings of this manufacturing operation, however, were much more modest, starting with a few toolroom machines to perform repairs in the early ‘80s. The shop’s first experience with CNC occurred when it retrofitted a large manual lathe to start producing its own extruder screws. It purchased its first “true” CNC equipment, two VMCs, in 1995.

Those machines served well at SCC—in fact, the last was retired earlier this year—but not in the role for which they originally were intended. The company realized soon after purchasing them that it would need a heavier duty machine to effectively process certain twin-screw extruder components. “We make some very large parts, and we need machines that are rugged and stable enough to remove more metal per hour than a lighter duty machine,” Mr. Standridge says.

Some gearboxes and barrel assemblies, for example, are cut from blocks that might weigh as much as 5,000 pounds. In addition to being large, most components are made of steel alloys that are difficult to machine even before undergoing heat-treating, nitriding or chrome-plating operations. Performing the heavy facing, drilling, boring and other operations these parts require would be time-consuming without the proper equipment. Although SCC doesn’t have the same throughput concerns as a dedicated machine shop might, it still benefits from moving as fast as it can, Mr. Standridge says. In 1997, after evaluating models from several different builders, SCC settled on a Toyoda FA630 HMC.The company purchased a second FA630 in 1999, and in 2001, it brought in a larger HMC, an FA1050. Success with this equipment led the company to turn again to Toyoda in 2009, a year when it sought additional manufacturing capacity to replace worn, outdated extruders throughout all of its facilities worldwide. That round of machine tool purchases included a third FA630 HMC, this one with an upgraded control and other new features; an FV1165 VMC, a smaller, C-frame machine; and an LB521, a large, bridge-type VMC. Both of the latter VMCs are equipped with fourth-axis Tsudakoma rotary tables.

While these machines play different roles in SCC’s manufacturing process, all have proven themselves adept at removing as much material as possible in as few passes as possible, Mr. Standridge says. He attributes this to their sturdy construction. “In most cases, these machines weigh about 25 percent more than comparable machines we’ve used from other manufacturers, and most of that weight is in the casting,” he explains.

One operation in which this rigidity is on full display is the machining of extruder screws on the LB521 VMC, Mr. Standridge says. After being turned to size on a lathe, the screws move to this machine’s fourth-axis rotary table for final-geometry machining. While this enables cutting various features in one setup, much of the work requires sufficient dimensional stability to cut away from the part’s axial centerline. “For a long, round piece like an extruder screw, you would normally want to move the tool down directly on top of it, from the 12 o’clock position,” he explains. “But for some of what we want to do, we might move it down at about 2 o’clock. This tends to try to shift that table to one side, but it doesn’t budge.”

The Toyodas not only take heavy, demanding cuts, but do so with very little downtime, Mr. Standridge says. While admitting that SCC doesn’t run its machines nearly as often as most companies that perform metalcutting as their primary business, he points out that the Toyodas require noticeably less maintenance than other models employed at the in-house machine shop. The shop’s first machines from this builder, the two FA630s purchased in the late ‘90s, are a case in point, he says. The only problem they have experienced in more than a decade of use was an electrical issue that resulted in a burned out drive motor, which had nothing to do with the construction of the machine.

The Toyodas’ spindles stand up especially well compared to other machine brands on the shop floor, which require relatively frequent attention for problems with bearings, drive belts and other spindle-assembly components, Mr. Standridge says. And if one of the Toyoda’s were to experience a spindle issue, it would be easier to fix because all of that builder’s machines incorporate removable spindle tapers, he notes. Another area that causes headaches with machines from other builders is leaky through-spindle coolant systems, typically a culprit of heat from the cut causing a coolant-through cutting tool to expand. This is especially problematic when the coolant eats into the spindle drive belt, an issue that requires “taking the machine half apart” to fix, he says. In contrast, the Toyoda machines employ direct-drive or directly gear-driven spindles rather than belts, and they feature a refrigeration system that prevents tools from expanding in this way.

The nature of SCC’s in-house machining work doesn’t require particularly high part volumes, tight tolerances or short turnaround times. Nonetheless, the Toyoda machines’ reliability and stability ensure that the company can reap the benefits of in-house production without distractions. As a result, SCC will likely consider that builder again when it seeks to add to its machining capabilities—a scenario that is virtually guaranteed as the company continues to incorporate new developments in extruder technology and moves to replace worn equipment, Mr. Standridge says.

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For Scheduling Contact:

Craig Gilsinger at (847) 506-2474

or

E-mail: cgilsinger@toyoda.com

Syllabus for BASIC Programming Class

Class is 5 days

Starts at 8:30 am end at 5:00 pm each day

Except Friday class ends at 12:00 noon

Basic Operation of Machine:

1. Perform a machine walk around.  Review operator and pallet changer area, emergency stops, door interlocks, oil / air supply, coolant tank and electrical cabinet.  Review some basic daily maintenance functions
2. Proper power up and down of machine
3. Explain and demonstrate machine operator panel, pallet changer and tool magazine panels
4. Explain and demonstrate all Fanuc control screens and functions i.e., position screens, program screens, offset screens
5. Perform Manual Data Input functions.
6. Setup the machine in Auto-Cycle mode
7. Trouble shoot some basic machine function problems i.e., tool changer and pallet changer hang-ups

Programming:

1. Review in detail all M codes, G codes and canned cycles
2. Review the machine tooling manual
3. Demonstrate standard options
4. Explain and demonstrate work offsets and tool offsets
5. Explain program format, write basic programs and debug programs at the machine
6. Perform program editing, copying, and merging on the control

Advanced Operations:

1. With time scheduled in advanced with the Instructor, a demonstration of purchased control functions or advanced options is possible.

Syllabus for Advanced Programming Class

Class is 3 days

Starts at 8:30 am end at 5:00 pm each day

Except Wednesday class ends at 12:00 noon

Programming:

1. Detailed explanation of local, common and machine system variables
2. Detailed review of the custom macro section of the Fanuc Programming manual
3. Demonstrate the use of local and common variables used in counters and custom canned cycles
4. Demonstrate the uses for machine system variables such as capturing time and date, tool position, machine position, sending operator and alarm messages.  Explain where these features might be practical in day to day machine operation
5. Detailed review of probe setup and probing macros.  Each student will have machine time using probe calibration, bore centering, single axis probing
6. Explanation of the custom macro format
7. Write and debug simple macro programs

Note:

If you have a specific project you would like to work on bring it to class.

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For more information on automation download a copy of Bill’s presentation at IMTS here.

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UA 2090

Toyoda’s UA2090 offers superior structural rigidity essential to achieving precision and lasting performance for demanding applications. Our UA Series VMCs are designed and engineered with the highest standards of quality in mind. The frame and the bed of each UA Series VMC is made out of a single piece of high grade Meehanite Cast Iron allowing for maximum cutting performance and vibration absorption.

Key features include:

Hybrid Box Way & Linear Guide Construction

• Hybrid box way construction is ideal for applications that require tight tolerances and high power cuts in ferrous materials
• Box way construction paired with linear roller guide ways adds high speed and vibration-dampening performance for heavy cutting
• Rigidity is maintained by incorporating cylindrical roller bearings, which have more surface-to-surface contact than less costly ball bearing packs

High Performance Spindle with Tilting Headstock

• Spindle head is adapted with a built-in 40 HP spindle with 12,000 max rpm and 310 ft/lb of torque at 500 rpm.
• The A&B head is a proprietary design and allows for optimum ±40° rotation in both the B axis (front to back) and the A axis (left to right).
• The counter balance system for the Z axis consists of two hydraulic cylinders arranged to distribute the weight of the headstock and ensure equal loading to the way area.

Powerfully Drive, Dual Ballscrews

• The high-performance spindle is supported by dual ballscrews and motors on the Y axis to ensure perfect synchronization, rapid acceleration, and constant accuracy without any oscillating force on the Y axis

Fanuc 31i

• The Fanuc 31i 5 Axis CNC allows for accurate cutting performance for even the most complex 5 axis applications.

Triple Trough Chip Removal

• The angled bed and coolant flush chips into a triple screw-type auger for efficient removal and less operator maintenance.

See Toyoda’s press release in Manufacturing News.

Southwest Edition

Southeast Edition

Northeast Edition

Midwest Edition

For more information, to request literature, or a quote visit our contact page.

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Visit our IMTS showroom, add us to your agenda, and get the latest information on the machines at our booth.

See where we are located and stop by.

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Joe and Claudia Salontai in front of Toyoda's matrix machine

Morsch Machine, an Arizona-based, privately held, and woman-owned manufacturing firm, attributes much of its success to the “beefy, robust” piece of Toyoda Machinery in its factory. Claudia Salontai, a member of the family-owned company and majority shareholder, was sold on the Toyoda machine for her shop because of its totally enclosed design enabling a cleaner, quieter, and safer operation.

Read the full article below:

Morsch Machine is a privately held, woman-owned manufacturing firm located in Chandler, Arizona. The company celebrated 50 years in business last year, with current owner Joe Salontai joining the organization in 1972. Three years later, following the retirement of founder Mr. Morsch, the Salontai family became the sole owners of Morsch Machine with Claudia Salontai as the majority share-holder.

The company’s core competencies include CNC Prototype / Production, Cellular Machining, Mechanical Assembly, In-Plant Programming, Electronic Data Transfer, and EDI/ Internet Capabilities. While continually drawing from its manufacturing experience, Morsch Machine is highly competent in producing electronic mechanical support components, enclosures, chassis, and modules. They work with cast, forged, extrusion, and ‘made from solid’ materials, typically aluminum.

While serving a myriad of industries, Morsch Machine specializes in the production of machined components for the Electronics and Avionics industries. It currently employs 50 personnel at its 25,000-square foot temperature -controlled facility, which houses engineering, automation, quality assurance, assembly and CNC production.

In addition to its many awards for quality, including Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, Gold and Silver Level Supplier, Morsch Machine is a preferred supplier to many of their customers. Their customers span the world, including the United States, Denmark, Japan, Scotland and France.

Morsch Machine is not, by any stretch of the imagination, your typical machine shop. Some of the most notable differentiators that make the company stand out are:

1.) The company has a number of long- term contracts with their customers, and utilizes the kanban system, a materials requirement planning technique developed by Toyota Corporation (as a part of just-in-time inventory system) in which work-centers signal with a card when they wish to withdraw parts from feeding operations or the supply bins. Claudia says, “The kanban system enables Morsch Machine to support inventories for our key customers. Our customers receive a new batch of their parts shipped same day, and we begin making their next batch of parts. Our customers receive parts quicker through kanban, and they carry lower inventories. The customers who utilize kanban feel that Morsch Machine offers a tremendous value to them.”

2.) Morsch Machine embraces technology, and you will be hard pressed to find a machine shop of this size that runs 4 automated cells, lights out. “We embraced cellular manufacturing technology at Morsch Machine as early as 1997, when we installed our first cell,” Joe said.

Their latest purchase, the Toyoda FH450S Horizontal machining center, has 18 pallets with a rail guided vehicle, a 15,000 RPM spindle, a 494 tool storage system, and 3 computers (all Windows-based) that must interact with one another to guide its operation. “We have the room to add 3 more machines to the Toyoda cell,” Joe said. “Toyoda makes a beefy, robust piece of machinery that is a first class design,” he added. Claudia was sold on the Toyoda machine over its competitors because she liked the fact that the equipment is totally enclosed, enabling a cleaner, quieter, and safer operation.

The company additionally purchased a Zoller tool pre-setter and measuring machine that utilizes heat shrinking of the tools for more accurate tooling. The Zoller measures tools to five-thousandths of a millimeter (.0002 inch)- quickly, simply and accurately. “Our entire goal is to minimize any human error that can enter into the manufacturing process,” Claudia said.

Another example of Morsch Machine’s philosophy of buying the best can be seen in the quality department, where a Zeiss CMM is located. Four employees are dedicated to the Quality department.

3.) A significant number of Morsch Machine employees are college graduates, and three of the team members, including Joe Salontai, are degreed engineers. (Joe is an aerospace engineer, and two employees are manufacturing engineers). Joe says, “I think that the higher level of education that many of our employees have achieved, whether in business, communications, engineering, or any other discipline, results in superior support of our customers, whether we are helping our customer design a product, thinking analytically through an issue, or just communicating professionally and effectively.”

4.) Morsch Machine enjoys longevity with their employees. The company moved from California to Arizona nearly 15 years ago, and offered every employee the opportunity to move with them. Several of the original Morsch Machine employees who moved remain at the company today. Claudia and Joe estimate that approximately 30% of the employees have been with the company for more than 15 years. “We are slow to hire,” Joe said, “and potential new employees go through a rigorous interview process so that we are comfortable they will fit.” Employee Debby Arneson epitomizes the ideal Morsch Machine employee. She is 2nd highest in tenure with the company, having started as a machinist when she was 18. She moved with the company when it relocated to Arizona. Deb pursued higher education while employed by Morsch Machine and now has a masters degree. While Deb doesn’t do machining anymore, it still helps, Claudia and Joe agree, that as she interacts with the machinists, they know that she knows machining firsthand.

What ’s next for Morsch Machine? The company has a succession plan in place. Son Daniel Salontai is being mentored to step into his father’s shoes, and son Joseph is being groomed to succeed Claudia, with CFO and Human Resources responsibilities. All Salontai’s participate in the traditional sales role.

The company is actively pursuing higher level assemblies with their customers. Customers first come to Morsch Machine with a difficult to build part, and they remain loyal to the company because Morsch Machine helps them to solve their problem.

The dedication that Morsch Machine has to both its Vision and Core Values is centered around Honesty, Integrity, and Equality. These are vital elements in producing the highest quality products for its Customers. For more information on Morsch Machine, go to www.morschmachine.com or call 480-961-7673.

About Toyoda

Toyoda Machinery specializes in flexible automation solutions for manufacturing facilities worldwide. Their completely modular-designed components allow for integration of machines, automated tool changers to rail-guided vehicle systems, pallet pools and robots. An initial cell installation can be as small as a single machine. The system can add more machines and greater handling capacity as production needs change.

The fully integrated systems allows manufacturers to run multiple machines from a central PC to automate production scheduling, slash set-up times, reduce labor costs and improve throughout. Depending on production requirements, numerous combinations of loading stations, machining centers and pallet storage styles are possible.

New or older general machine models can be configured to run together with the same size pallet systems. Toyoda’s cell software supports unmanned operation so production can continue “lights out” on nights and weekends. Their software checks that all the right tools are in ATC before a pallet is brought into the machine. It then matches tool numbers in the job to the machine. In addition, the software has a first-tool flag function that ensures that only a brand new tool in the magazine will be measured, saving non-cutting time.

Toyoda horizontal machining centers such as the FH450S are the foundation of many high production metal cutting cells. Their construction is extremely robust to maximize accuracy and minimize downtime. Such dependable performance makes them ideal for unmanned production environments.

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Texas Machinery Company has a dedicated sales staff, application engineers, and service technicians committed to helping its customers select, install, and operate their equipment to deliver the optimum manufacturing performance.

Together, Toyoda and Texas Machinery Company are committed to providing customer support throughout the life of the product.

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Toyoda Machinery's FV850S

Toyoda Machinery provided an FV850S vertical machining center to the Ingersoll Machine Tools Die & Mold Seminar held June 9-10 at the company’s Technology Center located in Rockford, IL. The Die & Mold Seminar included machining demonstrations, group discussions and multimedia presentations.

Ingersoll’s Die & Mold Seminar occurs bi-annually and focuses on proper tool selection and application of the latest cutting tool technology. After the seminar, Ingersoll will keep the FV850S on display in their show room.

Toyoda’s FV850S high speed vertical machining center relies upon an extremely rigid Meehanite cast iron base. This solid base offers higher density and uniform soundness over traditional cast iron, giving the casting greater tensile strength and maximum vibration-dampening capabilities. Rapid traverse rates reach 1890 ipm in the X- and Y- axes and 1417 ipm in the Z.

Toyoda sets the standard in excellence with engineering expertise and flexible systems for material handling and automation that help you innovate and increase production– with the reliability of proven technology.

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Toyoda's new quill spindle HMC, the FH1250SW.

Toyoda announces its new quill spindle horizontal machining center, the FH1250SW.  This quill spindle version of the FH1250SX combines the original HMC’s speed with the capabilities of a boring mill, developed to increase efficiency and versatility of large part machining through process integration.

The machine demonstrates maximum power during large diameter drilling and boring cuts. The 60-horsepower, 3,000rpm spindle boasts 968ft/lbs of torque, making it ideal for steel and casting applications. Equipped with a 5.11 inch quill diameter, the FH1250SW is capable of a 21.6 inch w axis stroke. The spindle is engineered with proprietary bearing technology capable of accommodating a cutting thrust load up to 4500ft/lbs.

The machine’s standard NC table supports work pieces up to 11,000lbs/5000KG table load capacity, and the Y shaped pallet changer configuration allows for simultaneous setup of two pallets.

The FH1250SW is equipped with dual axis ball screws in both Z and Y axis. The oil-chilled ball screws are included on the x, y and z axes to suppress thermal displacement during long cycle times. The 49×49 inch pallets with x, y and z travels allow for large applications to be handled with ease.

Toyoda sets the standard in excellence with engineering expertise and flexible systems for material handling and automation that help you innovate and increase production– with the reliability of proven technology.

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