Invest in a Centroid CNC Retrofit

					The benefit of retrofitting depends on the size and type of the machine being retrofitted. On average, retrofitting a good machine is less than 50% of the cost of a new machine of the same size and type. One important thing to consider when looking at retrofitting costs is that Centroid & CNC Services offer a complete retrofit solution from installation to training. One source, one price for a retrofitted running machine. A big difference when compared to some of our competitors. Usually as the size and complexity of a machine increase so do the costs. But typically the percentage of the retrofit cost compared to a new machine cost is low. For instance to retrofit a 30 hp Horizontal Boring mill may cost $75K and buying one new would run $200K to $250K! One of our customers purchased a used Pratt and Whitney Viking Horizontal Boring mill (shown) for $25K and then put another $80K into the retrofit and saved himself $100,000 dollars.
					Not all retrofits are created equal. There are several companies offering low priced CNC systems. These types of retrofits are usually plagued with various problems. For one, most of the components in a particular system are manufactured from several different companies or they will try to reuse old electronics from the original system. When something goes wrong you'll have a hard time getting repairs or spare parts. Since so many companies are involved, often the company who built the amplifier will blame the problem on the the CPU manufacturer and vice-versa. Another common problem is that most of these other systems are not optically isolated. They may work just fine on the computer bench but really don't like a machine shop environment especially if a EDM machine or a Tig welder is being used anywhere near by. Centroid CNC controls are optically isolated and have superior RF (radio frequency) noise resistance.
					When calculating the cost of a retrofit, don't forget to factor in the money that you will make since the machine will be able to make more parts per hour. In one case we have reduced the time it takes to make a particular part from 24 hours to 5! Another benefit is gained by the machine producing better quality parts therefore reducing scrap out-of-tolerence parts - more savings. Operator labor costs are also reduced because of the significant reduction of setup and programming time with the new control. These items really add up in the long run, so don't underestimate the dollars that you will gain with a Centroid CNC retrofit.
					Another savings to consider is that most retrofits can take place on-site therefore saving you any machine moving ,rigging and shipping costs which can become considerable especially with the larger machines. Even having a lot of tooling for a particular machine can influence the decision to retrofit. Some customers retrofit machines just because they have machining experience with a particular machine and know what it is capable of. They are familiar with the weight it can carry and the type of cuts it can take.
					All of our CNC controls are fully tested at the factory and are shipped ready to install, saving you time and money. One price for install, training and warranty. Beware of another hidden cost of those other CNC systems. They will supply you with a box of parts, whereas we provide a turnkey system. You have to ask yourself, "Do I want to work on a retrofit? Or do I want to machine some parts?" So, when it comes to shopping for retrofits, be sure to compare apples to apples. CENTROID gives you one source responsibility. Centroid designs and manufactures its own CNC operating system, programming software, CPUs, Amplifiers, PLCs and keyboards, so everything works together. We supply a complete CNC retrofit solution.

Ward Hi-Tech wins CNC turning-centre orders

In spite of the current difficult market conditions, Ward Hi-Tech reported an increase in orders towards the end of June.

Mike Burke, UK sales manager for Ward Hi-Tech, said: 'In the past two weeks our sales team brought in more than GBP1m worth of business.

'We were helped by the sale of a large HNK vertical lathe, with driven tooling, to a major oil and gas sub-contractor, but we also clinched a number of orders for mid-to-large capacity Hwacheon CNC turning centres and a Kiheung Universal Milling Centre with a 3m X-axis travel.' At the end of March, Ward Hi-Tech introduced its 'Confidence Package', a purchasing scheme available on all Hwacheon and Dah Lih machine-tool products that allows the buyer to quickly install a machine but gives the option to send the machine back after a minimum of 12 months if business circumstances change.

Several new customers have already taken advantage of the scheme, which allows the customer to remain in control of its finances even if business turns down in future.

Once a machine has been returned, the monthly finance payments are cancelled and the customer has no further financial commitment.

Dah Lih Vertical Machining Centres are available with X-axis travels from 510-2600mm, including high speed and heavy-duty variations with a variety of options.

Hwacheon CNC Turning Centres range from 6in chuck to 32in chuck, single or twin-spindle, single or twin-turret and include multi-axis variations.

Citizen to exhibit Miyano turning centres

Joining Citizen Machinery's latest Citizen CNC sliding-head lathe presentations at EMO 2009 in Milan will be five turning centres from Miyano.

The company said that visitors to its stand will be able to appreciate one-hit mill-turn technology from both brands of fixed and sliding-head machines that range from micro-machining processing at 4mm up to normal turn-mill cycles on material up to 64mm bar size.

Machine variants will also be shown that can be used for chucking applications including automated handling.

The common theme from both Citizen and Miyano will be the achievement of productivity gains by combining operations.

This follows the acquisition of 65 per cent of Miyano Machinery shares by Citizen Machinery Company, a division of Citizen Holdings.

Citizen will be exhibiting Streamline control technology in the Citizen K16 and L20 machines; the 80-tool Citizen M32-V will be showing three tool simultaneous cutting; and two versions of the A-Series in 20mm and 32mm capacities will also be demonstrated.

Citizen will showcase its Adaptive Guide Bush arrangement for 20mm and 32mm capacity machines that will automatically compensate for size variation in barstock and allow cheaper bright bar to be used in place of the normal ground material.

Hwacheon to display T2-YSMC at EMO 2009

Hwacheon, of South Korea, will showcase new machine tools at this year's EMO exhibition.

The company will exhibit its eight-axis T2-YSMC turning centre, complete with full-length magazine bar loader and lights-out automatic running package.

The T2-YSMC features twin 8in-diameter hydraulic chucks, upper and lower twin-turret arrangements with Y-axis and driven-tool facility.

The machine is equipped with automatic tool setting/breakage detect probing, automatic parts catcher and full parts un-loader conveyor.

The machine has 20kW direct-drive main-drive motors to both spindles and super-fast indexing and servo turrets with 7.5kW driven-tool drive motor.

This particular model forms part of the multi-axis six-model T2 series range, which will soon be joined by a large-capacity T3 and T4 series portfolio.

A further new model, the Hi-Tech 70/26 heavy-duty oil-country slant bed lathe will also be on show for the first time in Europe during the EMO exhibition.

This machine is based on the Hi-Tech 700 heavy-duty slant bed lathe but features a large through-bore headstock and chucking arrangement suitable for oil-country work.

It has a 300mm spindle bore, 24in three-jaw hydraulic chuck, 2m between-centre bed arrangement with heavy-duty tailstock and is equipped with powerful 12-station high clamping force turret.

The Hi-Tech 70/26 features a Fanuc 18iTB CNC system complete with on-board manual-guide CAP system with colour graphics.

At EMO, the Hi-Tech 70/26 will produce a typical large-diameter aerospace component.

The VT1150MC Vertical Lathe is equipped with C-axis-to-main-spindle and powerful driven-tool turret arrangement.

The machine is equipped with a 40in hydraulic three-jaw chuck with a compensating jaw feature and a turning length of 950mm and main drive of 60HP.

One of Hwacheon's most popular sub spindle/driven tool turning centres, the Cutex 240BSMC will be exhibited at EMO complete with short magazine bar loader, automatic parts conveyor and 'lights out' turning package.

The Cutex 240BSMC is equipped with an 8in diameter three-jaw chuck, has a turning length of 565mm and features a fast indexing servo turret with BMT-style heavy-duty driven-tool holders.

The CNC system is the Fanuc 18iTB and features Hwacheon's novel machine diagnostic software.

Also on display at EMO on the Hwacheon booth will be an example of the Sirius UL double-column high-power vertical machining centres, which will be demonstrated machining an automotive die component.

The Sirius UL has an axis travel of X=1050mm, Y=600mm and Z=550mm.

It features a 25kW direct-driven high-power spindle with 20,000 rev/min maximum spindle-speeds and is controlled by a Fanuc 18iMB CNC system.

Dah Lih Machinery, a vertical machining centre manufacturer from Taiwan, will exhibit three models from its 'C' frame machining centre product portfolio.

Shown for the first time in Europe will be the model MCV-860 vertical machining centre, which was launched last year on the home market and is now available in Europe.

The MCV-860 model is a rigid high-performance 'C' frame vertical machining centre with axes travels of X=860mm, Y=550mm and Z=550mm.

The machine is equipped as standard with high-power through-spindle coolant, a tool-setting probe/tool breakage detect system, bed wash and chip auger conveyor system.

It is controlled by the latest Fanuc 0iMD system complete with manual guide and colour graphics.

Also on display will be the heavy-duty MCV-1450 BT50 spindle vertical machining centre, which has axes travels of X=1450mm, Y=750mm and Z=750mm and features a heavy-duty box guideways structure, ideal for powerful machining performance.

The machine is equipped with the same standard equipment as the MCV-860 and complete with 30HP main-drive motor (twin range gearbox), 6,000 rev/min maximum spindle speeds and 32-tool ATC.

Completing the line-up of machines available from Dah Lih will be the MCV-1200 high performance, high-speed spindle vertical machining centre.

This model has axes travels of X=1200mm, Y=600mm and Z=500mm; 15000 rev/min maximum spindle-speed arrangement; 32 tool ATC and high rapid traverse of 30m/min.

Retrofit CNC can double turret miller output

A popular and proven CNC controller, enabling users to at least double their machining output, is now available as a retrofit package for most turret millers.

XYZ Machine Tools has announced that the popular and proven ProtoTRAK Edge CNC controller is now available as a retrofit package.

Whilst DROs are undoubtedly old technology - they have been around for more than thirty years - they are still proving popular because they can easily and inexpensively be retrofitted to existing conventional machines and productivity be significantly enhanced.

The ProtoTRAK Edge controller is as easily retrofitted to most turret mills and conventional knee mill but provides far greater productivity - typically output can be doubled and in some applications trebled, and can parts can be produced which cannot be attempted economically on a manual mill.

It provides 2 axis CNC control and up to 4 axis DRO display.

The ProtoTRAK Edge uses plain English conversational programming, so the operator does not need any CNC experience to use it.

Only part geometry has to be defined; the controller defines the tool path automatically.

Using the teach option, the operator can turn manual moves into programmed events automatically.

The Edge controller accepts CAM data from all the top brands of software.

Set up is easy and simple.

Canned cycles include profiles, arcs, pockets, holes and frames.

19 maths help routines enable the operator to quickly and easily calculate intersections, tangencies, centres etc, and are far easier to use than either a calculator or trig.

A parts library can be built up easily using the floppy drive; programs can be shared with other ProtoTRAK controllers.

The retrofit ProtoTRAK can be installed either by XYZ installation engineers or by a customer themselves.

The kit includes the controller, motors, ballscrews, cables, brackets and table guards.

A half day training - all that is needed - at any one of XYZ's premises is included.

Parts warranty is for twelve months; if XYZ engineers install the retrofit a twelve months labour warranty is also included.

Delivery is three weeks from order.

The retrofit ProtoTRAK Edge is available from GBP 6,950.00.

US firm awards CNC retrofit contract to HNC

UK Pratt and Whitney has awarded a GBP 980,000 rebuild and CNC retrofit contract to HNC in the UK, for refurbishing six large machine tools to be used in China.

Halifax Numerical Controls (HNC) has won, against fierce international competition from companies in the USA, Sweden and Holland, a GBP 980,000 contract from aero engine builder Pratt and Whitney, USA, to rebuild six large machine tools and retrofit them with new CNC systems.

Directors at HNC (Halifax Numerical Controls), Mike Diskin and Tim Price, said it was the largest ever order won by the company so far.

Pratt and Whitney (P and W) was looking for machines for a new venture in China.

It initially looked at buying new but considered good quality rebuilt ones as better value.

P and W bought the assets of the now defunct Volvo aero engine maintenance factory in Stockholm, Sweden.

The deal included a number of quality machine tools, as follows.

* Two Dorries and one Schiess vertical turning lathes.

* A VAES vertical grinder.

* A Union 5-axis horizontal borer.

* A Deckel FP6 machining centre.

P and W then searched through Europe and the US for a company capable of refurbishing them.

HNC got the job and said that all machines will have new electrics fitted throughout and retrofitted with the latest GE-Fanuc Oi controllers, servos and drives.

HNC managing director, Mike Diskin, said: "it has been something of a tense time for us over the past couple of months, we knew it was going to be tough, but we won through in the end".

He added: "We believe we won the order because of our reputation for service and the quality we build into all re-manufactured machines, combined with our vast in-house CNC knowledge and competitive pricing".

HNC has already begun the work, which has to be completed within a tight schedule and delivered by November 2008.

HNC will fully test, export pack and dispatch the machines to Pratt and Whitney's Chinese joint venture company - Pratt and Whitney Shanghai Aircraft Engine Maintenance Co HNC personnel will install and commission the machine tools.

* About HNC - HNC specialises in the rebuild and refurbishment of quality machine tools with many major customers for example, they include Cummins, Gardener Aerospace, De Smet Group and the Weir Group.

In addition to being main distributors and retrofitters for major control system manufacturers GE-Fanuc, Heidenhain, Siemens and NUM, HNC also has full machine tool design and bespoke software writing capabilities.

CNC retrofit speeds up cylinder head machining

Automotive cylinder head manufacturer's CNC system could hardly cope with the growing size of programs so a new, faster CNC with more capacity was retrofitted to one of the machines.

CNC Heads, located in Stockport, UK, manufactures high performance gas flowed cylinder heads.

The secret of the performance boosts gained by CNC Heads lies in the accuracy to which a head is manufactured.

The process begins with the scanning of an original cylinder head using the latest digital scanning technology.

Complex digital information is then analysed by in-house tuning specialists and converted into computer code that can be used to modify valve throats, chambers and ports via computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine tools.

The result is that CNC Heads guarantees that each and every feature on the cylinder head is machined to the same dimensions and tolerances, achieving major gains in power output in the process.

At the extreme is a Mitsubishi EVO 400 engine that powers a drag racing car.

The original engine developed 300/320HP: with a new cylinder head and other engine tuning this figure is now in excess of 1200HP.

* Improving performance - CNC Heads typically achieves a 130HP gain from a full engine tune, with 40-50HP being directly attributable to cylinder head modifications.

However, the company's success led to a marked increase in demand for cylinder heads that, in turn, was causing an increase in delivery time, which was becoming unacceptable.

The first option, dismissed due to cost, lack of space and availability of skilled operators, was to increase capacity by investing in additional machine tools.

The second option was to improve the performance of the three existing Bridgeport Interact machining centres that are currently in use.

Alastair Heywood at CNC Heads explained that the machines themselves are perfectly good for the job they are doing, but the real problem lay in the capacity of a machine's CNC system.

The existing CNC was struggling to cope with the size of the programs that CNC Heads is writing.

Also the processing speed (30 milliseconds/block of information) was slowing down the machining process considerably.

So, CNC Head initially decided to retrofit a new control system to one of the machines.

* CNC selection - like any other business CNC Heads investigated the market and had a number of options when it came to the retrofit and choice of control system.

The decision to opt for the Heidenhain TNC 320 control system and to work with Halifax Numerical Controls (HNC), an approved Heidenhain TNC retrofitter, was based on the following.

* The Heidenhain system was a very attractive proposition in terms of cost.

* Heidenhain and HNC are able to maintain basic machine functions - something that other control manufacturers could not do, said CNC Heads.

* Machine performance improved - since retrofitting the first machine CNC Heads has noted a considerable improvement in machine performance and ease of use.

"The new control has many benefits over the old system," said Heywood.

"For instance, the hard drive is large enough to hold complete programs, so we are not having to 'drip feed' them any more.

Program data transfer is much simpler as we can now use a USB memory stick".

Heywood continued: "We also have had, and continue to have, tremendous support from Halifax Numerical Controls.

This has taken their involvement beyond that of just a 'simple' retrofit' job.

They have developed software to improve the automatic toolchange system as well as software that speeds up the referencing of the machine should it 'crash', which saves time and avoids the risk of damage to a cylinder head that may have had a lot of time spent on it at that point.

In fact, with any problems that we do encounter, we are reassured by HNC always having an answer".

* Retrofitting - the retrofit was completed within a week, with disruption kept to a minimum as HNC did the work during a holiday period.

This was crucial to CNC Heads as its machines were running 24h/day at the time just to keep up with current orders.

The first day back after the holiday, HNC went through the operation of the TNC 320 with Heywood and the retrofitted machine was producing parts that very same day.

Within three days any questions/issues had been resolved and the machine is now running to its full potential.

* Outstanding improvement - the improvement in performance has been astounding, said Heidenhain to manufacturingtalk.com.

The processing speed has increased from the original 30 milliseconds to around 6 milliseconds.

Also cycle times when machining cylinder heads have been reduced dramatically.

CNC Heads claims that a batch of 20 cylinder heads can now be produced in the same time as it previously took to machine six.

Accuracy and repeatability are also improved, which enables CNC Heads to further boost the performance of the cylinder heads it manufactures.

Heywood concluded: "Comparing our old control system with the new Heidenhain TNC 320 is like comparing chalk and cheese.

The difference is huge, both in the improvement in productivity that we are seeing and in the ease of use that is making programming the machine [at the control] so much faster.

Having witnessed what the TNC 320 and Halifax Numerical Controls can deliver, we will be looking to upgrade the other two machines as soon as possible.".

CNC retrofit upgrades robust bed miller

The retrofit of a three-axis control system to a bed mill has solved a number of problems for a specialist manufacturer of aluminium gravity diecasting machines.

The retrofit of an Anilam MK 3300 three-axis control system to a Butler Elgamill bed mill has solved a number of problems for Auto Gravity Machines, the specialist manufacturer of aluminium gravity diecasting machines.

Not only has the new CNC rejuvenated the ageing machine tool, but the system has also eliminated the need to sub-contract certain large workpieces and, as a result, generated all-round improvements in productivity levels.

Proprietor, Jim Sills, explains: "We bought the Elgamill about a year ago.

Although it is quite old, it is a very well-built, rigid machine.

It wasn't initially purchased with the retrofit in mind, but the fact that it had DC stepper motors and recirculating ballscrews - which, of course, are the basic requirements for a successful retrofit - meant I immediately recognised the potential for a future upgrade.

"This, I reckoned, would in effect covert on old workhorse into a modern CNC machine at relatively low cost." He continues: "Until we installed the machine, we were restricted in terms of machining capacity.

However, with X, Y and Z axes travels of 1800mm by 900mm by 1000mm, the Elgamill now enables us to machine large workpieces, such as C frames, in a single set-up.

"This capability has eliminated the need to re-position workpieces often two or three times on the table of our existing (smaller capacity) milling machine - or, if we could find a suitable sub-contractor, outsource the work.

"Because we operate two other CNC milling/machining centres, we recognised the advantages of upgrading the Elgamill in terms of both improved control functionality and speed of machining.

"Since the machine was being used with an Anilam DRO (hard-wired into the original control), and we found that very easy to use, we naturally leaned towards an Anilam CNC.

Also, we had received good reports of the system from a number of users (customers and peers) and, compared with alternative control suppliers, the Anilam option was very cost-effective.

These were all major factors in our choice of control." The retrofit was carried out by CSD Controls (UK), an Anilam-approved CNC retrofitter, and simply involved removing the DRO, building a new console and hard-wiring the MK 3300 into the existing panel.

Most of this work was completed by CSD off-site, to minimise machine downtime.

The PC-based Anilam MK 3300 control combines user-friendly conversational programming (Machinist Language) with digital signal processing for high-speed data processing and motion control.

The control features a range of canned cycles, including: * Irregular pockets - a simple routine of prompts produces clearances of shapes; * Geometry - the geometry calculator, for determining points, lines and circles, automatically forms the program foundation; * Bolt hole pattern and drill cycles are created by simple question and answer routines; and * Graphics - program verification with user-friendly graphics and program text and CNC status displayed together.

"The whole project went very well," comments Jim Sills.

"And we immediately found the MK 3300 a user-friendly, easy-to-program system - albeit we have only used the machine on straightforward two-axis milling, drilling and boring tasks." Since its establishment in 1967, Auto Gravity Machines has supplied machines for a variety of applications, but predominantly the automotive industry.

Although each machine is designed and manufactured for a particular task - proprietary parts are bought-in but everything else is machined/fabricated at the site in Aylesbury, Bucks - they can be successfully applied to subsequent workpieces.

Whatever the component, the company deals mainly with the foundry, working its designs around the size and requirements of the die, often utilising clever hydraulics/pneumatics for progressive die orientation.

"Achieving a successful diecast component is akin to pouring a glass of Guinness," adds Jim Sills.

"If the aluminium is 'tipped' in from too high, then a lot of dross and oxides are produced on the surface.

But if the metal is poured gradually, there's less inclusions/porosity/air entrapment and, generally, less metal is used.

The result is a higher quality component.

"The Elgamill is now a key machine in our production process," he concludes.

"Thanks to the Anilam CNC our new-found medium and heavy-duty milling capabilities have improved our overall machining efficiency and our lead times.

In turn, this has also cut our costs - and that's a good thing for both us and our customers.".

Manufacturing losses give rise to auctions

From a peak of more than 19 million in the 1970s, manufacturing jobs in the United States have dwindled to only about 12 million today, and the continuing recession is likely to depress the number still more.That means that firms like Hilco Industrial, an auctioneering firm based in Farmington Hills, has all the work it can handle these days selling off the leftover pieces of America's manufacturing base.

Each auction is necessary from each distressed company's view. But the sale of so much industrial equipment strikes many observers as an American tragedy.

Sitting among the bidders at a Hilco-run auction earlier this year at a closed Delphi plant in Dayton, Ohio, Mark Boeckl, president of a small company called TDM International in Flint, said that auctions like this spell disaster for America's once-mighty manufacturers.

"The scary part is all the infrastructure, all the manufacturing, is leaving," Boeckl said. "And literally what they don't sell they're scrapping. So, if the work does come back, now people are going to have to invest huge amounts of money."

Economists say many U.S. manufacturing jobs have disappeared through innovation, as a drive toward ever-greater productivity made factories do more with fewer workers.

But the rise of China and India as manufacturing powers in recent years has drained away many more jobs from U.S. factories. The collapse of auto sales in late 2008 took out still more companies and jobs.

Buyers at Hilco's industrial auctions range from local farmers hoping to pick up a band saw to Asian or South American industrialists seeking specialized equipment.

Boeckl said he was attending the Dayton auction earlier this year because he hoped to pick up a few specific pieces of machinery. Boeckl's firm makes auto parts for product lines hard to obtain any more in the United States. Delphi made a particular part in Dayton for Chrysler, and Boeckl hoped to buy the equipment, haul it to his plant in Flint, and win the business for TDM.

But even as he benefitted from Delphi's distress, Boeckl shook his head as the auction progressed.

CNC Retrofitting through Improve Equipment

Rather than spend thousands of dollars on new machinery, consider CNC retrofitting, which can provide accuracy similar to new machinery at a fraction of the cost.

If you are experiencing excessive machine down time with a machine that is mechanically sound, perhaps it's the control system that is obsolete.

Rather than tossing your old machine and getting a new one — which can be a costly endeavor — consider retrofitting the computer numerical control (CNC). This process entails the replacement of the CNC, servo motors and drives, spindle system and associated wiring.

Retrofit costs are typically between one-third and two-thirds the cost of a new machine, according to an American Machinist Webcast. It also avoids the "hidden costs" of new equipment such as transportation, tooling, training and start-up times.

Steve Colasanti, systems integrator at Dual Electric & Refrigeration Services, agrees, saying in a recent case study at Modern Machine Shop:

The cost of upgrading a machine tool to almost new is typically a fraction of the cost of buying new. If you have a solid machine base to work with, retrofitting machines with digital CNC and servo technology can yield large decreases in cycle time while providing accuracy similar to that of new machinery.

According to the Webcast, along with being less costly than new machinery, other benefits of a CNC retrofit include:

* Typically a 20 percent increase in performance due to the faster CNCs, higher-speed motors and machining technologies;
* Machine electricity usage reduction by as much as 50 percent;
* Increased plant capacity because of smaller CNCs;
* Improved mean-time to repair and mean-time between failures; and
* Better data accessibility and support through upgraded Ethernet communications.

To determine the full value of a retrofit, the Webcast instructs shop owners to perform a standard return on investment (ROI) analysis of the anticipated revenue improvements and the savings from cost reductions in conjunction with all quoted and hidden costs of the project.

While the benefits are appealing, there remain a few key considerations to keep in mind before committing to a retrofitting project. One of these is that benefits will be delivered only by upgrading the servo and spindle system to a high-speed digital interface as well. "It does not matter how fast the CNC can process blocks of part program data if the servo and spindle systems cannot keep up," according to American Machinist earlier this year.

When you've decided to commit to the project, the first step is to investigate the mechanics of the machine and determine the feasibility of a digital upgrade, Modern Machine Shop suggests. "Proper inertial matching calculations for each axis drive system is essential to peak high speed operation," Colasanti adds. Next, the retrofitting project manager must get an understanding of the electrical system so the retrofitted CNC can be integrated properly.

Once the viability of a retrofit has been established, it's time to select a retrofitter or retrofit kit provider. A retrofitter selects the CNC and determines the correct-sized drive systems, writes the programmable machine controller (PMC) ladder, mounts and wires electrical components and motors, sets the machine parameters and does basic servo tuning, Bruce Vernyi at American Machinist writes.

Due to their numerous responsibilities directly tied to the success of the retrofit, it is important to be extremely selective when selecting a retrofit partner. The American Machinist Webcast suggests machine shop owners:

* Establish their potential partner's competency in machine type;
* Ask for documentation of quality;
* Ask for references;
* Get multiple quotes; and
* Make apple-to-apple comparisons.

Some red flags to watch out for when appraising the quotations are a disproportionately low price, smaller servos or spindle systems and a poorly detailed quote.

Once you've chosen your partner, make sure to specify the exact CNC model you need and want, plus all the optional contents and additional enhancements you require, the Webcast presenter adds.


http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/

Retrofit the 3kW laser cutter with VMC

World Lasers has announced the first retrofit of a HAAS Automation VF-4 vertical machining centre (VMC) with a 3000W laser.

The retrofit offers the following.

* The durability and the capability of a quality CNC with laser technology.

* The speed, accuracy and versatility to give them the 'competitive edge'.

* A simple machine interface known and used by operators world-wide.

World Lasers sales manager, Greg Rawley, said: "Existing CNC owners can transform their machines into laser cutting machines for a relatively low cost.

We've listened to their needs and are delivering at prices that even the competitors can't believe".

The laser retrofit kits are available for all sizes VF VMCs sold by Haas Automation.

World Lasers is an independent OEM and not affiliated with Haas Automation.

Contact World Lasers for more information.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/woj/woj100.html

Choosing A Retrofit CNC

Intel co-founder Gordon Moore predicted the growth rate which now bears his name. Moore's Law suggests that the state of the art in computer processing power will double every 18 months.

This exponential pace of development affects computers everywhere. But on the floor of a machine shop, the impact is particularly striking. Here, rapidly evolving computer numerical controls (CNCs) meet machine tools whose basic structures have changed little since before these controls were introduced. The lopsided rate of change often means that the machine tool remains mechanically sound and serviceable long after its control has been eclipsed by newer models. There is no Moore's Law for the iron. As a result, some shops find themselves saddled with inoperative machines, idled only because the control is obsolete and replacement components can no longer be found. Still more shops use CNC machines whose mechanical structures could be employed much more effectively if only the controls had access to the power and features of more recently developed models. In each of these cases, one option is to scrap the old machine in favor of an entirely new one, with its own new control. However, another option is to retain the mechanical structure, and retrofit a replacement CNC.

Conserving the iron in this way is not always the more economical choice. CNCs are not simply plug-in devices. Any combination of CNC and machine tool is in fact a carefully engineered system, and the work of integrating this system is typically more expensive than the CNC itself. A new, mass-produced machine tool carries almost none of this engineering cost. The OEM spreads the one-time expense for system integration across the entire run of that machine. That option is not available for most retrofit jobs, where the "production run" typically amounts to just one unit.

Because of this integration expense and its effect on overall cost, many shops don't even consider CNC retrofitting. And perhaps rightly so; retrofitting instead of buying new is still cost-effective only for a minority of machine tools. However, retrofitting today may be worth a second look. The economics have changed significantly, even in just the last five years. There is an expanded range of choices among retrofit CNCs, and this has produced an expanded range of machine tools for which retrofitting now makes sense.

Today, two things can be said of the CNC retrofit market:

1. Machines that were once too old to justify a CNC retrofit now make excellent candidates.

2. Machines that were once too new to justify a CNC retrofit also make excellent candidates.

In the case of the older machines, today's controls are more forgiving of ballscrew error, backlash, way friction and other symptoms of mechanical wear. By compensating electronically for these errors, the right CNC alone may be enough to return a worn machine to like-new precision. Thus, the retrofit may not have to include costs for replacement bearings, ballscrews, or gearing, or for scraping the ways or other mechanical service.

In the case of the newer machines, recent improvements in control technology can make a more recent or more specialized CNC far more productive for the machine than its standard control unit, even when that older control is still functioning well. The retrofit CNC may offer important capabilities the standard one does not, including:

* High-feed rate, high-accuracy machining, particularly during contour milling. This can be the result of features including look-ahead, faster servo updates, and curve interpolation. It can also be the result of expanded program storage capacity or faster data transmission across a network.
* The ability to run third-party PC software directly on the control, for functions like shopfloor programming, or updating machining offsets based on trends in SPC data.
* Data exchange with networked PCs. Fast, two-way data transfer not only enables the CNC to obtain a part program quickly from a remote source, but can also let a remote PC monitor and react to the machine's status.

Most of these benefits are products of increased computing power (a la Moore's Law), which has expanded the choices available to control buyers by allowing CNCs to deliver more sophisticated and specialized functions. However, there is another factor spurring CNC development. Some features, like memory and networking improvements, have grown from the low-cost platform now available thanks to the spread of non-proprietary, commodity PC hardware. And this PC hardware has also produced more choices, as different CNC vendors apply the hardware in different ways.

If you are shopping for a replacement control, should you choose one that is in some way PC-based or PC-interfaced? Today there is a good chance the answer is yes.

But does this mean you should favor the control that includes the most off-the-shelf PC hardware? Not necessarily.

No, the best way to choose a replacement CNC in today's market is to take advantage of the range of choice now available to find the right control for the application. This will mean selecting the one that best delivers the features—including price—which that application demands. However, it will also mean finding the most appropriate mix of proprietary and non-proprietary hardware.
Not "Either/Or"

There are varying degrees to which a control can employ widely available hardware. Thus "proprietary" and "non-proprietary" are not either/or conditions. They can better be imagined as opposite directions along a common axis.

At the extreme "proprietary" end of this axis would be the CNC which was essentially the only type available ten years ago. This control has hardware built or specified entirely by the manufacturer, and at best offers only a slow serial interface for (one-way) data exchange.

Today, at or near the opposite end of this axis would be a control like the one offered by Manufacturing Data Systems, Inc. (MDSI; Ann Arbor, Michigan). Designed to permit a low-cost retrofit, or low-cost entry into CNC networking, MDSI's control consists of PC software running entirely on non-proprietary hardware. Its hardware requirements include a touch-screen monitor, and interface cards for encoders, servos, and I/O, all of which can be purchased from any of a variety of vendors. It has no motion control card. Instead, it closes the servo loop via algorithms in the software. For this reason, it requires just a digital-to-analog converter to interface with the servomotors.

Between these two extremes would be a CNC like the one offered by Creative Technology Corporation (Arlington Heights, Illinois). This is a control optimized to serve the needs of shops interested in milling intricate contoured forms at high feed rates. These include makers of molds, dies, and prototype parts. Accordingly, this PC-based control employs one particular vendor's motion control card, chosen for its fast servo cycle time, among other features. While this single-source card technically qualifies as proprietary hardware, the overall control is not as proprietary as the "extreme" proprietary control cited above. The customer does not have to return to the control vendor for replacement parts or upgrades. The maker of the motion control card has licensed the right to produce and market its hardware to a variety of competing manufacturers, and the rest of the control consists of generic PC hardware that is widely available.

This leads to another frequently used CNC term necessary to carry this discussion further. That term is open. (As in, "open architecture.") It is used together with "PC-based" so often that the two may appear identical in meaning. However, while the definitions may overlap, these two terms describe very different ideas.

In fact, different CNC vendors embrace any of at least two definitions for an open control. Some define this as a control using off-the-shelf hardware, which therefore (in theory) can be maintained and upgraded inexpensively, without the vendor's involvement.

Other vendors view an open control as one that can easily share information across a network. This information includes both input, like an NC program, and output, like machine status data.

These two definitions of open don't necessarily go together. A CNC can be open to hardware without being open to a network, and a CNC favoring proprietary hardware can be constructed to interface with a network freely. In the retrofit world, one example of this second case comes from Memex Electronics (Burlington, Ontario, Canada), which offers retrofit boards allowing older, "closed" Fanuc CNCs to connect directly to a PC network.

However, a more general example of a system delivering network openness to a proprietary CNC comes from yet another approach to a control employing PC hardware. This is an approach offered by GE Fanuc (Charlottesville, Virginia) and Siemens (Elk Grove Village, Illinois), among others. These companies place a PC front end on a control system in which all hardware comes from a single source—from pushbuttons through servomotors. This is the PC-enabled control system that most resembles the traditional, proprietary CNC. And for this reason, it may be the right approach for many applications.
Costs And Benefits

The determining factor, according to both GE Fanuc and Siemens, is the productive value of the machine tool.

For example, the purpose of a CNC retrofit may be to give new life to a machine that is non-critical and/or relatively inexpensive. The machine may be one that sits idle because needed hardware for its dated control can no longer be found, or because the control itself limits the machine's capabilities or makes it difficult to use. The machine may also be a low-cost vertical machining center that a different control might make faster or more accurate. In any of these cases, the shop will likely see the productivity gain from a retrofit as "gravy"—extra machining capacity acquired for significantly less than the cost of buying a new machine. If so, then the shop has to minimize the cost of the retrofit to make the upgrade cost-effective. This means finding the most inexpensive control that is feasible, and this may well mean choosing one that maximizes its use of widely available electronics.

But as the value of the machine tool increases, the outlook may change. There is no precise dollar value at which a machine can no longer be said to be "low cost." However, somewhere on an ascending scale of the machine's replacement cost—whether this is $200,000, $300,000, $500,000—there comes a point where the machine is valuable enough, and machine downtime is costly enough, that a compelling case can be made for proprietary hardware. With a single-source control system, the shop has the support of just one vendor behind all of the electronics that keep this costly machine productive.

Siemens marketing manager Peter Herweck adds another consideration when evaluating a largely non-proprietary control versus a largely proprietary one. A common selling point of the former option is its promise to let the buyer upgrade the control without the vendor's involvement, just as one would upgrade an office PC. The more proprietary controls do not promise this same freedom. However, Mr. Herweck cautions potential CNC buyers to weigh how valuable this promise really is. Questions he would have them ask include: "How often will I really want to upgrade this control? Can I truly perform this upgrade more economically in-house? And if so, am I willing to trade the support advantages of a single-source control to realize these savings?"

As for the other selling points of a non-proprietary control, he notes that a more proprietary control can also deliver these. He lists them: "Expanded part program storage; freedom to run third-party software; and data I/O, whether this is networking, zip or floppy drive, or a PCMCIA slot. A single-source control with a PC front end can provide all of these advantages," he says. And while the single-source system adds the support benefits to this, he notes that it also delivers these benefits not through general-purpose hardware, but via hardware that has been engineered around one function—reliably and repeatably controlling a machine tool.

The argument, in other words, is that you get what you pay for. However, today's market offers a corollary to this: If you don't want to pay for the advantages of a proprietary system, you no longer have to. Both of the less-proprietary systems mentioned in this article illustrate this, albeit in different ways. Using MDSI's control, shops have not only "resurrected" machines that were once too low-cost to justify retrofitting, but in some cases have realized performance benefits—including accuracy at higher feed rates—which the original control never permitted. And the specialized focus of the Creative Technology control has allowed die-mold shops to devote the price of a CNC retrofit to maximizing the control features most beneficial to the die-mold milling application. In fact, the control's benefits have proven profitable enough in this application that some die-mold shops have not waited for obsolescence, but instead have retrofitted the control to practically new vertical machining centers.

Upgrades like these illustrate how CNC technology has evolved rapidly in recent years. As to where this evolution might lead, the answer may lie no farther (from me) than my own fingertips.

Rebuild Retrofit

At Machine Rebuilders, we know most machine tools are made to be rebuilt. We can make or repair parts that the O.E.M. may no longer supply to repair older machines. Our in-house capability allows us to customize and specialize your machine tools for improved production. We can dismantle, clean, restore, and refurbish your equipment, even send it back with a new coat of paint, working better than new.

Machine Rebuilders onsite crane and lifting capability means you’ll save on shipping, as we can load and unload your machine tools at our facility using our own equipment and personnel.


When needed, Machine Rebuilders can repair and retrofit onsite.

We have the experience to know and advise whether it is more cost effective to refurbish your machine tools or to purchase new.

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