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05/14/2007: "Fine cuts eliminate hand polishing"

Fine cuts eliminate hand polishing

WHEN a Sydney engineering workshop noted for precision jobs and fast turnaround invested in a new Fanuc Robodrill, it got more than it bargained for.

The managing director of Oz Models, Wally Austin, said the acquisition enables staff to produce a smooth machined surface to the required profile.

"We are very impressed with the performance of the Robodrill FS31i-A%, because it has enabled us to enhance the quality of each finished component on tasks that formerly took three times as long," Austin said.

The newcomer has done more than maintain the workshop's customary high levels of accuracy - even running at a spindle-speed of 21,000 rpm. The fineness of the cut has eliminated most of the polishing processes needed on work pieces such as close tolerance moulds for the plastic industry.

At its workshops in Ryde, Oz Models has provided a variety of services for the past decade. It has built a first-class reputation for pattern-making, producing high-precision dies and moulds, jigs and fixtures, special purpose machines and short run machined parts. Oz Models uses a wide variety of materials including metal, plastic and resins to manufacture these jobs.


600 Machine Tools, the exclusive agent of Fanuc in Australia was able to configure the Robodrill specifically for Oz Models, 600 Machine Tools' managing director Cliff Purser explained: " We sell this range with a special ToolMaker package that is ideal for 3D work, offering 24,000 rpm spindle, data server, A1 contour control II, look ahead expansion, and many othere features," Purser said.

"This sophisticated package is not found on the Japanese giant's website, because it was devised by 600 Machine Tools engineers in concert with our friends at Fanuc Australia."

Mr Purser explained that many workshops throughout Australia liked the Fanuc Robodrill a-i series because of its flexibility. Versatile machining is possible, including drilling, tapping, milling, and profiling.

The machine delivers high speed through its high power spindle, which is directly couple with its motor. The compact, very rigid basic structure allows high-speed and fast acceleration axis feed. High-precision indexing is made possible by using a closed loop. The FS31i-A5 has rapid traverse speed of 54m/min, with maximum acceleration over 1.5G. Z-axis travel is 330mm. Purser said one of the most appealing features of the Robodrill is the time it saves by eliminating post-machining processes.

"From a program comprising minute line segments created with a CAD/CAM system, the original curved surface is estimated as NURBS curves. The generated NURBS are interpolated in nanometers so that a smooth machined surface close to the designed profile can be obtained, thereby reducing the number of hand finishing processes," Purser said.
600 Machine Tools