As the cutting tool industry moves towards more complex geometries and away from standard tools, manufacturers are needing to find new solutions. Often referenced as special tools, ANCA will showcase the technology, software, and automation at EMO Milano 2021 that enables customers to design and grind multiple tool types in one batch, making special tools a more profitable strategy.
Patrick Boland, ANCA Co-Founder said: “Customers are after more productivity, higher accuracy, and increased process stability. There is great interest in automation, Industry 4.0, and technologies that can digitally connect all aspects of production. What’s new at ANCA is what we call AIMS or the “ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System”. It’s the overarching platform under which we’ll be releasing software and hardware through the coming years. At the top is a suite of management software, and underneath is all the hardware necessary to grind, measure, and process complex cutting tools.”
“We are proud to have our new AutoMarkX laser marking system on the stand at EMO, a machine that further simplifies the tool manufacturing process by achieving greater efficiencies and reductions in simple manual tasks. Compatible with ANCA’s flexible software suite, AutoMarkX automatically loads tools directly from grinding machine pallets to be laser marked. ANCA’s own technology is designed for integration with AIMS (ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System), to automatically receive and dispatch pallets using an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) while connectivity to the AIMS Server provides the data to be marked on the tools,” Patrick concluded.
Electric Vehicles
From a CNC tool and cutter supplier’s point of view, Electric Vehicles’ (EV’s) growth in the market is a challenge as well as a revolutionary opportunity. In 2017, 11.8 percent of cutting tool consumption was for automotive manufacturing. However, the rise of EVs and the associated manufacturing changes will significantly impact this. The machining time required for pure EVs will reduce by 50–75 percent compared with traditional internal combustion engines (ICEs). This will result in a decline in overall cutting tool consumption as ICE vehicles’ production declines.
Xiaoyu Wang, ANCA GCX Product Manager said: “Declining demand for cutting tools is an existential challenge, especially for our customers who serve the automotive industry. However, entering the supply chain of EV manufacture provides many untapped opportunities. – the new skiving cutters required for manufacturing the internal gears used in EV transmission is a significant one. About 45 percent of all gear production is for vehicle transmission. The growth in EVs has drastically changed the requirements for the gear cutting and production industries. For example, a high engine speed of up to 20,000 RPM means a higher gear ratio is required to reduce the speed for efficient use in automobiles. Additionally, the complex planetary gear systems are more prevalent in the new electric transmission design.”
Driven by EV’s unparallel 28%~36% growth rate, the skiving cutters used in the high-speed skiving processes are in high demand. Due to their complex geometries, producing solid carbide skiving cutters requires a series of technology and process developments that enable their consistent and repeatable production. ANCA will bring its GCX Linear machine to EMO so customers can understand how it provides a complete solution for manufacturing DIN AA quality solid carbide skiving cutters – the highest in the industry.
This content was originally published on the ANCA website.