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A subtle military motif underlies two of the most prominent displays at Republic Lagun Machine Tool Company’s booth S-8470, while others are somewhat unusual in their own right, albeit for different reasons.

 

The flashiest exhibit is a one-off, custom motorcycle with a camouflage paint job that has been dubbed “The Grunt” by manufacturer Roland Sands, which uses the company’s FTV 2 mills and American Turnmaster lathes to machine linkage arms, air filters, tubular accessories and other custom bike components. Nearby is the KPCU-AR, a 75-ton gantry mill from Zayer in Northern Spain. This machine will be shipped to Hill Air Force base in Utah for machining landing gear components after the show. Although machine is hard to miss, the company invites visitors to climb aboard a 4-foot platform for a closer look.

 

While those attractions might be more eye-catching at first glance, impeller machining on a VGC 4428 VMC provides a somewhat unusual example of combining multiple processes on one platform. This machine might initially appear to be no more than a standard five-axis VMC, but a closer look reveals a grinding wheel in the tool changer. The machine is a custom model developed at the request of General Electric, which sees advantages in the precision and control possible with grinding compared to five-axis milling, Mr. Gillingham says.

 

Finally, the company’s demonstration of hydrostatic steady rests from Spanish builder Goratu invites attendees to not only look, but also touch. More notably, a touch is all that’s required to move the 11,000-pound part, which is supported on the steady rest by a 0.002-inch-thick film of oil that reduces friction and vibration, Mr. Gillingham says.