Metrology Software Increases Measuring Machines Functionality
Heidenhain’s Quadra-Chek metrology software is designed to provide advanced functionality for inspection measurement machines.

CNC Mill Control Features Touch-Screen Interface
The Acu-Rite 3500i CNC control from Heidenhain features a touchscreen operator interface designed to optimize program navigation, editing, creation and verification.

Heidenhain Launches CNC Machining Magazine
Heiedenhain (Schaumburg, Illinois), a manufacturer of precision measurement and control equipment, announces the official North American introduction of Klartext – News from the World of Heidenhain Controls, a magazine focused on CNC control issues relevant to today’s shop owners, managers and machinists.  Already well-established in Europe, Klartext (meaning “clear text”) will cover topics including industry focuses on the medical, automotive and aerospace markets; features on machine optimization/compensation, five-axis machining and high speed machining; and relevant case histories; among others.  The publication is now available free to Norht American businesses.

A Model Machine for Titanium
Researchers develop a machine tool that controls vibration to mill titanium more productively. The machine relies on guideway systems delivering stiffness that is literally infinite.

No-Drift, Absolute Gaging Package
Heidenhain has coupled its new Acanto absolute length gage with its ND 2100G Gage-Chek metrology readouts to create a package for fixed gaging applications.

Absolute Encoder for Electric Motors
Heidenhain says its ECI 119 absolute, inductive rotary encoder’s feature a low profile (19-mm height, 92-mm OD) and large through shaft (50, 38 or 30 mm) make it suited for electric motors in the electronics and packaging industries; general automation; robotics; plastic molding machines; and swivel and tilting axes.

Length Gages Provide a Stable Environment
Characterized by absolute position value formation, Heidenhain’s Acanto series of length gages are suited for use in production-related metrology, multipoint inspection apparatuses and automated inspection equipment.

Infrared Touch Probe Offers Mobility
Designed for use with numerically controlled machine tools, the wireless TT449 infrared tool touch probe is suited for tilting and rotating work tables, five-axis machining centers and other applications that require unlimited movement.

Going To Great Lengths
Heidenhain LB 382C sealed linear scales enabled Ingersoll Machine Tools to meet the customer’s requirements for the largest five-axis gantry machine in North America.

Honing On A Horizontal Machining Center
A specially designed tooling package for honing operations, along with live, on-board gaging, allows critical honing operations to move to HMCs, thereby eliminating several separate steps on multiple dedicated machines. 

Infrared Touch Probe For Mechanical Activation
The TS 642 touch probe from Heidenhain features mechanical probe activation and is compatible with both the company’s older controls and current third-party controls. This is especially useful for machines that are not set up to offer touch probes as standard options, the company says.

Absolute Linear Encoder
Incorporating absolute technology to a multi-substrate scale tape linear encoder design, Heidenhain introduces the LIC 4000. Besides its capability of absolute position measurement, this encoder is characterized by its high resolution of 1 nanometer and its serial EnDat 2.

Inspection System Combines Length Gage, DRO
Heidenhain’s inspection system combines a Certo length gage, which is capable of a large measuring range including high-accuracy, nonometer-level measurement, with an ND 287 digital readout (DRO) equipped with Statistical Process Control (SPC). Common applications for this system are inspection of parts with tight tolerances and gage block calibration.

Automatically Measure A Rotary Axis
 For automatic measurement of a machine’s rotary axis, Heidenhain offers KinematicsOpt, to its iTNC 530 contouring control. This software option, coupled with the company’s touch probe mounted into the CNC machine spindle, is said to increase the accuracy of the control. The automatic measurement function can measure a rotary table, tilting table or swivel head.

Probes Promote Accuracy
The TS 444 battery-free probe is charged and ready to probe within seconds. It features a built-in air turbine generator and capacitor that uses the same burst of air that cleans the part. The TS 740 high accuracy probe features ≤ 1µm accuracy with repeatability of ≤ 0.

Linear Scales Improve Lathe Accuracy
When Ford Automotive offered a contract to this Canadian automotive manufacturer for producing rear toe links, the company found its lathes simply weren’t capable of attaining the accuracy required to complete the job. In addition to enabling the company to win the contract, installing Heidenhain linear scales on the lathes reduced scrap rates and the need for frequent operator adjustments.

Scale For Applications In Varying Temperatures
Heidenhain has expanded its LIDA 400 scales series to include a version that can withstand varying temperatures. The LIDA 403 scale is available with glass or glass ceramic as its graduation carrier. Its expansion coefficient makes it useful in varying temperatures while maintaining high accuracy, the company says.

DRO Systems For Gaging
DRO Systems For GagingHeidenhain’s ND 200 series digital readouts (DROs) feature multiple inputs and a flexible configuration. Highlights of the ND 280 include a monochrome screen and standard functions that fulfill many measuring tasks, the company says. The ND 287 features a color screen and is modular in design.

Control For Cycle And CNC Lathes
  The Manualplus 620 features a new NC kernel and with it, the cycle programming feature of this control enables machinists to quickly and efficiently program and machine workpieces without writing NC programs. A key addition to this control is the new programming mode “Smart.Turn”. This mode enables simple and q

DRO With Linear Scale

Retrofits Invigorate Old Machine Tools
Retrofitting older machine tools with modern CNC, DRO and linear scales is often cheaper than buying new machines. According to two veteran retrofitters who have worked together for nearly 10 years, such retrofits can often bring outdated machines to like-new condition. 

Encoder Interface Features Increased Clock Frequency
Heidenhain’s bidirectional EnDat 2. 2 encoder interface is now available with a clock frequency of 16 MHz for high-response applications with direct drives, particularly those found in the electronics industry. According to the company, the increase from 8 MHz to 16 MHz reduces access time to the position value and shortens cycle times.

Flexible Grinder Streamlines Drive Shaft Production
When a bottleneck arose from an application involving multiple setups, this shop invested in a new grinding machine with a full B-axis. Since then, it has consolidated the troublesome operation from three machines to one.

Linear Scales Meet Miniaturization Needs

Control Software Features AFC Capability, Global Program Settings

Automotive Supplier Speeds Metal Removal With Boring Mill
In an industry where one in three shops has closed during the past 10 years, Fischer Tool and Die's business is thriving. According to the Temperance, Michigan shop, this is because its growth stems from die cast work for the automotive 'new domestics,' a term for transplants.

Redesigned Linear Encoders Feature Serial Axis Control

DRO For Manual Machines

Extended Travel Linear Scale

Retrofit Using Six-Axis DRO Offers Flexibility
Following a retrofit using this six-axis readout on a partial machine rebuild of a vertical milling/boring machine, this manufacturer is now benefiting from greater flexibility on existing machinery.

Interpolating Axes On Manual Machines
A DRO makes it possible to follow circular arcs on a manual machine.

Rotary Encoder For Large Shafts

Touch Probe For Measuring Workpieces

Modular Angle Encoder

Length Gauges

Scales And DROs Customize Lathe To Keep Power Companies Running
When a multimillion-dollar turbine generator at a power plant needs to be repaired, time is of the essence. This company rehabilitates and rebuilds existing generators.

California Specialty Parts Machinist Has No Room For Error
Much of the current equipment at this plant is German and Swiss machinery, including two Deckel mills (FP4 and FP3), a Bridgeport mill and Schaublin (10-inch) and HES (20-inch) lathes, among other various saws. In order to keep the parts as accurate as possible, the controls and DROs that are used need to be accurate and reliable.

Retrofitting Toolroom Leads To Success For St. Louis Manufacturer
This supplier of tooling to such companies as Boeing and GE Jet Aircraft, explains why he won't go without retrofitting his machines.

Interpolating Curves
The ability to import complex curves into CNCs promises to let shops finally get beyond old limitations imposed by contouring with linear interpolation. Faster and smoother cutting will be the result.

Do-It-Yourself Machine Inspection
Affordable technology is available that allows shops to dynamically model the accuracy characteristics of their machine tools. Here's how these inspection devices work, and what they can reveal about your production equipment.

• Accuracy Gain From Linear Encoders

  If the position of a machine tool’s axis is measured using a rotary encoder, then potentially the ballscrew is being asked to perform two contradictory functions. The ballscrew both drives the axis into position and indicates that position—because the ballscrew lies in between the encoder and the moving element of the machine. Control technology supplier Heidenhain calls this “semiclosed-loop” operation.