Manufacturing Industry News

GF Machining Solutions opened its North American Medical Center of Competence in Lincolnshire, Illinois on April 19 with a wide variety of machines on display. Between a versatile automation cell, intuitive EDM features and powerful lasers for both marking and micromachining, the technology on offer could spark shifts in medical manufacturing and beyond.

The automated cell at the heart of GF’s Medical Center of Competence includes a Form P 350 die-sinker EDM, a Mikron Mill S 400 U, inspection equipment, storage racks and a robot that manages it all.

The Automated Heart

At the heart of GF’s Medical Center of Competence is an automated cell bringing together several of the company’s machine lines. Both low-volume, high-mix and high-volume, low-mix applications are possible on this demonstration cell, which includes a Mikron Mill S 400 U milling machine, a Form P 350 die-sinker EDM, 3R workholding devices and cell management software, a FANUC robot and a CMM. The S 400 U also has a grinding option and a wet electrode cutting option, while all machines benefit from 3R’s one-minute setup times and repeatability within several microns.

GF positions itself as being able to make previously impossible parts, using this cell and the rest of the machines within the Center of Competence to demonstrate new design possibilities to shop owners and product design teams.

Killing the Right Sparks

Of note was GF’s wire EDM technology. This includes both the Cut F 600, a mid-range offering making its North American debut at the unveiling, and the Uniqua control technology on both this machine and a higher-end Cut P machine.

Both the new Cut F and higher-end Cut P EDMs include ISPS and iWire functionality in their controls. These features adjust sparks and wire feed rate to optimize cutting time and wire consumption rates.

The Cut F features increased accuracy compared to the budget Cut E machines, with more durable ballscrews, a liquid-cooled Y-axis, and an X-axis repositioned to benefit from this cooling. Visitors to the unveiling also saw a demonstration of GF’s iWire technology, which senses height differences between sections of parts and automatically compensates, reducing wire consumption. Company representatives say this feature saves an average of 27% of wire — but the demo part on the Cut P boasted 60% savings. This technology works in conjunction with GF’s ISPS (Intelligent Spark Protection System) technology, which uses a sensor close to the cut zone to analyze Z-axis sparks along the wire.

As with the height differences iWire observes, the control uses this information to adjust cut parameters, reduce wire breakage and maximize operation speed. Erik Poulsen, GF’s medical marketing manager, says the technologies in the Uniqua control provide an unmatched level of fine control — even predicting the strength of individual sparks and killing single, overpowered sparks to maintain a smooth process.

GF’s also showcased an important update to its die-sinker EDM technology: iGap. This software ensures sparks only form on the front of the electrode, not the sides. By controlling the location of these sparks (and concentrating the machine’s power), electrode wear decreases and average cycle times are 30% faster.

Laser Focus

The company has also been quietly developing powerful laser technology to perform not just texturing operations, but full-on micromachining. Visitors to the Medical Center of Competence opening event glimpsed both applications.

GF’s laser texturing software enables users to scan a desired texture and replicate it with a laser texturing machine, such as the Laser P 400 U on display in the Medical Center of Competence.

Texturing is more than a simple finishing operation for medical applications, with Poulsen describing laser-created textures that assist in osseo-integration and friction reduction, as well as textures that are hydrophobic, hydrophilic or anti-bacterial. Users can create these textures with relative ease, as GF’s laser machines are accurate to within tens of microns — enough to eliminate the need for masking — and texture programming is streamlined through an ability to scan textures into the control system for replication.

While GF demonstrated its laser machines’ ability to perform laser texturing at the Medical Center of Confidence, it showcased laser micromachining at its nearby Microlution facility. The company pointed to three machine types for different applications: the MLTC for tube cutting, general purpose ML machines and MLDS machines that pair a laser with metrology or boring stations for a high-end multitasking solution.

These machines can use nanosecond and femtosecond lasers, with nanosecond pulses creating a heat-affected zone that adds variability and femtosecond pulses achieving low surface variability without a heat-affected zone. Control over the lasers is now so fine that the MLTC can create features that aren’t through-features, and both the MLTC and the ML5 can perform OD turning with lasers. Spot sizes average 20 microns, with one demo part pushing the MLTC to an 11-micron spot size.

The ML5 is climate-controlled, five-axis laser micromachining system. The company’s engineers say the laser uses prisms to strengthen the beam, ending up with hundreds of Megawatts of power for the tiny fractions of a second in which the laser is pulsing. Parts can have negative, positive or zero tapers, and parts-cleaning is all but eliminated.

GF Microlution is making strides in laser micromachining. The company says it cuts about 80% of its test parts from stock using lasers, and can also perform OD turning and create non-through features at accuracies within several microns.

GF mostly relied on demonstrating test parts on the Microlution floor, as many applications in the medical field and beyond are under strict NDAs. These test parts showcased the extremes these machines could meet, with the 11-micron part mentioned above being a stainless-steel pipe 0.012 inch in diameter with a 0.009-inch hole and tiny, non-through-part features. Other sample parts made with GF Microlution’s laser lineup included representatives of aerospace and electrical work that the company made available for inspection under microscopes.

Erik Poulsen is convinced that micro lasers will be increasingly vital to medical manufacturing. EDM and conventional machining can both currently create parts on a much larger scale, much faster for a fraction of the cost — but the precision and detail laser micromachining can offer (not to mention its current usefulness in texturing) enable product designers to explore new ideas and target new standards in the ever-growing medical market and beyond.

Originally Published by Modern Machine Shop on 6/14/23: https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/edm-laser-micromachining-and-more-at-gf-medical-demo-center

GF Machining Solutions follows market trends and answers to customers' challenges by redesigning the established high-performance five-axis milling machine Mikron MILL P 800 U and creating the Mikron MILL P 800 U S, a compact and ready-for-automation machine that delivers intelligent productivity.

There is a clear market trend towards automation. Customers are looking for the best automation solution while thinking of a reduced footprint to increase the production per square meter. This is especially the case for competitive industries like aerospace and automotive, where the demand for aircraft and electrical vehicles continues to outstrip the supply of manufacturing. At the same time, manufacturers need to keep an eye on the production, and it is becoming increasingly important to track and improve the output of the workshop.

Based on these requirements, GF Machining Solutions has decided to redesign the well-established Mikron MILL P 800 U and to create the new high-performance milling machine Mikron MILL P 800 U S with the same performance and reliability. The access to the machine has been considerably improved by making it more accessible from the back by shortening the space between the table and the robot. The better connectivity between the machine and the robot makes the MILL P 800 U S a state-of-the-art solution with a compact layout, even with multiple machines. 

The MILL P 800 U S, which can be equipped with a Heidenhain TNC 640 or a Siemens Sinumerik control, delivers a high material removal rate thanks to its symmetrical gantry design that ensures stiffness and robustness, and to the 20,000 rpm Step-Tec Spindle of 36kW and 120Nm. The main water-cooled heat sources inside the MILL P 800 U S secure a long milling process and make the machine suitable for heavy roughing and finishing. 

As part of GF Machining Solutions’ DNA, the MILL P 800 U S is a high dynamic milling machine (with an acceleration of 1.7g). This is made possible by its standard specification (with a rapid axis traverse of 61m/min and an axis acceleration of 10m/s²) and the support on both table sides of direct (swiveling and rotary) torque motors. These ensure precision and accuracy, even during dynamic milling, and guarantee an unattended, risk-free process 24/7 thanks to the smart machine module called Machine Spindle Protection (MSP). With the MSP, even if a crash occurs during the milling process, neither the spindle nor the machine are damaged and the milling process can restart immediately. 

The combination of the performance and the compact automation layout in the MILL P 800 U S makes this new machine unique in the market. It can easily be connected to a robot and the scalability of the machine with automation is limitless because of the possibility to add a second, a third or even more machines of the same type into the robot cell. This allows to always keeping the best machine ergonomic and accessibility for the machine's set up or maintenance when needed. 

All machines in the MILL P 800 U range are rConnect ready. This central communications platform enables manufacturers to maximize their productivity and their control over production. Live Remote Assistance (LRA), process improvement modules, predictive maintenance and machine monitoring enhance the machine uptime and add more flexibility on the shop floor. LRA allows for customer-authorized remote assistance via real-time connection of machines to GF Machining Solutions. With LRA, the manufacturer using the system or a GF Machining Solutions technician can conduct remote diagnostics and inspections. 

The MILL P 800 U S will be offered to customers as part of a complete newly designed service package, which comprises full support with one supplier for the whole cell including automation. On top of that, they will receive extra support hours, quick access to experts to get the machine on track up to 12 times faster, remote support backed by the latest digital technologies and advanced diagnostics on the spindle and the robot's motions. Furthermore, customers can expect a worldwide spindle exchange service within 24 hours, as well as original parts and upgrade to the latest software, which reduces downtime significantly.  

GFMS Media Release Originally Published: 7/29/22

On the customer’s side, the manufacturing process is crucial to answer market demands. Fast time to market is a daily challenge. Due to the crisis COVID-19, the cost of raw materials has increased and producing the first part right is essential to keeping costs down and avoiding scratch material. A short machining process is key to increasing productivity and efficiency.

The Mikron MILL S/X (U) three- and five-axis milling series are known for accuracy, precision, high dynamics, iconic design, and ergonomics. Accessibility to the machines is easy and their footprint is small whether on a standalone machine or combined with an automation cell. With a fast process speed, parts can be produced to fulfill market demands with flexible production. The automated machine calibration (AMC) as standard on the series provides calibration, and the cooling of all machine components keeps the process stable during long milling and grinding processes.

The MILL S and X series include hybrid milling and grinding capabilities. The new machines can combine milling and jig grinding on the same machine without any impact on its footprint or performance. The grinding setup is designed to maintain standard workpiece dimensions and the clamping surface for automated processes. The laser measuring system and dressing spindle (with an adjusted rpm from 3,000 to 20,000) remain located closer to the working area for a quick and fast grinding process. In addition, the dressing spindle is installed with a slight inclination to dress any type of grinding tool without issue.

Through this two-in-one solution, the Mikron MILL S/X (U) series reduces the time and complexity of the customer's manufacturing process. The combination of milling and grinding technologies and high machine dynamics and consistent thermal stability due to Ambient Robust technology, ensure high accuracy and a fast ROI for high quality parts. The dressing spindle is equipped with an acoustic emission (AE) sensor to track and visualize the signal on the Heidenhain control during the tool dressing. The machine can be equipped with an additional AE sensor to track grinding operations and optimize the process further. Thanks to the additional AE sensors on the machine table, operators can adapt their process even more thanks to the automatic tool-piece detection cycle. This cycle, developed by GF Machining Solutions, avoids air grinding by detecting exactly when the grinding tool touches the part to start the process under optimal conditions.

originally published on Today's Medical Developments on 9/15/22

GF Machining Solutions is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Red Dot Design Award: Product design [2022] for the AgieCharmilles LASER S 2500 U.

The Red Dot Design label has become established internationally as one of the most sought-after marks of quality for good design. Products are awarded in three categories: product design, which honors industrially manufactured, market-ready products, brands and communication design and design concept. The criteria by which the jury, consisting of around 50 international experts, evaluates the products are the following: functionality, aesthetics, usability and sustainability.

The LASER S 2500 U has been developed together with industrial experts such as Reichle Technologiezentrum GmbH, Europe's largest service provider in the area of laser texturing, and using the "Design Thinking" approach. Designed to answer upcoming trends like functional surfaces for branding features, this fast, accurate new machine within the S series of GF Machining Solutions' laser machine range makes textured surfaces possible, increasing product differentiation. New designs with a perfect replication on the final part could be achieved through rigorous testing. The table can accommodate large size molds of up to 10 tons, for example for dashboards and door trims, the monobloc tri gantry design combined with thermo-stabilized areas of the machine ensure the highest graining quality. Fully digitized texturing makes it easy to texture, mark, engrave and add functional surfaces to parts, molds and dies. Finally, the laser texturing technology supports sustainability and environmental considerations by replacing conventional technologies, which use chemicals or other potential pollutants.

However, not only the design, but also the functionality are paramount with this new laser machine. The LASER S 2500 U offers increased productivity during high volume machining thanks to specifically high displacement dynamics. Machining times are greatly reduced while the exceptional quality of ablation is maintained. The LASER S 2500 U answers to new geometrical demands while enabling customers to control the costs per part.

The LASER S 2500 U as awarded product will be featured in the Red Dot Design Yearbook and in the Red Dot Design virtual exhibitions. The award ceremony will take place in the Aalto Theater in Essen (Germany) on 20 June 2022. Additionally, all winning products will be part of the exhibition "Design on Stage" in the Red Dot Design Museum from June 2022 to May 2023.

The new LASER S 2500 U was able to convince the jury of the Red Dot Design Award.