Americanmachinist 802 83507stardual6v00000055547
Americanmachinist 802 83507stardual6v00000055547
Americanmachinist 802 83507stardual6v00000055547
Americanmachinist 802 83507stardual6v00000055547
Americanmachinist 802 83507stardual6v00000055547

Innovation in Italy

Jan. 5, 2009
Two possible configurations of the Star Dual 6 vertical machining center from EMU Engineering. Riello’s MC4 flexible production cell features two independent single-spindle/ twin-spindle machining centers and a ...
Two possible configurations of the Star Dual 6 vertical machining center from EMU Engineering.
Riello’s MC4 flexible production cell features two independent single-spindle/ twin-spindle machining centers and a 4-position pallet changer.

Since 1958, BI-MU has showcased the latest innovations for the entire manufacturing sector, and the 26th edition of the Italian tradeshow that took place in October, 2008, at the Milan Exhibition Center, fieramilano, was no exception.

A total of 1,702 companies, representing 32 countries, displayed machine tools, robots, automation and auxiliary products, components and structural processing, welding, assembly and dies.

The spotlight was on machines and systems designed around functional modularity for shops to quickly and easily adapt to production changes. Two exhibitors offering such technology were Italian companies EMU Engineering and Gruppo Riello Sistemi.

EMU’s Star Dual 6 vertical machining center lets shops tackle small parts in a highproduction environment or quickly switch to low volumes of large components. The machine eliminates setup time by allowing users to load tools and programs while the machine keeps working.

The Star Dual 6 gets its capabilities from a variety of possible machine configurations. As a single-spindle, dual-table machine, it operates as a fast pallet-changing machine, or shops can fixture large parts across the machine’s two tables, which then move in synchronized motion.

As a dual-spindle, dual-table configured machine, the Star Dual 6 can work on two smaller parts simultaneously. Or, both spindles can be machining the same large part fixtured across the two tables.

For productivity, flexibility and accuracy, the MC4 flexible production cell from Riello sports two independent single-spindle/ twin-spindle machining centers and a 4-position pallet changer.

The machine can cut using two independent working stations, each one with 5-axis simultaneous interpolation option and a chip-tochip time of 1 second. While one spindle is cutting, the other one changes the tool and moves into position for the next operation. That means that 5-sided machining is possible using single part chuckings in the two working stations at the same time and with two or four spindles working simultaneously.

MC4’s two pallet-holder rotary tables are CNC controlled. Directdrive motors ensure excellent dynamics, high accuracy and the elimination of backlash.

The machine’s 4-position highspeed pallet changer permits automated loading/unloading, and it rotates 180 degrees or 90 degrees to run the machine’s two stations in parallel or in sequence.

In other news from Italy, Milan once again will host EMO, the machine tool world exhibition on Oct. 5 through Oct. 10 in 2009. The show, promoted by CECIMO – the European Committee for Co-operation of the Machine Tool Industries – was last held in Milan in 2003.

Exhibitors at EMO Milan 2009 will occupy the entire newly constructed Milan Exhibition Center. There will be over 180,000 sq-meters of exhibition area set up for the event that will attract more than 200,000 worldwide visitors. About 80 companies from China and Taiwan combined are expected to exhibit.

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