Going the extra mile: ANCA delivers customised solution to tooling manufacturer

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Grinding technology specialist ANCA's engineering team stepped up to the plate and provided a customised solution based on its MX7 Linear CNC tool grinder for auto-loading and grinding these special inserts.

Simon Richardson, ANCA product manager affirms: "Developing new technology that directly addresses customer requirements, hopefully helping you get ahead of your competition benefits everyone. Our founders are often heard reflecting that some of our greatest product breakthroughs have originated from custom projects.”

Alfred Lyon, AB Tools' shop supervisor said: “Both Jon Baker, the president at AB Tools, and I were extremely impressed with the whole process. From our own testing to having Simon Richardson come out and scope out our needs and what we wanted to accomplish. Followed by several emails, a discussion with ANCA CEO Pat Boland himself and then flying to Melbourne to meet with the incredible Customer Solutions team who then took our requirements and ran with it.”

“Lastly, and probably the most important part, ANCA sending out engineers to iron out all last-minute details. Basically, our goals were not merely met but exceeded.”

The engineering team was requested to deliver a solution that was able to:

• Autoload and grind a range of AB Tools shear hog inserts


• Perform grinding operations in one set-up


• Meet cycle time requirements

• A modification to the loading system with custom pallets to suit the inserts. The custom pallets can hold up to 442 inserts and capacity can easily be increased by ordering the four pallet upgrade option available on the MX7 Robomate


• A modification to the robot gripper head allows the robot to pick up and handle the insert/nail combination. Robot loading software was developed to enable to the machine to pick up the insert and load and unload the nail via an interchange station


• Custom anvil nose workholding to clamp the inserts, with the added benefit of a variable force drawbar system which facilitates the flexibility to grind different sized inserts and to effectively clamp different sized tooling


• A software interface to allow for the adjustment of specified insert parameters including: corner radius, periphery relief angle and rake face dimensions. Digitising software also verifies the insert orientation prior to grinding

ANCA https://machines.anca.com/Products/Machines/MX-Linear/MX7-Linear

AB Tools https://abtoolsinc.com/