Visitor numbers up 20% at WFL Technology Meeting

WFL Millturn Technologies’ headquarters in Linz, Austria
WFL Millturn Technologies’ headquarters in Linz, Austria

It was double celebration for WFL Millturn Technologies at its biennial Technology Meeting which took place in Linz, Austria at the end of March. Not only were visitor numbers up by nearly 20% on the 2017 show, the event also marked the company’s 25th anniversary. PES reports.


Across 4,000m² of exhibition space, a plethora of live cutting demonstrations, automation and software solutions were shown with visitors attending from Austria, Germany and the neighbouring countries. China, the US, Brazil, and the Middle East.

The focus of this year's Technology Meeting was centred around the opportunities offered by Industry 4.0. Topics such as digitalisation and intelligent networking coupled with highly efficient developments relating to big data, data analysis and artificial intelligence, will form the basis of new business models. For customers, this means a new level of productivity can be achieved.

Live machining and equipment highlights


From 26-28 March, visitors had direct access to the entire WFL product range – from the smallest machine model – the M30 Millturn – through to the M120 Millturn. Applications from the aerospace, plastics and high-tech mechanical engineering industries were the primary sectors covered. Highly efficient automation solutions, the latest technologies and practical specialist presentations were also top of the agenda.

In addition to machine highlights, WFL showcased a broad spectrum of cutting-edge technologies including gearing solutions such as profile milling and InvoMilling, prism grinding solutions for deep hole drilling, and complex internal machining such as CoroPlus boring bars, as well as screw machining.

Diode-based additive manufacturing was also demonstrated, underscoring the particular benefits when cladding materials with special properties and more complex geometries. In-process ultrasound measurement, grinding, process-related structure-borne noise measurement and complete machining of turbine blades counted among the other highlights.

Automation under the spotlight


Together with its subsidiary Frai Elektromaschinenbau GmbH, WFL Millturn Technologies has decades of expertise and offers a variety of automation solutions to maximise productivity and respond to current trends. The product spectrum ranges from bar feeders to gantry loaders through to articulated robots. Automation is also becoming increasingly more important to provide productivity benefits in small-series production.

WFL believes new productivity benchmarks are achievable through its robot cell with transport trolley pick-up/drop-off spaces and gripper exchange system for the M30-G Millturn universal machining centre.

The automatic gripper exchange system features two different gripping heads for processing shaft components and chuck parts. Two individually controlled parallel grippers are arranged next to each other so that shaft components can be picked up in two gripping positions. The parallel grippers feature jaws mounted on a fast adjustment system and can be used on all blank and finished part diameters.

Prism grinding solutions for deep hole drilling and complex internal machining were presented on the M120 Millturn
Prism grinding solutions for deep hole drilling and complex internal machining were presented on the M120 Millturn

Decisive tooling solutions


For the first time, WFL Tooling Solutions presented a range of productivity tools which offer improved accessibility and a high level of flexibility when used on complex workpiece geometries.

Sensor technology is of particular importance in order to ensure optimum protection of the machine, tool and workpiece. Through these tools, the machine is able to identify load peaks and respond to them in real-time. WFL is also addressing measurement technology – a profile can be scanned in high resolution via a scanning measuring probe, without the workpiece having to be unclamped from the machine.

Using data intelligently


In the age of digitalisation, maintenance and predictive maintenance are playing an ever-increasing role and are also hot topics at WFL. The linking of technologies and their interaction delivers a vast data pool and enables reliable prognoses to avoid faults before they occur.

Millturn users are well-equipped for the future when it comes to automation, connectivity and artificial intelligence. The new WFL Data Analyzer provides an overview of the entire production line which enables free productivity potential to be identified immediately and subsequently utilised.

Production data on machine statuses can be recorded and responded to immediately using smartphones, tablets, laptops or a PC. And key figures on production control are available to the user in real time.

With Siemens MindSphere, the cloud-based, open IoT operating system, WFL is presenting another efficient solution for connecting products, plants, systems and machines in a user-orientated manner. Gathered data can be analysed in MindSphere, allowing the status of machines to be monitored. Users gain new knowledge that can be used to increase the productivity, reliability and efficiency of the machine.

In addition to the ManageMyMachine (MMM) 1.5 app and building on MindSphere, WFL offers a digital pay-per-use model which was showcased at the Technology Meeting. The app records spindle loads, temperatures and drive energies with machine status are captured in real time and billed fully automatically in line with the previously agreed hourly rate. Put another way, the machine only costs money when it is effectively earning money. This brings obvious advantages – the more the machine is used, the less expensive it becomes.

Software simulation


On the software side, there were no shortage of solutions on show. CrashGuard Studio is 3D simulation software that enables users to perform programming on a PC for the preliminary verification of NC programmes.

The benefits of the software include the visualisation of all programming steps to detect errors at an early stage, the improved quality of the NC programmes in terms of efficiency and machine safety, and reduced set-up times on the machine thanks to the preliminary simulation. This provides the machine operator with a finished programme that has already effectively been crash tested.

The universal and easy-to-understand programming editor Millturn Pro with graphic support enables programming to be carried out on the machine itself enabling the efficient and intuitive creation of NC programmes.

In the UK, WFL Millturn Technologies is represented by Market Harborough, Leicestershire-based Kyal Machine Tools.

Kyal Machine Tools www.kyalmachinetools.co.uk

WFL Millturn Technologies www.wfl.at

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