Quality, consistency and traceability shine through

GF AgieCharmilles says it is the partner of choice to space exploration and research leaders including NASA and the ESA, and to global manufacturers of components such as turbine blades, airframes and landing gear.

Swiss machine tool manufacturer GF AgieCharmilles says it is the partner of choice to space exploration and research leaders including NASA and the European Space Administration, and to global manufacturers of precision components such as turbine blades, airframes and parts for landing gear. This is because the company says it understands that the production of aerospace parts requires unerring quality, consistency and traceability. The Group's portfolio includes not only high-speed and high performance milling centres and EDM machines boasting digital generators and e-tracking solutions, but deep application and automation expertise and a full range of customer services. GF AgieCharmilles aerospace and aeronautics market segment manager, Ken Baeszler says the Group's unparalleled constellation of products, expertise and services enables the safety and productivity of leading aerospace manufacturers around the world. “We understand that the manufacture of aerospace parts requires rigid quality, consistency and traceability,” he explains. “In the aerospace industry, there is no room for risk or unplanned downtime. These imperatives drive the development of our machine tools. AMNov12Metallics - agie1 Baeszler cited the GF AgieCharmilles high-speed and high-performance milling (HSM and HPM) products as evidence of the Group's commitment to the aerospace industry. “Everything about our HSM and HPM machine lines is designed to maximize productivity,” he confirms. “Our high-speed spindles—we have our own spindle company, Step-Tec—engineered specifically for our machines, powerful feed drives and axis mechanisms, and smart processing systems all come together to deliver unmatched performance.” For example, one of GF AgieCharmilles' most popular 5-axis machines for aerospace, the Mikron HPM 800U HD, sits on a rock-solid polymer granite portal design casting that utilises a dual ball screw-mounted Y axis and mounts the integrated pallet changer in the rear of the machine. “This design yields the highest amount of automation in the smallest possible footprint,” states Baeszler. “On the risk management end, we have developed a robust spindle protection system that utilises condition-based monitoring of the spindle in a daily production environment.” Smart EDM technology On the EDM side, a shining example of GF AgieCharmilles aerospace-focused development is the combination of digital generators and e-tracking software. “Our digital technology guarantees the repeatability of results and at the same time allows the customer to capture data electronically to get a record of the erosion conditions on each and every part,” Baeszler said. “Not only can the customer record and archive the results of each cut, but the operator can tell the machine to intervene if a particular cut is deviating from the master cut time.” AMNov12Metallics -agie2 The same software reduces the risk of scrap and downtime by using a predictive maintenance module to make intelligence maintenance decisions during the production process. For instance, if a part takes an hour to run on a wire EDM machine and there is only 45 minutes of EDM wire left on the electrode spool, the machine may require an intervention. The operator can intervene and record his name in the onboard maintenance records. “These smart modules are designed to mitigate risk and eliminate unnecessary downtime,” he clarifies. “Furthermore, we offer the market's most comprehensive customer services package, with machine support, operations support and business support to help customers increase their competitive edge through higher productivity, fast access to expertise and spare parts, consumables and wear parts, a dedicated helpline and training opportunities for their employees.” www.gfac.com

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