Heidenhain (GB) Ltd (www.heidenhaingb.com) — stand R79 — will be demonstrating the ease with which digital data can be transferred to and from its most recent CNC system, the TNC 640, which can control all three-, four- and five-axis machining centres — including those with turning tables.

The control, which has also been designed to provide Industry 4.0 communication functionality, uses plain-language programming.

Meanwhile, functionality for mill-turn centres includes simple program-controlled switchover between milling and turning, comprehensive canned turning cycles for frequently repeated operations (such as roughing, finishing, recessing and thread cutting), constant surface speed, and tool-tip radius compensation.

The company’s latest range of touch-probe systems will be a key feature of the stand. Intended for aligning and measuring workpieces, tool setting and detecting cutter wear and breakage, they feature mechanical collision protection, combined infra-red and radio data transmission — plus ‘smart’ battery management to ensure low cost of ownership.

There will also be representative examples from Heidenhain’s extensive programme of high-precision linear and rotary encoders, along with contamination-resistant encoders from Heidenhain subsidiary AMO — plus both
linear and rotary encoders manufactured by the German company Numerik Jena.

Also being promoted will be the full range of torque motors from the Swiss company ETEL, which is part of the Heidenhain group. These motors benefit from very low cogging and high thermal efficiency, which is a significant advantage for high-precision machines sensitive to thermal drift.