ANCA, a leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines, recently introduced LaserUltra — the next generation of the company’s LaserPlus in-process measurement technology that allowed customers to operate unmanned overnight, confident that all finished tools will be within specification.
LaserUltra allows the measurement of tool geometries to tolerances of 0.002mm without removing the tool from the grinder, saving time in the manufacturing process and ensuring maximum accuracy in measurement is maintained over large-batch grinding.
With LaserUltra, a new ‘analogue measurement’ achieves a 70% reduction in measuring time compared to LaserPlus; the analogue measurement is a continuous edge scan instead of number of digital points along the cutting edge.
Edmund Boland, ANCA Europe managing director, said: “The intersection of five-axis milling machines, advanced CAD/CAM software and advanced profile geometry cutting tools is revolutionising the die and mould and aerospace machining industries.
ANCA’s LaserUltra tool measurement system together with RN34 software gives tool manufacturers all they need to manufacture complex-profile end mills productively to outstanding levels of accuracy. In our showrooms in Coventry and Weinheim, tool manufacturers can get a live impression of the possibilities they can open up with LaserUltra on their machines. The Coventry showroom has just been equipped with an MX7 machine fitted with LaserUltra, along with a CPX blank preparation machine.
“LaserUltra is an automatic OD, profile measurement and compensating system for ANCA’s FX, MX and TX machines. It is permanently mounted inside the machine and will not interfere with typical grinding processes and accessories.”