Renishaw to display smart manufacturing solutions at MACH

Technician reviewing Renishaw Central interface

Precision engineering and manufacturing technologies company, Renishaw, will exhibit its comprehensive range of ‘smart’ manufacturing technologies, designed to transform shopfloor productivity, capability and efficiency at MACH 2024, taking place 15-19 April at the NEC, Birmingham (Hall 18, Stand 130).

Jonathan Archer, general manager (EMEA North) and director of Renishaw UK Sales Ltd, said: “Globally competitive production performance and costs are inextricably linked to smart manufacturing. Our manufacturing technologies are designed to maximise throughput and minimise costs and waste in all its forms. We look forward to showcasing these smart manufacturing solutions on home soil.

“We are particularly excited to demonstrate ‘Renishaw Central’, our new factory connectivity and data-driven manufacturing platform. The software provides the user with actionable data productively for closed-loop CNC automation, visualisation, and the ongoing optimisation of processes to maximise output, quality and productivity.”

Renishaw Central collects, collates, and presents actionable manufacturing process and metrology data, which can be used to monitor real-time performance across CNC machine tools, measurement systems and Renishaw additive manufacturing (AM) machines. Visitors to the stand at MACH 2024 will experience a real-time demonstration as Renishaw Central digitalises, visualises and controls CNC machining and integrated metrology processes.

In 1973, Renishaw’s co-founder Sir David McMurtry invented a probe that made it possible to automate measurement on co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs). Today, the company continues to be a leader of global developments in automation, with an extensive range of technologies for automated process control and part verification.

Deep understanding
Paul Maxted, director of industrial metrology, said: “As a significant manufacturer, we have a deep understanding of the many challenges faced by our customers across a variety of industry sectors. Increasing the level of automation in a factory is the first step towards tackling manufacturing challenges including the availability of skilled people and achieving cost effective, high-precision manufacturing, 24/7.”

Making its UK debut at MACH 2024 will be the world’s smallest wireless machine tool probe. Renishaw’s RMP24-micro measures just 24 x 31.4mm. The tiny probe offers exceptional repeatability and an ultra-low trigger force — ideal for use in compact machines that make high-precision miniature components.

Pictured right: REVO five-axis multi-sensor system

Other products on the Renishaw stand demonstrate the unique breadth of technologies available to support CNC manufacturing. For example, the FORTiS range of enclosed encoders for challenging environments allows machine tool and systems builders to meet high performance and uptime requirements, while achieving energy savings up to 91% without risks in reliability. Scale lengths up to 4.24m can now be supplied for larger CNC gantry mills, turning machines and grinders.

FORTiS encoder systems with industry-leading vibration resistance are being adopted widely across a range of CNC machine tools and new emerging applications such as giga-casting for the automotive industry. CNC machine calibration and performance optimisation products, including upgraded CARTO software, demonstrate the enhanced performance monitoring of precision machinery.

Also on show will be the latest developments in coordinate measurement machine (CMM) measurement technology with the REVO five-axis multi-sensor system, featuring an increasingly comprehensive range of sensors and probes for multiple, complex inspection applications on a single CMM. The system’s infinite positioning and rapid measurement also reduces the requirement for complex styli configurations and calibration time. The benefit to users is increased throughput and significantly reduced shopfloor and quality lab measurement costs.

A special exhibit on the Renishaw stand will be the track bike developed by the Great Britain Cycling Team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Renishaw provided AM expertise to develop and build innovative ultra lightweight parts for the bicycle that contributed to the team winning seven track medals. This partnership has since been renewed for the development of a new model ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Mr Archer concluded: “It is a privilege for us to host the Great Britain Cycling Team’s key feat of engineering on our stand. The delivery of this model represents the culmination of years of dedicated collaboration, innovation, and collective passion. The aim of this partnership was to increase the bike’s speed and performance through enhanced design; and the result is the perfect union of British engineering and British Olympic talent.”