ELMEC ACQUIRES A MULTUS U3000 MACHINING CENTER
The automotive industry seeks to be lighter. This calls for lighter components and the increased use of metals such as aluminium. To accommodate these changes, machining cutting tools also change, but so do their manufacturing processes. Special tool manufacturer ELMEC is meeting these changes with the most flexible machining centers on the market.
ELMEC is a family business with more than 45 years of experience. Since its creation, in the city of Pachuca, Hidalgo, it has been dedicated to the manufacture of special tools, a market in which they are indisputable pioneers in Mexico. With the growth of the automotive industry, the company founded by Joaquín Tellería Armendáriz also found rapid development and expansion, while cultivating extensive knowledge in the manufacture of cutting tools for machining processes.
At ELMEC, they always observe the needs of the market in order to align with them and be able to satisfy the demand. With changes in the materials used in car manufacturing, came the need for different tools, such as polycrystalline diamond (PCD). This required the use of technology that allowed them to produce the tools requested by their customers.
“We only had one product line, which was tungsten carbide cutting tools. However, every day more aluminum auto parts are manufactured with a percentage of silicon, because they are lighter and reduce the use of fuel in cars”, explains Ferré. The incorporation of these tools in the manufacture of new components also meant important benefits for manufacturers, since PCD tools have a longer useful life than carbide tools, produce better finishes and maintain more exact dimensions. “For this reason, they are increasingly demanded by our customers. We knew we had to have this product line.”
For the manufacture of polycrystalline diamond tools, it is necessary to acquire a different type of machinery than that commonly used to produce tungsten carbide tools. Said in a very synthesized way, it is necessary to incorporate machining operations, a change from operations that is typically sharpening and grinding.
Carlos de Santiago, Commercial Engineer of the HEMAQ company who was in charge of the project, comments that the members of the ELMEC technical team are highly prepared and have a high degree of expertise in everything related to machine tool technologies. "However, they are also very open to hearing proposals that help them solve their production challenges."
ELMEC has a renovated plant and various special equipment for sharpening and grinding tools of the highest quality. They are, without a doubt, very demanding professionals committed to quality, according to De Santiago. For the change with the new project, among other things, a machining center was considered to manufacture the steel bodies in which the diamond inserts are welded.
"I was looking for a very high-precision machine that was as flexible as possible to obtain a product that was as laborious as possible to prepare," explains Ferré. So the decision was made to acquire a milling lathe equipment, which would allow them to reduce preparation times, capable of machining complex geometries and also ensure the quality of their tools.
The MULTUS U3000, a 5-axis machining center with wide travel paths, was chosen. With this machine it is possible to rough metal bars to generate various diameters and steps in turning operations, adding a milling process for the tool structure such as PCD insert seats. “In a single machine and in a single assembly. In addition, they are very rigid machines, which is very good for the precision of the machining and the finishes”, said the Director of Operations of ELMEC.
UNDERSTANDING THE NEED
Carlos de Santiago recounts that for the HEMAQ engineering team, the project allowed them to put their solution development skills to the test, because beyond placing a machine, it is always crucial to understand the need of their client in order to outline the application and then recommend the appropriate technology.
In addition, “we are talking about a company whose products are made to measure. It is very rarely about high volumes”, warns the executive. It is important to keep in mind that ELMEC focuses on the manufacture of special cutting tools and not catalogues.”
De Santiago points out that for the machining processes for the new PCD tools, the ideal would be to install a versatile machine that, in addition to performing turning operations, would allow drilling holes for lubrication and cooling veins (of the tools to be manufactured) with different angles and machine housings for the placement of the cutting inserts, with special structures for the removal of burrs.
They would definitely require a multitasking machine, allowing them to mill and turn at the same time. “ELMEC already had some ideas about the machines they wanted to purchase. They were also very clear about what their need was”, recalls De Santiago, who acknowledges the high technical capacity of the tool manufacturer's engineers.
However, as José Luis Ferré shares, they had not thought of a machining center that would allow them to turn and mill in a single setup. “I arrived with the people from HEMAQ with an idea in mind. I was thinking of a 3-axis machine. I liked the GENOS M560-V and thought about the possibility of incorporating a tilt rotary head to incorporate a 4th and 5th axis. But the difficulty arose with the integration in the CNC. My conversations with them started there.”
To help develop the solution, in addition to the HEMAQ and ELMEC team, executives from the manufacturer OKUMA joined the work meetings such as Richard Estes, general manager for Latin America, and Jorge Bellini, manager in Mexico. Derived from these conversations they concluded that the best option was a MULTUS U3000 machining center.
They carefully reviewed all the details, including aspects of the linear guides, the spindles, the encoders, the digital rulers, the routes, the axes, etc. An outstanding element was also the CAS system (Collision Avoidance System). This system, incorporated in OKUMA equipment, avoids collisions through OSP control, which includes data from the 3D model of the equipment as well as from the machine components such as chucks, turret, tailstocks, and even the workpiece. worked.
The equipment also has the TAS (Thermo-Friendly Concept) system, which achieves stable performance in continuous operation. MULTUS equipment is equipped with thermal sensors and special software to neutralize possible thermal deviations. This means that the machine can work without a special environment.
Ferré considers that another advantage of the OKUMA machine is it’s rigidity and stability due to the fact that they are machining high hardness steel bodies (42 HRC), it ensures them not only reliability in the precision of their parts, but also greater equipment durability.
THE VALUE OF SERVICE
When this type of high-tech equipment is purchased, after-sales service is always a key factor of intangible value. ELMEC's Director of Operations confirms that the involvement of HEMAQ's technical team both before, during and after the implementation of the OKUMA MULTUS U3000 was substantial. “Starting from having chosen the right machine, to training and help when technical issues arise that we cannot resolve. Also, I would like to highlight that they are very open to feedback; they really listen to us and act when we have suggestions and observations.”
Ferré, who now has a direct line with Gilberto Acosta, HEMAQ's Service Manager, explains that on a couple of occasions they had to reconfigure the machine after the ELMEC team had made an assembly change. "They come in and re-round or align everything perfectly, interpolate all 5 axes and do all the necessary calibration routines."
The learning curve, therefore, has been very fast. “We have an operator with knowledge of CNC and who used to operate a manual milling machine. For him, moving to the OKUMA MULTUS U3000 was not that complicated”, assured the ELMEC manager.
Currently, the machine is already working at 100% and has become a key element in the business of the manufacturer from Hidalgo. They can now serve the market of growing demand for special PCD tools.
With the generation of more aluminum components derived from the expected growth in demand for electric cars, it is clear that special PCD tools will be more in demand. After the positive experience and once the market reactivates the rhythm and growth, ELMEC could acquire more OKUMA machines. Ferré pointed out that “after everything we saw, after the installation, the configuration and after passing the learning curve, we are ready to acquire a second machine as soon as we need it. We like to work with the same technology, to be able to maintain growth in a transparent manner and to maintain an offer of quality tools for our clients”.