Mapal majors on innovation at MACH 2014

At MACH 2014 (Birmingham NEC, 7-11 April), product innovations on show from Mapal will include the EasyAdjust system for guide pad tools with indexable inserts, STD indexable insert drills, high feed rate Tritan drills and Optimal Silent milling cutters. Visitors to Stand 5338 in Hall 5 will also be able to see demonstrations of the new Unibase-M automatic tool dispensing system, the Uniset-P setting fixture and the latest Tooltronic actuator control system. The EasyAdjust system is said to reduce the setting time for guide pad tools with indexable inserts and offer enhanced handling and process reliability while maintaining machining accuracy. Complementing EasyAdjust on the company's stand will be STD indexable insert drills. According to Mapal, key benefits of the new range, which are suitable for drilling up to 8xD, include good chip formation and removal, combined with error-free indexable insert replacement. Also on the stand will be Tritan three-edge drills, which are said to allow high feed rates in challenging applications, such as the dry machining of aluminium, where conventional drills offer poor performance. Equally beneficial are the new OptiMill Silent milling cutters, which employ a cutting geometry designed to deliver vibration-free operation, and which are particularly suitable for machining thin-wall parts, says Mapal. The Unibase-M system, which will be demonstrated throughout the exhibition, has been designed as a modular system for the management and dispensing of tools. This computer-controlled system can be configured to suit individual applications and can be used to provide either centralised or at-the-machine storage. To demonstrate how similar efficiency and convenience benefits can be achieved in tool setting, Mapal is also showing Uniset-P, a new setting fixture designed with ergonomics in mind – its portal-type construction allows easy access to the setting systems on the tools. Here, the measuring camera and the backlight source are integrated into the pillars of the portal rather than being mounted on brackets, which means that they do not obstruct access to the tool. Also in the spotlight on the Mapal stand will be the new version of Tooltronic. This has been developed specifically as a self-contained drive system providing a full NC axis that is incorporated into the machine control system. According to Mapal, all of the functions of modern CNC systems, such as interpolation and wear compensation, can be utilised. A key feature of the new Tooltronic version is a 90% reduction in physical size, making it an attractive retrofit option. MACH 2014 - Birmingham NEC, 7-11 April