The company’s robot-based automation cell, Robo-Tend, will take centre stage. This modular and mobile robot automation system is designed for use with XYZ vertical machining and turning centres fitted with Siemens controls. For the exhibition, the system will be demonstrated attached to an XYZ 750 LR vertical machining centre. Robo-Tend has been designed to bring automation within the reach of traditional subcontract engineering businesses. Payback is possible in just a few months of operation, if purchased outright or, with the option of finance, from £2 per hour is available.
The robot is equipped with a camera vision system and is fully compatible with the Siemens ShopMill and ShopTurn controls used on XYZ’s VMCs and turning centres. In line with XYZ Machine Tools’ philosophy of making machine control straightforward, Robo-Tend’s interface has been developed to make programming as easy as possible.
For those seeking full, simultaneous 5-axis machining, the XYZ UMC-5X will be demonstrated at Southern Manufacturing. This cost-effective machine has as standard a direct-drive table configuration, which when tilted 90° towards the rear (component facing forward), there remains 500 mm of Y-axis travel forward of the table surface, allowing larger workpieces to be machined.
The machine’s gantry-type design adds greater rigidity and performance, while C-axis rotation via a low-maintenance, high-torque motor gives 90 rpm rotational speed, with ±120° on the tilting A axis, while 600 mm axis travel in X and Y (500 mm in Z) maximises use of the 600 mm diameter table. Standard spindles are in-line direct drives with 35 kW of power and either 12,000 or 15,000 rpm speed. An option to go to a 25 kW, 18,000/24,000 rpm motorised spindle is also available.
The ProtoTRAK RX control system will be shown on an XYZ RMX 3500 bed mill and an XYZ RLX 355 ProTURN lathe. This latest-generation ProtoTRAK control introduces a host of newly developed features and benefits, including a 15.6” touchscreen. Combining the touchscreen with DXF capability removes any requirement for a mouse to interact with the editing of programs. The touchscreen also adds the familiar actions of ‘pinch to zoom’ and ‘twist to rotate’, making it far more intuitive. Live demonstrations on the stand will highlight its ease-of-use and time-saving benefits.
