Live machining & equipment highlights

From 26 to 28 March, you will have the opportunity to gain the best possible overview of the entire WFL product range every day from 09:00 to 17:00 at the head office in Linz. The most sought-after machine configurations will be presented, starting from the smallest machine model, the M30 MILLTURN, right through to the M120 MILLTURN. Applications from the aviation industry, the plastics industry and high-tech mechanical engineering will be the primary sectors covered. Be there to witness these highly efficient automation solutions, the latest technologies and practical specialist presentations.

Technology leadership – the very best

In addition to machine highlights, WFL will be showcasing a broad spectrum of cutting-edge technologies, including gearing solutions such as profile milling and InvoMilling^TM, prism grinding solutions for deep hole drilling and complex internal machining such as CoroPlus boring bars, as well as screw machining. Additive manufacturing, such as with the diode laser, will also be demonstrated, underscoring the particular benefits when cladding materials with special properties and more complex geometries. In-process ultrasound measurement, grinding, process-related structure-borne noise measurement and complete machining of turbine blades count among the other unmissable highlights.

Automation

Together with it’s subsidiary FRAI Elektromaschinenbau GmbH, WFL Millturn Technologies has decades of expertise and offers a variety of automation variations for different requirements to maximise productivity. This experience enables the company to respond to current trends. The product spectrum ranges from bar feeders to gantry loaders through to articulated robots. Automation is even becoming increasingly essential to provide productivity benefits in small-series production.

New productivity benchmarks will be set at the Technology Meeting by a robot cell with transport trolley pick-up/drop-off spaces and gripper exchange system for the M30-G MILLTURN. The machine is equipped with an automatic gripper exchange system with two different gripping heads for shaft components and chuck parts. Two individually controlled parallel grippers are arranged next to each, so that the shaft components can be picked up in two gripping positions. The parallel grippers feature jaws mounted on a fast adjustment system. The grippers cover all blank and finished part diameters.

Decisive tooling solutions

For the first time, WFL Tooling Solutions will be presenting their innovative tools, which guarantee improved accessibility and an outstanding level of flexibility when used on complex workpiece geometries. Sensor technology is of particular importance in order to ensure optimum protection of the machine, tool and workpiece. Thanks to these tools, the machine is able to identify load peaks and respond to them in real time. WFL is setting new standards in measurement technology too. A profile can be scanned in high resolution with the help of the scanning measuring probe, without the workpiece having to be unclamped from the machine.

Using data intelligently

In the age of digitalisation, maintenance and predictive maintenance are playing an ever-increasing role and are also hot topics at WFL. The linking of technologies and their interaction delivers an enormous data pool and enables reliable prognoses to avoid faults before they occur.

With a MILLTURN, you are well-equipped for the future when it comes to automation, connectivity and artificial intelligence. The new WFL DATA ANALYZER provides the perfect overview of the entire production line. This enables free productivity potential to be identified immediately and subsequently harnessed. Production data on machine statuses can be recorded and responded to in no time using smartphones, tablets, laptops or a PC. Key figures on production control are available to the user in real time.

 With Siemens MindSphere, the cloud-based, open IoT operating system, WFL is presenting another efficient solution for connecting products, plants, systems and machines in a user-oriented manner. The data gathered can be analysed in MindSphere, allowing the status of machines to be monitored. Users gain new knowledge that can be used to increase the productivity, reliability and efficiency of the machine.

In addition to the ManageMyMachine (MMM) 1.5 app and building on the Siemens MindSphere, WFL offers a digital pay-per-use model, which you can see live in action at the Technology Meeting. The app records spindle loads, temperatures and drive energies. Machine statuses are captured in real time and billed fully automatically in line with the previously agreed hourly rate. The machine thus only costs money when it is effectively earning money. This brings huge advantages, as the more the machine is used, the less expensive it becomes.

First-class software solutions

At WFL Millturn Technologies there are also software innovations to behold. CrashGuard Studio is a 3D simulation software that enables users to perform programming on a PC for the preliminary verification of NC programmes. The benefits of the software include the visualisation of all programming steps to detect errors at an early stage, the improved quality of the NC programmes in terms of efficiency and machine safety, and the reduced set-up times on the machine thanks to the preliminary simulation. This provides the machine operator with a finished programme that has already been tested for crashes.

The universal and easy-to-understand programming editor Millturn PRO with graphic support enables programming to be carried out on the machine itself. Efficient and intuitive creation of NC programmes is the result. What is more, the programme is a particularly cost-effective solution.

„On 4,000 m2 of exhibition space, we present live machining on all machine types and the latest automation solutions.“

Norbert Jungreithmayr, CEO WFL