Vollmer launches ultrasonic deburring system

Now available from Vollmer is the new ultraTEC ultrasonic A25 deburring machine. As part of the Vollmer Group, ultraTEC is a company that has won a number of awards for its patented new ultrasonic deburring method, which only uses water. This proprietary technology utilises an ultrasonic horn that oscillates to generate soundwaves and cavitation which clean and deburr external and internal edges reliably.

This environmentally friendly solution provides burr-free parts that alternative processes cannot process. It eliminates common challenges when deburring parts such as deformation, discolouring and changes to the oxide layer on the component.

The ultraTEC ultrasonic A25 creates a formation and dissolution/implosion of bubbles in water that release an intense energy during implosion. This effect arrives courtesy of an ultra-high oscillation of 20 kHz with an oscillation width of ±80-120 µm, which far exceeds the amplitude of ultrasonic cleaning, cutting and welding technologies.

An ultrasonic horn (fully submersed in water) is set into resonant vibration via mechanical oscillations to transmit the extremely high forces into the water tank. With diameters from 1.2 to 14 mm, the ultrasonic horn remains in position in the water tank while components move robotically around it. The horn creates a cavitation jet from 250 to 270 m/s that breaks burrs from the parts.

The ultraTEC ultrasonic A25 is configured with an ultrasonic stainless steel 40 litre basin that can accommodate parts up to 150 x 150 x 150 mm and weighing up to 1.5 kg. Once processed, parts are moved to a compressed air drying station. A six-axis ABB industrial robot collects components from an external pallet.

For further information www.vollmer-group.com

New honing tools available for XXL bores

The precision honing of large components is a special challenge. In some cases, the bores are large enough to fit a ball or even a person, and the depth of the bores can be several metres. This is what the experts call tube honing. Gehring Technologies says it has optimised this technology with the company’s newly developed DH series of multi-strip honing tools.

With it Deephone series, Gehring offers special machines for honing large components. The machinable diameter range for these machines is between 37 and 600 mm, in special cases even larger. Typical applications include large hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders, precision tubes in general plant engineering, extruder housings, aircraft landing gear, and moulds. In this concept, the tool body mounts on a driveshaft matched to the machine spindle. The length of the driveshaft determines the drilling depth. As the driveshafts connect to the machine spindle via an adapter, the DH tool series has an extremely wide range of applications.

“We’re happy to help machining companies that have other, perhaps older machines to adapt them,” explains Holger Gehrung, sales manager for tools and cutting materials at Gehring. “The modular concept of our solution leaves many options open.”

Two features of the DH series are likely to be decisive for many users: the tools, including driveshafts, are optionally available with internal cooling and air metering. Internal cooling ensures that coolant arrives precisely at the point of machining, delivering higher performance and cutting capacity with better surface quality. Air measurement allows checking of the diameter during the process.

For further information www.gehring-group.com

Automatic loading and blasting without ‘teaching’

When Ottostahl GmbH had to replace an old rotary table shot-blast machine, the company insisted on short cycle times, high energy efficiency and relieving its personnel from strenuous and monotonous physical activities. Rösler and automation specialist Teqram met these challenging demands with the universally deployable Easy Shotblaster RDT 150 rotary table, equipped with a stationary ‘intelligent’ robot. This robot places workpieces on the rotary table in a manner that optimally utilises the entire table area without requiring any ‘teaching’ operations.


Ottostahl in Magdeburg produces up to 30 mm thick, highly precise plasma-cut and up to 300 mm thick flame-cut components. In its shot-blasting department the company is
utilising three machines (two continuous flow roller conveyor machines with an operating width of 3800 mm and a rotary table blast machine). After more than 60 years of use, the company is replacing its old rotary table blast machine with an RDT 150 system from Rösler.

The entire blast system integrates within a manufacturing cell measuring 8 x 8 m, consisting of an intelligent stationary robot and the RDT 150 shot-blast machine.

With its image processing technology, the vision-controlled robot automatically recognises components placed into its working section, completely independent from their position on the pallet. This capability eliminates the normally required time-consuming teaching or programming of the robot. Moreover, with the intuitive interface, no special knowledge is necessary.
After the automatic selection of a suitable gripper from the magazine, the robot picks up components and places them on the rotary table in the optimal position. It provides component data to the machine controls for selecting a suitable processing program. Halfway through the cycle, the robot automatically turns the components to blast the other side. The robot then returns finished workpieces to the pallet.

For further information www.rosler.com

ONA EDM makes strides in decarbonisation

Participating in a project such as MTPRINT arises naturally within ONA’s strategy of commitment to decarbonisation and sustainability. That is why EDM machine builder ONA and other prominent national machine tool companies in Spain, including Zayer, Izadi, IMH and Ibarmia, initiated the project: to bolster their dedication to sustainability.

The primary objective of the project is to develop a special corporate carbon footprint calculation tool tailored explicitly for the machine tool industry, addressing sustainability comprehensively and in alignment with international standards.

At the core of MTPRINT lies the creation of an advanced tool designed to manage the corporate carbon footprint effectively. Exclusively crafted for the machine tool market, this tool will adopt an analytical approach that covers the entire lifecycle of products, from raw material extraction to recycling or final disposal. Its methodology includes in-depth analyses of greenhouse gas emissions at each stage, facilitating a practical and accurate evaluation of the environmental footprint. Notably, the tool distinguishes itself by providing product-specific emission details for each manufactured machine.

This meticulous and scientific approach is pivotal for pinpointing critical emission points and identifying improvement opportunities in manufacturing processes and supply chains. The tool will adhere to major international sustainability standards, including the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) and ISO 14064.

In collaboration with industry leaders, this project underscores a genuine dedication to environmental responsibility, emphasising that ONA, alongside its partners, is advancing towards decarbonisation.

For further information www.onaedm.com

Cut X wire EDM: One-size fits all

There are many wire EDM machines on the market. Some deliver faster processing speeds, while others are more accurate. Identifying the optimal wire EDM machine solution has, until now, been a trade-off because GF Machining Solutions says there has never really been a machine that does everything well.

According to GFMS, its CUT X series of machines bucks the trend. Developed and manufactured at the company’s Losone factory in Switzerland, these EDMs are available in two sizes: the CUT X 350 (with a maximum workpiece size of 800 x 550 x 250 mm) and the CUT X 500 (1050 x 700 x 250 mm). GFMS says the machines are extremely accurate because of a new thermal management system and optimised mechanics.

The machines maintain consistent thermal conditions via sealed cabinets and doors that ensure cold air containment within the workspace, as well as controlled air flow. By keeping heat sources away from the mechanics, CUT X models perform consistently without the ill effects of temperature fluctuation outside the machine.

Notably, the machine’s CNC collects data from an array of temperature and humidity sensors located inside and outside of the work area as a further contributor to ambient workspace conditions. The data drives an AI algorithm that predicts possible thermal deformations and compensates the positioning of the X, Y, U and V axes. This AI-driven compensation enables high-accuracy results, even with the environmental temperature fluctuations that are common during long cutting cycles.

New additively manufactured upper and lower heads increase the cutting speeds of CUT X machines. The heads reduce the distance between the guides and the part, creating improved accuracies during cut, while also increasing the amount of fluid that pushes through to optimise flushing and cutting speeds.

For further information www.gfms.com