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decomagazineTHINK PARTS THINK TORNOS 38 03/06 ENGLISHThe revivalMaiko, Okayama,Honey,Universallyof the mechanicalJapanI shrunk the parts!tailor-made –watch.A High Accuracyit’s true!Subcontractor.

EditorialMAKE COST CONSCIOUS PARTSWITH TORNOSWhile visiting the “windy city” in September for Chicago’s IMTS Show, come experience the “winds ofchange” at the Tornos exhibit. With exciting new products of Swiss Type Machines for both extremely complexas well as a new addition, for the cost conscious-less demanding part.Every chapter of the Tornos Story – from companyculture to product – has been manufacturing complexparts. With the advent of the 12 axes DECOproduct technology. The machine boasted a vastarray of tools and operations. No part was todemanding! Contrary, the greater the complexity ofthe part, the better Tornos performed, while achievingthe highest effiencies possible. Thus Tornosenjoys the dominant position at the pinnacle of thepyramid of Swiss Type Machines.With a great demand from our markets, Tornos hastaken the knowledge and expertise of the DECO “a”product and are proud to introduce the new DECOSigma 20 and DECO Sigma 8. These 6 and 7 axesproducts incorporate multifaceted front and backoperations, utilizing up to 22 tools.With the introduction of the DECO Sigma 20 andSigma 8, as well as several new innovations fromTornos, our products now cover the spectrum of ourcustomers’ everchanging demands on cost and performance.The DECO Sigma 20 and Sigma 8 are priced to allowour customers to remain competitive in their markets.All these capabilities while maintaining Tornosrigid standards of quality manufacturing, offeringprecision up to ± 1 micron!In addition the program approach is now conventionalG-Code (ISO) or the innovative TB-DECO ADVmachine optimization software.As with all Tornos products, inclusive is our decadesof experience as the pioneer of our industry. It is onething to have technology. It is quite another to havethe application know how. Nobody does it betterthan Tornos!The ultimate in productivity is the DECO line. Thesesproducts have great success in small to large companies.Producing from simple to complex-multifacetedparts in the medical, electronic, automotive and generalengineering industries.These are the highlights of what’s new at Tornos, weare confident with the constraints and challengesour customers face today, our products and capabilitieswill surpass in comparison, ensuring yourconfidence that now more than ever Tornos is yourpartner in productivity.With the inclusion of these products, Tornos US andHydromat US have created a partnership for theNorth and South Americas.This allowing Tornos US to focus its capabilities onthe Tornos single spindle product and all competenciesassociated-sales, service, parts and applicationssupport.Furthermore this partnership allowing Hydromat USto represent the Tornos multispindle product and allaspects in these same markets.Both Tornos US and Hydromat US commit theirorganizations to our customers’ success!Visit us at IMTS Tornos: Hall A, booth A8140,Hydromatic: Hall A, booth A8127.Scott KowalskiPresident Tornos Technologies USAOrganisational changes in the USThe management of Tornos Switzerland wouldlike to take this opportunity to thank Mr. TomDierks for his dedicated service to Tornos in theUS. Tom who will be retiring after many years ofservice will be replaced by Mr Scott Kowalskiwho will now manage the Tornos USA subsidiary.«All of us at Tornos would like to wishTom all the best for the future and congratulateScott upon his new post.»Tornos Moutier03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 5

InterviewAPOLLO NO LONGER FITS THE BILL…Yet travel in space will soon be open to the public at large!Photo: NASAThe symbol of an era – a name that communicatesstrong values that transcend a product. It representsa lot, both in respect of the company and its clients.But despite this, sometimes one has to know whenit’s time to move on and risk surprises! The managementat Tornos decided to change things with thewell-known DECO machines … a change our editorialstaff just had to find out about! A meeting wasarranged with the heads of the Business-Units,Messrs. Cancer and Nef and with Mr. Kohler, who ishead of marketing.As I approached the meeting, I asked myself whatnews would be awaiting me. In the meeting room Inoticed some panels, which seemed to show alternativepresentations of the machines. My curiositynow awakened, I decided “to go for it”.DECO Magazine: Hello gentlemen. Are theregoing to be name changes at Tornos ?PYK: More than changes in name – we shouldrather be talking about a change in policy regardingthe brand and company name. We are not going torename more than 5000 DECO and MULTIDECOmachines that are already installed. We carried outan audit and are planning a review of our global corporateidentity. We want to reinforce our image asan innovator in the market – and thereby strengthenthe position of Tornos! The inevitable consequenceof this decision is that the Tornos logo and brandname will be upgraded. The “Tornos-Technologies”logo, for example, will disappear! We want to bemore consistent throughout the world. Tornos is astrong company that markets its product range tospecific sectors.DM: So you won’t be changing the names ofthe machines ?PYK: Some developments involve planned changes.I’ll hand you over to the heads of the Business Units,Messrs. Cancer and Nef, who will provide moredetailed information.CC: What we’ve done is analyse the situation onthe basis of possible developments and we wantedto take a decisive leap with regard to the names, tounderline the fact that innovation is always of primeimportance to us. The strength of the DECO brand6 DECO MAGAZINE03 / 06

is, to some extent, also its weakness. Even though itsimage is very positive with certain clients, it isnonetheless somewhat old fashioned. We have nowachieved a global concept that takes account of andwill influence the names of future machines, includingthe DECO 8sp and 20s. We intend to use theGreek alphabet. Those machines deployed to executecomplex parts will be known as the Alphamachines. I must, however, point out that this willonly apply to future products. The popular «a»DECO machines will not change. Things are a littledifferent with the [s-line] machines, because theseare new machines. This range will form part of theSigma range. We decided to rename our DECO 8spand DECO 20s machines as DECO Sigma 8 andDECO Sigma 20.DM: Aren’t you afraid to make this change inthe market ?CC: I understand that you may be surprised by thisdecision. We wanted to think more globally and finda policy for a “universal” name. What is most importantis for us to offer our clients high-performanceand reliable machines. This change in name formspart of our on-going development policy.PYK: The policy concerning a company name isalways tricky – there are examples of products in themarket, whose name has become generic (such as“Frigidaire”) where the company doesn’t even existany more! Likewise, some products underwent achange in name (who still remembers that Twix barswere known as “Raiders”) without being penalised.DECOSigma 20DECOSigma 803 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 7

InterviewMultiAlpha 6x32What is important is that we must adopt a cohesiveand transparent approach.DM: The situation seems clear with respect tothe single-spindle machines and the company.How did you tackle the multispindle machines ?WN: As this is a “company project” we wereinvolved right at the outset. Overall, the concept wasthe same but the answer was somewhat different.The world of multi-spindles is not as straightforward,with the MULTIDECO b, c and d machines…For the future, we decided, as we did for the singlespindle,to manage two lines – the “Alpha” line and“Sigma” line. And guess what … we also usedGreek letters.DM: Let me guess – are you referring to theMULTIDECO Alpha 20/8 ?WN: Not at all! You can see for yourself when yousay it – it’s long and complicated. From now onwardswe decided to drop the word DECO in the name anddelete all the hyphens and lines.Our second problem was deciding when this policyshould be applied and to what machine (just like theDECO 10a remains a DECO 10a). We decided thatonly the “d” machines – i.e. those with single spindlesand multiple back-operation facilities should berenamed.MUTLIDECO 20/8d thus becomes the MULTIAlpha8x20 and the new 6-spindle machine, which will belaunched at AMB 2006, will become the MULTIAlpha6x32.DM: You are taking a great leap. Aren’t youworried that you may be too radical in droppingthe word DECO ?WN: But change is radical! A MULTIAlpha 8x20machine is very different from a MULTIDECO 20/8band I am satisfied with our global strategic change.It meant that I could reappraise innovation anddevelopment at Tornos and bring it to its true value.DM: DECO Sigma, Alpha, MULTIAlpha, thechange is quite marked…8 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

PYK: It is extremely important – it repositions us asinnovators but is based on the success of the DECOmachines and, of course, Tornos. In talking aboutthis, we want to upgrade the company, its qualityand Swiss precision, not to mention our know-how.To achieve this we shall also be launching a newworldwide, standardised corporate identity!DM: What is the schedule for this operation ?PYK: In all, this operation will continue to the end of2006.DM: To come back to the machines, Mr. Cancer,you said that the Alpha range would be destinedfor future products used to produce complexparts. Does this mean that projects arealready on-going ?CC: Our Research and Development department is areal melting pot of ideas. We are working on tomorrow’sand future technologies. Many projects arealready on-going but I can’t give you more details atthis stage.WN: It’s the same with the multispindle – we areactively working for the future… but this does notmean that today’s product will be obsolete.DM: People frequently talk about changingnames, which at the end of the day costs millions.How do things stand with Tornos ?PYK: With regard to this type of change, you areprobably referring to changes in the company’sname or to products in the public domain. In ourcase, this is not a “draconian” operation. All wewant is simply to have a consistent range, which willbe with us over the years.DM: Why the Greek alphabet ?CC, WN & PYK (joint reply): Why not ?WN: In principle, there are as many possible namesas ideas. As far as we’re concerned it’s more a questionof finding patronymic names for the rangesthan individual names, but we are dealing above allwith Tornos machines. We came up with countlessalternatives, but in the end we chose names that didResearch and Development.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 9

Interview1996not correspond to concepts like “performance quality”and the like. Stereotypes are different in allcountries and it is difficult to find universal names.The Greek alphabet provides us with neutral labelsthat allow us to clarify what we are offering ourclients. These names will very quickly becomesynonymous in the minds of our clients.CC: To summarise: for single-spindle machines producingsimple parts, our clients now have the choicebetween DECO Sigma 8 and DECO Sigma 20. Forparts requiring greater machining we have DECO10a, 13a, 20a and 26a.WN: For the multispindle machines producing morecomplex parts we have the MULTIAlpha 6x32 andMULTIAlpha 8x20. For more simple parts, we have theMULTIDECO 20/6b, 32/6c and 20/8b.PYK: Since 1996, DECO has been part of the historyof Tornos and small parts turning. We shall continueto provide innovative solutions to enable our clientsto achieve success with the DECO [a-line], Sigma,Alpha, MULTIDECO, MULTIAlpha and MULTISigmamachines. We deployed the means to make us moreconsistent and the future will confirm our strategy.2002ConclusionEveryone’s heard of the Apollo spacecraft. Theyenabled man to leave the earths’ atmosphere andwalk on the moon. Nowadays there are many moreways of going into space that are more finely tunedto specific requirements. This in no way diminishesthe achievement of the Apollo launches.Without abandoning its past, Tornos has thecourage to look at things in a new light and moveon. DECO Magazine will follow this trend and keepyou fully informed.Does the above arouse your interest ? Please donot hesitate to contact the editorial staff onRedaction@decomag.ch200610 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

TechnicalTHE REVIVAL OFTHE MECHANICAL WATCHThe mechanical watch is gaining ground on electronic watches. And the entire horological partmanufacturing chain must follow this trend. Tornos is providing the momentum for this movementwith its high precision lathes.An interesting article recently appeared in the press:Watch manufacturers looking for retired staff (!)with in-depth horological training. What happened? After the difficulties in the horological sector– which, after all, were quite a number of yearsago – electronic and low-cost watches succeeded inrekindling the tastes of bracelet watch amateurs. Butat the same time, the watch-making profession hadlost its attraction. Nowadays, consumers are againtargeting purely mechanical watches, especially inthe medium and top of the range class. A type ofwatch that has really caught on is the so-called skeletonwatch, which allows you to see all the mechanicsinside the case. But here too, there is a shortageof watchmakers capable of producing suchwatches and arranging the parts accordingly.New dataMany facets in producing such watches havechanged. In the past, horological parts were typicallyexecuted on cam-operated lathes, which perfectlymet the conditions of that time. These lathes lentthemselves completely to the large-scale productionof small parts, with undeniable precision. However,the complexity of parts was nothing like that expectedand achieved today. A crucial aspect lies in theseries runs, which these days are not as large andwhich could even go down to a few dozen parts.The production tool is expected to show a highdegree of flexibility.Visible mechanicsA new aspect has reinforced the latest vogue inmechanical bracelet watches: you can now see themovement of the watch. Its wearer wants to seewhat is moving inside his jewel, because in fact,bracelet watches are not only nowadays worn as aninstrument to measure and show the time, but alsoas an item of jewellery. Seeing the mechanics ofthese parts means that besides their top-of-therangeprecision, they must also have perfect purityand shine. But how is this achieved ?The machine tool is following the trendTornos, the manufacturer of automatic lathes hasmeticulously been following the trend. With its previousname – Tornos screw machines – dedicatedmore than several decades to cam-operatedmachines used for producing watch screws, thismanufacturer was already demonstrating its knowhowof the horological sector at that time. It is03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 11

Technicaltherefore hardly surprising to find Tornos specialistsinvolved in R&D who know the world of clock andwatch making inside out.The cam-operated machines were gradually replacedby numerically controlled automatic lathes in theproduction shops. Whilst at the outset these controlsdid not always respond to fast rates of production,the performance of modern controls puts theselathes on a par with cam-operated machines. Thespeed of control and the servomechanism, representinganother key element of a machine tool, haveprogressed enormously. Another plus point in thisdirection is that the PNC-DECO control can operateseveral axes simultaneously, thereby conferring peakproductivity on those machines incorporating thistechnology.CuBeØ 9 mmThe numerical control responds perfectlyAs already indicated the watch industry also witnesseda considerable drop in the volume of seriesruns, but repetitive orders for these same parts orrequests for similar parts have now become commonplace.In such cases, the Tornos PNC DECOnumeric control avails itself of all these advantages.With this tool, the precision engineer will quicklyload the program for a given part and then launch aseries run – even if much reduced in volume.As for the programmer, it is sufficient to load theprogram for a given part and to modify the pertinentdimensions. The new program is then ready for use.A library can be created, so that the programmerand operator can easily find what they require toadapt a program to a new part. The flexibility of thissystem therefore meets the trend for small seriesruns perfectly.Reduced setting up timesSetting up a machine tool is one of the criteria governinghigh output. For cam-operated lathes, settingup can take up to several hours. But this investmentin time is compensated for by the production time ofa very large series run, which may run for severalmonths.Against this, the small, repetitive runs requireextremely short setting up times so that productionis profitable. This is one of the major benefits ofnumeric control, especially when compared withcam-operated machines. The operator can quite easilysave the parameters of a part and recall these valuesat the next new small series run. In other words,the know-how invested in the initial production of apart will now remain quickly and easily available forfuture series. The setting up time of an automatic NClathe has consequently become insignificant withregard to the small series runs. What is more, giventhe fact that the operator can execute even quitecomplex parts on Tornos lathes, the saving in timenullifies the setting up time for small series production.Much more than mere turning!If turning as such remains unchanged, the facility ofproducing highly complex parts using other machiningprocesses on the same machine has expandedconsiderably. One of the major parts of the watch isthe balance, a part that was typically stamped inlarge series. Each watch production shop wants tohave its own balance so as to set it apart from thecompetition. Suddenly, there is now an enormousvariety of balances, which signifies major costs froma stamping tool point of view.12 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

The latest facilities mean that these balances cannow be produced on an automatic Tornos latheinstead of having to stamp them. The precision engineerwill cut out the part on his automatic lathe andthen manufacture balances from start to finish. Afurther major benefit is the facility for creating differentmodels using a basic machining program, therebylending each watch its intrinsic character. Boththe precision engineer and watchmaker will deriveenormous benefits with regard to time and precision,because the balances are machined in a singlechuck. The facility of using a basic program meansthat the reaction time is much shorter in relation tomarket trends, which is an important benefit.These new machines also provide the facility of executingother complex operations apart from turning,such as hobbing. This operation is executed on thepart whilst it is still firmly attached to the bar. This isthen followed by the entire machining operation. Inaddition to saving time, this facility provides the precisionengineer with a high-quality finished part,because the part does not have to be re-clamped toanother machine for hobbing, thereby eliminatingany impact on quality. Apart from the actual partsrequired for watch movements, even the exteriorelements of the watch can be produced on an automaticTornos lathe, because of its multiple machiningfacilities.The screw – a jewelIn the first instance, a screw is used to assemble twoor more parts and to hold them in place. This alsoapplies to the mechanical watch, except that up tonow, the screws were either hidden in the case orthey were simple mass produced wood screws forwatches at the lower end of the scale. Watch designersdiscovered that this screw not only served as anassembly part but was also a first choice decorativeitem. However, this means a new requirement forthese screws. They must not only meet technical criteria(correct screw thread) but must also provide apleasing appearance to the wearer – in other words,have a perfect finish with no signs of burrs, scratchesor chipping.This stringent quality finish applies to all watch parts.To meet this requirement for a quality, jewel-like surface,Tornos incorporated a direct drive in its lathes,because the secondary effects of a belt-drive couldlead to slight vibrations that are transmitted to thetool. The result of the latter is a surface with verysmall ripples, coupled with greater wear of the cuttingtool. This automatically leads to a drop in surfacequality, not to mention the premature replacementof the cutting tool. With the direct drive, thesevibrations quite simply vanished completely. The surfacequality now responds perfectly to customerexpectations and tool life has been extended.Increased precisionOne of the latest automatic lathes produced byTornos is the DECO Sigma 8 (previously named 8sp).This lathe was originally intended for the productionof very small parts for the electronics industry. Theseparts must comply with a very demanding toleranceto within just two microns. The key to success inachieving this precision is found in the design of themachine; it has a very strong spindle but no guidebush. The operating architecture comprises fewerelements, thereby leading to increased strength andreliability.All conscientious precision engineers will be questioningthis point. But the watchmakers even wentone step further – they tried out this lathe and thequality results obtained surprised even the highlysceptical. Because the tolerances in the watch industryare within the two-micron range, the productivityand convenience to obtain this precision are nowincreased with this very high-precision lathe.Ø 1,5 mmSteel 20 AP03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 13

TechnicalØ 7,5 mmØ 5 mmØ 10 mmStainless steelSUS 430FThe automatic DECO Sigma 8 lathe is highly reliablein complying with dimensions, thanks to its thermalstability. In addition to being a very high precisionlathe for small series runs, it also lends itself to theproduction of large series, since the repetitiveness ofprecision and surface quality are guaranteed at alltimes, whilst matching the production rate of the oldcam-operated lathes.Limited spaceCam-operated lathes occupied a small amount ofspace. When these lathes are replaced, the availablefloor area hardly ever changes, hence the demandfor compact automatic lathes. In addition to thequalities indicated above, the DECO Sigma 8 is acompact machine that perfectly meets this spacerequirement.Mini-series are now possibleWatch manufacturers live under the constant pressureof having to offer new watches very quickly.This pressure is conveyed to the parts supplier, whoin turn is under great pressure on prices. Thanks inparticular to the new technologies available in theautomatic Tornos lathes, such as the DECO Sigma 8,this latter machine has a vast calculation range andcan now produce parts of the required precision.Although it can also produce very large series runs, ittends to specialise towards the small series runs, atan appropriate price.Interest amongst new precision engineersIn precision turning, the man-machine element isvery important. However, a certain degree of disinterestis felt amongst potentially interested parties.The latest generation is discovering renewed interestin working as a precision engineer/multi-disciplinedmechanic. In fact, the possibilities currently offeredby numeric controls lead to direct contact with ITtechnologies and because the operator can followand correct any discrepancies during actual machiningin real time, this job is particularly interestingand challenging. A new step towards flexibility andadaptation to customer requirements has beenachieved with the Tornos DECO Sigma 8. In fact, theprofessional now has the facility to program hismachine either using the TB-DECO, or more conventionallyin ISO.14 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

The 4 «Ps» of Tornos.The basis is already thereThe watch industry has a long tradition of precisionand finish – a tradition that Tornos is also involvedwith. This facility of machining small parts to a highdegree of precision and finish is not only acknowledgedin this sector but also in others, such as themedical sector, which, compared with horology andelectronics, is equally demanding in its requirements.Tornos bases itself on its concept of the four “Ps”which stand for Place, Price, Productivity andPrecision. These four Ps apply to the watch industryas well as to the other industrial sectors.On account of the flexibility of numeric programming,the precision engineer can now program atype pinion. He can then re-use this program andquickly adapt it at any time to another part havingthe same geometry, thereby creating a programmingfamily for each family of parts. This benefit can easilybe transferred to the other sectors where there arefamilies of similar parts, meaning that it makes foreasy copying and machining. The flexibility of thisproduction tool for the lowest cost possible are notjust empty words.Steel - Ø 3,9 mmSteel - lg. 1,5 mmBrass - 4 mmBrass - Ø 2 mmSteel - lg. 7,6 mmSteel - Ø 4 mmSteel - Ø 5,7 mmSteel - Ø 2,4 mmSteel - lg. 2,6 mmSteel - Ø 1,25 mm03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 15

TechnicalLooking towards the futureThe engineers at Tornos have long-standing expertisein automatic precision lathes for the horologyindustry. Several tens of thousands of cam-operatedlathes have already been supplied to this sector. Withthe emergence of the DECO machines, these specialistshave now acquired extensive know-how innumeric controls and programming software, asshown by the TB DECO. New ideas are being developedwith a view to offering more to the market –the proof of this is the DECO Sigma 8 – whichalready indicates that this manufacturer does notrest on his laurels but is working on other innovationssoon to be revealed. We shall not fail to keepyou posted.Watch Industry – a growth sector.According to the figures published by theSwiss Horological Employers’ Convention,there were around 42,000 employees atthe end of 2005, which was an increase ofmore than 1,500 people compared with2004. This is the highest level achieved in25 years. This improvement has been partiallyfelt in the sub-contracting industry.The level of training of these employees islikewise higher.

decomagazineThe presentYOUR OPINION!Dear Reader,Previous surveys relating to DECO Magazine showedus that we were on the right path, thereby enablingus to make improvements and offer a magazine thattruly meets your requirements.The surveyThe results of a DECO magazine survey conducted in2004 led to the publication of different languageversions and to our adapting our current editorialline. Now, after being in existence for almost 10years we would again like to ask your assistance aswe very much value your opinion.How can we do this ?Our editorial team tackled this subject by asking youto provide a quick and simply reply to a few questions.We felt that a questionnaire in the magazinedid not seem to be the best way of guaranteeingthat it would be returned and we felt that a fax replycoupon was too limited. As we wanted to adopt thebest method to home in on the various issues andideas whilst leaving you sufficient space for youropinion, we came to the conclusion that the easiestway would be to generate a questionnaire on theInternet. No sooner said than done! You can simplyfill it in online and it shouldn’t take more than10 minutes.Your magazine…To thank you for your participation, we shall have adraw of all replies received and the prize will be amechanical skeleton watch (100 % Swiss Made)worth more than CHF 500.– Deco Magazine wouldlike your information and opinions as it is publishedfor your benefit. Therefore, do not miss this opportunityto help improve it in the way that appearsmost logical to you and tell us what you like best!To take part please visit: www.decomag.chThe questionnaire will be online until the end of theyear and the draw will take place on 10th January2007. The winner will be personally contacted andthe editorial staff reserves the right to publish thewinner’s name and photo in a subsequent issue andon the www.decomag.ch 1 site.Likewise, the results of the investigation will be publishedat the beginning of 2007.I would sincerely like to thank you for your participationand look forward to receiving many replies!Kind regards.Pierre-Yves KohlerEditor in Chief1All readers of DECO Mag may take part in the survey. No correspondence will be enteredinto. The legal venue is Moutier. The data relating to your participation will not be used forany other purpose than the survey and the draw. The data will not be retained afterthe draw.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 17

PresentationDIVERSITY WITH SIMPLICITYWhen family run Advanced Coil Slitters Ltd (ACSL), a specialist contract manufacturingsupplier to the medical, aerospace, hydraulics and instrumentationindustries needed a functional and productive turning centre – it turned toTornos Technologies.ISO: 9001/2000 registered ACSL provides a rapidresponse ‘emergency service’ to customers needs. Tofulfil this demand, Stevenage based ACSL operates ahigh specification production facility on a 24-hourbasis with 30 employees covering a three shift pattern.An integral part of the high specification CNCequipment at ACSL is a Tornos DECO 26a slidinghead turning centre. Used for the manufacture ofcritical parts incorporated into medical gas, anaesthesiaand optical equipment with tolerances lessthan 0.005mm, the 32mm diameter capacity DECO26a has been a valuable asset to the company.ACSL Production Director Mr Steve Ward says: “Inthe time we have had the DECO 26a; it has been anexcellent machine. It runs 24/7 on a diverse range ofmaterials from hastelloy, stainless steel, brass, aluminiumand plastic. The 12 axis machine is capableof very complex work and this capability has reducedsome jobs from 5 operations to one. One component,an oxygen regulator underwent drilling, millingand turning with 5 set-ups – when moved to theTornos the 12 minute production time was reducedto 3 minutes with only one set-up. There are manymore examples similar to this.”

Mr Ward says the average cycle time has been cut by40-50 % since the introduction of the DECO 26aand believes that the high number of machine axishas increased the company’s flexibility. “Whilst 12axes may seem a daunting prospect, the machine isvery flexible, highly productive and extremely easy toset-up. We can now do jobs that were previouslyoutside our scope. It has changed the way we quotejobs and it has increased our capabilities and confidenceto go after more complex work. Some of thejobs that come off the DECO 26a are so complex youwouldn’t believe they came off a lathe,” commentsMr Ward.Discussing the simplistic set-up of the DECO 26a,Mr Ward says the Tornos control system, theTB-DECO may be different to all other controlsystems but once understood is very simple to understand.“The TB-DECO enables us to run simulationsbefore starting machining cycles; this has given us ahigh level of confidence and guarantees we avoidtool collisions. Tornos regularly provides us withTB-DECO updates and enhancements; this improvesproductivity and makes life easier when programmingthe machine. We run some extraordinary programvariations and the DECO 26a does some amazingthings using the combination of axis,” continuesMr WardWhen choosing a turning centre, ACSL needed aflexible machine that was easy to set-up, productiveand had an easily accessible work envelope. Whenthe company chose the DECO 26a, it found a solutioncapable of producing batch runs of anything upto 10,000 on an extremely diverse range of products.Commenting on this, Mr Ward says: “There are a lotof product variations going through the machineand during changeovers the spacious work envelopeprovides plenty of room to change tools. It rarelyruns for less than 24 hours and often runs for up to4 days with just reloading of the barfeeder. Once thetooling & program combination has been establishedthe machine proves extremely productive and costeffective. It has seen us change the way we operateand gets us thinking with a different mindset. TheDECO 26a has reduced our costs, improved productivityand capability and has enabled us to relocatestaff to alternate tasks and machines.”“Tornos provide us with good service and are a veryapproachable company. This was epitomised by thewell run training course that saw our operators learntheir way around the machine very quickly,” concludesMr Ward.For Reader Enquiries Contact:John McBrideTornos Technologies UKTornos HouseGarden RoadWhitwick Business ParkCoalvilleLeicestershireTel: 01530 513100Email: sales@tornos.co.uk03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 19

NewUNIVERSALLY TAILOR-MADE – IT’S TRUE!How does one reconcile industrial logic, component standardisation and a broad adaptation to very differentrequirements ?The launch of the latest Tornos multispindlemachine, the MULTIAlpha 6x32 (already widely quotedin our article on names) provided us with theopportunity to meet Mr. Patrice Baume, the productmanager responsible for this new machine, and discussthe concept of it being “universally tailormade”.InnovationDECO Magazine: Mr. Baume, at the AMB youwill be unveiling a new numeric, multi-spindlemachine. To start, what are its main innovationsand features ?Patrice Baume: MULTIAlpha 6x32 is a multispindlemachine with six independent motorized spindles,with a capacity of 32 mm. The strong points at atechnical level include the facility to execute complexcounter-operations, the powerful motorized spindlesand the general “pick and place” system, which canbe adapted to personalised solutions.DM: Let’s take these in order, if you don’t mind.You mentioned complex counter-operations.What is the reasoning here ?PB: Our clients are confronted with challengingdevelopments, where the parts that have to be producedare becoming more and more complex…whilst there is increasing pressure to keep pricesdown. What we have now is a machine capable offinishing parts at a high output, without having toresort to other means of finishing them. This is obviouslyan undisputed plus point as far as our clientsare concerned. The MULTIAlpha 6x32 perfectly meetsthis requirement.DM: In this context, what do the motorizedspindles provide ?PB: The latest generation of motorized spindle has avery high torque and therefore imposes no penaltieson machine capacity in terms of machining power.The fact of being able to adapt all cutting parametersfinely without any compromise whatsoever,allows our clients to make full use of the new tools.This also enables them to manage tool life veryclosely.Now what about the idea of being universallytailor-made ?DM: Let’s now look at the handling and palletizationsystem. You told us that it was a mo-20 DECO MAGAZINE03 / 06

dular, tailor-made system. Doesn’t this somewhatcontradict the concepts of flexibility thatis now more in demand ?PB: But this is precisely the strength of our system!Tailor-made elements are made for the most part instandard time! Our machine comes with a ‘pick andplace’ system, which is incorporated in the industrialprocesses of our clients. We have different palletsizes and systems according to requirements. But inthe first stage this is only one aspect. The machine isthe very core of an overall material processing systemwith its swarf evacuation, processing, cooling andpre-setting system. The combination options toachieve the optimum result are vast.DM: So you must manage a lot of know-how ?PB: Yes, but we’re not alone! Tornos provides theclient with a system that is competent to do everything.But to achieve this we work in close co-operationwith other specialist systems companies.DM: As a hypothesis, let us look at a MULTIAlpha6x32 machine that is delivered tailor-made to aclient. After a year, the client needs to make aradical change to his production. What does hedo with his ‘tailor-made’ solution ? Does hehave to purchase another solution ?PB: Not at all! Yes, the machine is adapted to theclient, but the basis – in other words the heart – is auniversal machine perfectly capable of operation.Very often it’s only the tooling that changes. In theevent of a major change to the client’s process, weshall work closely with him so that he can “cross thethreshold”.DM: So you offer your customers an applicationand back-up service ?PB: Yes and this has become more simplified,because the machines are basically very efficient.What we do is actually apply a universal tailor-madesolution!DM: You mentioned processes and performancebut we frequently come across clients, especiallyin the automotive sector, who have to keepto certain PPMs 1 . How would you help them ?PB: The MULTIAlpha 6x32 has well-developed characteristics,which help our clients, achieve even greaterperformance. The entire machine structure is thermallystabilized; bringing the machine up to thecorrect temperature is quick and fluctuations arecontrolled. To achieve this, all the cutting fluids passalong different sections of the machine, especiallyalong the spindles and this guarantees uniform temperatures.Stability and production repetitiveness areexceptional.DM: Once the machine is installed, do you alsohave a tip for managing tool life ? Tool wear can“kill” a production run…PB: At this level, the motorized spindles alreadymentioned can optimise this wear. We can now correctthe machine offset during production based onmeasurements carried out. We also have the facilityto set the alarms once the tool has machined a specificquantity of parts.1Poor quality parts per million of parts executed.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 21

NewDM: Well this isn’t very automatic…PB: We are working on a project for carrying outmeasurements during production and automaticcorrection of offsets. But for the time being, this isstill at the laboratory stage.DM: So wouldn’t it be better to wait beforepurchasing one of your new multi machines ?PB: If you don’t require a production tool with a phenomenalcapacity and if you have no parts thatrequire production, then it would be better to wait.But jokes aside, the current solution is highly efficientand offers high performance. It is normal for us towork for the future – in a few years time; our solutionswill be different to what they are now!DM: At tooling level, you correct offsets. Doesthis mean that your tools are pre-set ?PB: In fact, all tools are pre-set. This ensures significanttime saving when putting into service.ProgrammingDM: To come back to the innovations, I heardthat the NC for this new machine was quite special…can you program at the machine ?PB: The TB-DECO principle has been tried andtested and it is very easy to use especially for themulti-spindles. Programming takes place as if onewere programming six machines with three axes.What is new is that we incorporated a PC into themachine!DM: So a TB-DECO in Windows ?PB: Yes, the machine is simply fitted with a PC,which means that our clients can proceed with programmingat the machine without having to use aseparate PC … but this, of course, is also possible.DM: One of the strengths of the TB-DECO isthat one can program in hidden time…PB: Nothing’s changed! It is possible to work on the22 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

machine (produce a part) whilst at the same timeusing the TB-DECO to program another part, just likelistening to music whilst word processing on any PC.DM: But what about obsolescence? Isn’t one ofthe advantages of the TB-DECO that it does nothave this particular separation of PC andmachine ?PB: Yes, this is why the PC can be removed and perhapsreplaced if, one day, it is found to be too slow.DM: I know of companies that centralize theirprogramming. What will they make of thisdevelopment ? Not only will they have to payfor a surplus PC but, what is more, there is a riskthat non-authorised staff start “playing” withthe programs.PB: Our engineers have thought of everything. Themachine is also available without this PC! What ismore, even the fitted versions can be managed withrights to ensure that only “authorised persons” canproceed with modifications.DM: Are you not afraid that you are floodingthe market with too many innovations ? Howwill your clients react ?PB: We provide training and coaching service and ifrequired, we not only offer a machine that is finetunedto requirements, but also guarantee that alloperating staff are efficient.DM: Thank you Mr. Baume for this presentationon universally tailor-made solutions. However,this shows a lot of innovation and messages. Ifyou had to summarise this new product, whatwould you say ?PB: That it is a powerful means of production capableof finishing complex parts and which can be finelyincorporated into the industrial processes of ourclients. We also provide all the support required toensure optimum incorporation!DM: You will be exhibiting the machine at AMB.Will you be present ?PB: Certainly, but I would also warmly like to invitethe entire network of Tornos specialists and salespersonnel who can advise our clients.TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MULTIAlpha 6x32Bar passage32 (34) mmMax. part length120 mmMax. speed of motorized spindles6,000 rpm.Motorized spindle torque25 (32.5) NmMotorized spindle power13.6 kWMax. speed of counter-spindle8,000 rpmCounter-spindle motor torque8.3 (24) NmCounter-spindle motor power3 kWMax. speed of counter operation tool motor5,000 rpmCounter-operation tool motor torque4.6 NmCounter-operation tool motor power1.4 kWNo. of slide axes 19No. of spindle axes 7 (11)No. of fixed tools in back operation 5No. of turning tools in back operation 3Spindle coolingYesNumeric controlFanuc 30iProgramming systemTB-DECO03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 23

TechnicalEASIER ACCESS TO INFORMATION!These days, every company or nearly every company has a website. The site provides an interesting showcasefor customers but also underlines the feeling of closeness. Tornos is no stranger to this.With the aim of constantly providing its clients withthe latest information on new software developmentsquickly, changes have also been made to thecompany’s site. Mr. Berger, head of “Software” marketingsupport at Tornos told us: “We remodelledthe technology section of the www.tornos.com site.Before, you only had access to a brief descriptionof our numeric control, a few details about theTB-DECO software and some “Tips” that were notupdated frequently enough. Now, you can find allthe necessary information in this section of the site.By the end of this year we aim to provide four sections”.Programming softwareNumeric controlAre you looking for information about Tornos softwareproducts ? This section will show you all youneed to know about the TB-DECO ADV or the FAOinterface.The latest version of the new ISO text editor –DcnEdit – which has been developed by ICAM,together with programming samples for the DECO[s-line] machines are available under this heading.You can download these free of charge.TipsDo you require an example to use the G96 constantcutting function ? Or does the new G978 threadingcycle and its parameter P15 require some clarification? Well, you’ve come to the right place.If Tornos develops a new option you will find it here!What is more, information on existing options, suchas pre-heating, tool wear management etc, or evenon the subject of OEE / MDE / TRS can also be foundunder this heading.Technical documentation / supportThis section groups together information such as thedocumentation to convert basic machine data programs.In the autumn, Tornos will also use this section of thesite to provide the facility to make direct contact withthe Hotline Software and its departments, as a formof support and assistance.24 DECO MAGAZINE03 / 06

Updating this section of the site will be executed inseveral phases (some of which are still being produced).A new element will be added once all thesephases are up-and-running.To conclude, we shall let Mr. Berger have the lastword: “All this is merely the start, because it is ouraim to keep you informed as and when softwareinnovations are produced. We look forward to seeingyou on www.tornos.com.Free TB-DECO updateFor all its clients to benefit from the latest programminginnovations, Tornos will proceed with amajor TB-DECO programming software updatethis autumn.Working with Tornos,clients will benefit fromthe following improvements:• Faster programmingtime.• Improved functionality.• Simplified ergonomics.This campaign will concern all clients who haveDECO and MULTIDECO machines but who havenot yet acquired the TB-DECO ADV. Very soonthey will be given a free update of the TB-DECO2006.For those clients already in possession of theTB-DECO ADV, they will receive the very latestTB-DECO ADV 2007 this autumn.The new TB-DECO ADVincludes the followinginnovations in addition tothe updated functionssuch as the various assistantsand 2D simulation:• G 978 threading cycle(see article entitled “Tips”).• ISO plan changes: G17, G18 and G19.• DECO [s-line] programming.• And many more improvements…03 / 06

PresentationAPPLITEC – SWISS TOOLINGPRESENTATION OF 2006 INNOVATIONSA real tooling reference for small parts turning – the latest APPLITEC 2006-2007 general catalogueis now available.Hot off the press for SIAMS 2006, the new generalAPPLITEC catalogue unveils a number of innovationsfrom a manufacturer with a very active developmentstrategy. To help the user locate the correct product,these innovations are clearly summarized on theinside cover page at the back of the catalogue.These innovations include:For the TOP-Line series, new steel qualities basedon a micro-grain substrate equivalent to ISO K10(K05 – K15). These qualities are particularly efficientfor machining low-alloy titanium when producingmedical parts. Even more generally excellent performancehas been observed with all materials,which are highly abrasive but not very hard.The new CUT-Line series offers a highly efficientgroove cutting tool that is economical and very userfriendly.Hard metal circular cutters of very small size (Ø 8, 10and 12 mm) are available from stock, as are the correspondingchuck mandrels.The 7060 / 7050 series is a new cutting tool for bardiameters up to 42 mm, based on the same chuckingconcept as the well-known 700 series, this rangeis especially dedicated to cutting precious materialand very thin parts.The modular MODU-Line tool system is also featuredin the general catalogue with several innovativefeatures.26 DECO MAGAZINE03 / 06

Chapter 7 lists a directory of articles so that you canfind any reference quickly.The new catalogue is also available for downloading(in PDF format) from www.applitec-tools.com. This ITcatalogue makes for easy reading thanks to theadvanced search functions that you just click on withthe mouse.In a separate brochure, APPLITEC also presents anew range of hard metal guide bushes.These top quality guide bushes are currently availablewith holes of 3.0 to 32 mm diameter for fittingto the majority of modern automatic lathes.If you require further information or would like toorder catalogues, you can:Visit the website www.applitec-tools.comContact the official distributor for your region (seelist on the website)Contact us directly at the address belowApplitec Moutier S.A.Chemin Nicolas-Junker 2CH-2740 MoutierTel. +41 (0)32 494 60 20Fax +41 (0)32 493 42 60info@applitec-tools.com03 / 06

PresentationMAIKO, OKAYAMA, JAPAN –A HIGH ACCURACY SUBCONTRACTORHow Swiss multispindle technology is helping a major player in Asia.Maiko is a stock company that specializes in highaccuracy automatic lathe machining. With productionfacilities in Okayama, Japan, Malaysia andVietnam, the Maiko Corporation is well establishedin the production of high accuracy/high volume partsin the application field of Bearing rings, Automotiveparts and HDD.The President and owner of the company is a gentlemannamed Fumio Ohmori, a person highly skilledin the field of automatic lathes, especially in multispindletechnology. His wide experience in applicationand tooling together with the good collaborationwith machine tool makers is the secret of hissuccess which made him a self made man. Maikoalways make efforts to make their customers satisfiedby machining high quality parts, thanks to theirskill levels and knowledge. The company gains customersconfidence with proven results.The presence of Tornos at Maiko is quite impressivewith 7 MULTIDECO 20/8b, 1 MULTIDECO 32/6i, 22SAS 16.6 and 2 BS20. To investigate the “secret ofMaiko”, DECO Magazine had the pleasure toInterview Mr. Ohmori in the company of M. Ritterfrom STC.M. Ritter/STC: Mr. Omori, first of all Tornos and STCwould like to thank you for your longstanding relationshipwith Tornos and for accepting this visit withDECO Magazine.The bridge to go to Okayama perfectly illustrates the link with the Swiss high precision machines of Tornos and the Japanese Maiko company: Reliable, accurate andthere when it’s necessary.28 DECO MAGAZINE03 / 06

DECO Magazine: Yes thank you. To start theinterview, what is the common history ofMaiko and Tornos ?Mr Omori: My first contact with Tornos took place atthe JIMTOF (Japanese International Machine ToolFair) in Osaka in 1994, where I showed interest in theSAS 16.6 machine, that demonstrates over 10 yearsof close collaboration.DM: Why did you have big interest on themultispindle technology ?One reason is of course the efficiency! But not onlyfor efficiency. For me, the multispindle process bringsmore possibilities than single spindles. If you usegood tooling and work out a good process you canbe much more efficient than on a single spindlemachine. Obviously the parts we’re producing arevery well adapted to that technology.DM: The trend in Europe is to have a complexmultispindle automatic lathe that is able to finishcomplex parts by the use of the counterspindle. Maiko usually prefers not to use thecounter spindle, could you explain your vision ?Each workpiece has to be evaluated case by case.Sometimes a complex machine that costs more is thebest solution, but sometimes doing the part on asimple multispindle with a secondary operation on03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 29

PresentationAt the heart of the high precision valley, Takahashi and Maiko.another machine can be an interesting alternative. Itis my job to work out the best machine concept eachtime, depending on the accuracy, as well as thequantity and the price my customer is willing to payfor his parts.DM: Usually you order a multispindle machinewith very few options and without any tooling.What is the reason ?According to our long experience we have developedour own equipment and tooling, therefore weprefer to use our in house technology. In addition, italso keeps the machine price much lower. Anotheradvantage is that we are capable of repairing andexchanging our own equipment, keeping the nonproductive machining time to a minimum.M. Ritter/STC: Thanks to the accuracy of TornosMULTIDECO machines Maiko was able toreplace single spindle machines, both fixedheadstock and sliding headstock, was it an easydecision and implementation ?Typically on a multispindle machine we usuallyachieve an average roundness under 3 microns anddiameter variation of 10 microns. On a single spindlemachine the roundness is under 2.5 microns anddiameter variation is 5 microns. With the new TornosMULTIDECO 20/8b we achieve roundness under2.5 microns and 8 microns diameter variation withstainless steel 18-8 (SUS 303) in full production.Depending on the parts and thanks to this highaccuracy we are now able to replace our single spindlemachines with multispindle machines. But, that’snot always possible and depends on a lot of parameterssuch as the geometry of the parts and thesize of the batches. By replacing single spindlemachines as far as we can, we gain productivity andthe floor space is reduced.DM: Maintenance and Service is also an issuethat is often named as important by users,what is your position on this ?If a Japanese company wants to buy importedmachines, the first concern is the correct and quickmaintenance of the machine by the supplier. Thanksto the skilled maintenance staff from STC, I was ableto overcome this worry. One thing I think Tornoscould improve is the spare parts lead time. I think a30 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

delay of spare parts delivery influences customers’machining procedures. Tornos should have spareparts in stock.M. Ritter/STC: Yes, we agree. For your informationTornos Asia based in Hong Kong is now stockingspare parts to overcome this issue.DM: In which application field lies the futurefor Maiko ?My future vision is to manufacture complex and difficultparts (added value parts). Thanks to our knowhow we can remain competitive especially whenmachining highly accurate parts. I expect TORNOSdevelop higher accurate machine decreasing thermalexpansion than current DECO series in future. As toexport, we are doing our best to conquer competitionin south east Asia.DM: How about the hard disk market?We are producing such parts. In the HD business ithas risk that the demand can change drastically fromone day to the next. Also, specification of productscan change every time. However, currently productionvolume is increasing continuously. I think this HDbusiness is surely one of hopeful field. But, improvementof productivity is indispensable. For that purpose,I hope that TORNOS develop higher accuratemachine, which can which take over current singlespindle machines, decreasing thermal expansion.to improve the process by themselves. HoweverChina is catching up very quickly. That forces us toalways seek out new technologies but also to digmore and more in the process to improve our way touse the machines that we can find on the market.That way, we stay one step ahead of our competitors.DM: M. Omori, thank you for your time and theimpressive view of Maiko you shared with us,we hope that DECO Magazine will help you topromote your company.I would also like to mention that the success ofMaiko is also due to the good collaboration withTornos and STC. Maiko would like to thank you forthat.M. Ritter /STC: You are welcome. We wish youall the best and good success for the future.DM: With the strong competition coming fromChina, what are your assets ?Japan has an advantage of know-how comparedwith China. We have skilled operators that are ableMr. Ohmori president of Maiko and his team of engineers.From left to right: Mr. Morishita, Mr. Ohmori, Mr. Ohata and Mr. Fujinaka.The STC staff at the service of Japan customers.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 31

PresentationFrom left to right: Mr. Sturukai (STC), Mr. Ohmori (President of Maiko), Mr. Froidevaux (Tornos), Mr. Fujinaka (Maiko) and Mr. Ritter (STC/Coret).Company name MAIKO CORPORATIONAddress 939-1 Harada Minami Machi, Takahashi-shi, Okayama 716-0044E-mailmik-co@po.harenet.ne.jpPresidentFumio OhmoriEstablished 1967Staff 170Sales structure Compact precision processing 100 %Related companies MIK PRECISION INDUSTRIES S-D BH-D (Malaysia)MAIKO.HAIPHONG CO.,Ltd. (Vietnam)STC (Swiss Technology Company Ltd.), the sole agent for Tornos in Japan has sales andservice capacity stationed in Tokyo, Nagoya and Zurich. Last year the staff celebrated their50 years collaboration with Tornos.

The presentTB-DECO, ALWAYS INTRODUCING INNOVATIONS!According to its strategy of «making its software more dynamic», Tornos is now unveiling the latest TB-DECOsoftware version – the TB-DECO ADV 2007.DECO SigmaThe latest software – the TB-DECO ADV 2007 – notonly enables programming of all the Tornosmachines based on PNC-DECO (DECO [a-line],MULTIDECO and MULTIAlpha) technology but canalso be used to program the latest DECO Sigmamachines in ISO standard. In order to benefit fromthe advantages of TB-DECO ADV programming onthe DECO Sigma 8 or DECO Sigma 20, there is noneed to modify the numeric control. TB-DECO ADVdirectly generates an ISO program that is compatiblewith the CNC.With the introduction of this latest software package,Tornos paid particular attention to adopting theTB-DECO software. Several programming practicesused for other numeric controls can be used with theTB-DECO. It is now possible to program:• G0 for a rapid linear feed.• G17, G18 or G19 to change plane to (XY) P , (ZX) Por (YZ) P respectively.• G98 and G99 for feed modes instead of theEuropean ISO codes G94 and G95.• And so on…This extension of programming facilities also relatesto the spindle controls, such as the transmit function(milling in polar co-ordinates) or cylindrical interpolation.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 33

The presentNew threading cycleFollowing the introduction of the G96 constant cuttingrate function, Tornos is now offering a new,G978 chisel threading cycle. You can discover all thebenefits of this in the article entitled “Tips”.For all contactsHotline EN +41 (0)32 494 46 98 / 99Hotline FR +41 (0)32 494 46 99Hotline DE +41 (0)32 494 46 98Hotline e-mail Software@tornos.chWyss.m@tornos.chThe TB-DECO ADV 2007 will be presented inSeptember at the IMTS in Chicago and at the AMBin Stuttgart and also at the BIMU in Milan at thebeginning of October. Please do not hesitate to visitthe company’s stands.IMTS – Chicago, from 6th to 13th September.Booth A-8140, Hall AAMB – Stuttgart, from 19th to 23rd September.Booth 4.0.110, Hall 4.0BIMU – Milan, from 5th to 10th October.Booth G11, Hall 22

DossierMODERN GUIDE BUSHES:PERFECT LUBRICATION MEANS OPTIMUM GUIDANCE!Correctly adjusted and lubricated guide bushes are an essential requirement if the parts being manufacturedare to be dimensionally accurate. Even the slightest deviations can have catastrophic consequences – we tellyou what to look out for and how MOTOREX ORTHO cutting oil plays a positive role in “guidance”.Photos: Walter Dünner SAGuide bushes remain an important topic in any smallpart turning operation – it is through them that thepolished bars are fed to the machining process witha play that can be precisely adjusted to 1 hundredthof a millimetre. It is not uncommon for incorrectguide bush diameters or incorrect play adjustment tocause problems in day-to-day production. If coldwelding materials, such as stainless steels or titaniumalloys are processed for this purpose, then even theslightest deviations or the use of unsuitable cuttingoil means that there is a risk of “seizing” in the guidebushes.Different types of guide bushesWhen selecting the guide bush the small part turnercan now choose between a large number of types,technologies and manufacturers. Basically a distinctionis made between two types: the “fixed” and the“turning” guide bush. In the case of the fixed guidebush, friction occurs on the guide surface as a resultof the rotation of the material bar. During turning,the temperature in the bush with a carbide guidesurface averages between 30 and 60°C. When partingoff, the temperature can very quickly rise tobetween 120° C and 180° C for a short time! This03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 35

Dossier(Sketch 1)The sectional drawing of a fixed guide bush (left) shows thecarbide guide surface marked in blue. The enlarged detail(top) shows the lubrication film (yellow), which hydrodynamicallyseparates the guide surface and the bar material.Because of a special surface structure with so-called“micro recesses”, the cutting oil has maximum adhesion and,thanks to special MOTOREX additives, forms a high-performancelubricating film.precipitous rise in temperature severely reduces theviscosity of the lubricant and demands maximumperformance from the machining fluid. For thisreason, MOTOREX uses a combination of temperature-stableextreme-pressure additives in its ORTHOcutting oils.In the case of the “turning” guide bushes, direct frictionbetween the surfaces can be prevented. Theturning movement takes place in the spindle and itsball bearing. However, the spindle bearings mustonly have minimum play. In the case of the “turning”guide bushes, they heat up linearly, which canbe described as unproblematic.The latest carbide and ceramic guide bushesFor carbide guide bushes various manufacturers,including Walter Dünner SA of Moutier, now usehard metals containing cobalt. In detailed series oftests, it has been discovered that cobalt has a desirable,friction-reducing effect. At Dünner the guidesurface is also given a special grinding, which leavesbehind the required “micro recesses”. This enablesthe cutting oil to adhere better and to convince, byproviding a highly stable lubricating film (sketch 1).In all events, the guide surface should be lapped,which unfortunately is not always the case todaywith all manufacturers. It is precisely in the case ofThe well thought-out MAGIC guide bush system from Walter Dünner SA enables the bush to be opened and closed automatically. If a bar is worked, apartfrom a small residue, then this simplifies the ejection of the remaining bar from the bush. Once the new bar has been inserted, the MAGIC guide bush automaticallyadjusts to the preset value!36 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

guide bushes that the cheapest solution is notalways the best.With regard to safety, guide bushes with ceramicguide surface lead the way. They are extremelytemperature stable and they convince by their outstandingreliability and longevity. However, they areslightly more expensive than conventional guidebushes. Also, in the case of demanding knurling, forexample, vibrations can cause chipping. From a lubricationpoint of view, ceramic presents absolutely noproblem and is best suited to modern, chlorine-freecutting oils. A sensible option would be to fit specialcross-holes to the guide bushes in order to optimiselubricant feed. Your supplier will be pleased to helpyou here.The effects of optimum oil feed to the guide bushmust not be underrated either. If possible, cutting oilshould always be fed in the direction of the bar feed.Hence, the oil is drawn in pulses by the new barmaterial onto the guide surface. If, in addition, guidebushes with cross-holes for improved oil feed areused, then you are 100 % on the safe side!Strict demands on cutting oilChlorine-free, environmentally neutral cutting oilsare now the rule. For some time chlorine has beenconsidered an undesirable additive in modern cuttingoils. Previously, the chlorine in the cutting oilgave the lubrication film the desired extreme-pressurecharacteristics – now, however, the basic formulationand a modern package of additives has to givethe cutting oil all the essential characteristics. Whilstleaving out the chlorine means that the machiningfluid is indeed “chlorine free”, it no longer has thenecessary safety limits with respect to the extremepressure characteristics.A new kind of additive technology in the MOTOREXORTHO NF-X enables all materials to be machined. Inaddition, the characteristics of the active substances,including the extreme pressure characteristics, arereinforced within a defined temperature range. Thisprovides maximum process reliability, advantageouscutting values (MOTOREX v max Technology) and perfectsurfaces. Outstanding machining results can beobtained with ORTHO cutting oils without the useof undesirable substances.High performance spindle for rotating guide bush.Additional oil ducts can be fitted to the side of most guide bushes onrequest. In this way, an adequate amount of lubricant can lubricate and coolthe critical spots. Some suppliers provide their products with cross-holes asstandard.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 37

DossierIf possible, the cutting oil should always be supplied from the back and in the direction of the bar feed. In this way the oil is drawn in pulses by the new barmaterial onto the guide surface and the points, which are severely thermally stressed, are cooled.Refer to the following guide bush checklist:• Choose a suitable type of guide bush for thekind of material/machining• Always set the play correctly at the guidebush• Check for correct concentricity of guidebush/collet/headstock• Use only a high-quality, modern cutting oil,such as MOTOREX ORTHO• Optimise oil supply to the guide surface ofthe bush• Ensure maximum machine cleanlinessWe will be pleased to give information on the newgeneration of ORTHO cutting oils in connection withthe guide bushes that you use.MOTOREX AG LANGENTHALCustomer ServicePostfachCH-4901 LangenthalTel. ++41 (0)62 919 74 74www.motorex.comWALTER DÜNNER SARoute de Soleure 25CH-2740 MoutierTel. ++41 (0)32 493 11 52www.dunner.ch38 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

ExhibitionIT’S TORNOS TIME AT IMTS 2006!September 6 - 13, 2006 – McCormick Place – Chicago, Illinois USA – Booth A-8140By Mark SaalmullerTornos USAMost of our customers are curious about what’s newon the technological front at Tornos, and there’s nobetter place to see our machines in action than atIMTS. We cordially invite you to visit us in boothA-8140 at our industry’s Big Show where you canstudy our solutions and virtually any other manufacturingproduct available on earth. Everyone involvedin manufacturing, from CEOs to operators, will benefitfrom experiencing the vast array of technologiesavailable at IMTS. Plus, early September is thebest time to come to The Windy City – the weather issimply glorious.We at Tornos are excited about our display at IMTS.It’s a great representation of our current product lineput through its paces, running parts. Further, theexhibit is designed so you can really see what’s goingon behind the glass doors of the machines. We willhave four large-screen video monitors displayingmovies that were filmed as the machines ran withoutoil to provide high-detail, clear views of the variousmachining operations producing medical, automotive,and connector parts. And while on the subjectof parts, you are welcome to bring samples of yoursso we can take an initial look at what you are doingand how Tornos can help.Here is the innovative Tornos technology that youwill see at IMTS:Single Spindle MachinesDECO Sigma 8This brand new machine will be shown for the firsttime in the US at IMTS. This “extreme” precisionmachine boasts accuracies of ±1µ. Yes, 1 micron.This machine was initially developed for new marketsin the electronics sector, particularly for minidisk parts for mobile IT units, however this machineis being applied in Europe for many other types ofshort parts requiring extreme precision in the watch,medical, automotive industries also.DECO Sigma 20This machine addresses a significant customer needfor a versatile Swiss-type that sets up and producessimple to moderately complex parts quickly, and atunder $200,000, it’s well within most budgets. This03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 39

Exhibitionis also what we call our “two machines in one” asthere are an equal number of tools available for boththe main and counter spindle. The Sigma 20 is theperfect machine for those making the switch fromconventional type machining – turning, milling,drilling – to the Swiss-type concept.DECO 13a & DECO 20aThese machines will feature the newest developmentsfrom Tornos for parts produced for themedical industry, specifically parts required for orthopedics.We will be demonstrating the new 24 degreehelix tread whirling attachment. Typical bone screwin the past only required helix thread angles of upto about 16 degrees, but newer designs called forhigher helix angles and Tornos has responded bybuilding a new thread whirling attachment that canproduce these screws. The completely independentend-working unit on the DECO 26a give us theability to support the screw while it is be whirled.The 26a will also feature whirling in counter operationsto show case the flexibility available on thismachine Escomatics.This is the first time Tornos will have an Escomatic atIMTS. We began representing Esco’s unique coil-fedmachines in North America about 18 months ago,and the customer response has been astounding.They fulfill a special niche for technology that canproduce long, thin parts such as pin connectors,other electronic parts and parts for the medical anddental industry fast. These machines are interestingto observe in action. Just don’t blink or you’ll missthe show. And keep in mind that the ESCO machinescan run from barfeed and not just coil stock.Tornos BoothA-8140Those are the broad strokes of what we will have instore for you at IMTS. We usually have surprises aswell, so please stop by, say hello, and kick someproverbial “tires”. If you can’t make the show andyou would like more information on these machinesor any others, please contact us for all the details.Otherwise, see you in Chicago!40 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

PresentationHONEY, I SHRUNK THE PARTS!Swiss CNC technology produces micro parts profitably for New Hampshire manufacturerKerry, Barry, and Wayne Podmore of Barry Podmore, Inc., have built a business specializing in micro parts for the test and measurement and electronicdevice industries.[Pittsfield, NH – July 2006] Barry Podmore enjoyed alaugh recently when he inquired about an equipmentcompany’s definition of micromachining: itwas 1/4” diameter parts.“In our world, quarter-inch diameters are consideredhuge,” chuckles Barry Podmore, president andowner of Barry Podmore Inc., in Pittsfield, NH.“That’s the largest size of raw material we use, nevermind the parts. Some of our parts have a majordiameter of 0.010”.Barry Podmore has earned a reputation over the last25 years as a company that can produce these smallparts for the electronics, automotive, and aerospaceindustries. As the end products get smaller and morecomplex, the technology with which the companyproduces the parts has become more sophisticatedand efficient.“I started out in 1982 with three Escomatic cammachines. My background is designing and cuttingcams for Escos, so it made sense to continue doingwhat I knew best when I struck out on my own,”says Podmore who came to America in 1976 fromEngland with his wife and three small children.While the shop in the front yard was a quick commutefrom the house, the company outgrew thespace and in 2000 purchased and renovated a17,000 sq. ft. facility in Pittsfield. The first things avisitor notices are Gail (Podmore) Glidden’s smilingface and gleaming epoxy-coated floors, upon whichare rows of dozens of cam and CNC Escomatics linedup like soldiers, and eight Tornos DECO CNC Swissmachines. All of the machines look brand new, eventhough some of them are decades old and havebeen very busy. This year alone, Podmore expects toproduce almost 100,000,000 parts.“There are very few companies that can do what wedo,” says Barry. “Fortunately, we have the technologyand bright people who can keep up with our customer’sdemands for more parts that are plus orminus perfect and delivered on time.”In the electronics test and measurement market,Podmore makes plungers for spring-loaded pogo03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 41

Presentationprobes for testing electronic circuitry. In the test fixturethese probes look like a bed of nails, but lookingat these parts under a microscope they are intricate,some with holes, 3-sided chisel heads, 4-pointcrowns, 9-point serrations, etc., for a variety ofshaped and sized circuits. There can be thousands ofthese tiny wear parts in one test fixture, dependingon the size of the circuit board and/or how manyboards are being tested at once.“Micro machining is growing, not necessarilybecause we as a company want to do it, but becauseit’s what our customers demand,” says Podmore.“When we first started doing these, we producedplungers for what the industry refers to as hundredmil grid pattern, which is a hundred thousandths oncenters, then we made parts for fifty mil, then twentyfive, and now ten. The grid pattern keeps gettingcloser and closer, so naturally the test probes have tofollow suit. It’s like, honey, I shrunk the parts again.”Barry says as the probes are getting smaller they arealso getting more complex. When he first beganmaking them, the probes he made had fairly simpletip styles and the Escos accommodated them justfine. The simpler tips are still running on the Escosday and night. In fact one machine has run one partcontinuously for twelve years. All of Podmore’smachines, including the DECOs, run 24 hours with“lights out” from about 10:00 pm to 5:30 am.The company has eight Tornos DECO 10mm 9-axis machines to performmultiple intricate operations in a single setup. The ability to successfullyperform polygon-milling operations on the machines is one of their hallmarks.Interior view of one of the DECO machines; at top is the helpful polygonmilling attachment.42 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

“We won’t take a job if we can’t run it 24 hours,”says Barry.Although Barry’s comfort level was with the camEscos, he did leap to CNC Escos, with nudges bysons Wayne and Kerry, when he needed more flexibilityfor shorter runs, and recently added the top ofthe line Esco, the New Mach 649.“About four years ago, it became clear we neededto go up several sophistication levels if we wanted toget the more complex work that was out there, andwe purchased our first Tornos DECO 10 millimeter,9-axis machine, and now we have eight. Our customersare pushing us to do additional work, so wemay have to expand the building and get evenmore,” adds Barry.The ability to perform polygon milling is one of theDECO features most remarked about by the threePodmore men. Polygon milling can be accomplishedin both the main and subspindle on a Tornos. Thepart spindle and the live tool spindle synchronizationare key for successful polygonning.Elaborating on the operation sequence, Wayne takesa visitor step-by-step through a typical application.The part isn’t necessarily the smallest part producedin the shop, but the beryllium copper test probe barrelhas numerous features on it for its size, which is0.084” long and 0.030” major diameter. The firstoperation is to spot and drill a 0.016” diameterhole on the front end of the part that goes to adepth of 0.060”. The critical tolerance on the ID,OD, and length is 0.0005”, which is common forPodmore. The DECOs even held a 15,000 part run to+/- 0.000080” recently.The next operation is turning the first length downto 0.020”, and then put in a cross drill hole of0.007”. Tooling is a considerable issue with micromachining. Podmore developed a 0.010” cross drillthat can drill I.D.s virtually burr-free.“I break more tools just handling them than themachine does. We have very little breakage on themachine,” says Wayne.Next the remainder of the part is turned down toa 0.014” diameter and the pick off spindle cuts offthe part from the bar and transfers the part to thetop of the work area to expose the back end of thepart for polygon milling the four-point crown, andthe part is complete. Meanwhile the main spindleoperations are underway on a new part. Cycle timeper part is under 25 seconds.Gail Podmore, Barry’s daughter is the smiling face at the reception desk andholds about 1,000,000 typical Podmore parts in her hands.Tornos provides a tool presetting device with its DECOs to help set the toolsfor the next run while the machines stay in production.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 43

Presentation“I can’t stress enough how important the synchronizationis between the spindle and the live polygonattachment. To get the four points, the cutter has torotate four times faster than the spindle, exactly, perfectlyburr-free which they have to be, and the DECOdoes it every time,” says Wayne who also programsthe DECOs with Tornos’ TB-DECO software. “Theprogramming is different, but I think it’s different ina positive way. The way the software is laid out, Ihave better visualization of each operation than withconventional ISO programming and can readily seewhat each axis is doing. Bottom line is it helps to cutcycle time. It’s just one more tool that Tornos hasdeveloped to eliminate dead time and use that timefor tool changes. It just makes sense to me and didfrom the first time I used it.”Machining minute parts impacts the entire manufacturingprocess and even the company culture. It’smore than just having the right machines. The actualcutting tools are an important aspect for success.Podmore sometimes makes their own or uses ahandful of resources. The polygon tools and the customdrills, for example, are made in Switzerland.“We also have to do some work on the collets ourselves,”adds Kerry Podmore. “Any imperfection inthe collet is going to create an imperfection on thepart. If the collet has a miniscule ding or if concentricityis just 0.0005” off center, the part is scrap. Ifconcentricity is off by 0.001” on a 0.25” part, youwon’t even see it, but when you are talking abouta 0.012” diameter part it’s a big percentage.”Other differences with micro parts are the options toaccomplish post-processing tasks such as cleaning,heat-treating, finishing, and inspection. Podmorehas found that conventional methods simply aren’tappropriate for parts that when viewed with thenaked eye look like tiny shards of swarf. The companyuses ultrasonic cleaners, chemical etching when aspecial edge or finish is required, and microscopes,laser micrometers, and video inspection for randombatch inspection.“Perhaps most importantly, along with all of thetechnology, you must have the skilled peopleattuned to the mindset of making these small parts,”says Barry. “It’s not for everyone and it takes morethan a few months of training. It’s engrained in ourculture. It’s who we are. And we’re grateful for thesmart suppliers, such as Tornos and Esco, whounderstand what we are trying to do and havehelped us be successful at it.”44 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

TechnicalA POWERFUL TOOL AT THE SERVICEOF THE MODERN BAR-TURNING OPERATOR!Following the certification of SylvieXpert by Tornos SA earlier this year, the new version ofthis CAM (computer-assisted manufacturing) software dedicated to bar-turning operators was unveiled witha sneak preview at SIAMS 2006 in Moutier. This article briefly presents its new functional capabilities andalso describes a collaborative project involving the CTDT training centre in Tramelan and testimonials fromBurri SA and Tectri SA, users of SylvieXpert for the operation of DECO machines.SylvieXpert is an axis-based CAM system used foroperating CN bar-turning units. Developed byJurasoft SA, a company located a stone’s throw fromMoutier, SylvieXpert is marketed in Switzerland byJinfo SA. Its main features are its ability to control anunlimited number of axes and channels, as well asrealistic, comprehensive simulation of machine functions.For more information:www.sylviexpert.chThe new version 2.5 comprises numerous featuresincluding:• display of component pickup and complementaryoperations such as retrieval of components• new types of operation (polygon cutting, threadwhirling, mortice cutting etc)• new control system for chamfering during a turningoperation• new concept for using shape-cutting tools• enhancement of the library of tool elements.The Technical Training Centre for the Bar-Turning andShaping Industry (CTDT-CIP), established in 1994,has become an essential complementary service tothe traditional training avenues. It was established inTramelan in the Centre Interrégional de Perfectionnement(CIP). CTDT-CIP offers a wide range ofpersonalised courses to develop expertise andretraining of staff, thereby responding to thedemands and growing needs of an industry undergoingcontinuous change.For many years, the CTDT-CIP has been offering specialistCAM training courses specialising in millingand, when classes restart, it will be possible to followcourses in CAM aimed at bar-turning operations.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 45

TechnicalTo this end, a close collaborative relationship hasdeveloped over the last few months with Jurasoft,the company that developed SylvieXpert CAM software.A fully comprehensive course combining theory andpractice will be offered from this August at CTDT-CIP.This software can therefore act as a complementarytool, indeed as an indispensable one for programmingany workpiece with a high value-added component.For more information:www.ctdt-cip.chBurriIt will then be possible to test programs devised inCAM on the Tornos Deco 10a and on the TornosDeco 13a. The number of participants will be limitedto 3-4 people. The price for the basic course (3 days)is SFR 1400.–, specialisation (2 days) costsSFR 1100.– and the full 5 days cost SFR 2200.–.Customised courses can be arranged on request.Burri SA is a company in the BM Group. Burri placesits dynamism and its expertise in the field of barturningat the service of its principal markets: automotive,medical, watchmaking and security.The advantages of using SylvieXpert accordingto the CTDTThis software has a different approach to CAM. Ithas a simple interface capable of managing a largenumber of complex operations which are more difficultto program without assistance, e.g. an operationcentring on the C axis. The programmer works on a3D model. This approach is not an easy undertakingwhen machining complex workpieces on multi-channelmachines like the DECO 10a or the DECO 13a.The scope for creating ranges of operation modelscan be of great benefit when designing families ofidentical components, and it delivers an appreciabletime saving.Finally, a 3D simulation rounds off the software andgives the use a means of checking the programbefore running it on a machine.With its 100-strong workforce, Burri SA believes thatits future lies in having a perfect command of evermore precise, ever smaller and ever more complexworkpieces.Burri SA has been using SylvieXpert since early 2005.The advantages of programming CN bar-turninglathes with SylvieXpert can be summarised in threepoints for Burri SA: flexibility, productivity and capitalisationon expertise. At Burri SA, flexibility is thetop priority in its production operations. It is indeednow essential to have the capability to launch veryshort production runs of components featuring verydiverse technologies and to do so in record time. Inthe following example of a machining operation, theuse of a ball miller working in 3D makes it possibleto produce this workpiece with a standard toolinstead of a custom-made tool, which would entail adelay in the start of production work.Now that operations combining milling and complexgeometries are becoming more frequent occur-46 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

ences, it is very important to be able to deliver theright programs parallel to production operations.With TB-DECO and SylvieXpert, you can now savedays that were previously spent on programmingtasks. Detailed final adjustment is possible with real3D simulation based on the precise kinematics of themachine.For more information:www.bmgroupe.chTectri SA is a specialist in the machining of turnedand milled metal and synthetic workpieces. Its workis centred upon high precision and complies with thestandards in force in the leading-edge technologiesassociated with the medical, aeronautic and metrologysectors.Mr. Fabien Bouduban, Director, answers our questions.What types of component do you manufactureusing bar-turning equipment ?Primarily short production runs of complex geometrycomponents, which require relatively long machiningtimes, in some cases more than 20 minutes.Our range of bar-turning units comprises the TornosDECO 13a and Tornos DECO 20a. We have expertisein the machining of a large number of materials,from the toughest of metals to the most distortionproneof synthetic materials.What is the biggest technological challenge youface at this time ?Our hope at this time is to find a way of rationalisingas much as possible the lead time involved in gettinga new component to the machining stage. Theobjective we are hoping to achieve: «the third componentused for adjustment meets the standard».Why did you choose the SylvieXpert CAMsystem ?We have been working closely with Jinfo SA for thelast three years on GOélan CAM software for theoperation of our machining centres. After-sales servicehas a very important part to play in computerisedapplications. We knew that Jinfo was offeringnew software for bar-turning operations and we discoveredSylvieXpert when we visited the Simodec in2006.A demonstration at our site then convinced us withits practical approach and its ability to take fullaccount of the distinctive features of bar-turningoperations.For more information:www.tectri.ch03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 47

PresentationEHN & LAND CONCENTRATES ON BEINGTHE BEST SUPPLIER TO CUSTOMERS WHO ARE MACHININGSMALL PRECISION PARTS!As a natural step in our development as preferred partner to Tornos our product strategy also has come tomaturity and we venture to assert that we today have the widest and probably also the best program on themarket.Now we would like to put all efforts to focus on the companies who produce small precision parts. We knowthat the requirements form you customers will increase as regards tolerances, as regards cleanliness, asregards products and also with an ongoing price pressure as well. It is one of the main reasons why we havebeen successful in getting strong partners for machine tools, tools, accessories, cutting fluids, cleaning etc.we put focus on the whole packageApart from our excellent machine tool partners we have also a terrific and practically complete sales programof tools and accessories with Magnus Wahlquist in charge.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 49

PresentationWe would like to take part and work for the fact thatthe jobs and investments stays in Europe and do notmove out to Asia a.o. We believe that we togetherwith our suppliers and you customers can be successful.SupplierCustomerIn the neighbourhood to our suppliersThrough our subsidiary company in Switzerland wecan be helpful with picking up parts, pass on informationand solve problems very quickly. The office issituated in Hünenberg, right in the middle ofSwitzerland and we reach the majority of our supplierswithin two hours car drive. It is very valuable tohave a deeper and continuous personal contact withthese to keep up long standing cooperation relations.As production of small precision parts requires qualityand delivery security we have chosen to workwith practically exclusive Swiss products.Ehn & Land shall, as agent for our selected suppliers,be the leading company in the Nordic Countries andthe Baltic States to supply products for manufacturingof small precision parts.Ehn & LandOur service department – your securityOur service department with 7 engineers, 5 inSweden and 2 in Denmark, is very competent andhelps the customers to reduce their costs with regularservice and preventive maintenance. They makerebuilding, service and training and all of the engineershave a long experience in this field.Here you will find our service engineers in Sweden and in Denmark.50 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06

Full speed ahead at the track.SiamsAs a part or our customer service Ehn & Landarranged in May this year a trip to the SIAMS exhibitionin Moutier. Around 40 persons met up early inthe morning to be transported to Switzerland wherethey visited suppliers and customers to Tornos andAmsonic.The exhibition, which was the highlight of the trip,was successful for Ehn & Land and we even receivedsome machine orders among other things a DECO 8sp(DECO Sigma 8) – the first one in Scandinavia!One of the evenings Tornos arranged a much appreciatedcarting race where the competition spirit ofthe competitors came out and it was a hard andfunny match at the race-track. After a hard final heatErik Källiden form Nobel Biocare was the worthywinner. The evening finished with a tasty barbecuebefore the bus took us back to the hotel.Big distribution of prizes.Well-earned dinner.03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 51

TricksNEW G 978 TURNING TOOLTHREADING CYCLE FOR TB-DECOA new, multiple, repetitive, threading cycle to execute threads using a turning tool is now available with theTB-DECO ADV 2007.This cycle can be used throughout the range of Tornos machines using TB-DECO and also for the DECO [a-line]and MultiDECO machines. At the same time, the G933 cycle can always be programmed.Why this new cycle ?Tornos is committed to satisfying its customerrequirements. This is why we can now offer the followingthree major improvements:• Use of stronger tools for your internal thread cuttingoperations using the turning tool.• Optimising the useful life of your turning tool,depending on the material undergoing machining.• Optimising the finished quality of your thread.Other strong points• Perfect management of the number of passes inrelation to the programmed parameters.• Unique return path of the urning tool on axis X.This means that a commercially available tool canbe used for the internal threads, whose diameteris practically equal to that of the drilling diameter.• Similar to the cycles used on a CNC ISO.• Comprises the same inlet parameters as the G978cycle available on the DECO [s-Line] machines.InnovationManaging the penetration of the turning toolaccording to a given angle in order to follow theflank of the thread thanks to a parameter (P15). Thissame parameter allows you to execute an alternatingthread (zigzag). In such instances, the turning toolwill successfully remove the material from one sideof the flank and then from the other, so as to optimiseits wear for hard materials.52 DECO MAGAZINE03 / 06

ProgrammingProgramming example of a thread using cycle G978.Internal threadingIllustration of a standard commercially available internalthreading turning tool for an M5 x 0.8 thread in the cycleinterpretation phase.PARAMETERS THAT CAN BE PROGRAMMED:P1 Threading pitch (NEGATIVE for internal cutting die) [mm] [inch]P2 Start of threading in X [mm] [inch]P3 Start of threading in Z [mm] [inch]P4 End of threading in Z [mm] [inch]P5 End of threading in X [mm] [inch]P6 Angle of the threading tool [°]P7 Height of thread (depth) [mm] [inch]P8 Outlet angle on completion of threading [°]P9 Safety margin [mm] [inch]P10 Number of rough passesP11 Height of first (rough) pass [mm] [inch]P12 Number of finishing passesP13 Height of finishing passes [mm] [inch]P14 Number of blank passesP15 Inlet angle in thread. Measured from the flank of the threadP16 Override for the return segment to the starting point [%]03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 53

The presentIN 2007: mediSIAMS in Moutier (Switzerland)Horology was the launch vehicle of micro-technology in the Jurassic Arc. Machine tools, metal alloys andmanufacturing techniques (rather than ‘secrets’) that are still in use today, were designed and developed inorder to meet the requirements of this sector.During the twentieth century, car manufacturersjoined the list of large consumers of micro-technicalsolutions. To a lesser degree, the armaments sectoralso proved to be a major client for this technology.The extension of telecommunications – starting withthe telephone and then the explosion of informationtechnology – pushed the connector industry intobecoming the major user of micro-technology.More recently, coupled with the progress, both inthe medical and surgical sectors, the demand forso-called bio-medical products snowballed. In thissector, requirements ranged from producing adequatealloys to mastering the multiple facets ofmicro-technology and the numerous ways of assemblinghighly different components – micro-technologycomponents combined with those of the plasticsand connector industries and, in particular, withIT applications. Not forgetting, on a more mundanelevel, those products used in corrective surgery, suchas screws, dental implants, nails, plates, femur headsand other “technologically replaceable” elements ofthe human body.54 DECO MAGAZINE03 / 06

It will be this range of tools and micro-technologicalproducts geared to the health sectorthat mediSIAMS will be exhibiting in 2007 inMoutier.The Jurassic Arc is perfectly located for the medicaland dental sectors – one can even go so far as to saythat it is the nucleus. All companies manufacturingor assembling these products are now invited tosubmit the fruits of their labour, resulting fromtheir research and skills deployed in this sector, tomediSIAMS.For their part, the parties responsible at mediSIAMSwill prepare to visit:• potential customers, who are sometimes unawareof the fantastic skills of the region in medical technologies;• companies already active in this sector, which willbe given the opportunity to discover the latesttechnological innovations in this sphere;• companies that are thinking about becominginvolved in this area of production, which is full oftechnological promise, especially for the medicalsector;• professionals, multi-disciplined engineers, smallparts turners and engineers who may like todiscover this fascinating industrial world at theservice of the health industry;• finally, all those hoping to create a skills networkwith the regional players in order to encourageco-operation and the transfer of know-how andtechnology.2007Meeting point for medical technologies03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 55

InterviewBLASER SWISSLUBEIS AN AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY.THIS YEAR THE SWISS LUBRICANT BUSINESS ISCELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF BUSINESS IN AMERICA.It all started back in 1981 in White Plains NY when Hans Schneider, a Swiss-American, set up his sales office.He visited the metalworking businesses in the area and with great enthusiasm, told them about the new typesof Swiss cooling lubricants, kind to both the human skin and the environment. The people he spoke to thenwanted to try out the product and that was where this success story began.Just five years later, a production facility and officecomplex was erected in Goshen NY and went intobusiness. Now Blaser Swisslube Inc. is one of theUSA’s leading providers of water-mixed cooling lubricantsand cutting oils. Many customers considerBlaser to be the best supplier on the market, offeringexceptional products and superlative standards ofservice, something which our customers confirmtime and again.We ask Uli Krahenbühl, Chief Executive andPresident of Blaser Swisslube Inc. USA, just what ittakes to be successful in this tough and highly competitivemarket.DECO Magazine: Mr Krahenbühl, what is thesecret to the success of Blaser Swisslube inAmerica ?Uli Krahenbühl: Hard work and motivated employees!Just like anywhere else, success does notcome out of nowhere. We are fortunate enough tohave very good products. In addition, the peoplewho sell our cooling lubricants have extraordinarylevels of expertise at their fingertips. These peopleare sales engineers who know the requirements ofthe metalworking industry and who can thereforegive our customers really valuable advice.DM: Every supplier claims to have very goodproducts. What sets the Blaser cooling lubricantsapart ?UK: Our cooling lubricants are actually liquid tools.Uli Krähenbühl, Chief Executive and President of Blaser Swisslube Inc., USA.They are characterised by very high performance,exceptional service life and good compatibility withthe human skin. These are just three qualities deliveringgenuine benefits to customers.DM: How do these benefits communicate themselvesto customers ?UK: Well, the performance is something customerscan experience directly, simply by being able to runmachine tools at higher cutting speeds, therebyincreasing daily output levels. The good lubricationprovided by our products also extends tool servicelife. This means that each tool can produce moreunits. Long service life is demonstrated by the factthat the cooling lubricant does not need to be disposedof – at least not very frequently – and thishelps to reduce machine downtime. Then in terms ofskin sensitivity, mechanics will find eczema outbreaksless common, so will lose less time off work throughsick leave.56 DECO MAGAZINE03 / 06

View of Blaser Swisslube Goshen, NY.DM: What then is the secret behind the longservice life achieved by your cooling lubricants ?UK: The unique ‘bio concept’ of our water-mixedBlasocut product line prevents any undesirable bacteriaor algae from growing. As a result, emulsionsremain stable for years at a time. This occurs in acompletely natural way without the need for controland without needing to add any biocides. This issomething which a major study conducted by theUniversity of Heidelberg, under Prof. Dr. Sonntag,has been able to verify convincingly.DM: What is the status of Blaser cutting oils?UK: I need to explain something to you: When wetalk about cooling lubricants, we are referring towater-mixed fluids, i.e. emulsions, which are cuttingoils by another name. As you would expect, our cuttingoils offer customers tremendous benefits. Theydeliver quite exceptional performance characteristics.Tests have demonstrated that, by using the rightproducts, improvements in performance of up to40% can be achieved. As you can see, using ourBlasomill cutting oils, and in particular our vegetableoil-based Vascomill oils, our customers can achievevery impressive productivity improvements.DM: Do you develop any of your products inthe USA ?UK: No, we simply produce cutting oils and watermixedcooling lubricants for North America, Canada,Mexico and Brazil. For a company of our size, thereis no point in developing products at several differentsites. However, our senior product engineers allensure that any insights gained during contact withour customers is passed back and incorporated inthe development of new products. In Switzerland,Blaser Swisslube operates the largest R&D operationin this sector. Over 40 chemists, tribology specialists,analysts, microbiologists and laboratory staff conductresearch into new materials, which improveperformance and reduce vapour formation. As aconsequence Blaser is always developing state of theart products.DM: Given this amount of R&D effort, yourproducts must surely be expensive ?UK: Quite the reverse! You see, our business is toprovide our customers with cutting oils whichincrease their productivity. Let me explain: toincrease productivity, customers are always lookingfor faster machines and better tools. The coolant isonly ever considered, if indeed it receives any attentionat all, as a second or third level priority. Our salesengineers have the expertise to deliver a decisivecontribution towards increased productivity throughtheir grasp of how machines, tools and cutting oilsinteract to greatest effect. I can assure you that theperformance improvements that our customersachieve when they use our products more than coverthe costs of acquiring our cutting oil. Then there arethe substantial benefits gained through lower tool03 / 06DECO MAGAZINE 57

InterviewThree generations of Blaser: Peter Blaser (left), who now runs Blaser Swisslube AG,company founder Willy Blaser (centre) and Marc Blaser (right), representing the thirdgeneration at work in this family-owned company.costs and a reduction in machine downtime. Asyou can see, with Blaser cutting oils, customers canrun their production equipment much more costeffectively.When used properly, these productsreally are liquid tools. This is precisely why we are sosuccessful.Blaser Swisslube AG is a lubricantcompany based inEmmental, Switzerland. Thisfamily-owned company wasfounded in 1936 by Willy Blaser.It is now being managed byPeter Blaser, the second generationof family ownership. Formore than thirty years, Blaserhas been making cooling lubricantsand cutting oils as its primaryproducts. The companyoperates production facilities inSwitzerland, the USA, India andin the near future China. With10 subsidiaries and 33 representativeoffices in 45 countries,Blaser Swisslube has a presencein every industrialised country.Blaser Swisslube employs a globalworkforce of 450 andachieves annual sales of approximatelySFR 160 million.Own production facility since 1986.58 DECO MAGAZINE 03 / 06