ONA takes part with two advanced EDM centres

The mold plant of the future is exhibited at the EMO.

The EMO, the world machine-tool fair, beat all records when it was held in Hanover in September. Occupied floor space was 195,000 m², with 2,263 exhibitors and some 200,000 visitors.

Attention focused on latest advances in automation

In the midst of so much impressive technology it was not easy to stand out, but ONA succeeded in doing so where one of the most ambitious projects at the EMO was concerned, i.e. emo-tion, the automatic production line for making molds. A solid example making use of the most modern technologies at each stage in the production of a mold, from design and prototype all the way through to completion.

At another stand, ONA exhibited its updated range of EDM units, with its new world-leader, the K 350.

"emo-tion", the automated mold production line

An international project promoted by CECIMO

The emo-tion project came into being through the desire of CECIMO, the European Association of Machine Tool Manufacturers, to set up at the EMO a mold production line that would illustrate in practical manner the extraordinary advances made in the various technologies involved. It would have to display the complete process, all the way from the initial idea to the final piece injected.

CECIMO assigned to the German firm NC Gesellschaft the task of organizing the project, in which nine internationally known firms were going to take part:

• Alphacam (USA/Germany) - CAD/CAM/CAE
• Coord3 (Italy) - calibration
• Erowa (Switzerland) - systems for the automatic loading of electrodes and workpieces, palletization
• Fehlmann (Switzerland) - high-speed milling
• IBM (USA/Germany) - CAD/CAM
• ModellTechnick (Germany) - quick prototype
• ONA (Spain) - penetration and wire EDM
• Seco (Sweden) - tools for milling, turning, and boring
• Zwicker Systems (Germany) - software for process automation and control

The CAD/CAM station, starting point on the line

A mold begins with an idea, an idea of the product we wish to make. The first step on the emo-tion line is to give form to that idea. Here the members of the emo-tion team had a CAD station using the design software IBM CATIA V.5.0. This first step is of prime importance, since the software used in designing the workpiece is the same as that which has to provide the database necessary for the subsequent steps.

EDM: a basic part of the line

The complexity of the final workpiece, which consisted of a ribbed structure on the inside and a flat exterior with various engravings, called for the use of several electrodes in the penetration erosion.

Final product: knob on a gearshift

The mold incorporated two dummies. These were made on an ONA R 250 wire EDM unit, which also formed part of the line.

All the equipment was included in the process line. Both the high-speed cutter used in making the electrode and the ONA C 300 penetration EDM unit had automatic systems for loading workpieces. Workpieces and electrodes were trimmed and erected at an independent control station while manufacturing proceeded, so that the machines could work without interruption. This arrangement considerably reduced the time involved in adjusting the workpiece in the machine. The workpieces were assembled on pallets, which meant that the original reference points could be maintained while a piece was moved from one machine to another. The electrodes made at the milling machine, having gone through adjustment and quality control, were inserted into the robot magazine to which the EDM unit was connected. All information (offset, etc.) from the adjustment station was directly entered in the unit's CNC memory.

The line process was monitored, so that the state of every machine was displayed at every moment. Data, statistics, and predictions were supplied in real time.

The C 300, with robot for handling workpieces and electrodes, forming part of the emo-tion line.