Ground-breaking Toolroom machining

XYZ Machine Tools has a long-standing reputation of helping its customers grow and develop, with its range of machines from manual mills and lathes through to five-axis machining centres facilitating this. Targeting the toolroom environment the new XYZ TMC (Toolroom Machining Centre) brings the added versatility of a toolchange system, while maintaining the familiarity of the latest version of the popular ProtoTRAK control system.

Editorial Director, Laura Crawford, visited XYZ Machine Tools HQ in Tiverton, to find out exactly how this new range will accelerate the growth of its customers through increased productivity.

The use of the RMX ProtoTRAK® control system will provide a high level of familiarity for exiting users of XYZ Bed Mills and, for those not familiar its touchscreen interface and many easy-to-use programming tools make the control ideal for low to medium production. Combining that with a fully enclosed machining envelope and either a 12 or 20 station automatic toolchanger make the XYZ TMC the perfect machine for businesses to step up productivity in their low to medium volume activities.

The XYZ TMC range comprises of four machines, all of which are based on its existing three-axis linear rail vertical machining centre carcass. The TMC machines are available as 500, 750, 1000 and 1600 variants, with the number referencing the machine’s X-axis travel.

The use of the ProtoTRAK control brings many advantages, which will be appreciated by existing ProtoTRAK users, such as the TRAKing® feature, which uses handwheel movement to prove the program. The faster you wind the faster it machines. Stop or reverse the handwheel and the machine does the same.

The RMX ProtoTRAK control also simplifies programming to deliver maximum efficiency, with users having the option of programming at the machine using its conversational programming software or, using offline programming making use of ProtoTRAK’s G-code compatibility for more complex 3D components.

Auto Geometry Engine (AGE) is also a specific feature of the ProtoTRAK RMX control. AGE is effectively a CAD capability within the control allowing users to overcome issues when data is lacking from drawings by automatically calculating missing dimensions during programming.

The Adaptive Toolpath feature can drastically reduce cycle times on complex milling cycles, a feature more commonly found on high-end CAD/CAM systems.

The control also comes with the option of adding a DXF Converter which benefits from the touchscreen technology to deliver substantial advantages, as importing a DXF file is completely streamlined, eliminating the need for supplementary software and the requirement for a mouse to be connected.

“With over 15,000 ProtoTRAK controlled mills and lathes installed in the UK extending the use of this versatile, flexible and productivity enhancing control will be a relatively straightforward step for many toolroom, low volume production environments,” says Nigel Atherton, Managing Director, XYZ Machine Tools. “Throughout the past 1-2 years we have continued to innovate, and these new developments will bring ProtoTRAK and XYZ Machine Tools to a wider audience.”