Leading the way at EMO 2023

As you might expect from one of the UK’s most comprehensive providers of workholding, manufacturing ancillary systems and business efficiency services, Leader Chuck International has a number of key partners unveiling new and improved products at this year’s EMO exhibition in Hanover, Germany.

AUTOGRIP (Hall 4, Stand C106) manufactures chucks for turning, milling and special-purpose machine tools. Its newly developed series of stationary chucks are suitable for vertical machining centres, 4th and 5th axis rotary tables, and the VR-808 Wedge Type Synchronous Clamp. With its compact design, workshops can place several sets of clamps on the same worktable of any milling machine. In addition, the VR-808 can be either pneumatically or hydraulically operated.

BALANCE SYSTEMS (Hall 6, Stand C53) [BS_EMO.jpg] will present its innovative solutions for the process control systems of grinding machines. The company will also present a number of new products, such as automatic ring balancing machines, the TQM measuring bench and the AE Envelope function; for the manual, semi-automatic and automatic balancing machines sector, providing cutting-edge technological solutions that allow users to eliminate the vibration of the rotating parts of mechanical and electromechanical machines, improving their life and performance. On the stand, visitors can also view the products and discover the services of EBS, including new balancing machines for production, retrofitting, contract balancing for third parties, and a new portable balancer.

BLUE PHOTON (Hall 5, Stand B84) manufactures adhesive workholding components, including Blue Photon grippers and insert assembly products. Designed to hold difficult parts and eliminate operations for manufacturing, hard-to-hold parts and delicate materials are particularly suited to Blue Photon’s workholding technology. Blue Photon’s adhesive workholding eliminates scrap and rework caused by poor clamping, ensuring that the surface integrity of the part is not affected. The workholding technology allows the user to hold parts and most materials without pinching the part to hold it. Blue Photon offers adhesive workholding for milling, turning, electrochemical machining (ECM), electrical discharge machining (EDM), grinding, inspection, and laser applications for the additive, aerospace, ceramic, job shop, optical, and medical machining industries.

Since the company was established in Milan, Italy during the ‘70s, CUCCHI GIOVANNI (Hall 17, Stand E16) automatic bar-loading machines have revolutionised the precision machine tool industry – propelling production towards practical, innovative and affordable high-quality products. At EMO, the Model DBEVO-4.0 will take centre stage. As one of the sector’s leading automatic bar-loaders, it is able to feed bars of any profile (round, hexagonal, square, rectangular, oval amongst others). Handling a high rotation speed without any bar lubrication offers significant environmental advantages. The bar loader is available in different versions, with internal bar storage via slanting floor or bundle, with a bar passage capacity from 55 to 110 mm. Automatic bar-loaders with multiple channels feeder series (DBM) and automatic bar-loaders multiple channels with remnant extraction (CMSP) are also key products from Cucchi Giovanni. These products offer maximum productivity when paired with the leading multi-spindle lathe manufacturers.

EXACT (Hall 7, Stand E29) is a professional global supplier with a robust technological R&D foundation, complimented by a workforce with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and a stringent quality control department. This is all enhanced by a professional distribution network, all of whom are committed to solution finding and complete customer satisfaction. Exact top quality CNC Rotary Tables and Indexing Tables are used in a wide variety of applications in the Medical, Aerospace and Automotive industries, in the manufacturing of Oil & Water pipeline valves and equipment and in job shops where flexibility is required.

HAINBUCH (Hall 3, Stand I12) [HB_EMO.jpg] will unveil its new ethos at EMO 2023. “Today, we are a solution provider for the entire process: change-over, clamping, measurement and automation,” is how Stefan Nitsche, Division Manager Main Products, describes the company’s range of competencies. Of course, clamping technology and set-up time optimisation are, and will remain at, the heart of the products offered for high-precision clamping solutions from the company. But with the acquisition of Vischer & Bolli Automation almost three years ago, Hainbuch has rapidly expanded its expertise in the field of automation. From workpiece loading and clamping device set-up or change-over, to clamping the workpieces, to quality control through measuring processes. Hainbuch has solutions for all process steps, whether manual or automated.

LEHMANN (Hall 15, Stand B01) has been developing and producing CNC rotary tables for over 40 years, offering genuine Swiss quality. With innovative CNC rotary axes, organised in a standard modular system, the company aims to meet the international needs for economical production of very small to medium-sized workpieces in the machining industry, by satisfying individual requirements with appropriate combinations.

MATE (Hall 5, Stand D83) [MP_EMO.jpg] is a world-class manufacturer of superior solutions for the metalworking industry. Using its decades of machining experience producing precision, high quality steel products for customers around the world, Mate designed and developed the ultimate next-generation 52/96 workholding system: Mate DynoGrip vices, Mate DynoLock bases and Mate DynoMount mounts and accessories. The 52/96 workholding system maximises holding power in a compact, quick-change modular design that reduces setup time and process variability. It’s ideal for 3-, 4- and 5-axis machining centres. Going beyond machining, it can be used in a variety of applications such as inspection, CMM, cleaning, washing, assembly and additive manufacturing. A zero-point system, Mate 52/96 workholding is compatible with similar systems, including 52 and 96 mm four post pull stud configurations from Lang, Jergens, 5th Axis, Gerardi and others.

PIRANHA CLAMP (Hall 3, Stand H12) will exhibit its Piranha Cooling Line. A unique and versatile jointed hose system for precise coolant supply, Piranha Cooling Line is made from high-strength anodised aluminium. It can withstand pressures of up to 80 bar but can also be used at low pressures, where other cooling lubricant pipes wear prematurely. With the threaded connectors or ball connectors it can be installed on all common toolholders and CNC machines, including turning and milling machines, grinding and sawing machines, and central coolant systems and IBCs that can be fed and tapped in to. In addition to the cooling lubricant supply, the Cooling Line system is suitable for clearing swarf out of chucks or off workpieces and for preheating material during 3D printing.

ROTOMORS (Hall 4, Stand C46) [RM_EMO.jpg] develops solutions for customers in highly competitive markets using the right strategy with technological innovations. At EMO, the company is launching a new self-centring platform for vertical lathes, equipped with electronic controls that calculate the real-time closing force on the workpiece.

Since 1965, TECNOLOGIE FRB (Hall 4, Stand D68) has developed a complete range of face drivers for turning, grinding and gear cutting operations, to fully satisfy every industry requirement. Its range of face drivers can be used for any workpiece from 5 to over 300 mm diameter with the classic spring on the centre point system right up to machining of more advanced pieces using the hydraulically operated system.

ZEROCLAMP (Hall 4, Stand A53) pneumatic centring clamping fixture 160 offers powerful, infinitely variable clamping with forces of up to 45 kN at a maximum of 9 bar of compressed air. What makes the centring clamping fixture unique is its low pre-tension of 60 kg, which ‘lightly’ holds loaded material, preventing the loss of clamped components when working with shuttle tables, for example, moving in and out of the machining envelope. In addition to this, the generous clamping jaw stroke of 8.5 mm can be infinitely ‘fine-tuned’ with adjustment slots in the top of each jaw, allowing a range of +/- 5 mm each side via the eight Allen head bolts that securely fix the top jaws to the vice. This increases the service life of the jaws as they can be accurately adjusted to compensate for any wear, as well as for any deviation in the size of the raw material, such as castings being undersized.