Evolving From Conventional CNC To Advanced Swiss Technology

Ron Hunt established Hunt Design and Manufacturing, Inc. in 1976 in Arab, Alabama, out of his carport. He had one Bridgeport milling machine. Next he purchased a CNC milling machine that allowed the company to compete with bigger shops and earn its share of aerospace and defense industry work available from nearby Huntsville in the mid-1980s. Hunt Design grew to 30 employees, more CNC machines, and larger quarters. But when the defense work fell off, Mr. Hunt knew his company was at a turning point.

He had seen many jobs come across his desk that his company couldn't bid on because it didn't have the right equipment: small, complex parts suitable for Swiss-type machines. In 1999, Mr. Hunt and his management team started comparison shopping and decided to buy a Tornos DECO 2000 single spindle, Swiss-style CNC sliding headstock machine from their distributor, C&S Machine Tool Systems, Inc. At the time the company didn't even have any jobs the machine could be used for, but Mr. Hunt believed there was a need that could be filled with it.

"What sold me on the DECO 2000 was its uniqueness due to the 12 independent axes and counterspindle that allows you to do simultaneous machining operations," says Mr. Hunt. Another reason for the purchase was technology. The technology is a complete system that consists of the machine, the PNC (parallel numerical control) and TB-DECO software. The system is designed to slash as much idle time as possible to minimize overall cycle time. A central clock functions as an electronic camshaft - virtual cams. Just as a camshaft synchronizes operation of individual cams on a cam-operated Swiss automatic, the PNC-DECO controls synchronized the tool movements. Thus, according to maker Tornos Technologies (Brookfield, Connecticut), this is the only computerized Swiss-type machine that can produce parts as fast or faster than conventional cam-types.

Swiss technology was seen as crucial to the company's long-term success. A specific case in point is a family of parts Hunt produces for the semiconductor industry. These are "glands" that have to be of ultra-high purity, and high finish is the name of the game. The parts range in size from 1/2 inch to 3/16 inch and have various structural designs. There cannot be any scratches or burrs on the inside diameters, no voids or contaminants that could cause damage to the semiconductor chip. The DECO 2000 allows the machine to produce these parts with a high degree of precision due to its centering capabilities. It also makes them competitive with multi-spindle machines because of the independent axes - one-half of the part can be run on the top spindle and the other half can be run on the bottom. According to the company, it has produced between 200,000 and 300,000 of these parts during the past 18 months and has never had a part rejected due to ID finish, the most critical aspect of the job.

Click here to read the entire article.