![]() “Today, this is often no longer permissible, since even the slight removal of material during polishing changes the geometry in an unacceptable way. "In the past, high gloss was produced by final polishing," recalls W. ![]() The direct processing of plastics is also becoming increasingly important, for example for contact lenses or medical equipment. Occasionally, however, copper or other non-ferrous metals also need to be machined. The corresponding molds are usually made of aluminum. In the vast majority of cases, these are three-dimensional free-form surfaces, which require five-axis machining. Other applications include reflectors for lamps or LED headlights. These requirements originate, for example, from plastics processing, including molds for PET bottles or for the manufacturing of optical lenses for spectacles, contact lenses, cameras or mobile phones. In the course of time, the requirements, in particular with regard to high-quality surfaces with a mirror finish, have been increasing continuously. The company manufactures cutting tools made of hard metals or diamond materials with a focus on specialized products for particularly difficult applications. "In our cooperation with Exeron, surface quality is a top priority," says Wolfgang Würtz, Managing Director of tool manufacturer Dixi Polytool GmbH in Birkenfeld, a German subsidiary of Dixi Polytool from Le Locle. Ultrasound Takes Cutting to the Next Level. This improves the surface quality significantly, so that post-processing by polishing is often not necessary anymore. A special ASQ software (Advanced Surface Quality Control) monitors the Z elongation of the spindle (due, amongst other things, to the "heat surge effect") and limits it considerably more narrowly than previously possible. All drive components from the glass measuring rods through the drives to the control system are supplied by Heidenhain from a single source. The calibration of the machine is controlled at defined intervals using a sensor and calibration ball, and a laser checks the milling tool for wear and tear and possible breakage. Both the machine bed and important axle components are temperature-controlled with very high accuracy via internal cooling channels. The second focus is on the thermal stability of the entire machine. It starts with the machine bed, which is made of mineral casting, because this material is characterized by a very low thermal reaction and dampens the high-frequency vibrations occurring during machining up to 10 times better than steel. This approach includes all essential components of the system - from the base frame to the control system, the axis drives and the spindle to the milling tools. "This can only be achieved if the entire machining process is thoroughly optimized," reveals K.-H. The accuracy requirements for the milling machines used to manufacture the tools are correspondingly strict. Tolerance specifications in the µm range are therefore common practice today. For mold and tool making, this naturally means that the molds and tools required for production must be manufactured more accurately by around one order of magnitude. Whereas previously tenths of a millimeter had to be adhered to, today hundredths need to be met. The rapid spread of zero-error philosophies means that the tolerance specifications have been getting stricter. The drivers for this are ever higher demands on quality, reliability and service life. This applies to almost all products, from simple sheet metal stampings to sophisticated injection or die cast parts. "In virtually all industrial sectors, the requirements placed on component accuracy are constantly increasing," explains K.-H. Glunk. Gallery with 9 images Increasing Demands on Precision
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