Changes in ambient temperature or working environment and machining parts over long periods of time all impact a milling machine's geometry. GF Machining Solutions' new Automated Machine Calibration (AMC) helps manufacturers easily recalibrate their milling machines and recover overall precision at the push of a button.

Over time, any assembled mechanical system becomes prone to losing its original calibration and precision due to heat and external factors—and milling machines are no different. Although they are all calibrated at the factory after assembly and during commissioning, changes in a customer's working environment—including ambient temperature variations and heat during the machining process—cause deviations from this original calibration. This results in losses of process consistency and precision, which in turn negatively impact part quality. Recalibrating a milling machine—especially a five-axis milling machine—is a complex task requiring the necessary materials, time, and the constant availability of thoroughly trained application engineers with deep technical knowledge and data management skills. Even when all of these requirements are met, manufacturers still run the risk of human error in the data management for the machine calibration, which can lead to inaccurately calibrated machines, a continued loss of precision and final parts with a lower quality.

To simplify machine calibration, GF Machining Solutions has developed an all-in-one, ready-to-use AMC package which allows operators of both three-and five-axis machines to easily and quickly perform a machine recalibration to recover the overall long-term precision required for high-quality parts. The AMC cycle consists of both the software for the Heidenhain TNC 640 control as well as the hardware (a dedicated pallet including a calibration ball and an aluminum reference block) for pallet calibration. Its ergonomic interface is easy to use and requires little training—and the automatic data management reduces human error, minimizes downtime between cycles, and increases operator availability. Learn more at the website below: