Partnership with the Advanced Forming Research Centre

30/09/2020

The Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) is a world-renowned centre of excellence in innovative manufacturing technologies, R&D, and metal forming and forging research based in the outskirts of Glasgow. 

NIKKEN have been a member since 2017, facilitating work with all types of organisations: from global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) all the way through to local manufacturing companies.  

NIKKEN are proud to support the AFRC as the country’s only High-Value Manufacturing Catapult centre; one of only seven in the UK, at the heart of Scotland’s manufacturing research and development sector.

Products

Within the AFRC, NIKKEN can host a variety of demonstrations, including a 5-Axis Rotary Table installed on their unique hybrid Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) machine, creating the first bespoke platform of its kind within Scotland. 

Whilst the 5AX-230 is integrated into the CNC Control, we can also demonstrate the NIKKEN Alpha 21 controller and its simplicity of use to manipulate its rotary & tilting axis.

The A21 controller can be easily programmed to perform a range of tasks including: 

• Absolute/Incremental Positioning
• Indexing- Equal Dividing
• Indexing- Arc Dividing
• Rotary Axis feed cutting (Milling with Rotary Axis)
• Simultaneous Milling (Rotary & Linear Axes)

Customers can also view our E46LTW Tool Presetter complete with the optional TiD interface. 

E46LTW is equipped with the original camera as on the E46L model but with the addition of a secondary high-resolution swivel camera (60X magnification with, in addition, 2X and 4X digital zoom capability) to allow and facilitate detailed inspection and geometry functions from both the side and top of the tool profile. This additional capability is particularly useful not only for CNC machinists but also benefits tool manufacturers to precisely measure linear and geometrical features of the tool profile. 

TID (Automatic Tool Identification System) is a solution which allows the Presetter to quickly identify tools and send the pre-set data directly to the numerical control without interrupting any operation in progress. This has been fully integrated into a Matsuura MX-520 5-Axis CNC Machine and can be demonstrated easily whilst the machine is in use. 

We have a variety of NIKKEN Spindle Tooling utilised within the Centre and these can be demonstrated on any one of the Centres CNC Machine Tools. We have BT40 and BT 50 Spindles as well as HSK63 available to us depending on the application. Cutting demonstrations can also be facilitated in conjunction with any one of our Technical Partners who are also members of the AFRC.