"Orders from our ten main long-standing customers form the core of our business," explains Nico Siebert. "New customers come to us through recommendations rather than standard marketing activity. We grow in step with our customers' requirements. We always strive to provide them with the best and most efficient solutions possible. One concrete example of this philosophy is the use of the angular head from BIG DAISHOWA."

Finding the right angle to leverage all the advantages

An angular head eliminates the need to re-clamp to a radial drilling machine. How? Well, certain parts are produced most efficiently by utilizing state-of-the-art turning and milling machining centers, however, others present a challenge to think through, for their dimensions alone if nothing else. A typical example: one of our customers ordered a small series of 1200 mm long bars. The issue: a frontal bore. Due to the bars' dimensions, the only viable option was the Mori Seiki VS10000. However, it was not possible to bore a hole on the face using the 3-axis machine. To resolve this challenge, this long part was re-clamped and finished manually on a radial drilling machine. However, thanks to the New Baby Chuck angle head from BIG DAISHOWA this tedious time-consuming manual step has now been re-automated. "We can now manufacture this part from start to finish on a single machine. This not only saves us time but also provides us with perfect repeatability," explains Nico Siebert, "With this angle head, we have conveniently fused all the advantages into a single existing machine and in-line production process." 

No more jammed tools

A key advantage of the BIG-DAISHOWA tool holders is their use of the BIG-PLUS system. Compared to a standard spindle design, BIG-PLUS enables simultaneous contact at the taper and at the flange. This dual-contact connection between the machine and the tool results in a much higher stability. Large tools in particular, such as angle heads, are guided with far greater precision.

Furthermore, BIG-PLUS offers proven advantages in the area of process reliability. A pervasive issue in the industry is the jamming of conventional holders in the spindle, an event that makes them extremely difficult to remove. Result: the automated manufacturing process comes to a standstill. "Sometimes, the tools are so thoroughly jammed that a hammer and elbow grease are the only solution," notes Nico Siebert. "This is an extremely tedious and time-consuming process."

The primary cause of this problem is a combination of spindle heat and the taper interface: when a tool is in operation for an extended period of time, the generated heat causes the spindle to expand and the tapers slide deeper into each other than intended. When this elevated temperature state subsequently returns to normal, very high clamping forces are generated - too high for the tool changer. Conversely, the robust design of the BIG-PLUS spindle, with its distinctive flat support of the holders, prevents the tapers from slipping into each other from the outset. This means that holders simply do not jam in the spindle and the changer functions flawlessly - a "big plus" in terms of process reliability.

"Our positive long-term experience with the BIG-PLUS system has led us to install these holders on several of our machines. Our Mori Seiki NVX5100 also already has a BIG-PLUS spindle," explains Nico Siebert. "The achieved performance is impressive! We run a 63-mm face cutter head with a BBT40 mount, and with cutting values of Ae 50 mm, Ap 5 mm and Vc of 180 m/min, we are able to fully utilize the spindle. Without BIG-PLUS, I honestly wouldn't dare to go anywhere near these cutting values. The system is comparable to a BT50 in terms of its rigidity."

Outstanding process reliability

Optimal cutting values are essential for an efficient manufacturing process. This presents a tough challenge for a contract manufacturer like Burghardt because small batch runs and one-off parts hamper repetition-based optimization. Thus, the added value generated by high-quality BIG-DAISHOWA tool holders with a BIG CAPTO interface for lathe applications is significant. Instead of attempting to couple empirical values to a component that is constantly changing, these values are now linked to the tool itself. "Due to the high repeatability that is achieved when clamping the tools, we have certainty that the tool life and the associated cutting values will always remain the same," explains Nico Siebert. "This allows us to produce one-off parts with the same level of process reliability as series parts."

The clear advantages of this system are exemplified by the tool's lifetime itself: compared to the previous system, it is double. What makes this possible are the optimized cutting values and the use of the MEGA New Baby Chuck holders, which achieve the best possible results thanks to exceptional concentricity values not exceeding 0.003mm at a 4xD cutting tool clamping length. Most importantly, Burghardt can now accurately calculate when a tool will come to the end of its lifetime - and replace it well in advance. The automation efficiency and production quality increase since only flawless tools are ever in use.

Nico Seibert describes his satisfaction, "We have completely converted a lathe over to the BIG DAISHOWA system. Such efficiency-boosting measures prepare us for the future. This is very important to me, after all, I want to keep our family tradition a going success for a long, long time."