At IMTS 2024, ANCA will showcase its commitment to excellence through new products, technologies, and business events, including its popular Tool of the Year and Female Machinist of the Year awards.
The anniversary showcase addresses manufacturers’ needs for highest quality and lowest cost tools, plus freeing operators from repetitive and non-value-add tasks to make room for progress and creativity.
ANCA, a leading manufacturer of precision grinding machines, has launched the MicroX ULTRA. This innovative six-axes grinding machine is meticulously designed for volume production of nano and micro cutting tools down to D0.03mm. Offering a superior solution for manufacturing high-quality, high-performance micro cutting tools, the MicroX ULTRA introduces groundbreaking technologies exclusive to the cutting tool industry.
The brain behind the machine is Pat McCluskey, a passionate machine tool designer, who is this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of ANCA, the company he co-founded with Pat Boland in 1974.
“I have been designing ANCA machines for 50 years — always with the goal of making machines better, more efficient, and user-friendly,” said McCluskey. “It is a trademark of ANCA that you just have to do it differently, and the latest machine, the MicroX ULTRA, is the only micro tool grinder with nanometer resolution. This nano-level precision is a significant advancement in the field, utilizing the very best of ANCA’s technology developed over five decades to offer superior micro tool production.”
In addition to the introduction of the MicroX ULTRA, as well as the next generation of integrated manufacturing technology, AIMS Connect, ANCA will further highlight its commitment to offering the best-in-class solutions for tool grinding production, start to finish, with the celebration of its 50th anniversary in business (1974-2024) and the recent opening of its newest Tech Center in Temecula, California, to serve its fast-growing West Coast market base.
“For 50 years, ANCA has been on a journey to change the shape of the cutting tool industry,” said Pat Boland, ANCA co-founder. “To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we look forward to meeting with our customers and partners at IMTS. As innovation has motivated us throughout our history, new products and developments will be at the center of our celebrations. ANCA’s future is exciting; we are focused on continuing to invent and deliver groundbreaking technology to help take cutting tool production into areas not previously thought possible.”
Key features of the MicroX ULTRA include:
- Nanometer resolution and nanometer control on all axes. With nanometer resolution and control over the tool grinding path, the MicroX ULTRA delivers a high level of surface and edge quality. This achievement is made possible through intelligent algorithms that operate collaboratively and in synchrony.
- Optimized axes travel to grind tools to micrometer sizes. The C-axis refers to the wheel swivel axis centerline, which is aligned with the wheel’s 9 o’clock grind point. This specific design is critical in the grinding of ballnose, corner radius, and profile tools. In the case of a ballnose tool, the X and Y interpolations during the grinding process will be nearly equal to the radius of the ballnose tool.
- ANCA Machine Intelligence. Advanced algorithms ensure precise nanometer-level control of tool grinding paths, guaranteeing superior surface and edge quality. These algorithms collaborate and synchronize to reject disturbances swiftly, enhancing axis stiffness and robustness. They actively mitigate disturbances from spindle speed variations caused by imbalanced or runout grinding wheels. Encoder subdivision error compensation automatically detects and corrects inherent encoder errors on both linear and rotary encoders.
- In-process measurement in volume production. The LaserUltra takes process stability to an even higher level by closely controlling tolerances and incorporating in-process compensation mechanisms. This advanced system adapts to factors like wheel wear, resulting in superior precision and reliability.
- AIMS ready. Seamless integration with ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System (AIMS) facilitates effortless transition to automated, lights-out production, enhancing operational efficiency and productivity.
MORE INFO www.machines.anca.com
