“This is going to be a real technology show this year,” remarked Ravi Raghavan, MD, Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd, referring to the products on display from his company at the IMTEX 23.
First, among the promoted machines Raghavan talked about was the additive manufacturing tool solution, a hybrid machine and the additive manufacturing machine on a robotic configuration.
Second on his list was the high-speed VMC machine with composite material, so bigger vibration tamping can happen. It comes with a 24,000 rpm spindle. A new, advanced, connected VMC called the VMB PRO was on display.
Thirdly, he said BFW was also demonstrating a completely connected gantry-based automation of the machine with the intelligence system of tool monitoring, wave monitoring, and friction detection and providing IoT solutions. It has a gaging/gazing station as well.
Then he had a complete range of 5-axis machines with a universal spindle on the horizontal machines with a table, lever-based machines on the 5-axis and an AGV-based automation system.
BFW, said Raghavan, had also worked on the CNC machine to come up with a customized CNC, which allowed configuration of the screen to the operator’s wish and to add apps on the controller itself. The entire set-up is connected.
Regarding automation challenges, Raghavan believed automation was here to stay, and that disruptive changes were happening even in the automation itself. Automation is becoming intelligent. So when we are doing the gantry system, we are not talking just about moving material from one place to another. It has a lot of intelligence to it. It moves faster in some and slows down in another based on weight, material type, etc.
Raghavan spoke on a number of machines developed by the company and explained its features and technical aspects in a very lucid way.