Designing and manufacturing precision motion-control systems for laser eye surgery, missile tracking, and helicopter target acquisition applications seems like it would take a long time. The systems are critical even a life safety issue and every part must be extremely accurate with no room for error.

But Newmark Systems Inc. (Mission Viejo, CA) routinely manufactures such precise parts while meeting tight customer deadlines. The company has reduced lead times by 75%, reduced costs, increased quality, and doubled its business by automating machining operations.

Founded in 1995, Newmark builds motion-control, vibrationcontrol, and positioning equipment for medical, defense, automotive, and semiconductor applications. According to president Mark Filho, machining played a key role in the company s production turnaround. We have a team of skilled engineers to design our systems as well as an infrastructure for fast assembly, Filho explains. Parts fabrication, on the other hand, was something that we initially outsourced with the exception of manual machining of parts for prototypes. Without control of the machining, we could not make 100% guarantees to our customers.

To reduce lead times from eight weeks to two while increasing quality, Filho decided to bring the machining work in-house. Engineering and manufacturing teams explored several machine tool vendors before choosing a Romi (Erlanger, KY) M17 lathe equipped with a GE Fanuc 21i-TA CNC and manual guidance software.

When we decided that we needed more control of parts machining, the CNC became the most important feature, Filho says. We explored other options but chose the GE Fanuc CNC because it is an easy-to-learn system that provides extremely high reliability. We also found that many operators we interviewed were already familiar with GE Fanuc CNCs, which is a great training timesaver.

Manual guidance software requires no knowledge of G-code programming. Operators simply input data from part drawings on interactive graphical screens. The system requires no calculations for endpoints or tool-nose compensation. Teach and playback functions allow quick prove-out of part machining using graphical simulations. Operators can quickly understand setup screens for work shift offsets and tool offsets.

The manual guidance software on the CNC made for a fast transition to automated machining, Filho notes. For small runs, an operator can have the machine programmed quickly, and our engineers can even do a prototype. It s a very efficient system.

The CNC controls up to four servo-controlled axes at increments as low as 0.00004" (1 m). The system is simple, compact, easy to maintain, and flexible. Newmark personnel can position the control panel anywhere along the front of the machine. When positioned to the right, parts can easily be loaded or unloaded. Standing in front of the spindle, the operator can keep his hands on the controls and have a clear view of both the cutting area and the CNC display.

For longer runs, Newmark also purchased a Romi G20 slant-bed lathe equipped with a GE Fanuc 21i-T CNC. After prototype development on the M17, Newmark shifts production to the G20. The control features a PCMCIA card that facilitates moving a job from prototype to production.


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