Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing (CFHR) partnered with Hurco to gain an edge in the competitive world of IndyCar. Two Hurco CNC machines grind out parts for the motorsports team located in Speedway, Indiana. In return, the Hurco logo is displayed on the team’s cars and uniforms in addition to special access for customer events during the IndyCar season.
Robbie Ott, the head machinist at CFH Racing runs the machine shop. He discussed the transition to Hurco machines after we installed our flagship Hurco VMX42i mill and a TM8i lathe. Ott also elaborated on the possible benefits he expects when the shop adds the Hurco VMX42SRTi 5-axis machine.

Setup Time
“Switching from manual machining to 3-axis CNC, setup times have been reduced, even with the need for cutting soft jaws. Although the soft jaws take a lot of time that would not have been spent necessarily in the manual world, the time savings incurred is priceless. The CNC’s manual jog and DRO also save time making part setup quick. I would imagine that when I make the switch to 5-axis machining, setup times will be reduced again, possibly more than the reduction from manual to 3-axis.The need for only two setups per part vs. six (or even more) will reduce setup times tremendously and I am looking forward to making the switch,” said Ott.

Workholding/Tooling Reductions
“Workholding was nearly non-existent in the manual world, so moving into 3-axis opened up a new world for me with fixturing. I have built some pretty extravagant fixtures for machining 4-6 sides of a part (not including the initial ‘first op’ side). A great deal of the work I do on the Hurco is experimental and proprietary damper parts.The Dampers, or ‘shock absorbers’ are one of the most important parts of an Indy car and Hurco has allowed us to make strides in developing our own manifolds for managing fluid flow. These parts require multiple fixtures for machine opps on all sides and some angular setups.I am eager to get started with the VMX42SRTi and reduce my fixturing to one simple mount for the other 5 sides of a part or ‘hemisphere’ if you will.”

Part Accuracy
“I would say that the accuracy of parts is tremendously better with the 3-axis CNC vs. manual machining.I would say that the accuracy of parts is tremendously better with the 3-axis CNC vs. manual machining.I was pretty good at holding half of a thousandth tolerance on the manual machine (if needed), but it was painful.With the Hurco machines, I get tenth of thousandths tolerance without even trying.The major advantage of moving from 3-axis to 5-axis I anticipate will be the accuracy in which the respective operations line up on the finished product.We all know that a half of a thousandth difference in surface matching is visible and can even be felt.Getting it perfect in the 3-axis machine is next to impossible (you are only as good as your fixture is!).Need I say I rarely attempted these types of operations in the manual mill, and at the end of the day, functionality was key, and abrasives were almost always necessary,” explained Ott.

Surface Finish
“I was completely amazed the first time I saw the Hurco cut metal!I had never seen such beauty.The combination of being flooded in Quaker coolant and the precise match of feeds and speeds left a surface finish that I never knew could be produced.The improvement that I look forward to in the switch to 5-axisis in the transition from surface to surface as described before.”

Processing
“Having a TMX8i and VMX42i machine next to each other has become a processing dream.After I became fluent in both “languages” if you will, I find myself often making use of both machines at the same time. Often I am turning a part in the lathe that I will then put in the mill for some milling opps to turn out a finished part efficiently. One example of this is threaded spring perches which I have made often, even before Hurco.This part has a series of holes around it for a spanner wrench, and a couple of threaded holes as well. I write 8 short programs, placing a position block in between so I can open the door and turn the table to press start again.This may seem barbaric, but believe me, it is still 10 times faster than doing it on a manual mill.This is a processing improvement that I look forward to when I switch to the 5-axis machine, no more rotary table. Other times my Hurcos are making completely different items, either way, it can be extremely productive for me.”

Flexibility in prototype manufacturing
“I especially like using the Hurco when building prototypes. Just recently we built prototype damper parts. And like with most prototypes, we did not succeed the first time. Hurco gave us the flexibility to make modifications quickly and easily without starting from scratch.Hurco and HSM Works solid modeling allowed us to build these extravagant and complicated parts that would not have been possible on the manual machine,” concluded Ott.

Owners of Hurco vertical machining centers will have the ability to transform their WinMax part programs to a 3D printed rapid prototype directly on their CNC machine using an optional spindle-powered wireless accessory Hurco will unveil at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS). The 3D Print Head which extrudes plastic PLA filament will be exhibited at the Hurco booth and at the Additive Conference.

“The new Hurco 3D Print Head takes commercial desktop 3D printing technology to the next level allowing users to take full advantage of the size of the machining center. The portable accessory is powered and controlled by spindle rotation, so there are no wires to install, and it can easily be moved to other Hurco machining centers within a shop,” said Greg Volovic, President of Hurco Companies, Inc.

“We’ve designed this product to make it easy for people who have no solid modeling experience. Hurco’s WinMax programming environment is the most versatile on the market today with our powerful conversational programming that is known for its user-friendly and intuitive user interface and the control’s support of standard M&G code programming. With this release, we’ve added support for additive manufacturing to the control,” said Volovic.

“The Hurco control’s WinMax software gives users powerful graphics tools to develop even the most complex 3D shapes quickly and efficiently with conversational programming. Once you program the part, simply select the WinMax 3D Print button to start the build process on the Hurco CNC machine. Alternately, you can send the model to a commercial 3D printer,” said Fred Gross, engineering manager at Hurco.

“So many of our customers are true innovators and I know this product is going to accelerate their prototyping process. They will be able to turn their ideas into reality quickly and efficiently without ever making a chip,” said Volovic.

Charles Boyce, owner of Boyce Technologies in New York, broke the Hurco USA record for the largest single purchase of Hurco CNC machines in the division’s history. Boyce Technologies designs and manufactures security and communications equipment for the mass transit market, including emergency response systems, intercom systems, security alarm systems, radio and wireless networks, and customer information display systems. Their newest system, called Help Point, is what subway riders in New York City use to get information and to get help when needed.

Founded in 2007, the company has grown from one employee, the owner Charles Boyce, to 60. Boyce Technologies received the 2015 Inc. Top 5000 Honors with a rank of #166 due to its 3-year growth rate of 2,442%. Inc. also ranked Boyce #16 of the Top New York Companies, and #3 for Top Manufacturing Companies.

Charles Boyce purchased his first Hurco CNC machine from Hurco distributor Brooks Associates in 2008 before he had a commercial building. “The first VMX30 was installed in the living room. We had to cut the ceiling joists away to allow the Z travel to retract fully,” said Boyce.

With this latest order, the Hurco fleet of CNC machines at Boyce Technologies numbers 21. Boyce credits the ability to choose the best manufacturing technology as one of the key components that has made his company successful in developing technology solutions for its customers in the mass transit sector. Specifically, the Hurco control powered by WinMax® provides the versatility required to go from concept to finished part. The control also has the specifications to handle large program part files with a solid state drive that has 2GB of RAM, a 2 GHz processor, 64GB hard drive, and Hurco’s patented motion system, UltiMotion, that provides up to 10,000 blocks of lookahead.

In addition to the original 3-axis VMX30, seven Hurco VMX42i mills, five VMX84i mills, two high-speed mills, and a lathe with live tooling, Boyce has invested in high-end 5-axis technology from Hurco with his purchase of two VMX42SRTi swivel head 5-axis mills and three trunnion style 5-axis mills. The VMX42SRTi is equipped with a C-axis, torque, rotary table that has unlimited angular movement. The extra large table delivers exceptional manufacturing flexibility to manufacture a high mix of parts because the additional table space can be used for secondary operations or 3-axis work.

Hurco recently released the MAX5 control console, which features numerous ergonomic design features focused on operator usability. “Our trust in Hurco has led us to purchase the largest quantity of Max 5 controllers in the world, making our new LIC (Long Island City) production center one of the most advanced production centers in America,” said Boyce.

In addition to selecting the right CNC technology to develop technology solutions, Boyce credits his team of designers, CAD drafters, CNC programmers, machinists, welders, engineers, assemblers, field technicians, project managers, software designers, salespeople and administrative support for the company’s rapid success. “Together, they find innovative solutions to deliver emergency response systems, intercom systems, security alarm systems, radio and wireless networks, customer information display systems and integrated software that are reliable in the harsh conditions of mass transit and other such venues. They are a team that solves problems and takes pride in the work they do,” said Boyce.

Ever since the FDI in aerospace industry has increased, a surge in demand for aerospace parts has been witnessed in India. Sensing the growing demand for aerospace technologies in the country, Ananda Kumar, an industry veteran and expert in aerospace manufacturing started an aerospace and turbine application manufacturing company in 2013 to serve and meet industry requirements.

Kumar believes in investing in right technology, thus Engmech’s facility boasts of technologies like high precision CNC machines from Hurco Inc, sophisticated CAM software’s from companies like Delcam & Mastercam and some inspection equipment’s from Mitutoyo along with other standard manufacturing products.

“I worked in the aerospace industry before starting this company, that’s how I know the manufacturing process. Aerospace components are very complex that’s why it’s very important to use best-in-class products,” says Mr Kumar, Managing Partner, Engmech Technologies.

It was during the time when Kumar was setting up Engmech, he needed high-end CNC machines that could meet his specific demands.

“We serve one of the most complex industry and we cannot compromise when it comes to technology, that’s why we checked CNCs from various companies. We wanted user friendly CNC machines with advanced machining features and that’s when we came across HURCO. After thorough examination, we found HURCO CNC machine to be the best fit for our requirement.”

Engmech has two HURCO machines, VM10 VMC with X660mm x Y406mm x Z508mm and VM20 VMC X1060mm x Y508mm x Z508mm. Both the machines have spindle speed of 10,000 rpm and features robust and user-friendly control system.

Talking about the features of HURCO machines Kumar says, “The machines are very user friendly with touch screen options. Programme editing is also very easy in the control system and one can work on multiple programs at a time. It has good conversation programme methods. One of the best features that make the machines the perfect fit for us is that it has capability of using Conversational Programming method, it’s very easy to generate tool path for 2D parts, reducing idle time & increasing the productivity.”

Engmech, an ISO 9001:2001 certified company wanted CNC machines with user friendly control system and a robust product to machine hard-to-machine materials.

Talking about the collaboration with Engmech, Kaushik Bhattacharjee, MD, HURCO India Pvt Ltd said, “Engmech needed some specific types of machine for complex components. We met Kumar, understood his requirement and delivered the product that suited his requirements. We are happy that our products have been used for manufacturing such complex product without any hassles.”

After Sales Service
HURCO has training and after sales service programmes that are very much appreciated by its customers. After installation of the machine, an expert from the technical team of HURCO is assigned to the customer, who trains the customer.

HURCO recently started a new Technology centre in Coimbatore that will help them serve its customers in the region in a better way. Kaushik Bhattacharjee, MD, HURCO India Pvt Ltd said, “With this new technology centre we will be able to serve our customers even better. Customers can come and try our machines and see how Hurco’s Controller Technology can help increase the machine utilization & profitability of the business”

“We got very good training from HURCO. They gave us the training in their Coimbatore Technical Centre where they taught us all about the machining concepts. HURCO’s after-sales-service is also good, though we have not had any problems with the machine but whenever we were stuck HURCO executives were quick to resolve even our smallest query,” says Kumar.

Today with the right talent and technologies in place, Engmech Technologies is one of the forerunners in the machining of Inconel, stainless steels, alloy steel, titanium and various grades of aluminium used in aerospace industry, Autotechnic and defence sectors, with consistent quality and finish.

Kumar says, “We cater to companies like HAL and Bharat Electricals and it was only possible because of our talented manpower and the technology we put to use.”

“I am happy that HURCO is growing in India. HURCO has some excellent technologies and I would always recommend HURCO to others,” signs off Kumar.