Please tell us about some of your latest launches?
We showcased our new SR 5-Axis/ vertical/swivel machining centres for the first time in India at IMTEX. It was more of technology that we showcased than a machine…. we showcased the power of Hurco controller. Hurco controller helps to increase the utilisation of the machine. How? When batches of components are to be machined, CAM support is required for preparing the program of each type, but, by using a Hurco machine, output from CAM Station can be increased since many parts requiring 2D cutting can be programmed using Hurco controller adopting Conversational Programming by transferring the Auto CAD file…..that includes even Trochoidal Machining used for aerospace parts, especially Frame Machining or 5 Face Machining for actuators etc. or say Bone Plate Machining for Medical Implants company!!

Reducing the program preparation time increases the machine utilization & also the utilisation of the CAM.

What kinds of changes do you see revolving around the CNC technology in the near future?
I would say CNC controllers will be playing a more vital role than the machine per say. According to me, we can expect more innovation when it comes to the controller technology as compared to the machine. In terms of controller technology, people are working to make it better and intelligent continuously. Till what level it will grow, totally depends on the demand. At present, probably we are the only company showcasing this kind of technology, but unfortunately not everyone is able to understand its potential.

Apart from controllers, you can expect to see more number of axes coming in, but if you don’t have right programming capability you will not be able to utilise the machine properly. I feel, CNC Controllers are going to witness the maximum amount of innovation compared to the machine itself.

Do you see any demand for such technology in India? If yes, from where do you see the maximum demand coming from?
As I mentioned earlier, people are not able to understand the potential of this technology today. Having said that, I would also like to add that as we grow and create awareness about it, the scenario will be lot better. Today it is very difficult to find a person who knows how to use conversational programming, so we try to educate the customer…. I am sure it will be accepted in the market soon and show positive results.

For Hurco, we see our usefulness in the field of machining of Die Mold, Aerospace, Medical Implants & Devices & Precision Component of batch quantity

What are the challenges that you face in the Indian market?
We admit we are somewhat late to enter India, but we are trying our best to create the place in the Indian market. We have machines suitable for niche segments like aerospace, medical implants & devices, die & mould and we are competitive in terms of price and technology. Our biggest challenge is to build the brand and penetrate into the market.

We are investing a lot in manpower, facilities and infrastructure and with time we are seeing the difference too.

In recent time we see that south eastern countries like S Korea, Taiwan are getting stronger with their competitive pricing. Are they threat for companies like Hurco?
Every time when you have a new supplier, it is threat for the existing ones. We try to move into the areas where others cannot compete us. We try to offer the solution instead of just a machine….which may not be the case with many of the machine tool companies who are offering their product in Indian market….availability of local expertise in the area of customer’s use should make all the difference.

FANUC America Corporation, the leader in CNCs and robots in the Americas, announces CIP Safety functionality with the new EtherNet/IP Adapter Safety function for the FANUC Series 3xi-B CNCs that enables safety communication with Rockwell Automation controller (Logix PAC) systems at Automation Fair 2014, Booth #151.

The new EtherNet/IP Adapter Safety function with CIP Safety is an enhancement to the current dual check safety function. The EtherNet/IP Adapter Safety function makes it possible to handle safety signals on the EtherNet/IP Adapter function, transferring safety signals between a master safety controller and CNC. It communicates digital input/output signals across Ethernet with high reliability to further simplify the hardware and connections needed.

Dual check safety on the FANUC Series 3xi-B CNC supports an integrated safety function over a single cable. Using built–in redundancy, a special processor monitors safety-related parameters and guarantees the integrity and safety of the system by tracking the actual position and speed of the servomotors, spindle motors and I/O interfaces.

Using the CIP Safety functionality of the new EtherNet/IP Adapter Safety function with dual check safety, the sending side device cross-checks the safety signals, adds the inspection data, and then transmits both data sets to the receiving side device. The receiving side device ensures integrity and safety by confirming the inspection data and cross-checking the safety signals.

The initial release of EtherNet/IP connectivity allowed for open interconnectivity of FANUC CNCs to factory automation solutions. The use of EtherNet/IP network architecture allows customers to leverage common tools and technology for device configuration and maintenance across CNC, robot and Logix PAC cell environments. Benefits of this include: a simplified, lower cost architecture, improved productivity and actionable information across the entire manufacturing enterprise.

With CIP Safety functionality in the new release of EtherNet/IP Adapter Safety function, end-users and machine tool builders will additionally benefit from the added integrated safety communication between CNC and Logix PAC control environments as well as further simplification of the hardware and connections.

This new function was specifically designed to communicate between a safety controller and CNC with safety signals for automotive transfer lines. The FANUC and Rockwell Automation integrated automotive architecture, demonstrated at Automation Fair 2014, Booth #151, will show the complete benefits to customers including; simplified architectures, faster startups, improved synchronization between platforms, lower maintenance, integrated safety signal communication, improved productivity and transparent data access across the entire connected manufacturing enterprise.

FANUC features the Power Motion i-MODEL A motion controller for high performance, multi-axes general motion applications at the Assembly Show, Booth #1425, October 28-30, 2014, Rosemont, IL. The Power Motion i-MODEL A is an integrated solution supporting up to 32 axes of high performance motion control, combined with high speed programmable logic controllers supporting up to 2048 input and 2048 output points. Users trust FANUC’s superior control and servo technology, reliability and support for machine tools, and now they can have that same performance and value for their general purpose motion control equipment.

The Power Motion i-MODEL A provides a variety of standard screens for setup, operation and maintenance and an easy high-level motion path programming system. It provides fast, low-cost application development, an integrated motion specific architecture that provides a highly competitive hardware cost for multi-axis applications, as well as the reliability and performance that delivers the lowest total cost of ownership.

The Power Motion i-MODEL A offers multi-axis and multi-path functionality for a maximum of 32 total control axes that can be grouped in up to 4 independent control paths, each path containing a maximum of 24 axes; 4 axes simultaneous motion. Alternatively, up to 16 axes can be individually controlled directly by the programmable logic controller. Advanced functions allow flexible motion control of axes by position, speed, torque or pressure.

A broad range of highly customizable display solutions are available to meet application needs including integrated LCD screens, standalone solutions supporting multiple screens and sophisticated hand-held displays that are ideal for teaching or operations close to the application.

The Power Motion i-MODEL A integrates seamlessly and quickly into production systems with the widest range of field network support. Communications with business systems, manufacturing systems and robots are achieved easily with embedded Ethernet.

General industrial motion control machine applications include: winding machines, wire saws, gantry loaders, die cushions, press machines, multi-axes positioning systems, large robotic positioning tables, wing riveting machines and polishing machines. Ideal for large servo applications that replace hydraulic mechanisms, the Power Motion i-MODEL A reduces cycle time with a high-speed response function for quick axis start/stop and high-speed execution cycle of programmable logic control. Additionally, integrated safety is available to meet specific industry and European standards.