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Case Study / Topic 12 MoldMaking Technology —— AUGUST 2016 Case Study / Machining finish turning within one tool station.For instance, if a work- piece is being turned with the main spindle and a secondary operation has been programmed into the job, the subspindle can run at the same synchronized speed as the main spindle and, using its jaws, pull the workpiece over in order to thread, mill, drill or hob on the back of the same workpiece. This functionality eliminates the need for indexing tools and reduces cycle times, West says. Thermal Stability Another key feature of the lathe is its built-in thermal stability. "It helps us maintain dimensional stability of the machine, even when we have long-running jobs, and saves a lot of time because we no longer have to stop mid-stream to make manual adjust- ments to the workpiece to compensate for temperature changes," West says. According to Okuma USA's David Fischer, this built-in ther- mal stability is a result of the company's thermal compensation software, which it calls Thermal Active Stabilizer, or TAS. "Basically it is an algorithm that runs continuously in the background and, based on temperature-sensor read- ings, it adjusts the machine to compen- sate for growth," he says. "This produces a machine that will hold very tight tolerances in environments that are not tightly controlled temperature-wise." More specifically, he says, the machine is designed to remove as much heat as possible from the main components (base and bed castings, headstock, saddle, turret and tailstock) in order to minimize growth, thereby ensuring that the machine remains more dimensionally stable. West says Trifecta is already look- ing at buying a second Okuma LB3000 MYW lathe to continue growing its caps and closure mold business. "We plan to stay very diversified in the markets we serve. It's important to us to have a balance of capability and income sources, and the Okuma lathe has definitely contributed to our con- tinued success." FOR MORE INFORMATION Okuma America Corp. 704-588-7000 okuma.com/americas VIDEO: Firsthand Look at Versatile Machining short.moldmakingtechnology.com/ versatile