When is a CNC machining centre not a CNC machining centre? The answer from Anderson Industrial and MCS at Ligna was when it’s a 3D scanner as well.
According to Hartmut Haug of MCS’s Media Asset Center, the system it demonstrated at Ligna works by replacing the cutting head on the Anderson machining centre with a scanner. This then runs over the contours of an object to be duplicated and feeds back the information to the computer control. Known as “reverse” data, this is translated into a cutting program using the Fanuc 3D multi-axis control system and the same machining centre can subsequently be used to reproduce the object.
“This integrated approach to scanning and copying is much quicker and more efficient than scanning an object on a separate system or by manually recording co-ordinates,” said Mr Haug. “The software also enables the copy to be scaled up or down.”
He maintained that there is “huge” potential demand for the system. “We see particularly good prospects in the merchandising sector and in production of ‘corporate’ furniture and fittings for hotels, offices and so on where features such as company designs, logos and brand names need to be incorporated into products.”
