ANCA will debut its latest development, the TX7+Xchanger at the IMTS exhibition in September. The new machine has been designed with extensive customer input and incorporates an ANCA TX7+ universal grinder with a wheel pack exchanging system and magazine. The magazine holds 16 wheel packs instead of the customary two only found on most CNC grinders, which means the operator now has up to 64 wheels to select from.

This expanded selection holds productivity and cost-saving benefits for companies seeking to maximise automation in mass production of cutting tools or grind complex components that require several different wheel packs to complete.

Having multiple wheel packs set up in the Xchanger magazine provides several new benefits not possible with most grinding machines including the following.

* Immediate follow-on in mass production when the wheel pack needs to be changed due to wheel wear.

This means longer unmanned operation can be achieved.

* No downtime to change wheel packs when switching from one tool type to another, increasing production flexibility.

* Improved occupational health and safety conditions for operators as manual handling of wheel packs is reduced.

This limits exposure to oil and carbide and handling of heavy wheel packs.

* Minimal downtime to set up wheel packs as coolant manifolds and pipes are changed with the wheel pack.

Set-up is done off the machine in a set-up rig, which means production does not have to be interrupted.

All of this adds up to the possibilities of extended unmanned operation, which will deliver greater levels of productivity and lower-cost tools without compromise on precision.

To further increase the flexibility of the TX7+Xchanger, ANCA also built in milling capability.

Tools such as drills and endmills are driven by the spindle using standard Big Plus wheel arbours.

As the milling tools are also stored in the magazine and therefore also changed automatically, features such as holes, keyways and dovetails prove no problem for the TX7+Xchanger.

Although the new machine will be the flagship of ANCA's IMTS exhibit, it will certainly not be on its own.

Other products on show will include the following.

* TapX dedicated tap grinding machine, which can manufacture a complete tap.

* CLX compact loader, which provides an economical automated solution.

* iQual automatical wheel qualification system.

* iView tool measurement and compensation system.

* RX7 compact grinder demonstrating small diameter grinding and the VCS Precision V-block clamp and steady.

* About ANCA - ANCA is an Australian owned company that was founded in 1974 to design and manufacture high technology Computer Numerical Controls (CNCs) for the machine tool and metal-based industries.

Today, ANCA has become a world leading designer and manufacturer of complete, high precision grinding machines competing in a global niche market.

With its core values of precision, innovation, quality and technological excellence, ANCA is today an international organisation of more than 300 employees in 12 countries, with a robust set of technological and entrepreneurial skills.

Offices are located in major cities in Europe, North America and Asia; with dealerships represented in over 25 countries.