ELMIRA, NY (November 1, 2022) – Today’s environment has not changed as manufacturing companies expect to produce quality products quicker and in the most cost effective manner. As a new generation machine, Hardinge’s Bridgeport V480 Automatic Pallet Changer (APC), with its automation features, checks all the boxes and more for what every job shop embraces when it comes to savings and expediency.
As a fully digital machine tool, Ryan Kulcavage, Applications Engineer at Hardinge, praises Hardinge’s Bridgeport V480 APC using the FANUC control to increase the ability to yield the greatest capacity and performance in job shops, original equipment manufacturers, and any other markets looking to maximize productivity through automation. “With the automatic pallet changer, a manufacturer can run two jobs with minimal set-up time,” stated Kulcavage.
Most milling machines feature one table, but Kulcavage explains how Hardinge’s Bridgeport V480 APC removes the boundaries for running a first and second operation simultaneously. “A manufacturer could be running one job on one pallet. Then, [with] that job running, the company could set up the second job on the second [pallet] while the machine is completing the first job,” he said.
At the same time, Gabriel Sharkey, also an Applications Engineer at Hardinge, said that the Hardinge Bridgeport V480 APC does not require a large area (a footprint of only 5′ x 8′) to set up. “Because of its dimensions, the Hardinge Bridgeport V480 APC is considered to be a small and economical piece of equipment,” he explained.
As automation becomes more popular, the Hardinge Bridgeport V480 APC stands to meet a specific need in today’s factory settings. Sharkey pointed out how today’s trend highlights more “lights-out” manufacturing. “That’s where job shops are running their operations on a 24/7 basis. Even when workers are off-shift, the machinery is operating as it would during the day,” he stated. “With the Hardinge Bridgeport V480 APC, a project’s set up time is basically nothing.”
Among some of the key characteristics for the Hardinge Bridgeport V480 APC, both Kulcavage and Sharkey highlighted the following:
- Higher Efficiency – faster machining duty cycle time and lower cutting time.
- Rigid Structure – longer tool life and higher heavy cutting ability.
- Excellent and Stable Accuracy – stable static and cutting accuracy.
