Processing uneven workpieces, whether due to variations in thickness or shape, poses a significant challenge for most CNC machines. These variations make it difficult to achieve consistent depths during grooving, milling, or drilling, often leading to additional rework. The fine folks at Atemag however, has spent years developing a comprehensive range of solutions to specifically address these challenges. Their portfolio of floating aggregates covers a wide array of applications, including drilling, milling, grinding, polishing, and sawing.
What is a floating aggregate?
At a glance, a floating aggregate looks to be the same as the other aggregates in Atemag’s portfolio except for one key difference. It is designed specifically to machine and process uneven workpieces. This is achieved by the integrated probe that touches the surface of the workpiece and detects the differences in height or irregularities in the workpiece. This difference is automatically compensated by an integrated spring mechanism inside the aggregate. Therefore regardless of any variation, a consistent machining depth is maintained.
To cater for a wide variety of workpieces and applications, floating aggregates are equipped with probes to probe either along the axial, radial or horizontal direction or for the 3D aggregate along both the axial and radial direction. Floating aggregates are compatible with 3, 4 and 5 axis CNC machines as well as robot arms.
With such a wide range floating aggregates and probing directions our Atemag aggregates have been used in a variety of applications from precise chamfering, milling, drilling, sawing of the edges and surfaces of different workpieces. Even irregular shaped or curved workpieces all while maintaining the same consistent machining depth or height.
Here we can Atemag floating aggregates in action from machining consistent grooves via sawing..
…to radius milling of curved workpieces…..
….to far more challenging applications such as edge milling very large and curved workpieces accurately. In the below example the Soft Touch 3-D mounted on an industrial robot probes both radially and along the axis to ensure a consistent machining quality.
In Malaysia we have used Atemag floating aggregates to help one of our customers mill consistent grooves for their inlay strips. This saves them enormous time from reworking their workpiece while ensuring their strips all fit perfectly the first time during installation. Watch closely and you can see the spring of the Soft Touch Aggregate at work compensating for the slight deviation on the workpiece. The touch probe for this solution was modified to be larger. This enables our customer to machine wider grooves should they have newer requirements, making their investment future-proof.
Feel free to contact us if you think an Atemag floating aggregate can solve a problem you have at hand!
Take note the floating range (deviation compensation) of our aggregates range from 5mm to 10mm. A bigger range is possible upon request.