JIMTOF2024 Post Show Report: Automation proposals reach maturity (2/3)

December 26, 2024

JIMTOF2024 Post Show Report: Part 1

A Grand Opening Ceremony on the first day of JIMTOF2024

Major players draw crowds

JIMTOF2024 filled the entire Tokyo Big Sight, with 118,540 square meters of exhibition space. Visitor density varied throughout the venue, but major machine tool builders consistently drew large crowds.

DMG MORI used the entire of East Hall 8, including spaces for its group companies, to showcase its main theme of “Machining Transformation (MX),” which consists of process integration, automation, digital transformation (DX), and green transformation (GX). Executive Officer Dr. Tatsuhiko Kuriya remarked, “This JIMTOF is an opportunity to experience MX firsthand”.

One example of their solutions for MX was the five-axis horizontal machining center “INH 63” paired with the 2-ton autonomous mobile robot (AMR) “AMR 2000”. A live demonstration of the AMR 2000 autonomously transporting the chip bucket of the INH 63 attracted considerable attention from visitors.

Yamazaki Mazak had one of the largest booths at the show under the theme “Innovation in Manufacturing with Mazatrol,” displaying 19 machining centers and laser machines. A standout exhibit was the new “VCN-460 HDCC” vertical machining center (MC), which incorporates the company’s proprietary “Mineral Cast” composite material for its structural body. This material’s high vibration dampening capability enables excellent surface accuracy even during high acceleration and high deceleration machining. Senior Corporate Officer Kazuya Horibe noted, “It is particularly effective for machining semiconductor manufacturing equipment components, which often have intricate corners.”

Okuma showcased 14 machines, including five-axis machining centers and multitasking machines, with an emphasis on process integration and automation. A highlight was the company’s newly unveiled autonomous guided vehicle (AGV), a collaborative robot that automates workpiece and tool transport. Demonstrations combined the AGV with automated cell systems to perform automated workpiece loading, inter-process transport and tool changing.

Makino showed five new products, including the redesigned “V300,” a successor to the long-running “V33” three-axis vertical machining center. Improved cooling within the machine minimizes thermal displacement during prolonged machining of large molds, ensuring greater accuracy and stability.

Nidec Group, comprising Nidec Machine Tool, Nidec OKK, and TAKISAWA, presented a unified booth featuring joint innovations such as TAKISAWA’s “TMX-4000IIST” multitasking machine with a B-axis. The group’s joint display also showcased the “MVR-Hx” large gantry MC, taking advantage of the expanded booth space.

A demonstration of the “AMR 2000” autonomously transporting the chip bucket for the “INH 63” (DMG MORI)

Yamazaki Mazak’s “VCN-460 HDCC”. A bell demo was also displayed to illustrate the difference between mineral casting and cast iron.

Okuma proposed automation not only for workpiece handling but also for tool changing.

One of the highlights among Makino’s new products: the “V300”.

The Nidec Group displayed a wide range of products, such as MCs including gantry machines, gear hobbing machines, and lathes.

Unique approaches to automation and labor saving

Most exhibitors emphasized automation and labor-saving solutions, each showcasing unique methods and technologies.

Murata Machinery combined its “MSR60” CNC turning center, released in April this year, with proprietary peripherals to enable automatic changing of spindle chuck jaws and gantry loader chucks to match workpieces. A company representative explained, “The theme of the exhibit focused on reducing setup time for low-volume, high-mix production.”

Amada presented the 26kW fiber laser machine “REGIUS-3015AJe” for the first time in Japan, along with a comprehensive display of Amada Group solutions. President Takaaki Yamanashi emphasized the company’s commitment to “offering seamless automation and efficiency improvements that include both hardware and software.”

Nagase Integrex showcased its ultra-precision gantry surface grinder “SGX-126SLS2-Zero3,” which features AI-based optimization of grinding wheels and machining conditions. The system also visualizes grinding performance and conditions in real time, enabling even inexperienced operators to achieve high-precision machining.

YASDA PRECISION TOOLS focused on reducing the setup effort for MCs with its “Automatic Centering Support Device” prototype. This system uses a table-top robotic arm equipped with a touch probe to measure, automatically perform parallel alignment, and locate the machining origin. Yasda’s renowned positioning accuracy confirms the effectiveness of this innovation.