EMO Milano 2015: Miles of machine tools

You could measure EMO Milano 2015 in a lot of different ways. Covering nearly 1.3 million ft3, the huge floor space displayed machining centers, transfer machines, barfeeders, stamping presses, additive manufacturing equipment, robotics, and every other type of tool used to make things.

With more than 1,600 exhibitors, the amount and variety of equipment was staggering. Tools that finish 74mm automotive engine bores sat at booths adjacent to 18ft tall crankshafts for maritime applications.

The central corridor connecting the 18 exhibition halls during the week of Oct. 5-10, 2015, was often filled with a sea of people from Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.

My measure of Europe’s largest manufacturing equipment and technology showcase was miles walked per day to see the newest and best that toolmakers had to offer. In three days at the show, Google Fit tells me that I put 18 miles of wear on the soles of my shoes.

Too large to show in its entirety, the following photos show a glimpse at EMO Milano 2015.

 

	Fanuc went big and small, showing off a CR-35iA collaborative robot capable of loading a spare tire into Fiat 500, and displaying a massive M-2000iA/1700L robot system that could lift an entire Fiat 500x small crossover. www.fanucamerica.com
	Group Communications Manager Tarquin Adams shows off Renishaw’s Primo probe and software system. Featuring a pay-as-you go pricing model, Adams says Primo may become more attractive to smaller shops that have not been able to afford metrology software systems. New users receive a kit with software, system instructions, and basic guide information. For more Primo details, visit http://goo.gl/2tIKLK.
	The number 1,000 can be significant in Italy. To promote the 1,000 new cutting tools that it was introducing to customers, Komet displayed a classic Alfa Romeo touring car, one that competed in Mille Miglia (1,000-mile) races for cars that competed in races from 1927 through 1957. www.komet.com
	Continuing its strategy of featuring “good looking machines that you’d be proud to show in your factory,” Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) subsidiary Comau debuted two machining centers featuring transparent housing panels covered with ornate designs. Designed in part by tractor designers from FCA subsidiary Case New Holland (CNH), the SmartDriveComau 800L horizontal machining center features LED panels giving off an iMac style blue glow. www.comau.com
	Developed with automotive supplier JTEKT Corp., Toyoda Machinery’s e500H-GS horizontal machining center with gear-skiving technology eliminates steps needed to transform hardened steel into gears. Toyoda Machinery is a subsidiary of JTEKT, which is a subsidiary of the Toyota Group. https://goo.gl/MUrbTk
	Controller designers are adding functions to existing machining centers. Siemens displayed a Sinumerik control on an MCM machining center that supported milling, turning, drilling, and measuring in a single setup. http://goo.gl/F0Bov6
	Okuma’s LB45III horizontal lathe was one of the biggest machines at its EMO booth. Company officials stressed the importance of Okuma providing its own CNC controls, saying Industrial Internet of Things integration will depend on knowledge of both machines and controls. www.okuma.com
	Gnutti Transfers S.p.a’s Piccola offers drilling, turning, and finishing operations with a small footprint. Designed for small parts with complex features, such as fuel-injector housings, the machines feature as many as 24 work stations and an integrated bar loader. For a video on the Piccola, visit http://goo.gl/PJ3z6t.
	Haas Automation showcased the Scuderia Ferrari, which it also supports as a technical partner. Featuring carbon fiber reinforced plastic panels, the Scuderia is lightweight and extremely powerful. www.haascnc.com