A lean manufacturing 'one-hit' mill/turning cell features three spindles, a 42mm bar capacity and 100mm chucking diameter, two turrets and a 24 tool magazine.

Taking centre stage amongst 12 CNC Hardinge lathes and Hardinge-Bridgeport machining centres on the Hardinge, stand at EMO 2005 will be the European launch of Quest LMC 42, a lean manufacturing 'one-hit' mill/turning cell featuring three spindles, a 42mm bar capacity and 100mm chucking diameter, two turrets and a 24 tool magazine. From the recently integrated product line of Hardinge-Bridgeport, three new vertical machining centres will be launched, the VMC 450 P3 entry level compact machine, the VMC 480DT high speed, drill tap centre and the larger machining envelope five-face, five-axis 5AX-500 vertical machining centre. Hardinge, based in Elmira, New York State with sales of $232 million in 2004 has one of the widest portfolios of metal removal machine tools available from a single company.

This high profile position was created following the acquisition of the intellectual property rights of Bridgeport Machines and the Sales and Support Services Division based in Leicester and Holland by Hardinge Machine Tools of Exeter, a division of the Hardinge Group.

As a result of such a diverse product range, stands E05 and C04 will be segmented into four distinct process groups illustrating high precision, high productivity, high performance and competitively priced, entry level machines.

The 425m2 of stand space will be complemented by the Hardinge Grinding Group in Hall 11 taking stands D60 and F61 of some 400m2 to feature eight further machines from Kellenberger, Hauser, Tripet and Tschudin.

From the Hardinge stable, alongside the Quest LMC 42, will be the Hydrostatic Quest 51 Super Precision Hydro-Glide turning machine widely quoted as a 'reference' for hard turning applications.

This will be qualified by a demonstration of production machining to a repeatability of five microns on hardened 62 HRC steel while maintaining 0.2 micron Ra surface finish.

A Quest GT 27 super-precision gang tool lathe featuring a high productivity integrated autoloading system will be hard turning fuel injection components while the new Hardinge Elite II, a 51mm bar capacity Harcrete polymer composite-filled base machine, with subspindle and two C-axes, will demonstrate its ability to cost-effectively machine tough materials.

Setting the pace for entry level turning solutions is the Tallent 10/78 a 75mm bar, 250mm chucking lathe which creates a high specification benchmark with C-axis, live tooling and tailstock and will be shown for the first time with Siemens 810D control loaded with Shop Turn software.

Following the acquisition of Bridgeport Machines, the eyes of many visitors will be focused on Hardinge-Bridgeport and there will be plenty to see with no fewer than eight vertical, horizontal and five-axis machines under power.

Controlled by Fanuc, Heidenhain and Siemens CNC units with a range of different spindle cutting speeds, demonstrations will span a high torque 8,000 rev/min drive to a high speed 40,000 rev/min spindle in action on the HSC 500 high speed machining centre.

As with the Quest LMC 42 creating interest from its pinnacle position in mill/turn centre development, the Hardinge-Bridgeport 5AX-500 vertical machining centre will show visitors the economic advantages of five-face, five-axis contour machining at a very competitive price.

This trunnion configured machine is introduced with a larger machining envelope of 700mm in X, 660mm in Y and 480mm in Z and an A-axis tilt of 220 deg with a 15,000 rev/min direct drive, 40 taper spindle.

The five-face machining demonstration will be performed alongside the 40,000 rev/min HSC 500 vertical machining centre developed to machine graphite and copper electrodes as well as pre-hardened steels.

Two new vertical machining centres launched in Europe will become strong contenders in highly competitive price and performance sectors.

The Hardinge-Bridgeport VMC 450 P3 is presented as an entry level, value-for-money, compact machine demonstrated with its 10,000 rev/min optional spindle and Siemens 810D control having axis travels of 450mm in X, 380mm Y and 350mm in Z.

Also highly competitive in the quick-cycling, drill tap market will be the new Hardinge-Bridgeport VMC 480 DT high speed, up to 15,000 rev/min spindle as demonstrated at the exhibition, with Fanuc Alpha control, 48m/min rapid traverse and the ability to perform very quick drill, tap and milling cycles.

A four-axis travelling column machining centre, the HMC 700 HPD targeted at heavy duty operations with 30kW direct drive, 15,000 rev/min spindle will represent the Hardinge-Bridgeport horizontal machining centre range.

EMO 2005, Hannover, September 14-21, Hall: 16 Stand: E05/C04 Turning/Milling Hall :Hall 11 Stand: D60/F61 Grinding.