Gemini: the latest machining sensation

July 16, 2015 1:40 pm

 Ace Micromatic Group is one of the major machine tool players in India. It has market presence in several countries across Asia, Australia, Middle East, North and South America and Europe.
The group specialises in the manufacturing of CNC controlled turning, milling and grinding machines along with subsystems like tool turrets, ATC etc. Ace Micromatic offers its customers a wide and comprehensive range of machine to suit a broad spectrum of applications. It also offers turnkey solutions, tooled up options, innovative work holding, Cp/Cpk evaluation, TPM friendly machines and more.
Building on its expertise in machine tool manufacturing, the group has further diversified into manufacturing of components for various industry segments. In addition, the group also offers products to enhance its customer’s productivity through real time machine monitoring.
The key product manufacturing companies of the group are:• Ace Designers: CNC lathes, chuckers, vertical and turn mill centres• Ace Manufacturing Systems Ltd: Vertical and horizontal machining centres  • Micromatic Grinding Technologies Ltd.: CNC and hydraulic grinding machines• Pragati Automation: High precision automation accessories for machine tools• AmiT: Productivity solutions for manufacturing shop-floors.
Off late, the industrial manufacturing sector in India is heading for a slow and steady recovery. Commenting on the latest demand-supply scenario of CNC machines, T K Ramesh, CEO, Micromatic Machine Tools Pvt. Ltd. said, “The demand for our CNC machines is stable and growing. We are in constant touch with the market requirement and are supporting the market with the required products and solutions. The first quarter demand has been to our expectation and we hope it will become better in the coming period.” Micromatic is the marketing arm of Ace Micromatic Group.
CNC machines from Ace Micromatic The group fulfils the needs of its customers in the area of turning, milling, grinding, productivity solutions, and accessories.
ACE Designers GroupACE Designers Group offers a range of turning solutions. It is the largest manufacturer of CNC lathes in India with about 40 per cent share of the Indian market, informed Mr Ramesh. The product range comprises of machines to suit a broad spectrum of applications. It also offers turnkey solutions, tooled up options, innovative work holding, TPM friendly machines and more.
“Jobber series of machines are the highest selling machines in the turning segment in India,” Mr Ramesh adds. Other popular brands from the ACE Designers are: LT series, CNC chuckers, sliding head Automats, the Vantage series, the vertical turning centres and the special turning solutions with automatic load unload systems.
AMS LimitedAMS Limited, the milling arm of the Ace Micromatic Group, offers one of the widest range of machining centres, both vertical and horizontal, they cover the entire gamut of milling applications, from the simple to the most complicated. The latest in the series are the Twin Spindle Machining centres. AMS products are used to produce critical parts for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, two wheelers, three wheelers, and farm equipment. AMS is also a supplier of machines to many Indian OEM manufacturers and large size component manufacturers. Some of the highly sought after product ranges are drill tap centres, vertical and horizontal machining centres, twin spindle machining centres and moving column machining centres.
Micromatic Grinding Technologies LtdMicromatic Grinding Technologies produces a wide range of external, internal and universal cylindrical grinding machines in hydraulic, PLC and CNC versions. With two plants, one at Ghaziabad and other at Dobaspet, it provides customised solutions to the exacting grinding needs of the Indian manufacturing industry. “Special purpose grinding machines like valve seat grinding of I.C. engine valves, grinding of ring profile, stroke and length grinding of fuel injection components have proved to become a valuable import substitute for Indian manufacturers,” claims Mr Ramesh.
Pragati Automation LtdPragati Automation Ltd produces a variety of turrets including hydraulic turrets, servo turrets and power turrets. Pragati also manufactures hydraulic chucking cylinders. Apart from turrets, Pragati is known for its Automatic Tool Changers (ATC) for machining centres. According to Mr Ramesh, “75 per cent of its ATC production is exported to markets like Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Spain.”
AmiTAmiT is the software division of the Ace Micromatic group. It synergises its information technology expertise and manufacturing industry experience to develop IT-based productivity management platform TPM Track. It empowers industries to improve their OEE and profits significantly. It also enables to automate key business processes. TPM-Trak is a real time conveyor and assembly-line monitoring solution that automatically captures workflow, stoppages, and interactions between various stations of assembly lines/conveyors and key events are alerted through factory visual boards and SMS and email. The company also provides TPM-Trak Secure DNC that enables shop floor personnel to manage CNC programs and track and trace solution that enables customers to track the products during various stages of production.
The ‘Debutant’From the milling section, Ace Manufacturing Systems Ltd (AMS) has recently introduced Gemini range of twin spindle.
“With increase in input costs including infrastructure and man power costs, machine tool users have become more cautious in the resource utilisation. These conditions have led to development of the twin spindle machines, ‘Gemini’ where the productivity of the machine is nearly double to that of single spindle machines with similar specifications,” Mr Ramesh said.
To meet the requirements of high speed compact applications, a smaller twin spindle named, ‘Gemini-Mini’ has been introduced. The Gemini-Mini is more suitable for smaller components requiring frequent tool changes. The machine is designed with two BBT-30 spindles driven by a single spindle motor. According to Mr Ramesh, the product is an attractive alternative to many of the faster machining centres available at a dearer price.
The Gemini Mini is also available with an optional rotary type automatic pallet changer.  Being pioneers in twin spindle vertical machining centres, AMS is now offering Horizontals too. The launch was staged at IMTEX 2015, which was a grand success for AMS. There are varieties of Gemini series twin spindle machines to suite the exacting requirements.
“By nature the twin spindle machine has higher productivity and the automatic pallet changer enhances it further by masking loading unloading time of the components,” Mr Ramesh said.
Manufacturing capacity Ace Micromatic Group of companies are located at different locations with well-established vendor base and a strong in-house manufacturing capability. With a captive foundry inaugurated in 2013 capable of producing 12,000 tonnes of medium to large CI and SG iron casting per annum, the group is well placed to meet the production requirement of the growing Indian market.
According to Mr Ramesh, the group can produce more than 5,000 machines each year with the existing capacities and are in a position to scale up the capacities within short time if the need arises.
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Gemini range of twin spindle, offered by Ace Manufacturing Systems, where the productivity of the machine is nearly double to that of single spindle machines with similar specifications.
-T K Ramesh, CEO, Micromatic Machine Tools Pvt. Ltd._________________________________