ANCA Launches FCP4 High-Production Drill Grinder

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ANCA is again first to market with the FCP4 High Production Drill Grinder (FCP4). Producing drills from 0.8 to 4mm the new technology provides an exciting opportunity for drill makers, with important efficiencies and cost benefits by manufacturing a complete high speed steel drill on a single machine. From a blank piece of raw material, the FCP4 grinds the Flute, Relief and Point producing a finished drill.

Grant Anderson, CEO at ANCA said: “Considering the yearly production of high speed steel drills is about 1.8 Billion drills, the opportunities are huge. The high-volume commodity drill market is a new market for us but is a great fit given our forty plus years’ expertise in tool and cutter grinding and our world leading technology.”

The new machine will enable a complete drill to be manufactured every 20 to 25 seconds, a significant difference from what is currently available in the market. Up until now a drill has been manufactured on two or three separate machines which is a large investment to make and a big task in changing drill sizes - typically taking several hours and creating needless waste with scrap setup drills. The CNC capability of the FCP4 also has significant advantages in quicker changeover and less setup times required, making the option of smaller production runs viable.

“We think we can bring a huge benefit to the industry as up until now there is little competition or product choice for volume manufacturers of HSS drills. Drill manufacturers are typically restricted to using machines that are old and CAM operated, and with older machines wearing out there are currently very few options for upgrading or improving their capabilities,” Grant continued. 

Simon Richardson, FCP4 Product Manager said: “We listened to our customers who, in this market, faced a lack of choice and responded to their needs to develop our own solution. With our extensive market knowledge and research and development capabilities, I am confident this new machine will be well received and unleash a whole new world of possibilities for our customers.” 

The FCP4 will be fully CNC operated comprising of eight axes, using a principle similar to a Swiss Auto whereby it has a multi turret, capable of undertaking several operations simultaneously. It uses an ANCA Motion CNC system including AM5C drives, AMI5000 Touchpad, Commander, AMCore and Motion Bench.

Watch a video here to see the FCP4 in action:

FCP4 Key Features:

• Complete drill production from HSS blank
• Full CNC grinding and dressing operations
• Fully enclosed machine canopy with safety interlocks
• ANCA Motion CNC and drive technology
• Intuitive and user friendly operator panel with touch screen
• Flute shape adjusted by CNC and form dressed on the machine

FCP4 Benefits:

• Superior surface finish and drill geometry
• Quick changeover time facilitates small batch runs – as low as 20 minutes!
• Minimised setup scrap
• Adjust programs in cycle to optimise drills being ground

About ANCA

ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide. ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing.

ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.