The Dynamic Duo

As the demand for parts grows exponentially within the many branches of the manufacturing industry, so does the need for expert surfacing systems. Here at James Engineering, we manufacture an all-purpose finishing machine known as the MAX System. This system is meant to be paired with CNC machines to produce parts of the highest caliber.

While most CNC machines are versatile, cutting parts for industries such as aerospace, military, automotive, tooling, and more, they lack the required accuracy and efficiency it takes to deburr those parts adequately. This is where the MAX System excels, as its whole purpose is to deburr and chamfer with repeatable, reliable precision while CNC machines cut and create with sharp accuracy.

The MAX System is a high-precision, all-purpose machine capable of deburring, chamfering, edging, brushing, and washing parts. The MAX is not meant to cut parts—that’s a CNC machine’s job, hence why it needs the MAX, and vice versa.

“The MAX is meant to compliment CNCs,” explains Scott Richards, the Vice President here at James Engineering, “The MAX allows CNC machines to do what they do best: make parts.”

When a CNC machine is allowed to focus on cutting, a higher volume of parts will be produced on the daily as the CNC won’t get choked up with deburring projects. The MAX will then take control of these freshly cut parts and will completely finish them in 5 minutes or less. This exponentially lowers the cost of overall production while massively increasing the quantity of expertly made parts.

The MAX’s speedy capabilities derive from a couple factors unique to itself: its capacity to run up to four different tools at a time, and its half conversational, half manual programming set up. These two factors alone create a domino effect on cost reductions and overall company productivity, as the speed and simplicity of the MAX rid businesses of the need to further train their operators.

“Within four minutes anybody could learn how to use the machine,” Richards states, “We teach these machines to move into position conversationally, have it catch that point, then move to another position. This is unlike CNC machines, or even robots. If someone new wanted to run a CNC machine, they’d have to understand the language the program is written in; we do not run M- or G-code, we use conversational programming.” The ability to save “baseline” recipes for parts is made possible by this programming, and allows for threading, stroking, and interpolation if needed, making the finishing process exceptionally easy for experienced CNC operators and remarkably simple for new operators to learn.

There’s another noteworthy feature of the MAX that further makes it the exemplary CNC partner—it’s called Focused Deburring, and it’s only offered by James Engineering. Featured Deburring allows operators to precisely choose which spot on a part/gear they want to finish within a cycle. This system completely abolishes the need for part masking or making additional setup adjustments. So unlike CNC machines, the MAX is capable of honing in on one particular spot and surfacing it without having to run the entire part through yet another processing cycle.

Even though the MAX is a feat within itself, it was created with CNC machines in mind; it can only do its job if the CNC gets its own done first. When paired together, the duo will drastically reduce cycle times while still producing a high volume of expertly processed parts with focus, and without sacrificing integrity.

Once the MAX and a CNC team up, productivity and quality skyrocket without hurting your pocket.

To learn more about the MAX and how it can advance your CNC setup, check out our website at https://www.james-engineering.com/