GF AgieCharmilles Champions CCAM

GF AgieCharmilles is collaborating with the Virginia-based Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) to help accelerate the transfer of research innovation from the laboratory to commercial use.

CCAM is a research center that brings global manufacturing companies together with Virginia’s top research universities, and CCAM’s expert engineers and scientists. As one of CCAM’s newest industry members, GF AgieCharmilles aids in guiding research that focuses on surface engineering and manufacturing systems.

GF AgieCharmilles has also supplied CCAM with a FO 550 sp die-sinking EDM system for a machining cell that will assist CCAM’s industry and university members in turning research into business advantages.   

The FO 550 sp is part of GF AgieCharmilles “Speed Edition” of die-sinking machines, allowing users to increase productivity and achieve fine, even-polished surface finishes with unequalled consistency on both small and large surface areas.

Main features of the FO 550 sp include: a double thermostabilization system that allows for maximum accuracy by preventing the impact of temperature variations, a Dynamic Process Control that suggests ideal electrode undersize and rationalizes the number of electrodes necessary for effective machining, and a high precision C-axis that provides a dramatic increase in positioning accuracy.    

CCAM houses the FO 550 sp in its new 60,000ft²research facility in Prince George County, VA, located near Rolls-Royce’s jet engine components plant. The facility features computational and engineering research labs in addition to high bay production space for commercial scale equipment and other tools required to explore CCAM’s research focus areas.