“Warren Johnson uses one, and told us that a job which would have previously taken him seven long, stressful days now takes him seven hours.”
This comment immediately piqued our interest as we stood in the massive “Rottler Corner” at PRI, observing the crowd standing around Rottler’s new EM69P do-it-all five-axis machining center as they took in the sights and sounds of it doing its thing on a cylinder head.
It came from Anthony Usher, Rottler’s VP of Sales and Marketing, who was quick to explain some of the more interesting features the machine possesses, which help to make it one of the most capable on the market.
“This machine is for digitizing and porting cylinder heads, machining engine blocks, and making anything you can think of,” says Usher.
It uses Rottler’s Computer Aided Manufacturing (RCAM) software to allow the operator to program in different machining operations in less time than before. Rottler’s new CNC Touch Screen Control Software uses a Windows interface and animated on-screen training to help improve efficiency.
“Everything is done on the machine; you don’t need a separate computer,” says Usher. “You can put a cylinder head on, digitize it, and press the button and it’ll port the next cylinder to match the first. You can put an engine block in and do all of your block machining in the same fixture.”
The idea for the all-in-one machine came about due to the requirements of professional race teams, who are looking for a way to streamline operations without sending blocks to one place and cylinder heads to another. With the EM69P, they can do it all, without ever leaving the building.
“They don’t want to spend days trying to learn the machine; we made this very simple to operate; it’s like buying an iPhone. It comes loaded with all the apps you need for head work, block work, and making parts,” says usher.
More details on the product are available on Rottler’s website.