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86 MMS August 2017 mmsonline.com FEATURE functionality, as well as electronic handwheel/ digital readout operation. PROGRESSIVE COMPONENTS The CVe Monitor is essentially a "smart" counter that tracks the number of times an injection mold opens and closes. Each time a simple plunger is depressed, the monitor records the event. Devel- oped by AST Technology, a sister company to Progressive Components, this device does a lot more than count cycles, however. It also auto- matically calculates cycle time and efficiency, and counts down until maintenance is due. The unit can be cabled to a Press Module that transmits the data wirelessly to the supplier's Gateway, a cloud-based utility for data storage and retrieval. Data can be presented in various repor ts and dashboard displays driven by CVe OnDemand monitoring software. ROBBJACK RobbJack's FM series of carbide end mills is designed for high metal removal rates in alumi- num. The company says the design of the flutes induces a vibration into that workpiece to coun- ter the tendency of the workpiece to vibrate at a different frequency. By "syncing" these vibra- ti o ns, th e to o l c u ts c l e a n l y w i th n o c h at te r, regardless of the spindle speed. It is always in a "sweet spot" to optimize metal removal. The company says this tool is capable of making very thin-walled par ts with a fine sur face finish, as well as hogging out material from workpieces with numerous adjacent pockets. ZEISS Because molds often involve complex surfaces only machinable on multi-axis machines, mea- suring and checking those sur faces calls for non-contact 3D scanning systems. The Zeiss Comet LED2 system projects a pattern of blue light across the surface of a part as it rotates on a turntable. Ever y projection is captured and digitized by a camera on the other side of the projector unit. The digital images are combined