FEATURE ON CNC MILLS & MACHINING CENTRES

Subcontractor takes off with five-axis VMC

When McGreevy Engineering made a strategic decision to move into the aerospace industry, the company realised it needed to take its first step into five-axis machining. The machine of choice was a Vcenter AX800 from Victor CNC.
Works manager Tommy Hanna says: “The reason we bought the AX800 was because it has a bigger capacity than most of its competitors, with 1.6 m in the X-axis. This capacity allows us to use it as a large-bed three-axis machine, as well as a versatile five-axis. The machine also has a 15,000 rpm spindle, which means we are conducting high-speed machining on a lot of our work. Providing jobs are set-up correctly, we can hit all five sides of the workpiece at high speed, which is making a huge saving for our business.”

The company has a variety of three-axis machining centres, but with the five-axis AX800 McGreevy needed more tool positions, as Hanna recalls: “Obviously, with five-axis we need more tool stations to hit the job from all directions, and the AX800 has 40 tool positions.”
The machine installed at McGreevy was specified with the through-coolant facility and swarf conveyor system, which supports large-capacity machining, as Hanna explains: “With 700 mm in the Y axis and 1600 mm in the X axis, plus the 800 mm rotary table, we can machine some particularly large parts. This is especially the case with the rotary table as we can machine one side of a long part and then rotate it to do the other side.”
For further information
www.victorcnc.com

HSM with OptiCool spindle technology

GF Machining Solutions’ Mikron MILL S600U five-axis machining centre for mould and die makers is now equipped with new HVC140 (StepTec) spindles. The StepTec Opticool spindle system, with its enhanced polar thermal balance, controls the temperature of the machine’s spindle and spindle bearings to improve part accuracies and surface finishes.

StepTec’s HVC140 spindles deliver high power and speed (13.5 kW/42,000 rpm), and feature proven OptiCool technology. Also contributing to the spindle’s performance is an all-new bearing design using ceramic hybrid bearings. As a result of their incorporation, radial and lateral stiffness are increased by 16% and 60% respectively. Furthermore, radial and axial run-out, as well as repeatability, of less than 2 µm
is achieved at the tool interface.
The machining centres, with their rigid base construction, combine high dynamic direct-drive technology with a range of design and build features and integrated ‘Smart’ software modules. These include: Ambient Robust, which monitors and regulates thermal variation detected in the machine’s base and drives; OSS (Operator Support System), which helps customers optimise their machining processes based on workpiece specifications/dimensions and their specific machining priorities – speed, accuracy and surface finish; and ITC/ITC 5AX (intelligent Thermal Control), which eliminates the need for, or reduces the time required for warm-up cycles.
For further information www.gfms.com

Industry 4.0 developments from Soraluce

That the Industry 4.0 integrated information initiative holds great benefit for machine tool users is patently clear to Soraluce – and will be to its worldwide customer base.

“The developments we are instigating now with machines and automated manufacturing systems are just scratching the surface of the possible rewards that users could harness from 30 years or more of advances in IT and computer technologies,” says Xabier Medizabal, R&D director at Soraluce, which is represented in the UK by TW Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC). “The correct use of these technologies holds the key to information gathering in automated machining scenarios that will enable users to not only boost production output but also help guarantee machining quality and consistency. These solutions are not expensive and they are available now. But the real challenge is being able to gather the information efficiently, then to trust and utilise that data and make objective decisions in order to gain real benefits.”
Reinforcing Mendizabal’s comments, Soraluce’s new ‘Smart Machine’ technology highlights how real-time machine status from smart sensors can be viewed and harnessed.
Based on cloud computing, the system captures and records all relevant information on overall machining cycle performance and energy consumption, as well as temperature, tooling usage/wear, energy consumption and downtime. It also, for example, produces alarms (including by email) of key process signs/preventative maintenance requirements. All data is accessible via PC and mobile devices as well as the internet.
For further information www.wardcnc.com

Five-axis, 30-taper mill-turn centre

Brother has introduced an uprated version of its Speedio M140X1 five-axis, 30-taper mill-turn centre. Called Speedio M140X2, the machine was launched at the JIMTOF 2016 exhibition in Tokyo last November and is now available in the UK and Ireland through sole agent Whitehouse Machine Tools.

Improvements include an integrated, high-output, direct-drive motor in the C axis to replace the previous roller drive powering the 2000 rpm turning table. Furthermore, the A-axis trunnion rotates through a 50% larger angle, from +120 to -30°, allowing features at the rear of components to be machined. This also facilitates loading and unloading of parts at the front of the machine.
Among additional improvements, the A axis is now tilted by a backlash-free roller drive, promoting high-accuracy cutting, says Whitehouse. A holding force of 400 Nm, without the need for a mechanical clamping mechanism, is said to deliver high-speed indexing combined with rigidity when milling parts at an angle or turning them in the horizontal plane.
A new option is a 16,000 rpm BIG Plus face-and-taper contact spindle (10,000 rpm spindle supplied as standard). Focusing on the elimination of non-productive time, the spindle motor’s rapid acceleration and deceleration – along with a responsive servo control – enable a 0.2 second start/stop time. What’s more, the start-up time of the turning table from zero to 2000 rpm is less than 0.3 second. Travels in the X, Y and Z axes of 200, 440 and 305 mm remain the same, but the distance between the table surface and the spindle nose has been increased to 455 mm.
For further information www.wmtcnc.com

Composites machining with Sahos Dynamic

The growing use of composites in the motorsport sector is a marked trend that is seeing a number of notable machine tool installations. For instance, Eynsham-based Lentus Composites, has recently acquired a Sahos Dynamic bridge-type machining centre with a 5 m X axis. Built in the Czech Republic by Blue Ray, the machine was delivered and commissioned by sole UK agent, Asquith Butler.

“We chose the Sahos Dynamic for a number of reasons,” states managing director Simon Odling. “In particular, we felt that the construction of the machine, when compared with its competitors, was an improvement on the industry norm, providing a stiffer, more stable machining environment. What’s more, we specified direct measurement in all axes, including the five-axis head. These provide absolute feedback and minimise the maintenance and downtime associated with aligning axes, as well as providing significantly improved positional repeatability.
“Having tested the market with local machine users, we received positive feedback from other Sahos machine owners in our sector,” he continues. “The consensus was that this Czech manufacturer is not as well known in the UK as other brands but is a rising star in the industry.”
Lentus regularly develops and manufactures new composite products for the motorsport sector, from GT and World Rally to Formula One. The Sahos Dynamic is presently operating a single shift plus 2-3 hours unattended at the end of each day. Furthermore, the addition of a second manned shift will be instigated shortly, while 24-hour operation with a 22:00 to 06:00 ghost shift is also planned.
For further information www.asquithbutler.com