Whether in the steering system or chassis, ball joints are indispensable in cars. They not only act as a kind of pivot point between different elements but are also usually in constant motion and exposed to high physical loads. In this context, ball pins and ball sleeves are among the safety-critical car components that must leave production with high surface quality and micron precision without exception – despite high quantities and general cost pressure. How is it possible to achieve these outcomes efficiently and with minimal chip-to-chip times? Emag says it has the answer with a new machine: using the VST 50, a finished ball pin leaves the machine every 7 seconds with each component undergoing comprehensive measurement.
The VST 50 has highly automated processes, including the use of three robots. It is also easy to operate using EDNA apps. For actual turning of the ball and neck of the ball pin (only these areas are involved here), two suspended workpiece spindles can move irrespective of each other. As a result, one spindle is always loading and unloading while the other is in use during the machining process. The associated tool compound slides are split in two: the tools on the left-hand side are mounted on a rotary Baxis, enabling the ball to undergo precision turning and finishing.
The solution ensures that a finished workpiece leaves the machine every 7 seconds, while the chip-to-chip time is less than 2 seconds.
Components must leave production without any error tolerance. Here, Emag relies on a 100% solution: each component passes through a light-band micrometer, which determines the required measured values in fractions of a second.
More information www.emag.com
