As the spindle is not subject to excessive moments of force by having to support large cutters, the bearings are protected and are subject to less wear. A three-point clamping system is alternatively available if the tools to be supported are lighter.

Experience the precision and quality of DMG Mori’s machining process for a stainless steel surgical hammer in full in this hour long video.

A German manufacturer has developed an ingenious method for relieving the spindle bearings from radial and axial forces when turning operations are in progress on its machining centres. The system provides further spindle protection by supporting heavy driven tools. PES reports. During metalcutting, the bearings in a machining centre spindle are subjected to a load from the side and another along the spindle axis, as well as resonance from the cutting process. While the spindle is rotating, the effects of these loads are dissipated across each ball or roller bearing within the spindle assembly. However, when the spindle is static, for example when it is holding a turning tool, the loads and vibrations can cause premature wear and eventually lead to expensive repair or replacement. Mindful of this, Burkhardt + Weber (B+W) has introduced a hydraulically-actuated, four-point clamping system on the spindle head of its heavy-duty, multi-tasking machines for use during turning operations. It eliminates both the radial and axial forces on the spindle, the former being particularly damaging and prevalent during facing operations or when grooving or profiling a bore. The result is minimal spindle wear during high accuracy mill-turning of components in a single set-up. The sole sales and service agent for B+W machines in Britain, Ireland and the Gulf, Kingsbury, has put together a PowerPoint presentation outlining how the system works, a copy of which is available on request. Meanwhile, a video is available to view at: www.kingsburyuk.com/video/burkhardtweber-mct-1000. The content is based on a 5-axis, twin-pallet MCT1000 horizontal-spindle, universal machining centre with 2,200 x 1,400 x 1800mm working volume. The fourth CNC axis is an infinitely-adjustable, ± 225° swivelling head rotating about a 45° plane and containing a 41kW/8,000rpm/1,400Nm spindle, while a 300rpm torque table provides the fifth CNC axis. Heavy hitter Multi-tasking on a milling/drilling centre by turning a component on the rotary table with a static turning tool clamped in the spindle in a single set-up is commonplace, but most configurations on the market tend to be based on light- to medium-sized platforms. With the B+W solution, similar technology is available to address one-hit production applications involving much more rigorous machining of larger components made of tougher materials. The tool holder plate is hydraulically secured and a turning tool is automatically inserted into the spindle by the same ATC mechanism. The tool holder plate absorbs all the axial and radial forces generated during turning; none are transferred to the spindle bearings Before the turning element of a machining cycle commences, a customisable tool holder plate with a large, 160mm diameter contact area is transported by the automatic tool changer (ATC) to the four-point clamping system on the front of the spindle head, where the holder is hydraulically retained. The coupling area is thoroughly cleaned with coolant and air before final engagement. As the entire process is autonomous, there is no operator intervention or interruption to the production cycle. Manufactured in-house at the machine tool manufacturer's Reutlingen factory, the rigid holder provides full support of static turning tools, absorbing the radial and axial machining loads that would normally be placed on the spindle bearings and transmitting them into the much more robust spindle head structure. Turning cutters are exchanged automatically from the magazine into the adapter in the holder plate using the same ATC, as the identical HSK-A100, SK50 or CAT50 back-end is used for the turning toolholders as for prismatic machining. Even when clamping very long turning tools, the holder plate ensures a rigid tool interface. All operations are fully integrated into the Siemens Sinumerik 840D sl control. Support for driven as well as static tools Alternatively, an adapter plate may be similarly delivered by the ATC and clamped hydraulically to the spindle head using the same four-point mechanism. It takes all the weight of a heavy angle head, boring bar, NC facing head or other driven tool needed to carry out special machining operations like drilling multiple or awkwardly positioned holes, facing, grooving, profiling features such as a stepped bore, or turning an internal or external taper or sphere. As the spindle is not subject to excessive moments of force by having to support large cutters, the bearings are protected and are subject to less wear. A three-point clamping system is alternatively available if the tools to be supported are lighter. Even when using long turning tools, the holder plate ensures a rigid tool interface, avoiding vibration and ensuring excellent dimensional accuracy and surface finish As an option, a tool extension unit can be automatically exchanged into the spindle to extend the reach of short cutters, minimising the number of long tools in the magazine that may be needed for certain applications. The unit also provides more rigidity than long-reach cutters, optimising damping and avoiding the risk of vibration and chatter. Quill movement with length and sag compensation is a further option for machining particularly difficult inner contours. About B+W torque tables The rotary table on the MCT1000 may be used for 5-axis simultaneous prismatic metalcutting or positioning components for 5-sided machining, but for turning operations its dynamic, backlash-free, 55kW torque drive rated at 4,200Nm is its defining feature. Pallet load can be up to four tonnes when turning at maximum rotational speed of 300rpm. Software is included in the control as standard for actively balancing the loaded table, with monitoring provided by imbalance sensors. B+W builds its tables with a large INA (Schaeffler Group) ZKXDF or ZKLDF angular-contact thrust ball bearing of diameter between 460 and 725mm, depending on machine model. Construction height of the table is low despite the high power, maximising the machining envelope. A different adapter plate is utilised for supporting heavy driven tool heads, such as this NC facing slide, again avoiding unnecessary stress on the spindle bearings Five-channel hydraulic transfer is possible up to maximum rpm. The table motor stator and rotor are actively cooled by a water-glycol mixture to prevent thermal movement. The travelling-column machine design allows the X-axis to be hydraulically clamped by a large brake disc during turning for extra rigidity and machining accuracy. As the X-axis does not move during the turning section of a cycle, motion control is drive-friendly and energy efficient. The table bearing absorbs a high tilting moment up to 45,000Nm. Pallet positioning is to within 10µm, assisted in part by automatic cleaning of its underside and the pallet clamping surface before exchange. Kingsburywww.kingsburyuk.com

Dustcontrol UK is set to exhibit its innovative dust extraction solutions at the Advanced Engineering Show 2024, taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 30-31 October.

Seco Tools’ Inspiration Through Innovation (ITI) event returns this month, marking a decade of breakthrough collaborations in aerospace and medical manufacturing. This year’s in-person gathering held on October 16th and 17th promises cutting-edge insights into overcoming shared challenges and propelling the next generation of innovation.

Manufactured in-house at the machine tool manufacturer's Reutlingen factory, the rigid holder provides full support of static turning tools, absorbing the radial and axial machining loads that would normally be placed on the spindle bearings and transmitting them into the much more robust spindle head structure.

It eliminates both the radial and axial forces on the spindle, the former being particularly damaging and prevalent during facing operations or when grooving or profiling a bore. The result is minimal spindle wear during high accuracy mill-turning of components in a single set-up.

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If you find this article informative, consider subscribing digitally to PES Media for free. Keep up to date with the latest industry news in your inbox as well as being the first to receive our magazine in digital form.

CBN is the second-hardest material after diamond. Tools made from CBN wear much more slowly than other cutting materials when used appropriately. It is consequently possible to achieve higher dimensional and profile accuracy, even when machining hard materials such as steel up to 70 HRC.

Multi-tasking on a milling/drilling centre by turning a component on the rotary table with a static turning tool clamped in the spindle in a single set-up is commonplace, but most configurations on the market tend to be based on light- to medium-sized platforms.

The ultra-hard material is capable of smooth machining even during interrupted cutting when hard turning and grooving. By extending its existing standard ranges of Supermini 105, Mini 11P, 229 and 315 systems, Horn is able to deliver the CBN tools quickly from stock.

The table bearing absorbs a high tilting moment up to 45,000Nm. Pallet positioning is to within 10µm, assisted in part by automatic cleaning of its underside and the pallet clamping surface before exchange.

During metalcutting, the bearings in a machining centre spindle are subjected to a load from the side and another along the spindle axis, as well as resonance from the cutting process.

Turning cutters are exchanged automatically from the magazine into the adapter in the holder plate using the same ATC, as the identical HSK-A100, SK50 or CAT50 back-end is used for the turning toolholders as for prismatic machining. Even when clamping very long turning tools, the holder plate ensures a rigid tool interface. All operations are fully integrated into the Siemens Sinumerik 840D sl control.

Image

Walter has now launched its new X·treme Evo Plus drill from the DC180 Supreme product family that is now available up to 8XD for the first time.

There are no different grades of CBN. Differentiation between tools is down to the CBN volume fraction, the fillers, grain size and the ceramic/metallic binder phase (cobalt/nickel). This results in different CBN substrates. Hard machining is usually carried out without coolant, as these cutting materials have high heat resistance and the elevated temperature within the chip formation zone has a positive effect.

The NeoMill-Alu-QBig indexable insert milling cutter from Mapal stands for top performance in high-volume milling of aluminium. The tool manufacturer thus offers a very economical solution for use on high-performance machines, such as those found primarily in the aerospace industry.

A German manufacturer has developed an ingenious method for relieving the spindle bearings from radial and axial forces when turning operations are in progress on its machining centres. The system provides further spindle protection by supporting heavy driven tools. PES reports.

Five-channel hydraulic transfer is possible up to maximum rpm. The table motor stator and rotor are actively cooled by a water-glycol mixture to prevent thermal movement.

The fourth CNC axis is an infinitely-adjustable, ± 225° swivelling head rotating about a 45° plane and containing a 41kW/8,000rpm/1,400Nm spindle, while a 300rpm torque table provides the fifth CNC axis.

B+W builds its tables with a large INA (Schaeffler Group) ZKXDF or ZKLDF angular-contact thrust ball bearing of diameter between 460 and 725mm, depending on machine model. Construction height of the table is low despite the high power, maximising the machining envelope.

Horn has announced an expansion of its product portfolio to include tools tipped with cubic boron nitride (CBN) for machining difficult materials, such as superalloys and hardened steels. The ultra-hard material is capable of smooth machining even during interrupted cutting when hard turning and grooving. By extending its existing standard ranges of Supermini 105, Mini 11P, 229 and 315 systems, Horn is able to deliver the CBN tools quickly from stock. The Supermini system is available in left- and right-hand versions with different corner radii. The CBN-tipped variants are for internal machining from a diameter of 2mm. Different lengths of solid carbide body are available. Tools in the Mini family can be used from an internal diameter of 6.8mm and are also available in left- and right-hand versions. The single-edged tool type 315 is for external grooving from a width of 0.5mm. In the cutting insert system 229, the previous CBN substrate CB 50 is replaced by the higher performance substrate CB 35. Inserts are available with two different corner radii and cutting widths from 3mm to 6mm. CBN is the second-hardest material after diamond. Tools made from CBN wear much more slowly than other cutting materials when used appropriately. It is consequently possible to achieve higher dimensional and profile accuracy, even when machining hard materials such as steel up to 70 HRC. There are no different grades of CBN. Differentiation between tools is down to the CBN volume fraction, the fillers, grain size and the ceramic/metallic binder phase (cobalt/nickel). This results in different CBN substrates. Hard machining is usually carried out without coolant, as these cutting materials have high heat resistance and the elevated temperature within the chip formation zone has a positive effect. Whereas carbide suffers a significant loss of hardness at around 800°C, the hardness of CBN remains almost unchanged at temperatures up to 1,200°C. Another significant advantage is good chemical resistance, even at these high temperatures. www.phorn.co.uk

The SK-51 Type A fixed head lathe from Star Micronics GB is a 2-inch bar capacity slant-bed machine equipped with twin 12-station turrets, offering 7.5kW powered driven tools on every station.

Alternatively, an adapter plate may be similarly delivered by the ATC and clamped hydraulically to the spindle head using the same four-point mechanism. It takes all the weight of a heavy angle head, boring bar, NC facing head or other driven tool needed to carry out special machining operations like drilling multiple or awkwardly positioned holes, facing, grooving, profiling features such as a stepped bore, or turning an internal or external taper or sphere.

Image

Before the turning element of a machining cycle commences, a customisable tool holder plate with a large, 160mm diameter contact area is transported by the automatic tool changer (ATC) to the four-point clamping system on the front of the spindle head, where the holder is hydraulically retained.

Horn has announced an expansion of its product portfolio to include tools tipped with cubic boron nitride (CBN) for machining difficult materials, such as superalloys and hardened steels.

TW Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC) is pleased to announce that Andrew Elliott has rejoined the company in the sales department and senior management team.

Pallet load can be up to four tonnes when turning at maximum rotational speed of 300rpm. Software is included in the control as standard for actively balancing the loaded table, with monitoring provided by imbalance sensors.

Tooling manufacturer, Horn has introduced a new carbide insert grade, SG66, for turning components from steel that has been case hardened to 58 HRC.

In celebration of World Space Week, Space-Comm Expo has announced visitor registration is now officially live and open for the London ExCeL, event, running 11-12 March 2025.

The Supermini system is available in left- and right-hand versions with different corner radii. The CBN-tipped variants are for internal machining from a diameter of 2mm. Different lengths of solid carbide body are available. Tools in the Mini family can be used from an internal diameter of 6.8mm and are also available in left- and right-hand versions.

As an option, a tool extension unit can be automatically exchanged into the spindle to extend the reach of short cutters, minimising the number of long tools in the magazine that may be needed for certain applications. The unit also provides more rigidity than long-reach cutters, optimising damping and avoiding the risk of vibration and chatter. Quill movement with length and sag compensation is a further option for machining particularly difficult inner contours.

The single-edged tool type 315 is for external grooving from a width of 0.5mm. In the cutting insert system 229, the previous CBN substrate CB 50 is replaced by the higher performance substrate CB 35. Inserts are available with two different corner radii and cutting widths from 3mm to 6mm.

The SK-51 Type A fixed head lathe from Star Micronics GB is a 2-inch bar capacity slant-bed machine equipped with twin 12-station turrets, offering 7.5kW powered driven tools on every station.

The Boeing X-37B spaceplane is to begin executing a series of novel manoeuvres, called aerobraking, to change its orbit around Earth, the US Space Force has announced.

Seco Tools’ Inspiration Through Innovation (ITI) event returns this month, marking a decade of breakthrough collaborations in aerospace and medical manufacturing. This year’s in-person gathering held on October 16th and 17th promises cutting-edge insights into overcoming shared challenges and propelling the next generation of innovation.

Babcock International Group (Babcock), the defence company, has been awarded a two-year contract extension by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to continue to provide technical support services across the UK armed forces.

Experience the precision and quality of DMG Mori’s machining process for a stainless steel surgical hammer in full in this hour long video.

With the B+W solution, similar technology is available to address one-hit production applications involving much more rigorous machining of larger components made of tougher materials.

Mindful of this, Burkhardt + Weber (B+W) has introduced a hydraulically-actuated, four-point clamping system on the spindle head of its heavy-duty, multi-tasking machines for use during turning operations.

If you find this article informative, consider subscribing digitally to Aerospace Manufacturing for free. Keep up to date with the latest industry news in your inbox as well as being the first to receive our magazine in digital form.

While the spindle is rotating, the effects of these loads are dissipated across each ball or roller bearing within the spindle assembly. However, when the spindle is static, for example when it is holding a turning tool, the loads and vibrations can cause premature wear and eventually lead to expensive repair or replacement.

The rotary table on the MCT1000 may be used for 5-axis simultaneous prismatic metalcutting or positioning components for 5-sided machining, but for turning operations its dynamic, backlash-free, 55kW torque drive rated at 4,200Nm is its defining feature.

Whereas carbide suffers a significant loss of hardness at around 800°C, the hardness of CBN remains almost unchanged at temperatures up to 1,200°C. Another significant advantage is good chemical resistance, even at these high temperatures.

The coupling area is thoroughly cleaned with coolant and air before final engagement. As the entire process is autonomous, there is no operator intervention or interruption to the production cycle.

Quay Lane PO12 4LB UNITED KINGDOM

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is investing £500m to transform its historic Halewood facility into a state-of-the-art production site for electric vehicles (EVs), the company announced in September.

The travelling-column machine design allows the X-axis to be hydraulically clamped by a large brake disc during turning for extra rigidity and machining accuracy. As the X-axis does not move during the turning section of a cycle, motion control is drive-friendly and energy efficient.

Meanwhile, a video is available to view at: www.kingsburyuk.com/video/burkhardtweber-mct-1000. The content is based on a 5-axis, twin-pallet MCT1000 horizontal-spindle, universal machining centre with 2,200 x 1,400 x 1800mm working volume.

The sole sales and service agent for B+W machines in Britain, Ireland and the Gulf, Kingsbury, has put together a PowerPoint presentation outlining how the system works, a copy of which is available on request.