Product category:
Flexible machining cells and systems (FMS)
News Release from: Chiron Werke UK | Subject: Flexline system
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 June 2000
A diverse manufacturing philosophy from
Chiron
UK companies can now enjoy the ultimate in production flexibility and productivity for both high volume and variable part manufacture with the Chiron Flexline 'diverse manufacturing' philosophy.
UK companies can now enjoy the ultimate in production flexibility and productivity for both high volume and variable part manufacture with the Chiron Flexline 'diverse manufacturing' philosophy With Flexline, any combination of three to eight Chiron FZ12S, or FZ18s Magnum vertical machining centres are linked by a linear fixture carrying robot to gain all the benefits of a flexible transfer line and flexible manufacturing system or cell - but without the drawbacks
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Because each unit is essentially a standard Chiron vertical machining centre, the resulting system is not only easy to program and operate but it is also one of the most cost-effective, fastest and efficient manufacturing systems available, thanks to the machines' characteristic fast speed of operation and attractive price tags.
For example, each FZ12S Magnum VMC used in Flexline has X, Y and Z axis travels of 550 mm by 300 mm by 425 mm, rapid traverse rates of 40 m/min and boast a tool change time of only 0.9 sec with chip-to-chip being 2.4 secs.
Spindle speed is 20,000 revs/min.
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The complementary robot workpiece carrying system operates at 250 m/min, feeding the machines' NC rotary table.
It is this impressive specification - and that fact that all machining programs and tools are housed in the machines - that makes Flexline the ideal choice for producing complete families of parts in small or large batches either simultaneously or consecutively - in other words, diverse manufacture.
Workpieces are manually/automatically clamped onto a fixture plate which has an HSK toolholder at its rear for location into the carrier robot, and subsequently into one of the individual VMCs.
Larger components are handled using a trunnion fixture with two HSK locations.
With either system the workpiece can be manipulated under NC in a single clamping to machine four faces in a simple fourth axis rotary indexer, and any compound angle using a fifth axis tilt and rotary device.
Options include a second load/unload station, a washing station, and automatic workpiece clamping and workpiece magazine.
Compared to so-called flexible manufacturing systems, which feed single-spindle machines with complex and expensive multiple-nested tombstone fixtures, Flexline utilises a minimum number of simple pallets with the maximum number of production spindles.
And unlike special-purpose rotary or linear transfer machines, which are inflexible and product specific, Flexline can accommodate product or technology changes with ease, and dissimilar parts within the manufacturing process at the same time.
Flexline can be easily and quickly re-tooled and re-programmed.
It all adds up to a level of production flexibility that enables users to achieve just-in-time production of single components or volume parts in the most cost-efficient manner and with high SPC accuracy.
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