Product category:
5-axis (3+2 axes and continuous path) machining centres
News Release from: CMS Group (UK) | Subject: Antares 5-axis CNC machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 January 2008
Machining centre, 5-axis, mills Al and
non-metals
For machining non-ferrous metals and non-metals a 5-axis machining centre a more stiffness to the 5-axis cutting head than is normally associated with machines of this type.
Italian machine tool builder, CMS, will be showing its latest 5-axis CNC machining centre - called Antares, at the UK MACH 2008 machine tool show Antares is intended for machining non-ferrous (NF) materials within a 2600 x 1500 x 1200 mm working envelope
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 13 Nov 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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According to CMS UK general manager, Toni Nagiel, the Antares concept deliberately tends towards 'over-engineering' to provide a high degree of robustness, reliability and accuracy.
The machines can therefore be used for a wider range of applications than might previously have been envisaged, said Nagiel to manufacturingtalk.com.
Confidence in their capabilities is, he said, being borne out by their increasing use in high-technology industries.
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Machining centre with a 24,000 rev/min, high-speed, 12kW spindle that is liquid cooled offers positioning speeds up to 80m/min with acceleration rates of up to 3.0m/s2.
Modular machining centres mill at high speeds
Modular machining centdfes can be built up to 8m by 40m (X and Y axis) to order for machining large aluminium or composite components in the aerospace, automotive and marine industries.
Travelling column VMC has dual-pallet indexing
Vertical machining centre with a travelling column design and integrated rotary dual-pallet indexing system provides higher levels of productivity and output and efficient workpiece loading/unloading.
Materials regularly machined now extend from wood, aluminium, epoxy paste and polyurethane, commonly found in the mould-, model- and pattern-making sectors, to include light alloys and carbon fibre, as used for the production of structural components in aircraft, for example.
The Antares design philosophy igives far higher degree of stiffness to the 5-axis cutting head than is normally associated with machines of this type, said CMS.
The usefulness of this attribute is enhanced by the inclusion of a pneumatic brake that can be programmed to clamp the B- and C-axis during operations that do not require fully active 5-axis interpolation.
* Universal head - the PX5 universal head, with all five axes acting under simultaneous control from a GE-Fanuc 18i MB5 CNC system, has a fourth, horizontally rotating axis and a fifth that inclines the spindle in the vertical plane, in addition to the three orthogonal linear axes.
The highly specified CNC includes PC Office integrated in the electrical cabinet.
* High speed spindle - drawing on the machine tool builder's 35 years of experience, a strong spindle shaft, manufactured in-house, is mounted on two pairs of pre-loaded bearings - ceramic for the front pair and steel for the rear.
The high-speed spindle (24,000 rev/min maximum - 12kW or 27,000 rev/min maximum - 6kW) is liquid cooled.
Fast positioning speeds of 70-80m/min are achieved along with acceleration of up to 3.0m/s2.
These are higher if a customer chooses the option of linear motors in X and Y.
* Special machining cycles - CMS has developed special cycles for surfacing work, which are linked to the high-speed cutting strategy from Fanuc.
It allows the programmer to vary cutting feed rates on the same tool path to optimise both roughing and finishing operations, leading to major productivity gains and high levels of surface quality.
Roughing times are typically half those of finishing cycles.
Automatic tool change is from a magazine located on the front face of the traverse.
An eight-tool magazine is standard; a 16-tool version is optional.
According to CMS, the combination of a high performance, powerful electro spindle and high machine rigidity assured by the travelling bridge construction offer users high quality machining across a wide range of materials.
* Extended markets - having extended its target markets well beyond the original woodworking and routing, CMS is benefitting from increased machine sales.
Said Nagiel: "We are challenging manufacturers to look again at their previous understanding of what type of machinery they need.
We are regularly showing that, for many high-speed machining applications, equipment with large-volume working cubes such as the Antares can be just as effective as higher-priced, 'traditional' 5-axis machining centres".
Nagiel suggested that if manufacturers would broaded their outlook, they would benefit.
For example, where the standard vacuum bed has provided an unexpectedly easy way for customers to clamp large components and save on tooling costs and downtime.
He continued, "Of course, tee-slotted and other tables are available as well, but production staff owe it to their companies to look at all options.
By dealing with CMS at its Nottingham, UK base, they are talking directly to the machine supplier and are offered full technical advisory and after-sales services".
* CMS Group (UK) at MACH 2008, NEC, Birmingham, April 21-25, Hall 5, Stand 5588.
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