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Product category: Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: DMG (UK) | Subject: DMF 220 linear VMC
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 24 April 2001

DMG unveils linear drive VMC

The world innovation DMF 220 linear machining centre presents the world's fastest X axis and excellent positioning accuracy says Deckel Maho.

Productive long distance sprinter The world innovation DMF 220 linear presents the world's fastest X axis and excellent positioning accuracy says Deckel Maho It couldn't be truer - if you want to open up new market segments, you will first come up against the established competitors On the other hand, you don't need fully developed internal structures, but excellent knowledge of the market and the opinion of manufacturers to find out exactly what a machine has to deliver, if it is to be successful in an occupied market segment

"You have to be better, if you want to overcome" - true to this simple formula, Deckel Maho Seebach has developed the new DMF linear line whose first representative, the DMF 220 linear by name, will be celebrating its world premi?re in mid March at the inhouse exhibition in Bielefeld.

So wherever long workpieces are processed and wherever there are decisive advantages to be gained when the workpiece lies flat over the whole working area, i.e all axes lie in the tool, the new traverse column processing centres from Deckel Maho now offer the perfect symbiosis of attractive cutting performance, high productivity, and precision - not to mention the excellent price performance ratio.

The characteristic and, in this market segment, unique feature of DMF linear machines is (and the name is everything) the linear drive installed in the long X axis.

Although dynamics doesn't play the central role as a differentiating feature in the field of traverse column processing centres (it's the physics that sets the benchmarks here rather than the competition), accelerations of 0.5G are nevertheless far from being an everyday occurrence on the market.

In particular, however, the linear drive offers a great number of further advantages.

The first to be named here is the high speed of the traverse column, which can position the workpiece along the X axis at 100 m/min.

This means at all counts an increase of 100 to 200% with respect to conventional machines fitted with ball spindles, whose max traverse rate is limited by the shaft's whipping speed.

In addition, the linear drive positions not only rapidly, but also completely precisely - and this, mark you, free of wear and over years to come, a fact that again underscores the long-term value of the DMF linear line.

Together with the fast times of under five seconds between cutting procedures and the high cutting performance, these features all add up as payments in kind.

Yet not only in matters of output and long-term stability does the DMF 220 linear know how to carry conviction.

This latest innovation from Deckel Maho Seebach is also setting new standards in its class with respect to quality.

The linear drive plays a central role here too: besides the positioning accuracy mentioned above, both the high dynamic rigidity and the direct play of forces between the traverse column, linear drive, and the machine bed ensure the optimal cutting conditions for roughing and smoothing alike.

The traverse column (FEM optimized, of course) is designed as a cross-ribbed structure.

Together with the solid X saddle, which also forms a very compact unit with the Y saddle, and thanks to the fast motor spindle with a max speed of 12,000 rpm, this "work module" proves itself well equipped for all the demands of modern cutting procedures.

High speed cutting and the use of modern cutting materials are only two examples.

What also finds its place in this processing unit is, of course, the hopper, which also traverses over the work area and has a capacity for thirty tools.

This hopper, however, is not installed at a fixed position, but is connected to the traverse column via a pneumatic cylinder.

As a result, the tools are constantly in pick-up mode during the process, so reducing the times between cutting operations to five seconds.

On the other hand, though, the hopper can be "uncoupled" from the process during cutting and tooling procedures parallel to production, so that any vibrations cannot have negative effects on the cutting result.

And if the capacity of thirty tools is not enough, there is also the option of adapting the cassette hopper known from the DMC 85 V linear, which can hold 112 tools and is installed to one side of the machine.

This involves the use of a lightweight tool shuttle that is likewise fitted with a linear motor.

And because this also uses the magnetic path, the costs remain within justifiable limits.

The tools are then provided with extreme accelerations of over 2G, i.e over twice the acceleration caused by gravity.

The shuttle solution ensures that this version too doesn't let tool handling time have any negative effects on the production time.

The CNC system used for the DMF linear line is in all cases the Sinumerik 840 D, whose digital drives in the Y and Z axes and linear drive in the X axis form perfectly harmonised.

And the philosophy our concern follows makes sure that the customer can also easily utilise all the opportunities of the DMG Net Service for this traverse column innovation as well.

As mentioned earlier, the DMF 220 linear marks only the beginning of an entire line.

For example, in a very short time the DMF 300 linear with a 3000 mm X axis will be available, and a variant with 1600 mm travel is currently in the realisation stage.

Here too, the linear drive offers before this background a pleasant advantage: in principle nothing other must be done, apart from a small number of dimensional modifications, than the installation of the corresponding number of magnetic sections along the X axis.

Accordingly, the traverse column together with the motor spindle as the central processing unit will be identical for all machines, just as the tool hopper and a large number of other components.

But not only the buyers should be pleased.

Also the operators profit from the series character of DMF linear machines: after all, only sufficiently high piece numbers justify the costs of a mould.

And a more detailed explanation is surely not needed here for the advantages a cast bed like that for the DMF linear line has in terms of long-term stability and damping when compared with a conventional welded steel structure.

Incidentally, the DMF linear line will also offer an optional partition for realising shuttle processing, and so tooling operations parallel to production.

Both the machine and the workroom are fully panelled at all times, so that the new traverse column centres can be integrated smoothly in the innovative corporate image in terms of hitech design as well.

So henceforth the DMF linear line will be expanding the strategic business field of milling in the Gildemeister concern by a seventh product line.

As a result, the Deckel Maho companies in association with the Gildemeister concern are offering the international markets the most extensive range of products in this field of technology.

And the future will see even greater efforts to expand the range of applications for each of these lines - both with respect to various working areas and in terms of higher dynamics and speed as well as extra processing options.

Technical details: The DMF 220 Linear has a table area of 2600mm by 600mm and axes travels of 2200mm by 560mm by 720mm for X, Y and Z respectively.

Spindle speed range is 12,000 rev/min and spindle torque is 130Nm.

Rapid traverse rate is 100m/min and feed rates are up to 20m/min.

The tool magazine holds 30 or 112 tools.

Workpiece weight is 1500kg The DMF 300 Linear has similar specifications except that the table area is 3400mm by 600mm and axes travels are 3000mm by 560mm by 720mm.

Workpiece weight is 2000kg.

Both machines operate with Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC.

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