Product category:
5-axis (3+2 axes and continuous path) machining centres
News Release from: DMG (UK) | Subject: DMC60T universal machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 14 July 2006
5-axis machining centre cuts cycles
two-thirds
A 12-employee subcontractor has just installed a twin pallet universal five-axis machining centre on the basis that it will provide rapid payback, cutting machining cycles by up to two-thirds.
Proving that investment costs for high technology machine tools are not prohibitive to small subcontract machining companies, 12-employee DandS Engineering has just installed a DMC60T twin pallet universal five-axis machining centre from DMG UK on the basis that it will provide rapid payback Considering that the cycle time for one particular repeat job has already been cut by two-thirds, the return is already looking rosy for this Coventry-based precision machinist
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 21 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Providing subcontract manufacturing services for the past 30 years to the defence, aerospace and hydraulic industries, prismatic machining is the most recent addition to the DandS portfolio.
And while the company had been deploying its existing three and four-axis machining centres with admirable effect, customer pressure for reduced prices led DandS to seek a method of eliminating second and third operations.
"We knew that the facility to hit five faces simultaneously would help us machine components complete in a single set-up," explained director Steve Maconnachie.
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"It would also improve consistency as parts requiring several set-ups inherently means more potential to introduce error." Maconnachie also said that the amount of high volume/low value work filtering out of the country provided DandS with another incentive.
"More and more we are receiving enquiries for high value components.
However, many ask whether or not we have five-axis capability - if we say 'no' they won't even ask us to quote." After searching the market for a suitable five-axis machine, DandS Engineering opted to purchase a DMC60T universal machining centre from DMG UK.
"Fortunately DMG had one in stock and, even better, it featured a very powerful Heidenhain control, which is a standard that I have grown up with," said Maconnachie.
The compact DMC60T features Deckel Maho's innovative monoBLOCK construction in combination with a pallet changer.
High dynamics in all axes and a milling head with 150deg swivel range guarantee high productivity for individual production tasks.
Rapid traverse of 50m/min, up to 0.6G acceleration in the X, Y and Z axes, and chip-to-chip times of less than 5s offer the prerequisites for highly productive part production.
The machine also features an integrated 28kW motor spindle offering 12,000rev/min and a torque of 121Nm to ensure powerful milling ability.
The expandable magazine in modular design is equipped with places for 30 SK40 tools as standard.
The rotating pallet changer allows for set-up to take place in parallel to production.
"As were also looking to reduce loading costs," said Maconnachie, "we knew we would benefit from the twin pallet feature.
We can either load the same components on identical fixtures, or have different parts on each pallet - the choice is ours." The DMC60T is used by DandS Engineering to cut complex components requiring machining on five sides.
Materials vary from aluminium through to inconel - Maconnachie said the machine handles tougher materials without any difficulties.
Tolerances are usually in the region of +/-10 microns while batch sizes vary from 1- to 250-off.
A typical day at DandS Engineering will see the DMC60T run continuously for 16h.
"The benefits have already been tremendous," he concluded.
"For example, one of our regular repeat jobs used to take 80 minutes to complete over three operations.
Now, using the DMC60T, it takes just 26 minutes to finish in a single set-up.
It also allows us to quote for jobs that we would previously have been precluded from without five-axis machining capability.".
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