Product category:
Horizontal machining centres (HMC)
News Release from: Emag UK | Subject: BA 321 horizontal machining centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 04 January 2008
Horizontal machining centre has twin
spindles
To minimises costs in the high-productivity machining of steel and cast iron workpieces, a twin-spindle hoizontal machining centre is designed for 3- and 4-axis production work.
The two-spindle BA 321 horizontal machining centre from SW minimises costs in the high-productivity machining of steel and cast iron workpieces It combines design elements of machining centers with those of rotary index machines
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 12 Nov 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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EMAG is a market leader in vertical machining
EMAG has literally turned machining on its head.
The pick-up-principle simplifies automatic loading and unloading of workpieces at almost no extra cost.
The result, said SW, is a high-quality, high-productivity, compact machine with a low purchasing cost.
It is designed for the 3- and 4-axis machining of mass-produced components for the automotive industry and its sub-contractors.
Combining design elements from machining center and rotary index machine into the new BA 321 is in answer to market demands for a machine that produces large quantities of workpieces with an emphasis on 3-axis machining economically and with precision.
Further reading
EMAG UK - a company profile
Since its foundation in 1984, EMAG UK has established a strong position in the UK automotive market supplying CNC multi-functional production centres.
Turrets feed vertical shaft turning centre
Following on from its earlier horizontal shaft turning machine, Emag has developed a vertical shaft turning machine using two turrets to exchange workpieces as well as perform machining.
Grinding and automation expertise extended
With the integration of Ingersoll Naxos crankshaft grinding machine company into the Emag Group, systems can be developed in conjunction with Karstens, Reinecker, Kopp and Heilig Automation.
* Workpiece carrier - an essential element of the SW BA 321 Machining Center is the workpiece carrier, a rotary axis in the form of a horizontal beam.
This beam swivels around its longitudinal axis with a precision of +/-5 arc.sec.
It is supported on both sides in generously dimensioned receptors in the monobloc machine base.
Short positioning times are achieved by a torque motor that gives the rotary axis a maximum speed of 50 rev/min.
The four clamping stations on the workpiece carrier, each measuring 180 x 850mm, accommodate two or four workholding fixtures each.
Each station also features up to seven distributor ports for the hydraulics and pneumatics needed to clamp the workpieces.
This provides great flexibility for the multiple clamping of workpieces, said SW.
The layout of the horizontal workpiece carrier, in conjunction with special, well sealing, automatic partition doors at the front of the machining area, makes it possible, during the machining cycle, to unload, load and clamp workpieces on each of the four 90 deg positions.
The workpiece carrier arrangement allows the two main spindles to machine the workpieces on each of the three clamping stations within the machining area, whilst the operator loads and unloads workpieces from the fourth station in the loading station.
With the partition doors open, machining can also take place with the workpiece carrier positioned at any desired angle.
Compared to other SW machining centers equipped with double swivel trunnion and two integral rotary axes, the new concept offers the user a low-cost, high quality alternative for the economic, 3- and 4-axis machining of mass-produced steel, cast iron and light alloy components.
Such workpieces include calipers, master cylinders and ABS control units, as well as hydraulic and pneumatic components.
* Cost benefits - the cost benefits of the new BA 321 go hand in hand with the reliable, high value technology for which SW is well known.
The economical solution the BA 321 machining center represents has its basis on well-proven design elements and components.
The SW-patented monobloc machine base provides for optimal force distribution and, consequently, the highest possible degree of rigidity and stability.
The design also allows for a compact machine construction.
The remaining machine assemblies are all integrated into the monobloc, making this a 'plug and play' machine.
At the same time, all drive components can be accessed quickly and easily from the rear of the machine.
* Twin spindles - the two synchronous motor spindles with their power rating of 32kW, a torque of 72Nm and HSK 63 tool receptor, make a substantial contribution to the high productivity rating of the machining center.
These spindles reach their top speed of 10,000 rev/min in as little as 0.7s.
SW also offers spindles with a maximum speed of 17,500 rev/min for the machining of light alloys.
The distance between spindles on the BA 321 is 300mm.
The sturdy headstock, in which the two spindles are mounted from the rear against a fixed stop, utilises the tried and tested box-in-box principle to move in a vertical composite construction with the gantry.
The gantry drive guarantees a high degree of precision, even under off-centre load.
Travel in X is 300mm, in Y, 500mm and in Z, 375mm.
Ball screws with oil-lubricated motion guides allow axis speeds of up to 70m/min in Y- and Z-axis and up to 60m/min in X-axis, at accelerations of 10m/s2 in X- and Z-axis and 8m/s2 in Y-axis.
* Tool chaning - the chain magazine for 2x20 (optionally 2x32) tools is located above the machining area.
For the pick-up tool change the two spindles travel upwards 250mm into the magazine area, which is partitioned off from the machining area by sliding doors.
With a chip-to-chip time of less than 3s this layout protects the tools well against chips.
Arrangement of the tool magazine in the smallest possible space immediately above the machining area is also of benefit to the machine operator.
The magazine is loaded through a door located next to the side-mounted control terminal.
There is no need for an additional terminal to handle control of the tool magazine.
The completely enclosed machining area, lined with coated sheet steel, allows even large amounts of chips to fall unhindered into the chip conveyor below.
* CNC systems - SW offers an alternative to the well proven Siemens S840D Powerline control system: the IndraMotion MTX CNC control from Bosch Rexroth.
SW said it is particularly convincing in its programming and operator friendliness.
To make it easier for manufacturing enterprises to get to grips with this innovative control system, SW and Bosch Rexroth will, during start-up, offer extensive technological support and training.
To minimise possible downtimes and the expense of service and repair call-outs, the company will offer the familiar SW online services for both control systems.
Experts will be available by phone and also offer - dependent on the measures to be taken - personal advice and assistance in word and deed.
Short-term machine reinstatement after a malfunction is aided by the excellent accessibility from the back and by standardised plug-and-socket connections between the various component assemblies.
* Batch or mass production - the SW machining center has proven its viability most emphatically in the batch production of a variety of components for the automotive industry and its sub-contractors.
This has been helped by the outstanding quality and the optimal combination of high productivity and flexibility.
The special characteristics of the SW machine include stability and reliability.
The basic concept of the existing machining centers from SW includes two fourth axes.
For the many manufacturing companies that primarily need to machine with three axes only, this means avoidable expense.
It is for these users in particular that the BA 321 Horizontal Two-Spindle Machining Center has been developed.
With this compact and highly productive machine SW said it opens up new opportunities for these enterprises.
The BA 321 allows them to economically integrate their technologically less demanding 3- and 4-axis machining into otherwise cost-intensive areas of production.
And thus the Swabian machine tool manufacturer once more confirms its strong position in the area of mass production of components for the automotive industry and its sub-suppliers. Request a free brochure from Emag UK ...
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