Product category:
Control systems, DROs, etc, for machine tools
News Release from: Heidenhain (GB) | Subject: Positip 880 6-axis readout
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 22 June 2004
Six-axis DRO solves linear and rotary
axes problem
Following the retrofit of a 6-axis readout and partial machine rebuild on a BoKo vertical milling/boring machine, UKAEA Fusion is now benefiting from greater machining flexibility.
Following the retrofit of Heidenhain's new Positip 880 6-axis readout and partial machine rebuild on its BoKo vertical milling/boring machine, UKAEA Fusion, Special Purposes Workshop, is now benefiting from greater flexibility on existing machinery The BoKo WF1 vertical milling machine has long been a machine shop favourite because of its integrated rotary table, swivelling head and large Z axis capacity from either the head or quill
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Machining centre probes halve cycle times
Set up times have been cut by half and tool setting optimised following the installation of Heidenhain touch trigger probes and tool setting probes at Cross Manufacturing (1938).
Contouring CNC and encoders speeds EDM
Heidenhain's TNC 416 contouring control system and linear and rotary encoders on a Sparcatron five-axis EDM has eliminated tooling changeover in machining turbine blade bleed holes.
This means there are 4 axes of linear movement and 2 rotary axes.
Most readouts can only cater for 3 linear axes however Heidenhain's new Positip 880 is claimed to be the first machine tool readout that will cater for up to 6-axis including rotary axes.
Retrofitting an encoder to the rotary table allows the rotary movement of the table to be shown on the readout offering greater positional accuracy and ease of positioning.
Further reading
Heidenhain CNC for Xaar's customised machinery
For a machine that Loadpoint developed for Xaar, designers made use of the Heidenhain TNC 426 control due to its precise positioning capability while enabling the machine to operate at very high speed
Encoders facilitate high speed placement
A new range of linear encoders has been developed by Heidenhain for linear motor and high axis speed applications.
Probes reduce lead times, speed up inspection
The introduction of Heidenhain probes has had a major impact on production efficiency at the Professional Welding Services by saving between four and five hours from inspection routines.
However on the BoKo this usually requires the removal and re-engineering of the underside of the table to accept the encoder.
This is both expensive and time consuming.
When the Special Purposes Workshop of UKAEA Fusion decided to have some rebuild work and a new 5 axis readout fitted to their 20+ year old BoKo WF1, Heidenhain's regional Retrofit Distributor Eric Clarke of Promtech Services (Milton Keynes), suggested a new approach; using an encoder retrofitted to the end of the rotary tables worm gear, combined with some re-working of the existing worm gear to remove excessive backlash.
Promtech Services called on the experience of Barry Lockett from Boxer Machine Tool Services (Milton Keynes) to provide both the machine rebuild and re-work of the worm gear.
Dave Langridge (workshop supervisor) commented "We are now positioning the rotary table to within 5 arc seconds with backlash of less than 10 arc seconds.
A recent job involved 40 holes around a flange at a 9 degree pitch angle.
Having the angular display on the readout made the job much quicker to produce".
Another of the features Langridge described as "fantastic" was the ability to sum both the head and quill movements into one Z axis display allowing either the head or quill to be used without loosing the Z axis display value.
Specialising in R and D work for the fusion research programme worldwide, the Special Purposes Workshop provides the machining expertise for the UKAEA (Fusion), Special Techniques Group based at the Culham Science Centre near Abingdon.
Gordon Harrison, Manager of the Special Purposes Workshop, is a great advocate of getting the best from the machinery at the facility.
He added; "Promtech had previously undertaken two Bridgeport Interact CNC upgrades with Heidenhain controls - both with 4th axis capability.
This gave us the confidence in their ability to undertake the work on the BoKo.
This has now returned the machine to 'as good as new' condition with the Positip 880 retrofit adding much greater flexibility in the type of work undertaken on the machine. Request a free brochure from Heidenhain (GB) ...
This machine flexibility helps us to be competitive in tendering for work in our specialist field.".
• Heidenhain (GB): contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
