Product category:
Large milling and boring machines (over 2000mm in X)
News Release from: H and H Machine Tools | Subject: Ultra 4 Machining Centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 21 March 2003
M-C features a novel overhead gantry
design
A machining centre, processing work up to 10 tonnes, features a novel overhead gantry design, in which the CNC acts as a stationary table while the machine's axis is configered as a gantry.
Venture Metro Production Manager Peter Bramer reports that the company's new Ultra 4 Machining Centre, installed in Oct 2002 has proven: "very satisfactory" for all types of toolmaking up to and including 10 tonnes The new ULTRA4 CNC from Melbournes H and H Machine Tools features a unique overhead gantry design in which the CNC acts as a stationary table while the machine's axis is configered as a gantry
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 May 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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This innovative overhead gantry design ensures that the dynamic properties of the machine remain constant, allowing extremely high machine feed rates (upto 30 metres/min) with accelerations up to 0.5G.
Thomas Hegmann says: "As the work piece does not move machining is always independent of the work piece weight.
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And since the work piece is not mounted on a moving axis the dynamic properties of the machine remain constant.
This gives an important advantage to a user because the difference in weight from small to large workpieces has a negative effect on the dynamic properties of machines where the workpiece moves.
Heavy weights makesuch traditionally designed machines vibrate, compromising accuracy, surface finish and the time taken for machining.
The ULTRA 4/5 table, in its smallest configeration of 2500 x 1800mm can easily carry workpieces of 15t.
Axis travel is from 2000mm or 3000mm in X-axis, 1600mm in Y-axis and 1000mm in the Z-axis.
Setting up and lining up large workpieces for machining is both time consuming and costly with many CNC machines.
The H and H solution is to machine a die in one single setup, using the machines ability to penetrate all parts of a workpiece with the cutting tool.
"Four an five axis machines are substantiantially more productive than three axis counterparts." Swivel head rotation is another highly advanced and productive feature of bo th the Ultra 4 and Ultra 5 machines.
The ability to swivel the head has major advantages for a tool and die manufacturer.
As the head swivels, the cutting tool can be kept as short as possible, reducing vibration and generating an excellent, consistent surface finish.
For an end user, the remarkable features of the Ultra 4 and Ultra 5 machines means lower cutting tool temperatures, extended tool life, high efficiency and exceptionally high volumes of material removal.
The machine also offers substantially improved levels of surface finish, a key factor in reducing tool manufacturing costs.
The ULTRA4 incorporates a fully controlled CNC machining 4th axis which can swivel and incline the tool while machining is in progress.
Thomas Hegmann of H and H Machine Tools says that such tool inclination has significant advantages.
It sharply reduces the time required for actual machining by permitting much higher feedrates.
Tool length is kept as short as possible while with ball nose end mills tool inclination eliminates "rubbing" so that the tool is constantly maintained on the ball radius.
He adds that: "High speed cutting requires high spindle RPM and intensive surface feeds but within specific speed/feed vectors chip removal temperatures decrease considerably." The ULTRA4's smart control system allows the machine to run without manual supervision.
The intelligent control detects tool wear and is able to select a new cutting tool (from the same family) on a fully automatic basis.Tool length and head inclination are also measured automatically vi a laser assisting in the generation of very fast machining times, exceptional output and a high level of surface finish.
The milling spindle is driven by an 18,000rpm 21kW motor and for: "more demanding machining operations, such as machining ribs in hardened tool steel," the machine incorporates a sub spindle which allows a speed of 40,000 rpm using small diameter milling cutters.
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