Product category:
CNC turning centres, mill/turning, multi-tasking centres, horizontal and VTLs.
News Release from: Mills Manufacturing Technology | Subject: Nakamura Tome WT-150 turning centre
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 April 2002
Turning centre packs 48 tools into two
turrets
for the first time, 48 tools are available in a lathe with two conventional turrets, which is capable of producing parts up to 190mm diameter by 400mm long.
Normally for a turning centre to deploy a large number of tools, its design involves a single-station head with automatic tool change from an external magazine Now for the first time, 48 tools are available in a lathe with two conventional turrets following the introduction of the new Nakamura Tome WT-150, which is capable of producing parts up to 190mm diameter, 400mm long
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 23 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Two opposing twin-turret lathes are in one
One of the most capable mill-turning machines ever built, has four turrets, two spindles and offers a total of 13 computer controlled axes.
The machine is available in the UK through sole agent, Mills Manufacturing Technology.
The higher rigidity of this type of turret together with its larger tool capacity combines improved machining accuracy with the ability to produce more complex components in one hit, with all the attendant benefits including less work-in-progress, shorter lead times, zero fixture costs and reduced manning overheads.
Additionally, families of parts may be produced with minimal changeover times, as retooling the turrets is needed much less frequently and there is ample space for sister tooling.
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The innovation has been made possible by taking the standard Nakamura Tome 12-station turret, equipping it with two tools at each station and doubling the number of indexing positions to 24.
High milling power is available at all turret stations via a spline drive from the 2.2kW / 6,000 rpm motors.
On the WT-150, the turrets are mounted on independent slides above and below the spindle centreline, giving maximum versatility for optimising cycle times.
Balanced turning of slender workpieces and simultaneous milling / drilling are established advantages.
Less well known is Nakamura Tome's policy of building axis load monitoring into the movement of the turrets and sub-spindle, introducing greater machining opportunities.
For example when machining shaft-type components, the lower turret can give tailstock or steady rest support.
Even more novel is the ability of the opposing spindle to pick up a running centre from the lower turret and move across to act as a tailstock.
For sliding-head type machining, guide bush support may be provided.
Mindful that minimisation of heat fluctuation in the working area is fundamental to machining accuracy, Nakamura Tome has chosen servo driven rather than hydraulic turrets, and a coaxially mounted, V-belt-driven spindle drive instead of the more common built-in design.
Moreover, the dual windings of the 15 / 11kW motor give higher power at low speeds as well as improved acceleration at higher speeds up to 5,000 rpm.
As the drive is physically smaller, there is less turret overhang leading to improved rigidity for heavy metal removal.
Unusually, the +/-35 mm Y-axis movement of the upper turret uses a single slideway rather than having to interpolate two separate axes on a compound slide.
The result is greater rigidity and reduced overhang, allowing higher metal removal rates as well as improved accuracy and surface finish.
The WT-150 is a fast machine, having rapids of 16 m/min in X and 40m/min in both Z and B (linear sub-spindle movement).
Machining feed rates are also high and acceleration is over 0.6G in each axis.
C-axis rotational positioning speed is a generous 10 revs per second.
To match this improved specification, high speed control software with increased look-ahead for milling is provided within the Fanuc 18i-TB control system.
An overhead parts catcher with belt conveyor is fitted for safe and efficient removal of finished components, avoiding the usual parts bucket in the door opening that restricts access to the working area.
Further features are a removable tool setter, eliminating the need for less accurate preset tooling; and 'airbag' damage protection that reverses the direction of axis drive the instant a collision is detected.
Overseeing machine and tool management is Nakamura Tome's NT Nurse, allowing extended periods of unmanned running.
In addition, NT Navigator is a patented in-cycle datum system, simplifying workholding and speeding datuming of, for example, variable length castings.
(This was Manufacturingtalk's Top Story on 9 April 2002).
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