Product category:
Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: TW Ward CNC Machinery | Subject: Vertical machining centre, 4-axis
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 20 February 2007
A 4-axis VMC brings in more machining
work
A machining centre's 4-axis capability is a specialist machinist to secure from major clients additional work that was previously beyond its former 3-axis machining capabilities.
The capacity demands presented by Cosmopolitan Engineering's rising order book - which includes the machining of a wide variety of stainless steel components - are being satisfied by a Hartford Omnis 1020 open fronted vertical machining centre supplied by Ward CNC In addition to tackling a host of milling, and drilling and tapping operations on the dozens of stainless washers, pins, wheels, shafts, key plates, spacers and rollers, for example, being produced as a single contract for a blue chip customer, the machine's four-axis capability is also enabling this Sheffield, UK-based specialist machinist to secure from existing major clients additional work that was previously beyond its former three-axis machining capabilities
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 13 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Formed 30 years ago, Cosmopolitan employs 10 people and chiefly provides maintenance-based services (re-machining/re-work/replacement components, for instance) to customers such as local forgemasters.
The past five years have seen the company's workload steadily increase, which, explained company director Mike Vernon, was the spur to invest in a four-axis machining centre.
"Around four years ago we purchased a three-axis CNC mill, but last summer it became apparent that our capacity was becoming stretched again with the amount of orders coming in," he said.
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"Also, we were increasingly being presented with opportunities to quote for four-axis work.
We looked at a number of machines but none could match the specification of the Hartford Omnis on a cost-to-performance basis." He cited features such as 20-bar through-spindle coolant and a wash bed conveyor, supplied as standard by Ward CNC, as difficult to find elsewhere without paying for them as optional extras.
The fourth axis will, he said, also help the company take on more complex parts.
In general, Cosmopolitan uses the Hartford Omnis 1020 to produce precision parts from materials ranging from plastics and aluminium through to stainless steel and Inconel.
Tolerances are often in the realm of 0.01mm.
The machine features rigid tapping in addition to fourth-axis capability for all-round productivity benefits, and has a table of 1200mm by 470mm plus spindle speeds of 60-8,000 rev/min from a 7.5/10kW main motor.
It has travels in X, Y and Z axes of 1020mm by 510mm by 510mm, and ATC capacity is 24 tools.
Control is via the Hartrol-Fanuc AI100 (0iMC), and a major feature is the Hartrol advanced functionality programming routines available as standard; a series of easy-to-use cycles designed to simplify and speed up programming times and therefore reduce downtime along with other useful setting and maintenance functions for ease of operator use.
The routines embrace, for example, workpiece datum setting using edge setter, manual tool setting using calibrated setting block, tool magazine tracking (for arm-type ATC), tool logging and spindle load monitor, as well as full M Code listings and a comprehensive set of special canned cycles.
The machine's range of optional equipment includes NC rotary index tables, part probing and toolsetting probe.
"Without the new Hartford there are certain jobs we would have to decline - we just couldn't to do them on our existing three-axis machine," explained Mike Vernon.
"Take the current workload: many components are finished turned before being presented to the Hartford which, depending on requirements, produces a range of milled features before drilling and tapping routines.
We simply couldn't have undertaken this contract if we didn't have the Hartford's fourth axis for the variety of tasks required.".
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