Product category:
Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: YMT Technologies | Subject: YCM FX350A 5-axis VMC
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 February 2008
5-axis vertical machining centre has
large Z-axis
Machine tool builder has invested over 1000 man-hours in developing a high specification, 5-axis continuous path operating, 22.5kW, 700mm X-axis vertical machining centre with a generous Z-axis.
YMT Technologies will be showing its YCM FX350A 5-axis vertical machining centre (VMC) under power at the UK's MACH 2008 machine tool exhibition The YCM FX350A can perform simultaneous cutting in all five axes to produce complex aerospace, electronic and automotive components, said YMT
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 Apr 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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YMT company director, Howard Mancey, told manufacturingtalk.com that the YCM FX350A had been designed and built to exceed the specific demands of the various high tech UK engineering/manufacturing industry sectors, with design input from the engineers at YMT Technologies.
He added: "More than 1000 man-hours of design and engineering time have been invested by our staff to achieve a machine tool that is built up to a high specification - not down to a price".
The FX350A 5-axis VMC's heavy duty Meehanite cast structure provides the same metal cutting performance levels normally expected from a 3-axis vertical machining centre, but with the additional functionality of two extra cutting/positioning axes, said YMT.
Further reading
CNC lathe rigidity increased by 40%
The latest Goodway 26kW CNC turning centres have a low centre of gravity on the 30 deg slant bed design that gives a rigid foundation for the headstock, turret and sub-spindle.
Vertical machining centre is more precise
For precise machining of larger components, YMT Technologies has introduced a powerful vertical machining centre, which has its spindle within a symmetrical headstock that avoids thermal deformation.
VMC offers advanced high performance machining
Described as being 'ultra fast, a vertical machining centre offers an optimal balance between high speed machining performance, rigidity and accuracy.
The VMC uses a Nikken 2-axis rotary unit provides an A-axis (tilt) of 211 deg and a continuous rotary C-axis.
* Larger Z-axis - an example of YMT Technologies' design engineering input is the column of the machine, which was extended to provide a generous Z axis travel of 480mm, while the X- and Y-axis (700mm and 520mm) offer the levels of travel needed to fully exploit the simultaneous 5-axis machining capability.
YMT said that the size of these axes travels allow long cutting tools to be used, to generate complex freeform geometric surfaces such as those found on blades, impellers and BLISKs (blade-integrated disks-Ed).
Within a compact footprint of 2625mm by 2210mm the use of a high accuracy 2-axis rotary unit permits workpieces up to 400mm diameter by 400mm long to be machined to extremely tight tolerances.
The FX350A offers a repeatability of 0.007mm and positioning accuracy of 0.010mm.
* Accuracy - YMT said that every FX350A receives an initial laser calibration on all axes, which is used to set up the CNC system.
The centre rotational position point of both rotary axes is entered into the kinematic table of the control system so that the control may track the centre point of rotation.
It is imperative that precise centre points in relationship to the linear X-, Y- and Z-axis are found and recorded, as the overall accuracy of the machine is dependent upon the set up of the kinematic table.
The use of this table allows the accurate mapping of the machining envelope in the CNC system with bespoke software, to ensure that each of the five axes are correctly aligned to each other at all times.
The 22.5kW, 12,000 rev/min spindle has a BBT-40 nose, which provides face and taper contact for rigid seating of the tool holder and, therefore, a more predictable and repeatable positioning of the tip of the cutting tool.
This tool clamping rigidity also results in an improved surface finish on the component and a considerable increase cutting tool life.
Through spindle coolant supply (20 bar) is standard as is swarf flushing.
Both of these play an important role in keeping the machine running efficiently for extended periods.
* Reducing machining costs - Mancey said: "The use of 5-axis simultaneous machining has an immediate effect on any manufacturing operation's drive towards reducing costs.
Components which would have required two or more machine operations - with the associated increased costs of multiple set-ups, additional tooling and workholding, work-in-progress, and rejects due to accumulated datum errors - can now be completed on one machine, in a single set-up".
An important area that is often overlooked on any prismatic cutting machine is that of swarf clearance.
"If manual intervention is required to remove swarf nests from within the working envelope of the machine," said Mancey, "Then the overall efficiency of the process is reduced, which has a negative impact on the payback calculations used to justify the investment.
As well as the standard swarf flush system used to wash chips away from the machining area, the FX350A is fitted with a tailored swarf evacuation system.
The exact design of the system will depend upon the material type predominantly being machined".
* Energy saving - with the capability to combine a number of previous machining operations within one machining cycle, the FX350A not only saves energy but also addresses the skill shortage currently facing UK engineering companies.
More complex components can be machined in a single set-up, which reduces or removes the need for subsequent assembly operations.
* YMT Technologies at MACH 2008, NEC, Birmingham, UK, April 21-25, Hall 5, Stand 5480.
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