Chevalier Bridge Machine
The ribbed Meehanite cast-iron base is designed to ensure the rigidity and stability of the machine. The oversized column and box-type beam construction provide support and damping character. The cross rail is designed by three rigid 55mm linear roller ways that support the load in both vertical and horizontal directions.
The entire X-travel of the table is supported by twelve pieces of sliding blocks to eliminate overhanging issues. The Z-axis uses two 80mm box way structures for improved rigidity and cutting support.
The spindle motor, ball screw and double counter-balancing cylinders are situated to avoid unequal torque and preserve structural accuracy. A forced circulation cooling and lubrication system is applied to the spindle and bearings to reduce thermal strain on the spindle and extend its life span.
The table size is 122” x 57” with a table load of 17,600 lbs. The maximum part height under the spindle is 38.6”. The distance between columns is 70.9”.
The 35HP, FANUC high-torque digital spindle motor with 2-speed gear transmission produces high-torque machining capability at low-speeds and better surface finish at high-speeds.
The FANUC 0i-MD is a standard control feature with an 8.4” TFT LCD display. The 0i-MD control also comes with the AICC high-speed machining contour control. It has 3-D interpolation contouring control and an optional 200-block look-ahead function.
For more information, visit the Chevalier website.
Mikron High-Speed Machining Center
For high-speed, the machine is equipped with a 42,000-rpm HSK spindle that uses ceramic hybrid ball bearings with oil-air minimal lubrication as well as liquid-cooled stator jacket and bearings.
The vector-controlled motor spindle enables fast acceleration to full speed as well as high torque at low speeds. As a complement to the high-speed spindle, the machine cuts at feedrates up to 784.4 ipm (20 m/min) and rapid traverses as fast as 1,574.8 ipm (42 m/min).
As standard, the MoldMaster comes equipped with touch probe capability and absolute optical linear scales with 20-nanometer step resolution on its X, Y, and Z axes.
The MoldMaster also features Intelligent Thermal Control to compensate for thermal expansion and preserve cutting accuracy as well as an integrated dust removal system for clearing graphite dust from the work area.
For more information, visit the GF Machining Solutions website.
Mazak Hybrid Machining Center
The hybrid machine is designed for small lot production of materials that are difficult to cut, such as those used in the aerospace, energy and medical industries.
In operation, the machine melts metal powder with a fiber laser and then applies the resultant molten material using additive manufacturing nozzles called cladding heads. It is also capable of joining different types of metals together, enabling it to repair worn or damaged components, such as aerospace turbine blades.
The cladding heads are stored in the tool magazine and loaded into the milling turret by a standard automatic tool changer, just like any other tool. However, in the typical additive manufacturing dilemma, users must choose between two types of cladding head: high speed or high accuracy.
On the subtractive side, the INTEGREX i-400M features full 5-axis capability for processing prismatic parts from solid billets or castings (chucked or bar-fed). This includes round parts, highly contoured parts and parts with features built using AM technology.
The machine offers -30/+120-degree B-axis movement in its milling spindle, C-axis contouring with its turning spindle and a programmable NC tailstock.
For more information, visit the Mazak website.
Toyoda High-Speed Machining Center
In a demonstration, now available on KM’s YouTube channel, the Stealth 965 cut P20 HRC 25 material using tooling provided Fraisa and Tendo E compact toolholders and KSC high-torque vice workholding pieces provided by Schunk.
Designed for job shop applications, the high-speed VMC features four Y-axis box guideways and a Meehanite cast-iron base. Drive motors on the X, Y and Z axes produce a spindle load up to 60 percent.
The Stealth 965 has a table size of 43.3" x 25.6" (1,100 mm x 650 mm) and X, Y and Z axis travel of 35.4" (900 mm), 25.6" (650 mm) and 23.6" (600 mm), respectively.
The VMC has a rapid Feedrate on the X and Y axes is 1,181 ipm (30 m/min) and 945 ipm (24 m/min) on the Z axis.
The 56 metal-to-metal points of contact on the machine, including the ball nut mount and spindle nose, are all hand-scraped to preserve accuracy in the long-term.
For more information, visit the Toyoda website.
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