Large, multi-axis machining centers are usually thought to be only for Fortune 500 corporations and heavyweight Tier One suppliers or OEMs. However, job shops today are increasingly incorporating larger, more sophisticated equipment in their processes.
In the video above, we talk with Carl Barthelson, regional manager at Doosan, about how large multi-axis machines are reaching average shops across the nation and with what technology.
“The way the manufacturing world has become today, a lot of sophisticated work has begun to flow down to smaller shops,” Barthelson said. “Historically, every time you had to reset to another machine, you had to re-reference everything… Today, whether you’re working with a power gen part, railroad axle or jet engine part, you can take tough materials, set it up once, dial in with your probing, do roughing cuts, probe it again, and so on before you let go of the part and know you’ve made it to the tolerances you need with one machine.”
In the video above, we also take a closer look at the PUMA SMX3100L that boasts +/- two “tenths,” with positioning at +/- 80 millionths repeatability.
Using a FANUC machine control, the SMX3100L can be programmed offline with the ability to download programs.
“We’ve built into our FANUC controls, a conversational side that includes G code programing, that we can borrow from our offline system and we can save it, giving us both the downloadable and conversational capabilities in the same machine,” Barthelson explained.
For more information about modern machine capabilities and the PUMA SMX3100L, watch the video above and visit www.doosanmachinetools.com.