Cnc Machines

Heller Machine Tools has announced the launch of its advanced F Series five-axis machining centres.

Following the recent introduction of the company’s H Series, the F Series adds four five-axis machining centres, containing SK 40 and HSK 63 spindle tapers, to the Heller range.

The new five-axis machining centre line-up enables potential customers to choose between two completely different machine configurations.

The premium models (FP 2000 and FP 4000) include the provision of rapid pallet changers and are designed to deliver excellent levels of productivity within all high-throughput engineering production environments.

The Heller FT 2000 and FT 4000 five-axis machine-tool variants feature workpiece support tables and are claimed to be suitable for use in production locations.

Both machine types, FP and FT, feature the same axis arrangement as the H series, with a rotary-table B axis, and provide an optimum balance between rigidity and accessibility, according to the company.

The 2000 models offer a work area of 630 x 630 x 830mm, while the two 4000 models provide an increased capacity of 800 x 800 x 1,000mm.

Although the machines use many components from Heller’s modular building-block system, the machine structure and axis configuration of the F Series were specifically designed to meet the demanding requirements of five-axis machining.

At the core of the F Series is the spindle technology.

Customers can choose between three different designs across all models: the PCU 63 power cutting universal spindle for high-performance cutting; the SCU 63 speed cutting unit; and the SCT 63 speed cutting tilt spindle for speed cutting with a fork head.

While the two swivel-head units offer advantages for the complete machining of cubic parts, the fork head is suitable for machining contoured surfaces of any kind.

The F Series has an adaptable tool management system that can be tailored to requirements.

Each machining centre is equipped with a standard tool magazine that can be extended to more than 400 storage places; even oversize or extra-long tools can be accommodated.

The F Series is targeted at a variety of manufacturing sectors, including the automotive industry and its supply chain, machine manufacturers, electronics companies, power generation, subcontractors and the aerospace industry.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/hel/hel172.html

In programing machining of engine parts, software automatically divides port machining between areas that can be reached using 3-axis, and those that require five-axis operation.

Delcam will demonstrate new functionality for machining engine ports in the company’s PowerMILL CAM software at the Professional Motorsports World exhibition to be held in Cologne, Germany, November 8-10, 2006.

The new options, which were introduced as part of the recent PowerMILL 7 release, are already being used successfully at a number of leading engine manufacturers.

The main benefit of the new release is the automatic division of the port machining process between areas that can be reached using three-axis techniques, and those that require positional or continuous five-axis operation.

With most machine tools, using three-axis or positional five-axis cutting offers greater rigidity and so allows more accurate machining, with less vibration of the cutter, at higher speeds.

However, engine ports require continuous five-axis machining for part of their manufacture.

The new version of PowerMILL automatically optimises the overall machining sequence so that as much material as possible is removed with three-axis and positional five-axis operation, and that continuous five-axis machining is only used where necessary.

This reduces the overall machining time, while maintaining the required level of surface finish.

The sequence uses a spiral motion for the roughing cuts but gives the operator a choice between using a spiral or a plunging approach for the finish machining.

Using a spiral approach produces cusps across the flow of gas and so increases turbulence, while using the plunging technique gives cusps parallel to the flow direction and speeds the passage of the gas mixture through the port.

PowerMILL also divides the CAD model automatically to create the surfaces that will be machined from either end of the port.

The user can specify the length of the overlap between the two sets of toolpaths to ensure a smooth transition between the two areas.

PowerMILL supports the full range of cutter types, including the lollipop cutters that are frequently used to access difficult to reach areas of the port.

The software can be used either to machine ports directly from solid material or for the finish machining of cast engine blocks.

PowerMILL incorporates comprehensive gouge and collision checking to ensure safe machining.

A verification module is available for full-machine simulation on the computer to give even greater confidence that the programs will operate as expected on the shop floor.

The new port machining strategies also benefit from the better control over the point distribution in PowerMILL 7.

Increasing the number of points in the toolpath can give more even machining with less vibration and more consistent loading on the tool.

Both these improvements give a better surface finish and less wear of the cutter.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/pat/pat224.html