By injecting a special type of concrete into the massive sidewalls of a travelling gantry CNC miller-boring machine excellent stability and vibration damping is achieved.
By injecting a special type of concrete into the massive sidewalls of a travelling gantry CNC miller-boring machine excellent stability and vibration damping is achieved when machining large, long workpieces. To achieve optimum milling results on large workpieces - such as mould and die work or aircraft structures - F Zimmermann is injecting a special type of shear-resistant concrete into the high sidewalls of its FZ 37 travelling gantry CNC milling and boring machine. The concrete-filled structure adds extra stability and dampens metal cutting vibrations, producing an excellent surface finish, said the company.

The FZ 37, as shown at the recent METAV show in Germany, had a table width of about 2.5m and an exceptionally large Z-axis clearance of 2500mm under its 2-axis milling head.

The milling head is claimed to be exceptionally stiff owing to the use of axial-radial roller bearings.

It provides a high driving torque in both rotary axes through backlash-free adjustable worm gears.

The standard milling spindle, equipped with oil-air lubrication, operates at up to 24,000 rev/min and uses a HSK 63 A tool holder.

The FZ series is built on modular principles, with a variety of milling heads, drives and control systems.

Control systems used include Fidia, Heidenhain and Siemens.

The company adds that its use of double-guidance in the machine's X-axis guarantees an optimum surface quality on workpieces.

This arrangement supports the linearity of the gantry, consequently the linear axes, X, Y and Z, are exactly right-angled over the entire traversing distance.

The direct linear measuring systems, with well-proven, air pressurised Heidenhain seal linear encoders are integrated in all three axes.

Zimmermann offers eight different types of sidewall gantry machines and claims it has the broadest range of state-of-the-art machine tools for the modelling and mould and die industries.