Latest Soraluce fixed-table travelling column, floor-type and travelling table milling centres now offer high cutting speeds and higher rapid traverses than their predecessors.
All Soraluce fixed-table travelling column, floor-type and travelling table milling centres now available in the UK from Ward CNC offer high cutting speeds and higher rapid traverses than their predecessors - rapids of 25m/min and high-speed electro-spindles rated at 18,000 to 30,000 rev/min - as well as a choice of automatic indexing heads, floor and angle plates, and auxiliary and CNC rotary and tiling tables. Indeed, the modular design of certain ranges allows for extensive customisation and the provision of specific solutions to meet users' applications. The result is an unrivalled choice of large-capacity, ultra-flexible milling machines that will accommodate any multi-axis milling application - and in particular, one-hit machining from heavy-duty cutting through to finish machining.

Importantly, the machines are available with a variety of optional automatic indexing heads (plus automatic head changing facilities), and each head has different levels of capabilities to suit a variety of tasks.

For example: The 30kW automatic indexing head has a torque rating of 1,240Nm and two indexing joints - one vertical to the spindle centreline and another at 45 deg, capable of positioning in both rotating planes at 2.50 increments; The 37kW orthogonal head is rated at 1,410Nm and, again, has two similar indexing joints and can be positioned at 10 in either plane.

Fixed boring heads rated at 30kW and 37kW are also available.

Utilising the optional electro-spindles, Soraluce users are promised faster production cycles, higher quality surface finishes and 'dual' machining capabilities, and by effectively 'doubling up' machine capacity can rough and finish with the same spindle or quickly swap the unit with the standard automatic indexing head arrangement used for heavy metal removal.

The electro-spindles' 'cold' rotor also extends the lifetime of the bearings - equating to a spindle life of at least 7,000h compared with the usual 3,000h available from an asynchronous unit - courtesy of the very low levels of vibration generated by the low-inertia unit, and its ability to achieve balance independent of both speed and power.

Pick up of the electro-spindle, which is located to one side of the machine table, is via the machine's automatic head, followed by automatic clamping then connection using manual quick-switch connectors.

The use of a Hirth coupling makes for an extremely rigid arrangement - and the whole process takes only seconds! Outline capacities of the Soraluce range are: * travelling column floor types FP, FS and FR range - X, Y and Z axis travels from 4000mm by 1600mm by 1200mm and to 4000mm by 3600mm by 1500mm, and 28 to 37kW motors producing spindle speeds up to 6,000 rev/min.

* With fixed tables and travelling columns, SL, SP and SM - X, Y and Z axis capacities from 2500mm by 1600mm by 1000mm up to 3500mm by 1600mm by 2400mm, and spindle motors of 28kW to 37kW that produce speeds up to 6,000 rev/min.

* TL, TR and TF travelling table bed-type - 2500mm by 1400mm by 1000mm in X, Y and Z axes (and up to 1200mm in Z), spindle motors of 28kW to 30kW and spindle speeds up to 3000 rev/min.

Heidenhain TNC CNC is offered as standard as well as various toolchanger capacities up to 40 tools.

As expected of machines developed under the auspices of the Danobat Group's IDEKO research and development, the machines combine high-quality build and technologically advanced features for unmatched milling performance.

Their characteristic build qualities of stability and rigidity are based on finite element analysis and heavy-duty GG-30 cast iron construction for optimal stiffness, and vibration and stress absorption, complemented by INA linear guideway technology (for effective rapid traversing).