Monday, December 11, 2006

Higher speed processing slices down cycle times

Latest CNC sliding head mill/turn centre is able to slice its predecessor's cycle times down by over 30% thanks to containing higher speed processing technology and special software macros.

With the launch of the latest Citizen C16-VII CNC sliding head mill/turn centre at MACH 2004, proven cycle times on the previous generation of C16 should now be able to be cut by over 30 per cent when using an existing program. Central to the high output capability of the new machine is its new control system containing higher speed processing technology and special software macros able to reduce by half non-cutting and idle times such as for collet operation and tool positioning times. Faster acceleration and deceleration of all axes significantly quickens machining cycles and a new chute-style parts-catcher is able to operate twice as fast as before.

Examples of the performance enhancement of the new machine are a mild steel dowel 8 mm diameter by 20mm long produced at NC Engineering's Watford showroom with the same NC program from a previous generation machine.

Using two tools to face, chamfer, feed-out and part-off, the time was just 3.5 seconds.

The previous C16 would have taken 10 seconds.

A further trial on a complex brass component, which required 16 operations in a single cycle used to take 30 seconds.

The new machine cycled complete in 19.9 seconds while another 40 second cycle on a brass part using the machines 22 tool positions was cut to a fraction over 30 seconds.

The new C16-VII is also available with an optional 18 mm bar size to compliment the standard 16mm capacity.

It also has four driven tools as standard with an option to specify up to 10.

Able to machine with two, or depending on the specification three tools simultaneously, the new machine provides a significant leap in productivity.

Both main and subspindles can be run at up to 10,000 revs/min and contribute to faster floor to floor times by overlapped cycles.

A 12 position toolpost has six tools facing each spindle while a two-axis yoke-style tool slide is able to mount four 8,000 revs/min rotary tools.

In addition, a perpendicular toolpost holds six turning tools.

Maximum cutting length is 200mm but with the addition of a long workpiece unit, components up to 400mm long can be machined.