Integrated milling system based on CNC milling centres mounted at either end of a shared table- work on individual components or one large one - including 5-axis scanning.
Now available from 600 Centre of Shepshed in Leicestershire, is the Fidia Y2K Boxer, an integrated milling system based on either the Fidia K411 or K414 milling centres mounted at either end of a shared table. Both milling centres are totally autonomous when machining different work pieces or can work on different pre-defined areas of a single workpiece. Both spindles can also overlap along the Y-axis of the machine if required.

Five-axis digitising and scanning can be performed using both spindles and there is an electronic tracer whereby the Fidia C20 control compensates for any differences between tracer and milling cutter when machining.

Control is via Fidia's C20 unit with 60GB hard disk memory and HIMILL software for 3-D toolpath generation.

The machines have working strokes of 4350mm in X, 2475mm in Y and 1000 mm in Z for the K411 and 1400 mm in Z for the K414.

Axis speeds are 24m/min and the table will take loads up to 30 tonnes.

The spindles are 34 kW units giving 24,000 rev/min and +95 deg to -110 deg A-axis bi-rotary movement taken at up to 2000 deg/min.

To avoid purchasing a 4-axis machine, engineering company chose a CNC bed mill with universal spindle head to mill, drill, ream and bore many of its smaller fabrications.
Barnsley-based Qualter Hall has installed an MTE Compact Plus bed mill with universal spindle head from Warwick Machine Tools to mill, drill, ream and bore economically many of the smaller fabrications it produces for the nuclear, railway, mining and other industries. Said Production Foreman, Alan Greenwood, 'We were using a 6000 x 1000 x 1700mm travelling column mill to machine some components that would fit on a machine with an X-axis one third the size. Clearly we needed to find a more cost-effective method of manufacture.

'The large machine has a programmable swivelling head which is necessary for producing holes in angled surfaces of some fabrications, as they are too big to rotate.

We therefore needed a universal-head mill but did not want to invest in a full 4-axis CNC machine.

The 3-axis MTE Compact Plus, on which the spindle angle is manually adjusted in one degree increments and whose axis travels are 2000mm x 800mm x 800mm, was the economic answer.' A factor in favour of this Spanish-built machine was the Heidenhain control with digital drives, which is the same as that fitted to the travelling column machine.

Consequently it was an easy matter to transfer programs for machining the smaller components directly to the new mill and start production immediately.

In addition, Warwick Machine Tools offered a good price and prompt delivery.

Several different types of fabrication are currently put on the machine for nuclear and railway projects.

Two particular parts need the spindle head swivelled to the horizontal to complete the cycle, while on one fabrication the head, which has a built-in hydro-mechanical tool clamping system, is angled at seven degrees to the vertical to drill holes perpendicular to an angled surface.

Specification of the machine includes ISO 50 spindle taper suitable for heavy metal removal rates and 4.5 tonnes maximum workpiece weight.

Spindle speed is in the range 40 to 3,000 rev/min delivered by a 22kW AC motor via a two-speed helical gearbox.

Cutting feed is up to 4m/min and rapids of 10m/min ensure short non-machining times, although the latest MTE Compact Plus has an even better specification offering 10m/min and 15m/min maximum feed rate and rapid traverse respectively.

Each servo drive acts through a pre-loaded double-nut ballscrew.

Direct measurement using linear scales that resolve to 0.001mm avoids the inherent inaccuracy of rotary encoders and allows positioning accuracy to better than 10 microns and repeatability to within 7 microns.

Unmatched productivity rates, highest precision, superior surface quality and contour accuracy are proven credentials claimed for an established universal milling machine.
The superlatives describing the DMU-P Series are many. Unmatched productivity rates, highest precision, superior surface quality and contour accuracy are the proven credentials of this established model of universal milling machine. However, with the recent launch of the new DMU80P duoBLOCK five-sided/five-axis milling machine, exceptional capacity has been added to the list.

This new addition to the range provides 800mm of travel in all axes, providing 50% more cutting space.

DMG's patented and innovative duoBLOCKT construction offers many advantages - high precision, higher rigidity, higher dynamics and far greater design flexibility.

The machine has a solid rear wall for maximum framework rigidity and threefold linear guides for greater stability along the 'x' axis.

The three point support of the machine bed allows fast commissioning and as the moving mass on this model has been reduced by 50%, maximum dynamic response is assured.

The thermosymmetrical layout of the DMU80P and the new NC rotary table with integrated measuring system in the outer table bearing also contribute to this improved performance.

The result is an impressive 60m/min rapid traverse/0.6G along all axes and short chip-to-chip times of up to 4.5 seconds between tools.

This model has been designed for minimum lubrication and is eminently suited to dry machining.

The customer has the choice of either A- or B-axis, rotary- or milling table and various motor spindles.

One of these options is the 5X torqueMASTER, its name deriving from the assembly kit motor with gears integrated in the 'B' axis.

It provides uncompromising simultaneous five-axis machining at high torques.

The DMU80P duoBLOCK is regulated by one of the high speed 3D contollers - Heidenhain iTNC 530, MillPlus IT, or Siemens 840D powerline.