BRIDGE AND GANTRY MILLS

HIGH SPEED NET SHAPE MACHINING
The Hi-Net DMC-900HN by Johnford is for aerospace manufacturers and mold/die shops wanting speed, rigidity, and precision in a competitively priced double- column machining center. Absolute Machine Tools, Inc. (Lorain, OH) offers this 26,400 lb heavyweight bridge mill, which is specifically engineered for high speed net shape machining of complex 3D parts.

The DMC tackles a variety of materials at high feedrates and with a high degree of accuracy. It boasts heavy Meehanite castings that provide the strength and vibration dampening required for excellent surface finishes and exceptionally long cutting-tool life. The columns and bridge are a one-piece casting for the best rigidity. A massive Z-axis head and Y-axis saddle feature square boxways and diagonally arranged ribs to minimize distortion caused by years of continuous service.

The Hi-Net DMC-900HN features a moving table/fixed column design that provides maximum rigidity. A rugged 90 deg bridge with offset Y-axis ways and a wide saddle keep the spindle centerline very close to the bridge for further rigidity. The X-axis table traverse is accomplished via heavy duty Schneeberger roller linear ways for accurate positioning of heavy work pieces. Large diameter, pretensioned ballscrews and powerful servo motors further ensure accurate positioning.

The bridge mill delivers XYZ travels of 35 in X 35 in X 30 in and rapid rates of 944 in, 944 in and 590 in on X, Y, and Z. The rugged and rigid machine handles table loads up to 6,600 lb. The Hi-Net DMC-900HN boasts a number of productivity enhancing features that are sold as options on competing machine tools. Weiss integral spindles, made in Germany, are standard equipment.

The machine?s standard 15,000 rpm HSK-100A spindle delivers 56 hp and 300 ft-lb of torque at 1,000 rpm for heavy cutting and fine finishing. For medium roughing and even finer finishing, a 24,000 rpm HSK-63A spindle delivers 31 hp and 53 ft-lb of torque at 3,000 RPM. Both spindles feature ceramic bearings and air-oil mist lubrication for best life. An 18,000 RPM grease packed HSK-63A spindle is also available for medium roughing and fine finishing. This spindle provides 30HP and 85 ft-lb of torque at 2,400 rpm.

The standard Fanuc 18iM-B with alpha I series servo motors and AI NANO HPCC is standard for high speed, high accuracy machining. The control provides 600 blocks look ahead/150,000 blocks/min processing. A 640MB ATA built-in card provides mass program storage and Ethernet connectivity. Other standard features include a heavy duty 24-tool ATC (HSK-100A) or 24-tool (HSK-63A) ATC mounted to the machine column for easy maintenance, a chip removal system with twin screw type conveyors that discharge into a caterpillar type conveyor, a high volume coolant system, and a full machine enclosure to contain chips and coolant. www.absolutemachine.com

DO IT ALL MACHINING AND FINISHING
The 5-axis Agile Gantry Multi-Processing System from MAG (Erlanger, KY) goes to any length ? literally ? as a do-it-all machining and finishing system for wind blades and other oversized parts, such as boat hulls and aerospace components. With unlimited X-axis range, 40 m/min traverse speed, automatic tool change and five servo-controlled axes, it performs tedious coating, blade machining and finishing quickly and repeatedly, increasing productivity and quality, while reducing manual labor.

The Agile Gantry is a CNC machine-tool platform designed for five-sided part access, supporting a wide variety of applications and processes such as: cutting tools, spray heads, water-jet cutters, chopper guns, and finishing tools. It can be used to produce complex mold geometries in high-density foam, apply coatings, or trim and finish free form, contoured parts.

The Agile Gantry uses a modular rail system to create any X-axis length required, with the rail system below the factory floor, above it, or elevated to create a high rail configuration. A variety of workholding systems can be adapted and positioned between the rails. The gantry cross rail provides 5.5 m (18 ft) of Y-axis travel and 2.5 m (8.2 ft) or more of Z-axis reach. Servo-controlled contouring is simplified with rotary A and C axes (spindle tilt and wrist roll) that provide ±100 deg and ±200 deg of movement respectively. The maximum feedrate for the linear X, Y, and Z axes is up to 40,000 mm/min (0.004 to 1574 ipm), and up to 3600 deg/min in the rotary axes. Linear axes are powered by dual electronically preloaded AC servomotor rack-and-pinion drive systems.

The machine's liquid-cooled, 15 kW (20 hp) AC spindle delivers a 0-24,000 rpm speed range and accommodates an HSK63F tool shank. A high-capacity vacuum system with spindle shroud is available to capture dust and chips. A drum-type tool changer holds 16 tools for automatic tool changes. The machine is controlled by a Siemens 840D CNC with color screen, handheld pendant and hand wheel controls. Using a spindle touch-probe, the machine can locate a part or fixture, allowing the control to align the part program execution to the actual workpiece position. Spindle probes can also be used for in-process part measurement by the machine.

Options include MAG-designed turnkey processing solutions with tooling/fixture and application development, and laser-based volumetric accuracy compensation for enhanced machine positioning accuracy.

GO DEEP ON REALLY BIG ALUMINUM AND COMPOSITE PARTS
MAG's new U5-3000 Universal Machining Center combines massive platform capacity with long-reach 3-r Z-axis and 5-axis, 5-side contour machining for efficient processing of "really big" aluminum and composite parts. Newest addition to the U5 family of gantry mills, the U5-3000 is engineered to machine at extreme limits and into deep cavities of large prismatic parts. Combined with Y-axis travel of over 6 m (20 ft), unlimited X-axis travel, and high-speed, 15,000 rpm, 5-axis spindle, the U5-3000 brings never-before-possible machining efficiencies to extremely tall, wide and long parts. Its exceptional capacity provides versatility to large-part machining for aerospace, energy, marine, and die/mold applications.

Engineered by the global leader in large aluminum machining systems, the U5-3000's modular, heavy-duty gantry design delivers the stiffness, range and performance to machine complex part geometries with exceptional accuracy. A rigid box-way roller-bearing rail system and dual-motor rack-and-pinion X-axis drive provide smooth precise movement and high thrust levels on long-travel cuts. Feedrates up to 20 m/min (787 ipm) optimize processing efficiencies on large part surfaces.

Five-axis/five-side processing allows manufacturers to machine more part features in a single setup for lean efficiencies and higher productivity, while reducing potential errors caused by multiple setups on high-value parts. The U5-3000 comes standard with a 15,000 rpm, 30 kW (40.2 hp), HSK63A gimbal-style contouring spindle that delivers up to 57 Nm (42 lb-ft) torque for high-speed, high-throughput cutting performance.

As options, 20,000 rpm and 24,000 rpm 5 axis spindles are available. The 5-axis head features continuous C-axis to keep the spindle in-cut without running out of C-axis travel or waiting for C-axis to unwind. A rigid Z-axis ram with 508 mm (20 in) cross section provides high rigidity for superior precision and surface finish, especially with longer tools and extended Z-axis reach. Flood and through-spindle coolant keep cutting zones clear, with automatic chip and coolant collection systems available.

The U5-3000 can be field-expanded in the X-axis in 3.7 m (12 ft) increments. Productivity enhancing options include automatic head change, choice of high-torque or high-speed spindles, and vertical, horizontal and custom designs. Multiple head configurations optimize spindle access to complex and challenging part features. Interchangeable heads help to minimize machine downtime, part reorientations, and setups. Other options include fixed tables, rotary tables and automated pallet shuttles.

AID SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE
The MAG Cincinnati bridge-type U5 machining center demonstrated its accuracy and versatility by helping to produce the 1.4 m (4.5 ft) glass mirror for the recently launched Kepler telescope. The three-year mission of the Kepler Telescope is to search the nearby region of the Milky Way ? referred to as the "habitable" zone ? looking for planets capable of supporting life.

Used by the Brashear Unit of L-3 Communications, Inc. (Pittsburgh,PA), the U5 is ideal for machining the telescope mirror. The five-axis/five-side machine, with automatic interchangeable head capability, offers industry-leading rigidity and accuracy and provides superior precision on large, critical parts with repeatability accuracies of 0.038 mm (0.0015 in) X axis, 0.008 mm (0.00032 in) Y-Z axes, and 14 arc second accuracy in C axis. According to Mike Sess, applications engineer for MAG, "using the U5 to cut glass for a telescope is a unique application that shows the versatility of the machine."

U5 machining centers are used in the aerospace, wind energy, oilfield and off-road and heavy equipment industries. www.mag-ias.com