NEW SWISS PRODUCTION CENTERS

ZPS America LLC (Indianapolis, IN) announced its newest Swiss CNC, the ZPS Swiss. ZPS has designed the Swiss CNC by combining traditional mechanical knowledge with the most up-to-date developments. The ZPS Swiss series covers the range from 3 to 32 mm bar diameter. The rigid, European-built machine is designed for continuous or series production of precision turned parts. Solid base casting ensures maximum rigidity and stability.

The Swiss-style turning centers provide outstanding accuracy and quality surface finish conditions for precision parts. The machines are equipped with the GE Fanuc 160i control systems and drives that are capable of handling up to 12 controlled axes. The specially developed programming software, Swiss Plus, simplifies the programming so the programmer takes in consideration only the X- and Z-axes during programming just as on typical two-axis CNC lathes.

Swiss Plus operates with Windows and offers user-friendly programming specially adapted for simultaneous operations. Each machining operation is individually programmed in ISO code with graphic interface and tool library. Swiss Plus generates the part program by taking into consideration the machine kinematics and machine requirements. The Swiss Plus, integrated in the Fanuc 18i controls, or programmed off line, ensures the full benefit from ZPS Swiss? performance. It's possible to machine a part with up to 4 tools cutting simultaneously. The sliding headstock provides up to 250 mm stroke that enables part machining in succession at one collet clamping as well as the machining of long parts with small diameter.

There are 23 tool stations and 14 stations that can be driven, so the machine can finish the most complex parts that are otherwise machined in several operations. The use of two identical spindles increases machining capacity in rear slide operations and enables evacuation of long parts (more than 250 mm) through the subspindle. The extraordinarily rigid structure of the cast steel machine base provides optimum machining conditions. Right from machine set up to production, Swiss ergonomics and accessibility increase productivity.

Three live spindles may be fitted on the rear tool rack for cross drilling and tapping as well as milling with the Y-axis. Multiple live spindles also enable high-speed drilling, polygon turning or thread- and slot-milling. Two axial and three transversal live spindles may be fitted on the rear machining unit in order to work via the subspindle. Out of the 24 tools available, at least 16 can be driven. To accomplish nearly any operation the machines can be provided with a wide range of optional equipment, including NC drive of the pick-up spindle, bar stock feeding and clamping, attachments for high-speed drilling, reaming, tapping and broaching, and multi-spindle drilling heads on the frontal slides. ?To help customers maintain trouble-free performance, we offer full preventative maintenance plans for each of our machines. Prompt factory service from local resident service and applications engineers and spare parts are very important to all our users,? says Olaf Tessarzyk, managing partner and president of ZPS America.

Also on display, the new 8-spindle 867 CNC multi-spindle production center can accommodate stock to 72 mm diameter. Provided with a double Siemens 840 D CNC control, the European-built machine offers up to 72 CNC axes and can perform nearly any metalcutting operation on precision parts from drilling and tapping to milling, spline gears, broaching and hobbing. With a cast iron base and total weight of more than 30,000 lb, the 867 is extremely rigid. Combined with the highest spindle torque in the industry (191 Nm), the stable 867 can handle difficult materials with great precision.

?This new multispindle offers for the first time high-precision CNC production capability with its 16+1 tool carriers to a range of part sizes that until now have been processed on transfer machines,? said Olaf Tessarzyk. The CNC Multi line offers very high processing flexibility and fast changeover with the ability to drop a variety of complex precision parts complete as either a bar-fed or chucker operation. The machine?s versatility is provided through its standard features: 8 independent AC-driven CNC horizontal spindles, 8 independent compound slides (X and Z), eight independent tool carriers with eight 12000 rpm driven tools, five backworking tools (three driven), and a wide range of standard presettable VDI tooling for quick changeover to increase flexibility.

However, it is the patented state-of-the-art designed spindle drive system that is the key to the machine?s precision, thermal stability and high reliability. Each of the machine?s eight spindles is linked by a composite shaft to its own motor into the spindle drum, which employs a precise Hirth coupling. This makes it unnecessary to reverse-index the drum at the end of each 360 deg cycle, connect, and disconnect the motors to the spindles with each indexing and cool the drum to dissipate the heat generated by the spindle motors. The result is greater precision and reliability across high duty cycles. Spindle indexing takes only one sec, not only saving time, but reduces energy and cost. In addition, this system allows for the strongest and most adjustable clamping power in the industry.

The mechanical rigidity and thermal stability are the reason for the built-in accuracy of the machine. Therefore, the use of refrigerant is not needed. Because hydraulics and refrigeration are eliminated through innovative design in the spindle drum, the machine has a significantly higher uptime, has greater thermal stability, and as a result provides higher precision and efficiency than other CNC multispindles. The innovative, patented technical solution allows the independent control of the speed and C-Axis of each spindle and the power of each AC spindle motor according to the requirements of specific machining operations performed by each customer.

The machine is provided with all options and includes capabilities that make it effective on today?s precision machining floors: quick changeover; simple, intuitive programming; single-point presettable driven tooling; and teaching software as well as a standard CAM programming software. A range of optional equipment includes a CNC pick-up spindle with up to five tools (three driven) for backworking, attachments for radial and axial drilling and milling operations from cut-off slide, parts handling gripper or ejection slide, parts conveyor, bar stock feeding and high-pressure tool coolant system.

ZPS customer support for the series of multispindles includes complete setup of part and turnkey at the ZPS headquarters in Indianapolis and optional real-time Internet monitoring of installed machines.

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www.zpsamerica.com