Bridge Mills Handle Large Loads in Smaller, Expandable Footprint

On display in Booth S-8536, Johnford DMC Series double-column moving table bridge mills from Absolute Machine Tools, Inc. (Lorain, OH) are created from a one-piece Meehanite® cast iron bridge/column assembly that takes up 30 percent less floor space than comparable C-frame vertical machining centers. Available in both moving table and sliding column (fixed-table) versions – ranging from 36 in x 36 in x 30 in of travel up to 60 ft x 20 ft – these bridge mills have a long base casting with complete support of the table over the full 51 in long Y-axis travel, allowing massive loads to be machined.

The Y- and Z-axes hold fixed loads at all times while the X-axis carries the only dynamic load allowing for tight machining and tight tolerances during high speed machining operations. Because there is no table overhang, X-axis pitch and yaw are eliminated. The spindle centerline-to-column distance is minimized offering further rigidity. The machine’s heavily ribbed cast iron construction provides long tool life and part surface finish. The combination of twin screw-type conveyors and a caterpillar conveyor ensures complete chip removal with little manual cleaning. Additionally, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used to design each bridge mill, simulating the effects of real world conditions, including vibration, heat, fluid flow and other physical impacts.

The DMC900-1500H small-frame series bridge mills feature a fixed column with moving table, X-axis travel from 35.40 in to 59.1 in, Y-axis travel of 35.4 in and a Z-axis travel of 30 in, and table load capacities from 6,600 lb to 13,200 lb. The DMC-1600-3100H medium-frame series offers a fixed-column construction with moving table, X-axis travel from 63 in to 161.4 in, Y-axis travel of 51.2 in, and Z-axis travel of 31.5 in with a table load capacity of 13,200 lb. There are several DMC versions that offer multi-axis and five-face solutions. The 2100S-6100 SH Series offer a fixed-column moving table with X-axis travels from 82.7 in to 240.2 in, Y-axis travel of 70 in and Z-axis travel of 31.5 in while the 3100P-6100PH Series feature the same fixed-column moving table with longer travels: X-axis ranges from 122 in to 240.1 in, Y-axis is 90.5 in and Z-axis is 31.5 in. Table load capacities range from 22,000 lb to 26,400 lb and 22,000 lb to 35,200 lb, respectively.

The large DMC-4000x2800x800 – DMC-4000×2800+5-Face W-Axis Large Multi-Axis Series can handle a whopping 44,000 lb of table load with an X-axis travel of 118 in through 236 in, Y-axis travel of 110.2 in to 189 in, Z-axis travel of 31.5 in to 42 in, and a W-axis travel of 39.4 in to 78.7 in on a fixed-column moving table. Further, the SDMC Series custom-made unlimited size sliding double-column series multi-axis, five-face series features moving-column and fixed-table gantry mills with X-axis travels ranging from 157 in to 720 in, Y-axis travels of 72 in to 236 in, Z-axis travels from 31.5 in to 42 in, and W-axis travels from 39.4 in to 78.7 in. Table load capacity is 614 lb/sq ft.

Also on display will be Tongtai’s new iTD-2000YBC, an advanced, high precision CNC turning center cast from Meehanite iron that is loaded with innovative features not found on comparable machines in its class. This machine features a rigid, ergonomic, and super accurate 75 deg bed design for excellent chip flow and operator accessability. The 75 deg bed also simplifies the programming of the optional Y-axis, as the Y-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis like a vertical machining center. High rapid-traverse rates using 45 mm roller type linear ways are also achieved to reduce non-cutting time. X-axis cross travel is 9.05 in, Z-axis longitudinal travel is 23.6 in, B-axis sub-spindle travel is 24.8 in, and optional Y-axis travel is ±2 in from the center line. The main spindle is driven by a 20 hp high torque motor which provides power and fast acceleration at 4,500 rpm. The 5,000 rpm sub-spindle is driven by a 10 hp high torque integral motor spindle. The spindles are synchronized on the fly for part transfer to the sub-spindle. Rapid traverse feed rates for X-, Z- and B-axes are 1,181 ipm and 590 ipm on Y. Standard equipment also includes a tool setter and chip conveyor.

A 12-station bi-directional servo BMT-65 (16 station BMT-55 optional) turret provides 0.3 second indexing and coolant through the tool holders. A full C-axis with live tools is standard for milling operations on both the main sub-spindles. The true linear Y-axis provides turret movement perpendicular to the X-axis for complex off-center milling functions and easy programming. The Fanuc OiT-F CNC control is standard and fully loaded with operator-friendly features including Manual Guide i Conversational. As an added bonus, between now and during IMTS 2016, Absolute Machine Tools is offering an introductory bar feeder package price of $169,900 that includes:

• New Tongtai iTD-2000YBC Turning Center
• Manual swing down tool presetter
• Parts catcher
• Parts conveyor that automatically empties the parts catcher
• Barfeed interface
• BF-1500 5 ft magazine barfeeder with three pusher sizes
• Barfeeder installation and hook-up expenses
• Chip conveyor (Caterpillar type)
• 8 in 3-jaw chuck main, 6 in 3-jaw chuck sub
• 12-station BMT-65 live turret with 0.3 second index
• Full complement of static turret tooling
• Fanuc OiT-F control with full MDI keyboard and Manual Guide i Conversational

Moving a workpiece from one machine to another and mastering the setup takes expertise. In today’s workforce it is tough to find skilled workers that can do this without creating tolerance errors and the potential of scrapping an expensive workpiece. The new You Ji VMT-800, a versatile mill/turn multitasking machine well suited for both oil and gas and aerospace manufacturing applications, eliminates these issues and increases throughput and profitability. This machine allows a manufacturer to perform vertical turning operations as well as five-face milling operations in one setup. This machine will increase productivity by largely decreasing machining time and avoid inaccuracies from multiple hands-on movement of the workpiece from one machine to another.

The heavy duty moving column design allows for robust turning as well as heavy milling because of heavy cast iron construction and rigid box ways. The rugged 20 hp 50-taper B-axis head allows for vertical/horizontal milling for true one-setup machining. The B-axis indexes from 0 deg to 90 deg in 5-deg increments. The 32-tool (60/90 optional) changer provides flexibility for complex parts manufacturing. Maximum swing diameter of the workpiece is 1,100 mm (43.3 in) and maximum turning height is 900 mm (35.43 in), allowing for large component piece manufacturing.  The You Ji VMT-800 has a C-axis table for easy five-sided machining. The VMT-800s generous axis travels are ±550 mm (±22”) in X, 1,100 mm (43.3 in) in Y, and 1,200 mm (47.2 in) in Z. A 35 hp spindle motor drives the standard 32 in hydraulic chuck and provides 1,500 ft-lb of turning torque. Fanuc CNC controls are standard.

Making its debut at the show will be Tongtai’s brand new iVU-5 is a rotary-type ultrasonic assisted machining center that operates as a dual function vertical machining center combined with rotary ultrasonic assisted machining of advanced materials. Typical applications for this system include microhole drilling and machining of glass, sapphire, silicon carbide, quartz, ceramic, hardened steel, high nickel alloys, and non-ferrous materials. Any material that is softer than the cutting tool can be ultrasonic-assisted. Rotary ultrasonic machining combines high speed spindle rotation with high frequency vertical vibration of the cutting tool. The diamond tool impacts the material with high contact speed, reducing cutting force and producing ultra-fine finishes while improving cutting efficiency three times to five times faster than conventional machining.

The Tongtai iVU offers X-, Y-, Z-axis travels of 500 mm (20 in) x 400 mm (15.7 in) x 350 mm (13.8 in). It features a Meehanite cast iron frame and roller type linear slideways for rigidity and fast, precise movement. The 25 mm (1 in) diameter ball screws are Class 3, with a double nut pre-loaded design allowing a standard rapid traverse rate of 1,890 ipm in the all axes with acceleration of 1.2 G. The iVU-5 is equipped with a 30-tool arm type automatic tool changing (ATC) system. The fast, high speed arm type ATC changes tools in only 0.8 seconds and 1.3 seconds chip-to-chip time. The 3 hp, 20,000 rpm direct-drive spindle comes standard in dual contact Big Plus 30-taper (BBT-30). A spindle chiller is standard.

For ultrasonic operation, the Tongtai iVU-5 comes standard with automatic frequency search and lock via M-codes. The auto tuning range is from 15 kHz to 45 kHz. Amplitude range is 1 micron to 10 microns. The machine has a wide range of standard features for successful ultrasonic machining and long machine life. The 3-axis machine is equipped with a Siemens 828D control with 10.4 in TFT with ShopMill and Advanced Surface. The 5-axis version is equipped with a Siemens 840D control with 17 in IPC, the Sinumerik MDynamics Technology package for 5-axis milling, and ShopMill.

Absolute Machine Tools, Inc., 7420 Industrial Parkway, Lorain, OH 44053, 800-852-7825, www.absolutemachine.com.