Just like heavy duty lathes, there are many demands for heavy duty CNC machining centers all over the world. The processing requirements mainly come from the aerospace industry, and the applications range from aircraft to the space shuttle manufacturing line. Regarding different designs of heavy duty CNC machining centers, there are gantry type, double column (either fixed column or moving column) and vertical type.
The heavy duty machining centers are not limited to the double column type machining centers, but also various highly developed machines. Heavy duty CNC machining centers can complete many heavy duty precision machining tasks at once. The milling process of heavy duty CNC machining centers is a machining process that uses a spinning tool with higher torque to remove workpiece material by advancing the hardened cutting tool into one or more rigid workpieces. This processing method can be done in different directions.
Today, heavy duty means high vibration resistance and high value in finite element analysis (FEA), and users can use them to process elastic materials. For more convenient use, most heavy duty machining centers are designed with at least four or more axes, so in this article we will discuss the 5-axis case.
The concept of a machining center is derived from a milling machine, or a specially programmed CNC milling machine. In other words, there is a blur line between whether the milling-based machine is a machining center or a simple milling machine. To explain this in a simple way, there are many milling-based cutting machines. A conventional manual milling machine has one end at the other end, and a multi-axis machining center with automation system equipment at the other end. Traditional machining centers are designed with at least three axes, namely x, y, and z. For vertical and horizontal models, either one can be equipped with other axes to make it a 5 axis machine. As an important variable table, two other axes are designed on the rotary table. The x, y, and z axes can be moved to two new working dimensions, so that multiple angle cutting procedures can be performed.
There are many discussions on how to clarify the mechanical model of the machining center. In all classifications of machining center models, there are three main types of construction frames that make up a five-axis machine. One is the swing head type, in which a single swing head is a type that can realize up to 5-axis machining, such as angle machining. This type of machine and other 5-axis components, such as a four plus one model or three plus two model machining center, are considered convenient. However, the latter two machining center models have more practical advantages due to the existing three axis arrangement. The three axis arrangement means that under normal circumstances, the machining center is designed with at least three axes of x, y, and z axes. For vertical and horizontal models, anyone can be equipped with other axes in order to make the machine have 5 axes and perform multi-tasking work.
In order to make multitasking possible, computer-based program cutting must be performed. Since the cutting direction is five, compared with the past, route planning becomes more and more complicated, and accelerates the application of computer-controlled cutting with a physical mechanical structure. Together with these parameters, the CNC system can make full use of mechanical hardware. Japanese brands include Fanuc and Mitsubishi, and German brands include Siemens and Heidenhain. Taiwan is one of the major machine manufacturing bases in the world, and now also has its own controller supplier. With the self-developed controller, many technical problems can be further utilized by the supplier. Using the CNC controller, the swing head can exert the best performance. It has the same structure as the four-in-one, and all these mechanisms are under the control of the computer numerical control unit, so that the synchronized action perfectly matches the target precision and tolerance.
However, even with complete CNC facilities. In the case of on-site operation, if the size of the work piece is too large and exceeds the allowable size, the machining will cause the body to vibrate too much, thereby reducing the accuracy of the machining center. This is an unacceptable situation for manufacturers and subsequent production lines. The manufacturer may add other structural designs to the body to give the work piece better rigidity during the milling process, and this kind of machines with enhanced structure are called heavy duty machining centers.
As long as there is a workpiece, there is a need for cutting, which is an inevitable requirement of the machine tool industry. However, not all workpiece materials to be cut can be cut well. There are many influencing factors, and the hardness, thickness and vibration issues are the main key issues affecting this issue. As a result, the invention of the heavy duty machining centers is very important for the accuracy requirements regarding the above mentioned problems. This precision requires that through additional cutting torque, with additional column structure and other reinforced varieties can be well managed.
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