Three 5-axis aerospace machines

Citation

(2000), "Three 5-axis aerospace machines", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 72 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2000.12772bab.005

Three 5-axis aerospace machines

Three 5-axis aerospace machines

Keywords: Cincinnati Machine, Machining, Aerospace industry

Cincinnati Machine has expanded its 5-axis machine range with three new designs for the aerospace industry. The new designs apply Cincinnati's 5-axis expertise to three different standard platforms: vertical machining centre; horizontal machining centre and bridge mill. The new machines complement Cincinnati's massive profilers and routers to make 5-axis machining affordable to smaller shops for a wide variety of applications, particularly small to medium aerospace parts.

All the 5-axis machines are said to reduce fixturing costs and in-process time by machining complex geometry and contoured parts in a single set-up. They feature easy to learn, and use, 5-axis machining macros developed by Cincinnati Machine in hundreds of aerospace installations.

The new Lancer V5-2000 Vertical CNC Machining Centre delivers tilt spindle capabilities at a highly competitive price. The design features a twin-axis tilt head mounted on Cincinnati's two-metre Lancer VMC platform. An innovative ballscrew drive of the 2-axis head gives the V5 the fastest rotational speed and greatest tilt range in its class, along with high radial cutting torque, for high-through-put processing of contoured aluminium parts. The tilt head provides 4°0° range of motion in both A (forward/back) and B (side-to-side) axes.

The V5 speeds through aluminium machining with a 10,000rpm continuous 26kW CAT 40 taper spindle - a 15,000rpm HSK63A spindle is available as a machine option - based on a two-metre platform with a 2,032 x 762 x 770mm X-Y-Z machining range. A 2,286 x 765mm table is supported over four wide-spaced linear ways; providing a rigid work surface to process large, long and narrow, or to gang-fixture multiple small parts.

The Acramatic 2100 (A2100) has been upgraded - through its PC based open architecture - with a special 5-axis machining package to increase speed and ease the transition to 5-axis processing.

Combining "best-in-class" 180° tilt spindle range with a modular horizontal machine platform, the new Magnum H5 Horizontal CNC Machine Centre brings agile, automated, 5-axis/5-sided processing to contoured and complex prismatic parts up to 1.5m 2 . Available in two models - H5-800 and HS-1000 - the all-cast iron tilt-spindle design brings "done in one" processing efficiencies and faster through-put to aircraft parts and aerospace structures, as well as jet engine, compressor and turbine components.

The 180° spindle sweep (60° above horizontal to 30° past vertical) allows the use of shorter tooling and optimises tool positions, while enabling faster ACC/DEC rates and lower moving masses than tilt-table designs. As an alternative to smaller gantry machines on parts up to 1.5m 2 , the H5 can deliver twice the through-put at a fraction of the price.

Especially suited to hard materials, a 6,000 rpm, 22.5kW (30kW MTDR) number 50 taper, geared spindle generates full horsepower at 250 rpm. Cincinnati offers multi-pallet and cell configurations enabling high spindle in-cut times and through-put in high-flex part scheduling.

The 5-axis Universal Bridge Mill's flexible modular design brings 5-axis/5-sided part processing to a range of aerospace applications. Designed to fill the manufacturing range for geometric parts which are too large for standard horizontal and vertical machine centres, the adaptable bridge mill can be configured as Cincinnati's largest 5-axis/5-sided general purpose machine centre or smallest, most affordable 5-axis aerospace profiler. Available in bed or rail-type configuration, the design provides 2,540mm Y-axis travel, 1,016mm Z-axis range, 4,000mm X-axis travel in table form and 3.66 metre X-axis travel increments in rail form to fit almost any part length requirement.

The Universal Bridge Mill comes fitted with a 22kW, 6,000 rpm spindle providing wide versatility in general machining. For further application versatility, the vertical ram allows use of interchangeable spindle-head attachments to maximise part access and "done-in-one" processing capability. The attachments are sorted in an attachment changer and automatically switched (much the same as automatic tool change) to optimise tool approach and machining configuration. This adaptability permits a bridge mill to perform vertical or horizontal operations, indexing for angular routines, or full 5-axis contour (360° continuous C-axis rotation and A-axis rotation of +100° to -90°). Automatic tool change, 20m/min maximum traverse, and high ACC/DEC rate significantly reduces out-of-cut time over machines of comparable size.

Details available from Cincinnati Machine UK Limited. Tel: + 44 (0) 121 313 5334; Fax: +44 (0) 121 313 5379; E-mail: david_wiggins@cinmach.co.uk