Bridgeport VMC range

Citation

(2003), "Bridgeport VMC range", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 75 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2003.12775fab.006

Bridgeport VMC range

Bridgeport VMC range

Keywords: Machining, Tools, Manufacturing

Full details of Bridgeport's new Vertical Machining Centre range have recently been released by the Leicester-based machine tool manufacturer. Designated the Xp² range there are five models namely, the 610Xp², 800Xp², l000Xp² and two portal models, the 1500Xp² and 2000Xp².

The VMC 610Xp² is a compact machine, intended to provide all the advantages claimed of Bridgeport's rigid construction and design innovation as well as providing what is believed to be the largest machining envelope available in its class. It not only exhibits a useful 610mm in X axis, but also offers a massive 510mm in the Y axis thereby providing the optimum combination to suit a wide spread of components in a very compact machine. The construction has linear guideways in all three axes with wide supports for heavy components.

A popular VMC in its class, the 800Xp² is also the best seller from the range. Like its bigger brother, the 1000Xp², this model has hardened and ground slideways, a large table of 1,000 x 477mm and a load carrying capacity of 750 kg. It has been closely specified in order to make it the ideal machine to bridge the gap between the smaller VMC 610Xp² and the heavyweight VMC 1000Xp².

The VMC 1000Xp² is described as a rugged and powerful machining centre which has been developed for tough machining applications and is especially suited to high speed hard metal cutting. It features a large five slot table (1,020–610 mm) supported by hardened and ground slideways. In standard form, it offers a 13 kW spindle motor with an option of 18 kW and a 30 tool changer.

Specified for the manufacture of complex components in the mould and die, automotive and aerospace industries, the VMC 1500Xp² was born from the results of exhaustive customer research. A portal frame offers excellent table rigidity as the table can be fully supported throughout the machines 800mm of Y axis stroke. Hardened and ground slideways are retained for the Z axis (in the spindle) whilst the latest linear rolling guideways are used in the X and Y axes for fast positioning of up to 1,500 kg table loads.

VMC 2000Xp² is another portal frame design; this high quality, high specification VMC is considered to be ideal for mould and die, automotive and aerospace work. It is packed with features to meet the demands of many sectors of industry. A fully digital machine with 28 m/min rapid traverse, it boasts the fastest acceleration (6 m/s²) of any machine in its class.

There is a choice of control systems from Heidenhain, GE Fanuc and Siemens for all models. The controls are either flush mounted to the machine or an optional free-standing console to provide the optimum operator functions for productivity.

In addition, the VMC 610, VMC 800 and VMC 1000Xp² range is also available in the Mouldmaster versions specified with inline spindles with upto 24,000 rpm and linear scales ideally suited to the Mould and Die Sectors.

Stuart Wilkins, Bridgeport's Chief Executive also announced recently that the company is following through with its declared intention to bring to the market new, more technologically-advanced machine tools for improving efficiency whilst reducing cost in production engineering.

With five-axis milling increasingly being seen as the way to slash set-up operations and multiple fixturing, Bridgeport has introduced a new standard product aimed directly at this market. The new 5ax 400 Vertical Machining Centre is a carefully specified mid-sized machine that is expected to do well within Bridgeport's traditional mould and die markets as well as the aerospace industry.

The hesitancy that some buyers still have about adopting five-axis machines is more due to the higher initial cost, rather than any concerns for the complexity of programming and verification, that the company has produced this dedicated five-axis VMC as a standard product.

By rationalising the design in this way, certain considerable cost saving benefits have accrued in the customers' favour. "A good machine tool of this type can never be cheap" says Bridgeport's General Manager – international sales, Paul Zajac, "but this is the right moment for a truly cost-effective five-axis machine to hit the market".

Bridgeport Machines has long been a major supplier of five-axis milling machines to industry and has seen a steady rise in the proportion of its overall orders being specified in this way. Currently, it seems, with the pioneering work done and a greater appreciation of the flexibility such machines provide, there is more scope for sales to a wider range of users than ever before. The understandable doubts previously held by many potential users regarding their ability to cope with the mysteries of a machine capable of running with all five-axes "doing their own thing" simultaneously are fast receding.

In spite of the new five-axis machine being supplied as a competitively-priced package, its specification remains flexible. For example, customers still have the freedom to choose their own favourite CNC supplier in line with Bridgeport's long-held policy of offering a choice from the three top names, Heidenhain, Siemens or GE Fanuc. The Bridgeport 5ax 400 has a 12,000 rpm spindle as a standard feature. There is also a choice of optional spindle speeds that include 8,000, 15,000 and 24,000 rpm. The standard, automatic tool changer fitted has 30 stations as experience shows this to be more than enough for most users.

Currently, ready for shipping, the 5ax 400 features maximum X, Y and Z strokes of 810, 610 and 500 mm, respectively. Positioning speeds given for the three linear axes are up to 43 m/min with acceleration rates of up to 6 m/s.

The two rotary axes are designated: "A" (tilt axis), and "C" (rotary axis) and they have speeds of up to 22 and 33rpm, respectively, with acceleration rates of up to 6,000°/s². The rotary "C" axis provides a full 360° of travel while the tilt, or "A" axis, is free to operate from 30 to +120°. The maximum component weight that can be placed on the 350 mm diameter rotary table is 200 kg and the maximum diameter of such parts can be as much as 400 mm.

Details available from: Bridgeport Machines Ltd. Tel: +44(0)116 2531122; Fax: +44(0)116 2539960; Web site: www.bridgeport.co.uk