Tornado demonstrates quadruple cutting speeds for titanium turning

Citation

(2005), "Tornado demonstrates quadruple cutting speeds for titanium turning", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777cab.001

Tornado demonstrates quadruple cutting speeds for titanium turning

Tornado demonstrates quadruple cutting speeds for titanium turning

Keywords: Aerospace industry, Machine tools

It is reported that machining trials on the latest Colchester Tornado T8M three-axis mill/turn lathe resulted in a demonstration of its ability to cut aerospace specification titanium at four times the normal metal removal rate. The trials were carried out at the Colchester Sales headquarters now based at the 600 Centre in Shepshed, Loughborough, UK (Plate 1).

Plate 1 Colchester Tornado T8M cuts titanium at four times normal metal removal rate

Heading up Colchester Sales application engineering team, Paul Rushworth selected suitable tooling and installed a 140 bar high pressure coolant system to machine billets of T/ 6AI-4V material at up to 150m/min when roughing and at 250m/min for finishing cuts. Normally, material of this type is machined at around 40m/min.

The roughing cycle was run at a feed rate of 0.25mm/rev and 2mm depth of cut with the high pressure coolant piped through the centre of the machine's 12 station, 40 VDI driven tool turret and through the tool. Finishing cuts of 0.15mm were taken at a feed rate of 0.2mm/rev.

The machining cycle reportedly confirmed the in-built stability and rigidity of the Tornado range which features Colchester Lathes' patented Duo-stable base configuration and integral cast iron bed. The steel base is filled with a polymer concrete and strategic reinforcement bringing the weight of the machine up to 4.5 tonne and giving a 25 per cent improvement in damping. Not only does this enable the machine to reach running temperature faster, with significantly improved thermal characteristics, it provides a more stable cutting platform.

The 140 bar high pressure coolant demonstration also was said to have confirmed the high level of build quality of the latest Tornado T8M whereby the futuristic guarding design was able to contain the high pressure fed coolant in the working area while preventing any ingress into the working headstock and slideways.

The chucking variant of the Tornado T8M has options of a 254 or 210mm chuck size with fully programmable 0.001°C-axis and disc brake positioning fitted to the spindle to ensure maximum productivity and accuracy can be achieved when heavy duty cycles are demanded. The machine is also available with 66mm bar capacity and in the highly sought after unmanned running developed “Lights-out” package.

The machine has a 22kW Fanuc spindle drive which can be specified with either 5,000revs/min or 3,500revs/min and a 3.7kW, 4,000revs/min tool drive with a torque rating of 9.55Nm. As standard, Heidenhain linear scale is fitted to the X-axis to ensure high accuracy tool positioning in conjunction with the Fanuc 21/-TB flat screen control.

Swing over the bed of the Tornado T8M is 510mm with a maximum turned diameter of 290mm by 540mm long and rapid traverse rates are 25m/min in X and 30m/min in Z.

For details contact: Colchester Sales. Tel: +$$ (0) 1509 602667; Fax: +44 (0)1509 600159; E-mail: mail@colchester.co.uk; web site: www.colchester.co.uk