DOUBLE-COLUMN BRIDGE MILLS MACHINE VERY LARGE COMPLEX COMPONENTS
FEELER FV double-column bridge mills include extensive design and engineering by Methods Machine Tools for machining massive gearbox housings, nacelles on wind turbines and pumps, or valve housings for the oil and gas industry.
Posted: November 2, 2010
Methods Machine Tools, Inc.'s (Sudbury, MA) high-performance FEELER FV-Series double-column bridge mills feature extensive design and engineering by Methods. FEELER Bridge Mills are designed to deliver unsurpassed performance and value, and are backed by Methods' application expertise, support, and extensive network of technology centers.
"The main structural components of FEELER bridge mills are manufactured from heavily ribbed cast iron to ensure excellent surface finishes on large, complex parts," said Paul Hurtig, FEELER product manager, Methods Machine Tools. "Examples of components include massive gearbox housings, nacelles on wind turbines and pumps, or valve housings for the oil and gas industry."
FEELER bridge mills feature a stepped Y-axis beam and weigh up to 82 tons, contributing significantly to rigidity. For maximum power and torque at low rpm's, feeler bridge mills use a German ZF gearbox with a 1:4 gear ratio.
Facilitating the production of large, high-quality components, FEELER FV-Series bridge mills feature THK linear guideways on the X-axis, and Schneeberger roller linear guideways on the Y-axis. X-axis travels range from 85 in (2,160 mm) to 284 in (7,200 mm), and Y-axis travels range from 55 in (1,400 mm) to 158 (4,000 mm). The Z-axis uses boxway construction and travel is 35.4 (900 mm) with 47.2 (1,200 mm) of travel available as an option.
The standard automatic tool changer holds 32 tools. 60-, 90- and 120-tool configurations are available as options. The FANUC18i-MB (B) with HPCC control is standard on the 40-taper FEELER bridge mills and the 50-taper models use the FANUC 18i-MB (A) control.
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