WHAT’S NEW: AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

This new aerospace manufacturing equipment could help reduce your operating costs by making your machining and heat treating processes more competitive.

MASSIVE MILL “GOES DEEP” WITH 3-METER Z AXIS FOR LARGE ALUMINUM AND COMPOSITE PARTS
The U5-3000 Universal Machining Center from MAG IAS, LLC (Erlanger, KY) combines massive platform capacity with long-reach 3 m Z-axis and 5-axis, 5-side contour machining for efficient processing of “really big” aluminum and composite parts. The newest addition to the U5 family of gantry mills, the U5-3000 is engineered to machine at extreme limits and into deep cavities of large prismatic parts.

Combined with Y-axis travel of over 6 m (20 ft), unlimited X-axis travel, and high-speed 15,000 rpm, 5-axis spindle, the U5-3000 brings never-before-possible machining efficiencies to extremely tall, wide and long parts. Its exceptional capacity provides versatility to large-part machining for aerospace, energy, marine, and die/mold applications.

The modular, heavy-duty gantry design delivers the stiffness, range and performance to machine complex part geometries with exceptional accuracy. A rigid box-way roller-bearing rail system and dual-motor rack-and-pinion X-axis drive provide smooth precise movement and high thrust levels on long-travel cuts. Feedrates up to 20 m/min (787 ipm) optimize processing efficiencies on large part surfaces.

Five-axis/five-side processing allows manufacturers to machine more part features in a single setup for lean efficiencies and higher productivity, while reducing potential errors caused by multiple setups on high-value parts. The U5-3000 comes standard with a 15,000 rpm, 30 kW (40.2 hp) HSK63A gimbal-style contouring spindle that delivers up to 57 Nm (42 ft-lb) torque for high-speed, high-throughput cutting performance. As options, 20,000 rpm and 24,000 rpm 5-axis spindles are available.

The 5-axis head features continuous C-axis to keep the spindle in-cut without running out of C-axis travel or waiting for C-axis to unwind. A rigid Z-axis ram with 508 mm (20 in) cross section provides high rigidity for superior precision and surface finish, especially with longer tools and extended Z-axis reach. Flood and through-spindle coolant keep cutting zones clear, with automatic chip and coolant collection systems available.

Highly customizable to application requirements, the U5-3000 can be field-expanded in the X-axis in 3.7 m (12 ft) increments. Productivity enhancing options include automatic head change, choice of high-torque or high-speed spindles, and vertical, horizontal and custom designs. Multiple head configurations optimize spindle access to complex and challenging part features. Interchangeable heads help to minimize machine downtime, part reorientations, and setups. Other options include fixed tables, rotary tables and automated pallet shuttles. www.mag-ias.com

5-AXIS HMC OFFERS 4X PRODUCTIVITY, DOUBLE TOOL LIFE IN TITANIUM MACHINING
Makino (Mason, OH) offers its T-series five-axis horizontal machining centers with ADVANTiGE^™ technologies built specifically for titanium aerospace edge frames, pylons and life of conventional titanium machining operations. “The T-series with ADVANTiGE technologies are a powerhouse for titanium machining, capable of reducing part production times by 75 percent while increasing tool life by 100 percent,” says Mark Larson, the titanium process R&D manager at Makino. “We’ve created a line of machines that will change the way people think about titanium machining like our MAG-series did with aluminum aerospace structural parts.”

The first machines of the T-series include the T4 and T2 five-axis horizontal machining centers. The T4 provides X, Y and Z axis travels of 4,200 mm, 2,000 mm and 1,000 mm, respectively, and can hold workpieces up to 5,000 kg. For smaller titanium parts, the T2 provides X, Y and Z axis travels of 2,000 mm, 2,000 mm and 1,800 mm, respectively, and can hold workpieces up to 5,000 kg.

The T-series’ HSK-A125 spindle is Makino’s most powerful spindle to date, providing higher torque, horse power, and clamping force than all predecessors. Its compact design combines the latest induction motor with twin inverter drive technology for higher torque (740ft-lb, continuous 133 hp; 1,100ft-lb, 200 hp peak). The spindle is supported by roller bearings to ensure high rigidity, which keeps the energy loss to one-half that of conventional gear-driven spindles. The spindle delivers a maximum speed of 4,000 rpm. The A- and C-axes increase part accessibility with a ±110 deg A-axis rotation and a 360 degree continuous C-axis rotation. www.makino.com

HORIZONTAL 5-AXIS TITANIUM AEROSPACE PROFILER DELIVERS SUPERIOR STIFFNESS FOR AGGRESSIVE HARD-METAL MACHINING
The HyperMach™ GTi series 5-axis titanium aerospace profiler from MAG IAS, LLC (Erlanger, KY) is for the efficient processing of large parts such as spars, bulkheads, door edge frames, or nested part groups. Developed for high-output machining of large monolithic titanium aerospace parts, the 5-axis HyperMach GTi series turns the typical profiler concept on its side in a fixed-column, traveling table arrangement. The modular machine design is available with part capacities from 2 x 4 m (6.6 x 13.1 ft) to 3 x 20 m (9.8 x 65.6 ft).

Unlike T-type machine designs, which lose up to 80 percent of their stiffness and require frequent re-alignment to maintain accuracy, the HyperMach GTi’s patented structural link provides lock-up between the column and X-axis table base to provide extreme stiffness for aggressive cuts at the upper limits of the workzone. This four-point column link provides closed-loop stability, controlling machine geometry changes caused by thermal growth and maximizing structural stiffness for heavy machining. The added stiffness enables the HyperMach to consistently produce higher quality and more accurate parts, while allowing heavy cuts at any position in the workzone to reduce cycle times and achieve the lowest cost-per-piece production.

The X-axis table/pallet receiver delivers feed rates up to 50 m/min (2000 inches per minute), while the Y-axis reaches vertical speeds up to 35 m/min (1378 ipm) to minimize parasitic time out of the cut. Water-cooled servomotors are used on X,Y and Z axes of GTi series machines to eliminate thermal influence of the motors on positioning accuracy and to maximize performance for high acceleration/deceleration and feed rates. The spindle carrier rotates at 60 deg/sec (10 rpm) in A and C axes, powered by worm/wheel drives.

Scale/encoder feedback on all five axes provides accuracy well beyond the capabilities of other horizontal machines on the market, and the optional Volumetric Error Compensation package can enhance the machine’s volumetric performance by 50 percent or more. GTi series machines come standard with a 72-tool magazine, which is field expandable to 110 or 142 tools.

HyperMach GTi series machines can be configured to meet the layout and work flow requirements of most plants. All HyperMach H-Series machines feature a full-portal, open-center design, allowing chips to fall through to a high-volume conveyor to avoid chip re-cutting and the need for a blow-off attendant. Programmable, variable high-pressure through-spindle and external coolant system is a standard feature. Pallet load can be from the right or left side, and the chip conveyor can be configured to discharge in either direction.

Installation is on a flat floor, which reduces the cost and time required for installation by avoiding the need for pits and multi-step foundations. This makes future reconfiguration of the plant layout easy. Combined with CINCRON® cell automation modules, the GTi series design allows virtually an infinite number of material handling and cell configurations for extremely flexible multi-machine and multi-pallet part manufacturing.

The four patents covering the HyperMach machine design include one for the rigid four-column lockup between the column and table base, which provides consistent stiffness and improved accuracy throughout the work zone. A second patent covers the “flight deck” ergonomics of the operator station. Its layout permits visual monitoring of the machine’s HMI, the work zone, the tool change process, tool in the ready position, the tool magazine itself, and utilities panel, as well as immediate physical access to the work zone.

A third patent covers maintenance and reliability issues – motors and drives are on the exterior of the machine, away from workzone contamination, and critical drive components, such as ways, bearing, ballscrews and scales, can be accessed and serviced from the exterior of the machine. A fourth patent covers the pallet handling system, which allows a pallet to be loaded from either or both sides of the machine without any modification to the system, permitting a wide variety of work handling configurations without modification to the machine. www.mag-ias.com

LARGE HEAT TREATING BOX FURNACE FOR AEROSPACE PARTS
Lucifer Furnaces, Inc. (Warrington, PA) designed a large heat treating box furnace for a leading manufacturer in the aerospace industry. The 20 in high by 20 in wide by 40 in long unit is used in the manufacture of engine parts. This 3 zone furnace with tight uniformity meets the AMS2750 specification required by NADCAP.  Constructed with an angle iron steel frame and a heavy gauge sheet steel facing welded to form a rigid unit, this furnace heats to 2000 deg F.

With a three-zone master/slave temperature control system and over-temperature safety controls linked to a computer interface, reduced cooling time is achieved through a fresh air damper system. 54 kW power is generated through heavy gauge wire heating elements in removable radiant panels located in the door as well as side walls and rear wall of the furnace. The horizontal swing door is secured with 2 cam locks and a safety micro switch to automatically shut power when door is opened. The end user chose their heat treating equipment with the goal of shortening their heat treating cycle. The new box furnace complements an existing one already in operation. www.luciferfurnaces.com