Category Archives: Machine Tools

What’s The Best Type of Gearbox for Servo Applications?

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Gearboxes provide torque multiplication, speed reduction, and inertia matching for motor-driven systems. Servo systems, specifically, require gearboxes that can supply not only high torque with low added inertia, but also high precision and stiffness. One type of gearbox meets all these criteria while providing relatively long operating life with low maintenance requirements: the planetary gearbox.

 

A planetary gearbox consists of multiple planetary gears, which revolve around a central sun gear while engaging with an internal gear and rotating on their own axes. The continuous engagement of the planetary gears means the load is shared by multiple teeth, allowing planetary designs to transmit high torque loads.

 

This load sharing among teeth also gives planetary gearboxes high torsional stiffness, making them ideal for processes that involve frequent start-stop motions or changes in rotational direction, which are common characteristics of servo applications. Most servo applications also require very precise positioning and planetary gearboxes are designed and manufactured to have low backlash, with as little as 1-2 arcmin in some cases.

 

Planetary gearboxes can use spur or helical gears. While spur gears can have higher torque ratings than helical gears, helical designs have smoother operation, less noise, and higher stiffness, making helical planetary gearboxes the preferred gearbox for servo applications.

 

When a gearbox is added to the drivetrain, the rotational speed delivered from the motor to the driven component is reduced by the amount of the gear ratio, which can allow the system to make better use of the servo motor’s speed-torque characteristics. Planetary gearboxes are able to accept very high input speeds and provide speed reduction of up to 10:1 for standard designs, with high-speed designs providing gear ratios (and, therefore, speed reduction) of 100:1 or higher.

 

Planetary gearboxes can be lubricated with either grease or oil, although a planetary gearbox for servo use (sometimes referred to as a “servo rated” or “servo” gearbox) is often lubricated with grease. In either case – grease or oil lubrication – planetary gearboxes are often lubricated for the life of the gearbox by the manufacturer, which eliminates maintenance for the end user.

 

The most important benefit of using a gearbox in a servo system is arguably its effect on the inertia of the load. The load inertia, which is reflected to the motor, is reduced by the square of the gear ratio. So, even a relatively small gear reduction can have a significant effect on the inertia ratio.

 

While a “perfect” inertia ratio of 1:1 is impractical in many cases, the goal of most servo system designs is to keep the inertia ratio as low as possible in order to achieve high system responsiveness. Reducing the load inertia by adding a gearbox to the system means that a smaller motor (with lower inertia) can be used, while still maintaining a desirable ratio between the motor and the load. And a planetary gearbox, by virtue of its compact design, has a low inertia itself, adding only a small amount to the load inertia that the motor must balance.

 

If you want to get more information of servo gearbox, I recommend you to visit Jia Cheng. It is a professional manufacturer of reducer, gearbox, and coupling. To get more details, welcome to check out their website and feel free to contact with Jia Cheng Precision Machinery Co., Ltd.

 

Article Source: https://www.motioncontroltips.com/whats-the-best-type-of-gearbox-for-servo-applications/

Tips for Making Sheet-Metal Parts

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Follow these straightforward guidelines to create durable parts that exactly meet your design’s requirements.

 

In sheet-metal fabrication, parts are formed from metal sheets by punching, cutting, stamping, and bending. 3D CAD files are created using a host of different CAD packages and then converted into machine code, which controls machines that precisely cut and form the sheets into the final parts. Sheet-metal parts are known for their durability, which makes them great for a wide variety of applications. Parts for low-volume prototypes and high-volume production runs are most cost-effective due to large initial setup and material costs.

 

Below are some tips and guidelines for designing sheet-metal parts. If you follow the design advice and maintain the tolerances expressed in this article, you are more likely to end up with parts that meet the needs of your designs.

 

Wall Thickness

Parts should maintain a uniform wall thickness throughout their entirety, but this should be easy because parts are formed from a single sheet of metal.

 

Bends

Sheet-metal brakes bend sheets into a part’s desired geometry. Bends in the same plane should be designed in the same direction to avoid having to reorient the part during manufacturing, which will save money and time. Another trick is to keep the bend radius consistent to keep parts more cost-effective. Thick parts tend to become inaccurate, so they should be avoided if possible.

 

Rule of thumb: To prevent parts from fracturing or distorting, make sure to keep the inside bend radius at least equal to the sheet’s thickness.

 

Curls

Holes should be placed away from the curl at least a distance equal to the radius of the curl plus the material’s thickness. Bends should be at least six times the material’s thickness plus the radius of the curl.

 

Rule of thumb: Outside radius of curls must be at least twice the sheet’s thickness.

 

Countersinks

Countersinks must be separated from each other by a distance of at least 8 times the material thickness, from an edge by at least 4 times the material’s thickness, and from a bend by at least 3 times the material’s thickness.

 

Rule of thumb: The maximum depth for a countersink is 3.5 times the material’s thickness.

 

Hems

Hems are folds to the edge of a part that create rounded, safe edges. Hems may be open, flat, or tear-dropped, and tolerances depend on the hem’s radius, material thickness, and features near the hem. It should be noted that flat hems should be avoided because they risk fracturing the material at the bend.

 

Rule of thumb: For open hems, the inside diameter should at least equal to the material thickness (larger diameters tend to lose their circular shapes); and the return length should be at least 4 times the material’s thickness. Tear-dropped hems must maintain an inside diameter of at least equal to the material’s thickness, an opening of at least ¼ the material’s thickness, and the return length should also be at least 4 times the material’s thickness.

 

Holes and Slots

Holes and slots may become deformed if positioned near a bend. The minimum distance that holes should be placed from a bend is a function of the material thickness, bend radius, and the hole’s diameter. Holes should be at least 2.5 times the material thickness plus the bend radius away from any bends. Slots should be placed 4 times the material’s thickness plus the bend radius away from the bend.

 

Be sure to put holes and slots at least twice the material’s thickness from an edge to avoid a “bulging” effect. And holes should be separated from each other by at least 6 times the material’s thickness.

 

Rule of thumb: Keep hole and slot diameters at least as large as the material’s thickness. Higher-strength materials require larger diameters.

 

Notches and Tabs

Notches must be at least one-eighth of an inch (3.175 mm) away from each other. For bends, notches must be at least 3 times the material’s thickness plus the bend radius. Tabs must be at least 0.04 inches (1 mm) from one another or the material’s thickness, whichever is greater.

 

Rule of thumb: Notches must be at least 0.04 inches (1 mm) thick or as thick as the material, whichever is greater. A tab should not be any longer than 5 times its width. Tabs must be at least 0.126 inches (3.2 mm) thick, or two times the material’s thickness, whichever is greater. Tab length should be no larger than 5 times its width.

 

Corner Fillets and Relief Cuts

Sheet-metal parts may have sharp corners, but designing a fillet of ½ the material’s thickness will make parts more cost-effective.

 

Relief cuts help parts avoid “overhangs” and tearing at bends. Overhangs become more prominent for thicker parts with smaller bend radii, and may even be as large as one half of the material’s thickness. Bends made too close to an edge may cause tearing.

 

Rule of thumb: Relief cuts for bends must be at least one sheet’s thickness in width, and be longer than the bend radius.

 

If you have any interest in sheet metal process, I recommend you to visit the website of Tailift Co., Ltd. – they are the professional manufacturer for kinds of high-quality sheet metal machines and punch presses. To get more information of sheet metal machine series, please do not hesitate to check out their website and feel free to contact with Tailift.

 

Article Source: https://www.machinedesign.com/mechanical/tips-making-sheet-metal-parts

The Difference Between Metal and Wood Lathe Chucks

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A lathe chuck is a clamp that is used for holding the lathe’s rotating tool bits. You can find the lathe chuck in a push or a pulled design. The push version is tapered and works by using a threaded cup. This pushes the bit deep into the socket to make the clamp. The pulled design has a section that is threaded near the back of the tool. This pulls the chuck in tight by use of the grooves.

 

Lathe Chuck Information

The lathe chuck can be used for either metal or wood lathes. It is important to know the differences between them so that you will be able to choose the right one for you. Of the different models, the most popular is the three and four jaw. The grip on the cutting tools and drill bits is firmer which is necessary for harder materials. When thinking about cost, the wood lathe will cost you less than a metal one. However, you need to consider what types of jobs you wish to do before deciding what one to buy.

 

Information on Wood Lathe Chucks

The size for wood lathe chucks is most often 0.25” or 0.50”. However, you can find them in other sizes if necessary. These are used to turn wood for a bowl, pens, cue sticks, baseball bats, table legs, etc. Because wood lathes are not as sturdy, the motor does not have to be nearly as powerful as a metal lathe. A wood lathe should not be used for materials that are harder than wood. Wood Lathes turn faster and do not make cuts that are as precise as metal lathes. While they are less expensive than metal lathes they do not make very good substitutes.

 

Information on Metal Lathe Chucks

Metal lathe chucks are used for hard materials. A metal lathe has a much more powerful motor than a wood lathe. You can also guarantee more precise cuts from a metal lathe. A metal lathe does not need to be hand held. The tool itself is incorporated into the machine that you use. A metal lathe chuck itself is a heavier tool when compared to a wood lathe. If necessary, you can use a metal lathe for any wood projects that you may have.

 

Some Safety Tips

When using a lathe, whether it is metal or wood, safety glasses should always be worn. These will help protect your eyes from debris and dust. You should never wear gloves when using these machines as the gloves can easily get tangled while the machine is in use. You should also never wear loose-fitting clothing for the same reason. If your hair is long, then you should have it tied back while using these machines. You need to wear protective footwear, preferably steel-toe boots. Some woods contain dust that can be hazardous to your health. Wear a helmet that has a respirator built in or a dust mask. Be sure to thoroughly read the manual for this machine before you attempt to use it.

 

If you need more choice of scroll chucks and other precision chucks, I recommend that you can visit Chandox Precision Industrial Co., Ltd. – the company specializes in kinds of pneumatic and hydraulic chucks. Get more details about these lathe chucks, welcome to check out their website and feel free to contact with Chandox.

 

Article Source: https://www.doityourself.com/stry/the-difference-between-metal-and-wood-lathe-chucks

What Is A Deep Hole Drilling Machine?

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Do you know what a deep hole drilling machine is? Have you encountered this type of machine before?

 

A deep hole drilling machine is a mechanism used in the process of deep hole drilling. Commonly, it is used to produce deep, straight holes especially in metals particularly in the process of gun making. Deep hole drilling machines are the best mechanism to produce accurate holes necessary for most manufacturing processes.

 

Deep hole drilling is the machining of holes with a relatively large depth to a diameter ratio. Essentially, any hole deeper that ten times the diameter of the material should certainly constitute the process of deep hole machining. Specialized drilling technique should be considered in dealing with these processes.

 

Interesting to note as well: deep hole drilling machines were initially developed for manufacturing of guns and armaments. It was used to drill gun barrels. Throughout time, however, other industries also saw the potential of this tool. Nowadays, a lot of industries such as energy, oil and gas use gun drilling machines for resource exploration. It is also useful in the metal cutting industries, automotive, aircraft, petro-chemical industries. Gun drilling mechanisms are also found useful even in the medical field.

 

Construction of deep hole drilling machines is not only expensive but a difficult task as well. It requires specific planning and a variety of tools and machinery. Despite the difficulty of production, deep hole drilling machines are still seen as an important machine in most processes in different industries.

 

Depending on the required processes, there are different kinds of deep hole drilling machines. As a machinist, you have to consider the dimensions of the machine you are going to use, and the dynamics of the materials. In addition to the machine dimensions, power and dynamics, compatibility of these tools with various machines is primarily determined by the fluid delivery and chip exhaust systems. Achieving a perfect deep hole is not only reliant to the drilling machine but to a variety of mechanisms or systems. The two most common deep hole drilling systems enforced by different industries are gun drilling system and the BTA system.

 

Here is how a drill machine operates in the system of gun drilling: the drill is positioned and held in a spindle nose. It is then guided to a pre-started hole to avoid vibration of the drill. With this setup, the gun drill system operates in full accuracy. The high pressure coolant flushes the chips and lubricates the system. This operation produces the fine finish and burnished surface of the hole.

 

Important to note as well that, in using a drilling machine, safety precautions must be enforced. As with all power equipment, safety and security of you and your environment plays a crucial role. For instance, you must wear the correct and appropriate working clothes in using a deep hole drilling machine. An appropriate uniform lessens the possibility of an accident. Make sure also that you know how the machine works so that you can preempt an incident waiting to happen.

 

If you need more information about hole drilling machine, please choose Honge Precision Industries Corp. – the company’s deep hole drilling machine has wide range of model, suitable for various industrial part’s deep hole drilling. Due to its excellent quality, good management system and superior after-sales service, Honge has already enjoyed a long-lasting good reputation in the world market. Learn more details, feel free to contact Honge at 886-4-2496-0300.

 

 

Article Source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-deep-hole-drilling-machine

The Advantage of Using CNC Surface Grinder in Auto Parts Processing

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Auto parts (auto spare parts) constitute the overall car of each unit and in the   service of automobile products. Auto part usually requires high precision and high reliability. Manufacturing of auto bearing parts with CNC surface grinder could gain the following advantages:

 

  1. High Precision: two parallel plane, through the disc, the swing arm type feeding NC vertical double end face grinding machine grinding, the precision of the products can reach 0.002 ~ 0.003 mm.

 

  1. High stiffness is the difference between two sides of the plane can control within 0.006 mm dimension consistency control ability.

 

  1. High Efficiency: disc, the swing arm type feeding CNC grinding machine, compared to its efficiency on the basis of the same precision grinding machine is more than 10 times.

 

  1. For many applications, grinding is the preferred process strictly because of the finish it provides. These machines handle the tight tolerances of tenths or millionths without a struggle. Extremely stable machines, they’re made for dealing with super tight tolerances.

 

  1. Temperature changes in and around a machine can create steady fluctuations in component sizes. Although these variations may seem minute, when tolerances are in tenths and millionths, they can spell the difference between a good part and scrap.

 

  1. Easy to Operate: vertical double end face grinding machine, CNC control convenient operation convenient operation compared with horizontal double end face grinding machine fixture design more reasonable, more scientific and more flexible.

 

  1. For successful hard turning, the key components for a machine are that it is rigid, thermally stable, the more can be integrated into the process and the more efficient the operation.

 

  1. Along with vibration stress release, these outstanding structural features assure high strength, maximum damping capability, and longer service life.

 

Just as streamline, CNC surface grinding machine is another very important   revolution in auto parts manufacturing. With these machines, manufactures can   produce both normal and special auto parts in large amount. That shorts the whole design and manufacturing processing of an auto part and also lowers the cost.

 

If you need more information about CNC surface grinders, I recommend a company to you – that’s Tong Yi Machinery Inc.

 

From manual shaping grinding machine, semi-automatic grinding machine, the full-automatic grinding machine of three axes, NC level grinding machine, NC level rotary grinding machine, any product was all researched and developed and designed high-accuracy towards pluralism and humanization, believe that can offer more perfect quality service for every customer. Get more details, please feel free to contact with Tong Yi Machinery.

 

Article Source: Quora

Transformer Winding Machines: Significance and Types

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Transformer is one of the most crucial components of any electrical circuit. A transformer is basically used to convert (increase or decrease) the voltage, depending upon the maximum allowable voltage of an application. Thus, there are two main types of transformers, namely, step-up and step-down transformers. The main difference between these two types of transformers is the number of windings. Thus, winding becomes the most important part of this electrical device. These windings are manufactured with the help of transformer winding machines.

 

Transformers are used in a wide range of applications varying from a mobile charger to huge industries. Thus, the rating of the transformers can vary from VA to MVA. VA is the voltage and current rating of a transformer. Thus, based on the applications, transformers with different windings are used. There are different types of transformer winding machines used to manufacture transformers with different VA/MVA ratings. Besides this, different types of winding machines are required, depending upon low volume or high volume production. What are these machines? What is the significance of these machines in manufacturing winding? Are you intrigued to know more about them? Read the following post to get a detailed understanding of these machines.

 

What Are the Types of Transformer Winding Machines?

 

As discussed earlier, transformers with different VA ratings require different coil winding machines. Based on this, there are three main types of winding machines used. These three types of machines are as follows:

 

  1. Manual Transformer Winding Machines –

These transformer coil winding machines can either be operated by hand or with the help of a small motor. Transformer coils can be wound precisely by using the manual transformer winding machines. One of the major advantages of these machines is that they are light weight. This makes them portable and can be carried from one place to another easily.

 

  1. Programmable Transformer Winding Machines –

The programmable transformer coil winding machines are an advanced version of winding machines, which feature a 16 Bit microprocessor for smart operation. These machines also have a stepper motor, which is capable of winding up to 750 RPM. In these machines, various functions of a transformer are set-up and programmed. This is one of the biggest advantages of these machines, as programming these functions provides high level of precision in operation. Thus, coils of transformer can be wound easily. Some striking features of this achiness are:

 

  • They have a built-in production counter, which keeps an eye on the number of transformer coil winding.
  • There are a number of menu items, which can be programmed easily.
  • These winding machines are equipped with a speed control knob. This helps adjust the speed.
  • Another important and beneficial feature of these transformer winding machines is that they have a display.

 

  1. Automatic Transformer Winding Machines –

As their name suggests, the automatic transformer winding machines do their job with no or very less need of human interference. The advantage of using these types of winding machines is that they help reduce the labor costs. Various tasks can be fed to these machines, and they are operated using computerized programs. The multi-spindle feature of these machines help to make the equipment multi-coil winding. Multiple coil windings can be done simultaneously using these types of machines.

 

These were the three basic types of transformer winding machines used by a number of manufacturing firms. If you want to get more information about transformer coil winding machine, try to check out the website of DETZO Co., Ltd. – the company specializes in producing fully automated production line and winding machines. Learn more details please do not hesitate to visit DETZO immediately.

 

 

Article Source: https://www.armaturecoil.com/blog/transformer-winding-machines-their-significance-and-types/

How to Increase the Process Speed of Die Sinking EDM

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Developments in the EDM process and its technology along with improvements in accuracy, automation and micro-mold making technology can pay enormous dividends to the domestic mold making industry.

 

Speed Is Not the Solution

Increasing drive speed is one solution to improving the speed of die sinking EDM. In this way the unproductive times for lifting movements are reduced; however, the gain in speed is limited to small electrodes and very deep cavities. In addition, above a certain speed the electrode wear is considerable and very high axis speeds result in extreme strain on the mechanism, make the machine more expensive and shorten its working life. Therefore, it is wrong to believe that a general increase in the process speed is only to be achieved by rapid lifting movements. The contribution of fast axes to the machining process is just one supplementary aspect to a complex interaction that encompasses the generator, process control, gap width regulation and the mechanism. And die sinking EDM requires intelligent flushing.

 

Potential Lies in the Flushing

You can imagine the EDM process as being a balance between the EDMed and evacuated material in the gap. If this balance is not present, then either you flush the machining area unnecessarily—involving a loss of time and additional instability of the process—or you EDM the same particles several times, which cannot be removed from the gap sufficiently.

 

Die Sinking EDM

Before the material can be evacuated from the gap you must remove it from the workpiece. So how can you achieve more removal? As in the case of all optimization problems, the greatest gain potential lies where the efficiency is smallest. The efficiency of a single discharge with a cathodic poled workpiece is theoretically about 25 percent.1 In addition there are some factors that make the efficiency even worse (e.g., process control problems, non-ideal flushing conditions, small gap width), so that realistically you must reckon with an efficiency of less than 10 percent.

 

Removal and Surface Quality Determine the Time Requirement

In the case of EDM, the objective is always to optimize the removal performance of the machining on one hand, and to achieve the surface quality of the workpiece to be machined on the other hand. The workpiece, when machined, is intended to display a certain final roughness and a certain form precision. In addition, two conditions are called for:

 

  1. As small a thermally influenced area of the workpiece surface as possible
  2. As low an electrode wear as possible.

 

These marginal conditions determine the machining time and costs for workpiece production. In practice, a sequence of technological parameters is used because starting out from the roughing to finishing settings, the pulse energy is gradually reduced until the required technological results are achieved. Once again the law of nature applies: you can quickly achieve results of modest quality, but only slowly results in high quality.

 

Physical Processes Show a Solution

The approach toward an ideal state means moving the characteristic curve in the direction of the arrow. That means faster EDM with the same gap width, roughness and wear. If, up to now, the discharge energy of the EDM pulses was increased, regrettably you also only had greater roughness and a greater gap width so that the gains in speed during roughing were lost again through longer finishing. You will find a way to a solution if you return to the basics of EDM theory—to the physical processes leading to the formation of the spark and metal removal.

 

During the discharge, you can identify three main physical phases in succession:

 

  1. The Build-Up
  2. Discharge
  3. Fade Phases

 

In the first phase the discharge canal is built up. After passing through the working medium, the current flows almost exclusively on the surface area of the discharge canal and the anode is partially evaporated by the electron bombardment. The electrode wear mainly takes place here. Every pulse—whether contributing intensively to removal or not— causes microscopic wear. In the discharge phase, the electrical energy supplied causes melting or evaporation of material mainly on the workpiece. The fade phase begins with the switching off of the power supply. The plasma canal collapses and the partially evaporated, partially liquid material is ejected.

 

When to Interrupt Pulses

During the discharge, a crater forms in the workpiece. Fundamental studies of discharges have shown that the growth of the crater in the workpiece stagnates from a certain time. This is because a balance forms between the energy supplied and the energy lost, as well as energy that is used for the maintenance of the plasma and the heat loss to the workpiece and dielectric. This asymptote of the crater growth can be recorded in real time from the spark voltage and current.

 

However, why is the asymptote of the crater growth so important? Because this is the right moment to interrupt the pulse. It is unnecessary to let a pulse last longer if the target radius of the crater and the required roughness have been achieved. You can begin with the next pulse immediately. The time required by the pulse to reach this state also is not constant, as the speed with which a discharge reaches a certain spark base diameter depends on the macroscopic situation in the gap and the local geometry in the spark discharge area. With this first measure alone, you will optimize the number of discharges per unit of time and increase the removal rate.

 

When to Increase the Current

If you now observe the charge’s fade phase you will see that the removal from the workpiece is caused by the collapse of the plasma canal. The sudden drop in pressure—triggered by switching off the power—causes the evaporation and ejection of superheated material. The plasma canal has a very high temperature and pressure. The gradient of its collapse influences material removal. The more abruptly the energy disappears, the better the crater material will be ejected. In order to enhance this effect, a special trick is employed: before the pulse is interrupted, the current is increased briefly. The idea of increasing the pulse current is not new, the innovation is the definition of the point in time when this increase is to take place. The increase in the pulse current has no consequences for the roughness, wear or gap width, but does increase the removal. In addition, as the removal per pulse is greater, you need fewer pulses for the machining, and therefore the wear sinks.

 

Removal Rate Doubles in Part

This new machining strategy (asymptote detection, current increase and pulse interrupt) is the subject of a patent application for its use in new EDM die sinking systems. The results are in accordance with the theoretical reflections, especially where good flushing is guaranteed (e.g., pre-machined workpieces). For these machining jobs removal rates have doubled.

 

Generator Brings Striking Improvements in Performance

The innovative generator offers an increase in productivity of approximately 30 percent; however, up to 100 percent with pre-milled molds that occur increasingly nowadays through synergies with HSM. This refers to all roughing and finishing using copper and graphite electrodes. The advantages are particularly great with good flushing conditions and pre-milled workpieces. These convincing results explain that it is possible to increase the speed and productivity of die sinking EDM, and the potential for improving this technology is still considerable.

 

If you need more information about die sinking EDM, please try to visit the website of Excetek Technologies Co., Ltd. – the company is the well-known brand for its EDM machines. Get more details about Excetek, welcome to check out their product pages and feel free to send inquiry to them.

 

Article Source: MoldMaking Technology

Buying a Five-Axis: Selecting the Right Machine

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Horizontal or vertical? Trunnion or swivel head? What’s the effective difference between different configurations of five-axis machining centers?

 

Not all 5 axis machining centers are alike. Here’s where the application for which they will be used must be considered. You need to know what cutting speeds you’re going to run, for example. The type of spindle, the arrangement of rotary axes, rapid traverse rates, feed rates and available horsepower are other major considerations. Do you intend to machine primarily aluminum, stainless steel or titanium? How rigid does the machine need to be? What surface-finish quality do you require? What part accuracy are you trying to achieve? These are all questions you’ll need to answer in order to select the right machine for your application.

 

If you’re primarily machining aluminum, you may prefer a spindle capable of higher speed, such as 20,000 rpm, with higher rapid traverse rates, especially if you’re using smaller-diameter tools. Likewise, if you’re machining stainless or alloy steel for complex mold surfaces, you will likely be using small tools and high spindle speeds to achieve exceptionally smooth surface finishes.

 

Be aware that some machines are designed for cutting only aluminum. Others are suitable for steel and tough alloys, which require more rigidity, higher horsepower, lower spindle speeds, slower rotary speeds, higher torque and stronger box ways to make deep cuts with bigger tools. Machining different grades of steel, titanium alloys or even harder materials may require a heftier machine; however, this hefty machine would need to rotate the table excessively fast to achieve adequate surface speeds for cutting aluminum. The result might be disappointing.

 

When specifying out a five axis machining center, obtaining the expert advice of an experienced engineer is recommended.

 

Horizontal or Vertical

Horizontal five-axis machines are normally equipped with an automatic pallet changer (APC) ready to be installed on the shop floor. If you’re machining aerospace components that have deep pockets or waffling designed to reduce finished-part weight, the high volume of chips will naturally drop into the conveyor. In addition, horizontal five-axis machines tend to be heavier and more rigid, which helps when cutting steel and titanium.

 

In contrast, vertical five-axis machines tend to be more agile for processing smaller parts. VMCs tend to enable better operator access and can often take heavier cuts, but clearing chips can be inconvenient. High-pressure, through-the-spindle coolant delivery comes in handy to remedy chip accumulation.

 

Swiveling-Head or Trunnion Style

There are pros and cons to different types of machine designs. If you’re loading heavy parts, the non-tilting table on a swiveling-head machine is often preferred, because this type of table offers greater rigidity for holding big, heavy parts. The swiveling head enables the use of shorter, standard tooling, because all tool rotations occur above the part. Swiveling-head machines tend to be more versatile, lending themselves to using multiple fixtures, vises or tombstones. This somewhat simulates the appeal of an HMC.

 

A trunnion-style machine is often preferred in moldmaking, because both rotary axes are contained in the trunnion table itself and the spindle head is stationary. This configuration is similar to that of the three- or four-axis machines most moldmakers are already used to. The spindle head reaches out over the tilting table, providing better undercut capabilities and some access to the underside of the part. As the spindle head itself does not rotate, trunnion-style machines tend to be more effective in heavy chip removal and can use full X, Y and Z travels to accommodate large parts.

 

If you need more information about 5 axis machining center, please do not miss Vision Wide Tech Co., Ltd. – the company is the professional CNC machine tool manufacturer owning brand “VISION WIDE”, provides wide range products from heavy cutting to high speed, from 3-axis spindle to 5-axis spindle, and from metal cutting to composite material machining centers which have been applied in vehicles manufacture, power generating, aerial components and so on. Widely applied in curve-based polyhedral machining. Learn more details, welcome to visit Vision Wide immediately.

 

Article Source: Modern Machine Shop

Advantages of CNC Grinding

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Anyone who uses CNC grinding machines is bound to enjoy the numerous advantages associated with the machines. In contrast to traditional grinding, CNC grinding produces very light cuts and fine finishes to your workpieces. The machines also make it possible to use less skilled people and limited supervision to perform your project. When looking for a CNC grinding machine, you will want to buy and use a power tool that will perform your project within the time frames you set. There are many advantages of using a machine that is suitable for grinding your materials.

Machines Work for Longer Without Breaks

Like all other CNC machines, CNC grinding machines can run 24/7, 365 days a year without the need for breaks. The only time that the machines will require to be stopped is during maintenance work. This allows you to carry out your project without any interruptions. In the end, the inconvenience of breakdowns is eliminated.

Produce in Large Quantities

Regardless of the quantity of the material that you want to grind, CNC grinding machines will fit the bill. This is partly because the machines run all year round without interruptions. This will enable you to meet the demand of your customers at all times.

High Levels of Accuracy

CNC machines can be programmed to produce fine surfaces and top-quality cuts with precision. The machine will produce great finishes in line with the specifications you provide in the operating software. This reduces the amount of waste as well as the possibility of products that do not meet the needs for which they are produced.

Software to Improve Performance

CNC grinding machines operate on software. When you want to improve the performance of your machines, all you will need to do is update your software. The latest software will also help you to perform many operations in a single setup. This will help in cutting costs and saving time.

Identical Manufacturing

CNC grinding makes it possible to produce identical products in bulk. When customers request your products in large quantities, CNC machines will help you to achieve identical manufacturing. All the components produced through CNC grinding will be an exact match to each other.

Article Source: Sturdy Grinding

EDM 101: What is EDM and Where to Find CNC Drilling EDM Machines Manufacturer?

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What is EDM?

 

EDM stands for electrical discharge machining, the applications best suited for this metal removal process are those characterized by extremely exacting tolerances and situations that would be extremely difficult or impossible to handle with any other method of machining.

 

Growth of EDM

 

EDM has rapidly earned its place alongside milling and grinding equipment as a proactive, mainstream technology. EDM is best known for its ability to machine complex shapes in very hard metals. The most common use of EDM is machining dies, tools and molds made of hardened steel, tungsten carbide, high-speed steel and other workpiece materials that are difficult to machine by “traditional” methods.

 

The process has also solved a number of problems related to the machining of “exotic” materials such as Hastelloy, Nitralloy, Waspaloy and Nimonic, which are used on a large scale in the aeronautical and aerospace industries.

 

With the reduction in electrode wear and increased sophistication of EDM controls in rams, new EDM processes use simple-shaped electrodes to 3D mill complex shapes. EDM also is being used for polishing small, intricate surfaces.

 

Since EDM does not involve workpiece/tool forces like a mill or grinder, it is possible to EDM shapes that would break conventional cutting tools or be broken by them.

 

Different Types of EDM

 

  1. RAM EDM

RAM EDM, also known as plunge EDM or standard EDM, is the oldest form of EDM machining. It generally consists of an electrode usually made out of graphite that is plunged into a workpiece in order to create a blind-shaped cavity. It can also be used to generate through holes and geometry but these are not the primary uses of the process.

 

  1. Drill EDM

Drill EDM uses rotating concentric electrodes to drill through a workpiece and basically performs the same functions as a drill press, except that the material hardness is not a factor and the accuracy of the finished hole is far superior than what any drill press can produce. It is best used to drill start holes for the wire EDM in already hardened material as well as accurate very small holes for industries like aerospace and medical equipment.

 

  1. Wire EDM

Wire EDM uses a traveling wire electrode (usually .010” diameter or smaller) that goes through the workpiece. The wire, in this case, is controlled by computer following the assigned geometry for the part to be produced.

 

EDM for Tooling Applications

 

When a part requires special / unique conventional cutting tools, electrodes are easy to machine, unlike carbide. Equally important, the wire used by a wire EDM is available as a standard, off-the-shelf component. EDM is a low cost tooling option when you need short run stamping (less than 5,000 pieces) and low volume broaching. With EDM, there’s no need to make a die set. That’s why EDM is used to make sewing machine components and prototypes. Instead of using expensive broaches, EDM is a very attractive form of low-cost tooling. This is a reason companies use EDM to produce splines and gear teeth along with all their metal stamping & mold making needs.

 

Where to Find The Reliable EDM Machines Manufacturer?

 

About this question, I recommend that you can try to visit the website of OCEAN Technologies Co., Ltd.. This company is specializing in kinds of high quality EDM machines. If you need more information about CNC drilling EDM machines, please do not hesitate to check out OCEAN product pages and feel free to send inquiry to them.

 

Article Source: Mercatech, Inc.