PRESS RELEASE
CHIRON at MACH 2004
Hall 5 Stand 5660
Chiron returned to MACH this year with a range of solutions for achieving maximum production efficiency, including five-axis machining, multiple operations on long bed machines, twin spindle machining and process automation. These are all coupled with rapid acceleration, high-speed spindles and the fastest possible tool-to-tool and chip-to-chip times.
“Investing in multi-axis machining and flexible high productivity solutions is the key to British companies staying competitive in a global market,” says Paul Rhodes, Managing Director of Chiron Werke UK. “Attempting to compete in a low-cost, low-technology environment simply plays to the strengths of our competitors. Companies need to invest in faster, more productive machinery, new technology, flexible multiple-face machining techniques and simple automation.“
Five-axis machining means higher productivity and maximum workpiece accuracy, and at MACH Chiron demonstrated three different five-axis solutions – two of them on the same machine.
Chiron’s Mill 2000, fitted with a fourth, swivel-head axis on the spindle, showed how two different components could be pendulum machined on the same bed. The first component, an oil industry drill bit, was mounted on a fifth-axis turntable so that pockets for carbide cutting tips could be machined at various angles on five sides of the component. On the other side of the bed, an aerospace component was fixtured on a vertical rotary axis that allowed the part to be flipped over and machined on all six sides.
The Mill series is designed for efficient small and medium batch production and features rapid feed rates of 40m/min, a 1.5sec tool change time, and in the version shown at Mach, a background magazine capable of holding up to 92 tools.
Alongside the Mill 2000, a FZ 15 K 5-axis machine showed a third approach to five-axis machining, with three axes on the spindle combined with a two axis rotary table. Chiron’s moving column design philosophy means that the 4th and 5th axes replace the fixed machine table – in contrast to retrofit units that fit on the table, this approach means that none of the machine’s working envelope is sacrificed.
The FZ 15 K 5-axis, which was shown machining an automotive knuckle casting, is designed for rapid machining of medium and large batched. It offers a 2.4 second chip-to-chip time, tool changes in 0.9 seconds and accelerations up to 1.2g.
To double productivity at a stroke, the obvious answer is a twin spindle machine. On Chiron’s DZ 15 High Speed two powerful spindles work in parallel on common feed axes to simultaneously machine two components. The machine features a highly stable, symmetrical moving column construction and a rapid workpiece changer that takes only two seconds to swing through 180 degrees. Performance highlights include 60m/minute rapid traverse speeds, chip-to-chip times as low as 2.4s and both tools changed in 1.9s.
The final demonstration machine was a FZ08 W high speed, twin pallet, machining centre working in conjunction with a Motoman robot that loads and unloads the parts. With a tool change time of 0.5 seconds, a chip-to-chip time of 1.5 seconds and a workpiece change time of 2 seconds, this truly is high speed manufacturing.
For more information please contact:
Andy Sandford
Sticklebacks Communications
Tel: 01737 270 648
Mobile: 07971 436 644