4-axis chuck lathe shortens machining cycle

Fig. 4 Shaft chucking lathe can minimize the time delay of the parts. The spindle can be installed horizontally or vertically. When the 4-axis CNC chuck lathe is applied correctly, it can provide the zero-delay function required for the parts loading. This is because when the two spindles are in the cutting state, the remaining two spindles can be installed with the parts that need to be machined. Let's imagine the processing of HMC (Horizontal Machining Center) machines with pallet change function. When the machine machined a workpiece on one pallet, another tray outside the HMC was in preparation for the next workpiece. Therefore, the delay may occur only when the two trays exchange their positions. Now, let's imagine the processing of a 4-axis lathe on the drum of a rectangular indexing carriage. The function of this tray drum is approximately the same as that of the pallet changer on the HMC machine. It enables two of the four spindles to be in a closed machining environment and simultaneously turns two workpieces. At this time, the two spindles outside the processing area can use manual, robotic or gantry type feeders to install the workpieces to be machined. After the workpiece has been turned on one pair of spindles, the bracket drum starts indexing operations, and the remaining two spindles with new workpieces are fed into the machining area. As long as the period of the turning operation exceeds the installation time of the new workpiece, a delay of several seconds can only occur during the indexing of the spindle carrier drum. Mr. Bill Camloh, Jr. of Camloh Machinery Solutions listed three advantages of this turning machining platform: first, this type of machine tool can save a lot of component mounting time; second, when a workpiece A side and B side When the processing cycle on the machine is in an unbalanced state, machining with this type of machine tool is very effective. Thirdly, regardless of whether the workpiece is installed manually or through automatic loading, as long as the cycle of turning machining exceeds the installation time of the workpiece, the machine tool is manufactured. The efficiency is exactly the same. Mr. Camloh's machine tool sales company in LaFayette, New York, provided a 4-axis CNC chuck lathe made by Kitako of Japan (the parent company of Kitako was Kitagawa). Such machine tools are imported through the United States SB Machine Tools. Mr. Camloh detailed the design of this 4-axis chucking lathe in this article, and listed an example of how to use this type of machine to improve the production processing efficiency of completely different workpieces. Design of the 4-axis chuck lathe Kitako's 4-axis chuck lathe is designed and manufactured on the basis of the company's original 3-axis machine tool. This type of 3-axis lathe can usually be used for roughing, finishing and mounting of workpieces. The cradle drum has enough space to install the fourth spindle, so the company added another spindle to the lathe to accommodate a wider range of compound turning operations. Kitako can provide various lathes with horizontal and vertical spindles. Horizontal chucks have a chuck diameter ranging from 100 to 200 mm (4 to 8 in.). If viewed from the operator's point of view, the spindle is arranged exactly to the operator's position. Vertical lathes are commonly used for turning large and medium-sized workpieces. The chucks are available in diameters ranging from 200 to 380 mm (8 to 15 in.). The design of the machine tool can be adapted to the requirements of the automation operation. It can also be used as a key processing device or retrofitted to the production site. According to Mr. Camloh's estimates, about 90% of the more than 500 machine tools exported to the United States are equipped with automation systems. A gantry loader (single-arm, two-arm, or three-arm) is usually installed in the form of a project package. Dual independent gantry booms can also be provided, as are the robots on the machine and on the floor. A barometer or probe can also be installed on these parts carding systems to measure parts as they are removed. For example, this information can be fed into a control system to automatically compensate for worn tools. The table uses a 4-axis chuck lathe and a two-axis lathe to process the cast iron cover. Comparative operation of a 4-axis chuck lathe Axis lathe A surface processing time 59s 59s Parts loading and unloading time 0s 12s Bracket indexing time 1.5s 0s B surface processing time 23s 23s Parts loading and unloading time 0s 12s Bracket indexing time 1.5s 0s Total processing cycle 42.5s/piece 71s/piece Machine uptime 98% 32% Both spindles working in the processing area are by their own turret or combination Tools provide service. Combined cutters are generally used for the production of large quantities of parts. The standard turret generally has 8 stations, and a turret with 10 stations can have up to 5 stations for moving knives. The use of a moving tool should depend on the time required for drilling, tapping, and other machining operations. Mr. Camloh said: "If this period of time takes up a large part of the overall processing cycle, then non-turning machining on the milling machine will be of greater significance because it will reduce the value of the part's reduced set-up time." "For example, in the case of a short overall machining cycle, a new workpiece setting time of 15 seconds is of great significance. However, this 15s time is less important for longer machining cycles including active tool operations. Typical Turning Applications 4-axis chucking lathes are not necessarily suited to the machining needs of large-volume workpieces. Mr. Camloh said: “The chuck lathe is also suitable for batch processing of about 500 pieces.” The usual processing applications of the chuck lathe are as follows: One type of part can be turned once in all four chucks (AA/AA). Operation; At the same time, turning one side of a part in one chuck, and turning side B of the same part in another chuck (AB/AB); At the same time turning the side A of one part in two chucks, And turn the B side of the same part in two other chucks (AA/BB). Especially in the case where the machining cycle is relatively long on the A side and the B side and the machining operation is not balanced, the lathe using the 4-axis design is most effective for the machining of the last example. Consider the cast iron hoods listed in the table. The surface turning, boring and eccentric drilling cycles of these parts are 59s, while the boring and end machining cycles of the B surface are 23s. Parts loading time 12s. If a spindle of a two-axis lathe is used to turn the A side of the part and the other spindle is turned to process the B side of the same part, then the main axis of the B side will be idle for 36 seconds. It must wait for another spindle to complete a machining operation of up to 59s. From this example it can be seen that it takes 71s to complete the machining of one part because the overall machining cycle is equal to the longest machining operation time plus the part loading time. On the other hand, when a 4-axis chucking lathe performs AA/BB machining operations, its overall machining cycle is based on the average machining cycle of A-plane and B-plane. When the two sides of the two parts have been machined, the brackets index the other two spindles and start processing the other two parts. As can be seen from this example, 85s is required for each machined part. This shows that the processing time for completing each part is 42.5s. In addition, the spindle utilization rate of the 4-axis chuck lathe has reached 98%, while the spindle utilization rate of the double-axis lathe is only 32%.