The company says that there are now 12 Okuma machines that can be fitted with the super-cooling technology developed by 5ME, a leading pioneer in cryogenic machining. Machines capable of supporting the process include vertical and horizontal machining centres specifically designed for aerospace parts processing, while in some instances cryogenic machining is retrofittable.
Cryogenic machining increases throughput, quality and tool life while reducing cycle times, and is especially suitable when processing exotic metals such as such as titanium and Inconel. And machine shops can run leaner, cleaner and greener with cryogenics
Farnborough International Airshow runs from 11-17 July and Okuma, which is distributed in the UK by NCMT, will be found in hall 3, stand D100. This technology is fairly new to machining and potential users may have many questions that they’d like answered.
Okuma offers these few little-known facts about the technology:
• Nitrogen is 78% of the air we breathe and it is safe and easy to use. Liquid nitrogen is quite easy to handle, but is of a very low temperature so safety measures, such as wearing gloves and aprons, should be implemented when handling tools.
• Although fairly new to the machining world, liquid nitrogen has been used in other industries successfully. Flash freezing food has been undertaken for decades.
• Nitrogen is environmentally friendly. There are no hazardous fumes or mist from coolant on clothes or in the air, so there are no health risks for operators.
• Chips are much easier to manage, avoiding the stickiness and weight problems associated with coolant. Swarf chips are dry and lighter, making them extremely portable. Additionally, the risk of slips and falls when clearing chips is reduced since there is no oily residue from coolant.
• Cryogenic machining equipment does not have to be permanently fixed to the machine. Hardware can simply be removed from the machine to run through-spindle coolant instead of liquid nitrogen.
• Liquid nitrogen is affordable, competitively priced and readily available from commercial distributors. The typical return on investment on a cryogenic machining kit is 12 months.
