Steed Webzell

Dugard introduces enhancements to its VMC range

Product Launches
2 mins read

Dugard’s range of cost-effective vertical machining centres has evolved with the company working closely alongside its long-standing Taiwanese partners to instigate enhancements across the series. A smaller footprint, larger work envelope, faster rapid travels and a wider choice of control system feature on the Dugard 550, 760, 1000 and 1350, all of which are offered at a more cost-effective price point than the previous models.

The company has installed thousands of 3-axis VMCs down the years and, by providing its machine-tool partners with in-depth customer feedback and analysis from UK and European customers, the toils of this extensive R&D exercise are now bearing fruit. The final specifications were agreed at the recent EMO show in Hanover. Dugard’s latest 550, 760, 1000 and 1350 VMCs are now available in the UK from stock.

Enhancements over the predecessor machines include extended Y-axis travel on the smaller 550 and 760 machines. Despite the extended work envelope, Dugard has managed to reduce the overall footprint of these machines, keeping it below 2 by 2 m – an area that also encapsulates ancillary equipment such as the tanks, pumps and conveyors. To create uniformity across the range, each of the four machines now incorporates 20 to 11,000 rpm spindle speeds, with the 550 and 760 models boasting a 10 kW FANUC spindle motor, and the 1000 and 1350 having the more powerful 18.5 kW FANUC motor.

On the two larger machines in the Dugard VMC range, the company is including a pneumatic counterbalanced head on the Z axis. The pneumatic cylinders are directly mounted to the column and vertically moving head casting to eliminate the requirement for weights and chains. This design enhances the kinematic movements of the Z axis, and improves speed and precision.

Another attribute that Dugard has added is increased options for the CNC. Previously only available with FANUC and Siemens controls, Dugard has introduced the Mitsubishi M80 to the list of options.

The Mitsubishi M80 facilitates industry standard G-code entry and has a 10” touchscreen LCD monitor powered by 32 GB of on-board memory and a 64-bit processor that can churn through 2,250 blocks of code per second, with a look-ahead facility for 1,350 blocks.

With regard to machine dimensions and specifications, the Dugard 550 and 760 both include a 16-station ATC with a BT40 spindle taper, and rapid traverse rates up to 36 m/min. This specification ensures productive machining within the 550 by 440 by 460 mm (X, Y, Z) work envelope of the 550 machine, and the 762 by 440 by 460 mm of travel provided by the 760 series. The larger 1000 and 1350 machines offer 1,000 and 1,350 mm in the X axis, respectively, with the 1000 series providing 540 by 560 mm in the Y and Z axis, and the 1350 offering 640 by 660 mm. With the four models weighing from 2,850 up to 8,110 kg, build quality and rigidity are guaranteed.

Importantly, each of the machines can be configured to suit the demands of the individual end user. As well as a diverse choice of CNC, Dugard can also integrate a variety of options that include: 4th and 5th-axis interface table; 20, 24 or 28-station tool changers; through-spindle coolant; chip flushing and wash gun; spindle and tool-setting probes; and much more.