27 July 2012
Makino’s D300 5-axis VMC targets high precision applications
Similar to the D500, Makino's 5-axis D300 is designed for the production and 3D contouring of small, complex of high quality parts typical of aerospace, medical, high end job shop and die/mould applications. Its rigidity and thermally stable direct-drive rotary table offers sustained dynamic accuracy, says Makino, while its speed provides rapid positioning and feedrates to reduce overall lead-times.
The D300 has a worktable work area diameter of 300 mm and is able to accommodate workpieces up to 450 by 270 mm and up to 120 kg in weight. X, Y Z-axis travels are 300, 500 and 350 mm, respectively, at feedrates of up to 60,000 mm/min. Rotary table axes offer rotational motion of 240º (±120º) on the A-axis and a full 360º (continuous rotation) on the C-axis.
The machine comes as standard equipped with a 15,000 rpm HSK-A63 spindle with 120 Nm (42 Nm continuous) of torque for flexible, high speed machining of materials including steel, aluminum and titanium. Optional spindle configurations include a 20,000 rpm HSK-A63 spindle and 30,000 rpm HSK-F63 spindle.
The D300's direct drive C-axis rotary table and A-axis trunnion are designed for positioning accuracy and repeatability. The ultra-high torque direct drive motors also provide acceleration and rotary speed characteristics that can reduce cycle times of complex 5-axis simultaneous machining applications by up to 60%, claims Makino. In a novel configuration the length of the trunnion assembly on the D300 runs parallel to the X-axis motion only, making the trunnion assembly deflection-free during quick axis motion for greater accuracy.
The machine also features roller linear guides across all linear axes for rigidity and stiffness while maintaining very productive rapid and feedrates. Y and Z axes are located above the worktable, with the X axis located under the table to permit a cantilever-free design and high positioning accuracies.
The D300 uses the Makino Professional 5 Control, which provides a Windows CE graphical user interface with touchscreen access, and the networking and storage capabilities of a data centre. This data centre features a flexible, user-friendly program and data management for quick, seamless changes from one set-up to the next. Built-in Ethernet networking capability offers ready integration to off-machine program storage.
Also featured in the D300 is Makino's proprietary, next-generation Super Geometric Intelligence (SGI.4) software specifically for high feedrate, tight-tolerance machining of complex 3D contoured shapes involving continuous tiny blocks of NC data.
The tool centre point (TCP) control allows programming based on the tool tip so that tool-compensation features can be applied. Further TCP developments also improve the cutter path to achieve greater surface quality. Dedicated user-friendly screens simplify the overall application of 5-axis machining, and easy-to-apply functions prevent interference between the spindle and trunnion during automatic operation to improve risk-free production. The machine can be easily upgraded for automation with an automatic pallet changer.
Author
Celia Cadwallader
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