Machining centre to help research into CO2 cooling

The 5-axis machining centre, a DMU65 monoBLOCK, will be the first in the UK from this German manufacturer to be fitted with carbon dioxide (CO2) cooling. The continuous stream of refrigerated gas can be used in place of the more usual fluid coolant to flood the machining area at the point where the cutting tool meets the metal workpiece. Roger Bull, Technical and Facilities Officer at WMG says, "Advantages of the technology when machining titanium and exotic alloys include less contamination of the workpiece, better surface finish, longer tool life and the ability to use elevated cutting feed rates for higher productivity. Research to be carried out in Warwick, which will include microanalysis to study comparative surface grain structures of the tool, chip and component with and without CO2 cooling, will be of mutual benefit to both WMG and DMG." In addition to the seven DMG machines already installed at WMG, which comprise three 5-axis machining centres, a 3-axis model and three CNC lathes, further machines are due to be delivered in 2011. These will include two further machining centres, one with a much larger working envelope than existing models in the demonstration facility; and another incorporating laser texturing that is particularly suited to 3D mould manufacture. Some of the machine tools have been purchased by the university and others have been loaned by DMG under its technical partnership agreement with WMG, whereby the machine tool vendor is allowed to use the Warwick facility for customer visits and cutting demonstrations. The association started in 2004 with financial support from the Science Research Investment Fund and has grown steadily since. "We decided in favour of DMG equipment partly because the machines have wide doors that allow easy access, which is ideal when teaching a group of students as they get a good view of what is going on in the working area," says Bull.