Sweden-based Modig Machine Tools is an innovator in the area of high speed machining, best known for its one-hit machining of aluminium aircraft stringers.
Its latest developments include the Modig extrusion machining centre, HHV, which provides a massive 50% productivity gain over earlier Modig Profileline machines, making it “the most competitive processing machine in today’s market for machining stringers or longerons”. Modig has delivered more than 40 HHVs over a four-year period, many to customers placing multiple orders.
A further development of the HHV machine, the HHV-BAR, sees the use of bar stock (as opposed to extrusions), with this new model featuring a heavier spindle and headstock.
It is the Modig HHV-BAR on which RK International Machine Tools will focus its efforts, developing a market within its existing customer base that encompasses the full spectrum of the UK precision engineering sector, as well as OEM and tier one aerospace manufacturing, and identifying new opportunities for this high performance machining system.
Key advantages of the Modig HHV-BAR machining centre are a reduction in extrusion stockholding; the ability to machine similar designed components from bar; and an entry into precision engineering sectors, such as electronics and medical components, while retaining the ability to machine, in one cycle, aerospace stringers.
Features of the HHV-BAR include: its ability to machine bar stock up to 140 mm square and 5,000 mm long; four axes (X, Y, Z & U) each having 10m/s² acceleration; accuracy of ± 20 arc-secs on the rotary axis; a Fischer version B 30,000 rpm, HSK E63 main spindle; and 24-position toolchanger as standard.
This combination of features is said to result in cycle times between 40 and 60% faster, while the use of bar stock rather than billet reduces material use by as much as 30% and significantly reduces fixturing requirements.
Says Dick Aldrich, sales director, RK International Machine Tools: “At RK International Machine Tools, we already supply some of the UK’s leading aerospace companies with machines, both as off-the-shelf and turnkey solutions. With the UK having Europe’s largest aerospace customer base, generating £27.8 billion for the economy in 2013, the Modig range, and notably the HHV series machines, provide a great opportunity to further advance in machine productivity, through reduced component machining and handling times.”
In addition to the above mentioned machines, also available are the Aeromill, capable of metal removal rates of up to 850 in³/min, and the Flexi Mill, an innovative 6-axis machining centre for aluminium and composite components.
