The third iteration of this model, launched in April 2023, has seen the specification uprated in several key areas to boost capacity and versatility. Sole sales and service agent in Britain and Ireland is Whitehouse Machine Tools, in Kenilworth.
Now called Speedio W1000Xd2, the machine is the largest on the market and best in class in the 30-taper category. Extension of Z-axis travel from 300 to 380mm together with the new option of a 250mm column extension means that a much larger component may be placed under the spindle. If it is rotated in a trunnion, swing diameter is increased to 540mm and if it is fixtured directly on the table, maximum weight is 500kg.
A benefit of having 1,000mm travel in the X-axis is that either long components may be machined, or else a pair of smaller parts side by side. In the latter case, if they are undergoing Op 10 and Op 20, one comes off completely machined every time the doors open. Alternatively, multiple small parts may be placed under the spindle for many hours of uninterrupted production.
Typical applications are to be found in the electric vehicle manufacturing industry for the production of, for example, a battery control box, chassis component or instrument panel. Other target markets are the semiconductor and mould making sectors.
Users processing tool steels will benefit from the introduction of a 10,000rpm / 26.2 kW / 92 Nm high-torque spindle option in place of the standard 12,000 rpm offering. Another option is a 16,000rpm face-and-taper contact spindle. Through-coolant at 435 or 1,015 psi is available on request. With the encroachment of these 30-taper machines into the 40-taper arena, the high-torque spindle has been endowed with increases in spindle bearing diameter, spindle clamping force and tool retention force, increasing metal removal rate by typically 50%.
Previously available with 14 or 21 tools, the machine is now offered with the new option of a 28-pocket magazine. It leads to a reduction in machine downtime due to less frequent tool replenishment when a series of complex components are being machined. Likewise, metalcutting can continue uninterrupted for longer with the use of sister tools, maintaining high productivity regardless of the production mix.
Maximum tool length and diameter are now 250mm and 110mm respectively and weight has increased to 4kg. Chip-to-chip time is 1.5 seconds even when the heaviest tools are deployed in the 28-tool magazine, while if lighter tools are mounted in one of the smaller magazines, it is just 1.3 seconds.
Compared with a 40-taper machining centre, the 3.35-tonne W1000Xd2 is exceptionally environmentally-friendly. The machine draws only 20% of the power due to energy saving measures, which include LED lighting, high efficiency pumps, auto-off functions and power regeneration from the high efficiency motors.
Moreover, due to the agility of axis motions and the fact that the very fast linear rapids up to 56 m/min take place simultaneously with tool change, the high productivity often enables one Speedio to do the work of two ponderous, 40-taper machines. In that case, energy consumption is an order of magnitude lower.
The CNC-D00 control has a modern graphical user interface, many apps and support functions to assist the operator and up to 3 GB of memory. Tool centre point control with up to 1,000-block look-ahead and fast processing ensure excellent surface quality on the machined components.
