Geo Kingsbury showcasing German machine tools at FIA
The machine producers are Index and its subsidiary, Traub, which offer CNC single- and multi-spindle lathes; Hermle, which builds 3- to 5-axis machining centres; and four large prismatic metalcutting machine manufacturers, Burkhardt + Weber, F Zimmermann, SHW and Waldrich Coburg, although the latter also produces vertical turning lathes.
Richard Kingsbury, managing director of Geo Kingsbury said: “Senior representatives will be on our stand to engage commercially and technically with managers and engineers in the aerospace manufacturing sector.
“Right across the gamut of applications and component sizes, from a few millimetres to tens of metres, we can offer solutions that are optimised to a user’s requirements, with full support every step of the way.”
He mentioned some of the highlights being promoted this year. For example, a little-known benefit of F Zimmermann’s high-speed, portal machining centres is the option to fit a patented M3 ABC 3-axis head. Full 6-axis CNC machining may be undertaken continuously because the ± 15 degree B-axis avoids the pole position problem of traditional 2-axis A/C rotary-tilt heads, whereby when A is at zero degrees it cannot move.
The M3 ABC can swivel, tilt and incline to any angle, significantly reducing machining times as well as improving component surface finish, as cutter chatter on the surface of a component due to excessive C-axis movements is eliminated. As a result, a cavity with sloping walls in an aluminium aerospace component can be machined between 30 and 40 per cent faster - a massive productivity advantage.
Burkhardt + Weber and Geo Kingsbury have used the latter’s experience in machining titanium airframe parts to develop this side of the German machine builder’s business. With pallet sizes ranging from 630 mm to three metres, the structure of the machines is perfect for titanium machining due to the high torque on the spindle and rotary axis, stable build, large working envelope and the ability to automatically exchange long tools.
In the realm of smaller machining centres with working volumes up to 1.4 m3, Hermle enjoys considerable global success as a supplier to the aerospace sector. The trunnion design and 5-axis configuration of its machines allow, for instance, efficient automated milling of radii or chamfers on edge features of aero engine parts. Traditional dressing by hand is labour intensive, time consuming and tends to produce variable results.
Removal of sharp edges with a milling cutter eliminates possible stress points, takes away material that could otherwise detach and cause blockage or wear, improves a component's appearance and promotes safe handling. Titanium aerospace components can be profiled so that edge radii are within ± 25 microns and surface finish is better than Ra 0.8.
