Hurco showed broader range of manufacturing solutions

Transcription

1 P R E S S R E L E A S E MACH 2010 Review Information Stand: 5458 Hurco showed broader range of manufacturing solutions 70 per cent of machine tools were new Hurco Europe s managing director, Dave Waghorn, says that the company s product range continues to expand, particularly in the categories of 5-axis and larger-capacity machining centres as well as in CNC lathes. This was reflected in the Hurco exhibits at MACH 2010, which saw the introduction of six new vertical machining centres. The company also showed a larger number of lathes than ever before, including a new turning centre with driven tooling. MACHINING CENTRES DCX22 Exemplifying Hurco s progression into the realm of large machining centres, the new twin-column, bridge-type DCX22 dominated the

2 - 2 - stand, despite being the smaller of two models introduced last year. Available in 40-taper and 50-taper versions, it was the former (DCX 22-40) that was on show. The construction has advantages over gantry-type and C-frame machines in that it has superior thermal stability for higher accuracy machining, and allows heavier table loads and a larger Y-axis travel with no loss of rigidity. Large components can therefore be produced to tight tolerances, such as dies, moulds and parts for the aerospace and energy sectors. The fixed-rail design of the DCX offers X/Y/Z travels of 2,200 / 1,700 / 750 mm with 24 m/min rapids and a 2,100 x 1,600 mm pallet. The 40-taper spindle with 18 kw (optionally 26 kw) of peak power is mounted in a vertical ram of box-construction for maximum cutting capability and rigidity. There are 8,000, 10,000 and 15,000 rpm spindle options. The 40-station, swing-arm toolchanger keeps the carousel clear of swarf and maximises the working envelope. All DCX machines are fitted with Hurco s simple-to-use WinMax twinscreen control system, allowing even the most complex 2D jobs to be programmed at the machine quickly and easily. A less well-known feature of the control is its capacity to handle NC files with full ISNC compatibility. The control has a 40GB hard-drive with 2GB RAM and high-speed contouring capability as standard.

3 - 3 - VMX60SR The VMX-SR range of 5-axis machining centres is designed with a B- axis swivel head and a horizontal rotary C-axis table to tackle complex, multi-sided parts. There is a generous amount of space to the left side of the table for completing the final side of a part when all six sides must be machined. By this means, a completed part can be removed at the end of every cycle. A special version of the manufacturer s proprietary WinMax 5-axis control software streamlines set-up, simplifies programming and is compatible with more CAM programs than before. Powerful Swept Surface software reduces programming time by as much as 80 percent. Heavy-duty digital servo drives, large ballscrews and substantial linear rails increase machining accuracy and results in excellent surface finish. Specification of the nine tonne, 40-taper VMX60SR that will be exhibited includes X, Y, Z axis travels of 1,525 x 660 x 610 mm, maximum component weight capacity of the rotary table of 500 kg, peak spindle motor power of 36 kw, 118 Nm torque at 2,900 rpm, and 30 m/min rapid traverse in X and Y, 20 m/min in Z. VMX42U Another new 40-taper, 5-axis machine, launched at Hurco s open house last December but new to MACH, was the VMX42U with integral

4 - 4 - trunnion table. It joins a similar trunnion machine but of travellingcolumn configuration in the Hurco range, the VTXU. The VMX42U combines reliability and performance with advanced 5- axis technology, streamlining the production of multi-faceted, complex parts. The powerful WinMax software includes 5-sided conversational programming and an impressive smoothing algorithm that produces a superb surface finish, minimising the need for hand polishing of moulds. With X,Y,Z travels of 1,067 x 610 x 520 mm, the machine can accommodate workpieces weighing up to 250 kg. Two spindle options are 12,000 and 15,000 rpm, peak power being 24 kw. Rapids are 35 m/min in X and Y, 30 m/min in Z VM20, VM10U, VM10 Hurco has introduced a major upgrade of its best-selling, compactfootprint VM range of vertical machining centres, but has not increased the prices. Improvements include adding around 50 mm to the Y and Z axes and providing a 10,000 rpm spindle as standard. Designated VM10, VM20 and VM30, the new, 3-axis models also have a faster, electronic, 20-station swing-arm toolchanger to minimise noncutting time and further improve productivity and reliability. Rapid traverses are now 24m/min in all axes.

5 - 5- The two smaller models, VM10 and VM20, were demonstrated at MACH together with a U version of the former complete with appropriate WinMax software to provide 5-axis machining capability using the rotary table / trunnion configuration. Dave Waghorn described this machine as one of the most compact and cost-effective 5-axis solutions on the market at the moment. Travels are 660 x 406 x 508 mm on the VM10 and 1016 x 508 x 508 mm VM20. They translate into an increase in working envelope of around one quarter compared with the previous models. It is claimed that these machines offer the best combination of minimum footprint and maximum capacity currently available. VMX24t The only Hurco machining centre at this year s exhibition that appeared at MACH 2008 was the VMX24t with 610 x 508 x 610 mm axis travels and twin-screen Ultimax control system. It is the smallest in a range of seven VMX models that form the backbone of the company s 3-axis vertical-spindle machining centres. Notable features of these machines are their working volumes, which are 50 per cent larger on average than competitor models; and their Y- axis travels, which are longer than the industry standard for machines with a similar X-axis.

6 - 6 - TURNING CENTRES TMX8 The new TMX8 production lathe is the first of a series of high performance, ergonomically designed turning products from Hurco that incorporate the company s simple conversational programming capability. Compared with previous models in Hurco s lathe range, the new machine has increased travels, giving a maximum cutting diameter of 356 mm and a cutting length of up to 533 mm. Faster acceleration and deceleration have been provided to minimise idle time. An increase in main spindle power to 27 kw allows 307 Nm of torque to be generated at 833 rpm. Live cutters with 7 kw peak power and capable of 5,000 rpm may be fitted in each of the 12 VDI tool positions in the servo-driven turret. Station-to-station turret index time is 0.3 sec. An installed weight of five tonnes gives sufficient rigidity to enable Hurco to quote a positioning accuracy of ± 5 microns and repeatability of half that figure. The easy-to-program WinMax control allows simple conversational commands to be used, which together with the clear graphical display of

7 - 7 - the component and toolpath as it is programmed, makes the machine an attractive proposition for small-volume and even one-off manufacture. The machine is also available in Y-axis version (TMX8MY) and with an optional, programmable counter-spindle with degree C-axis control (TMX8MYS). Alternatively, a programmable tailstock can be fitted. TMM10 and TM6 The larger, 10-inch-chuck TMM10 made an appearance at MACH In addition to having standard 2-axis turning capability, the machine is able to incorporate live cutters in each of the 12 VDI tool positions. Driven tool power and speed are up to 7 kw (peak) and 5,000 rpm respectively to enable milling operations and off-centre drilling on turned parts. The machine is well specified, but the main feature is the easy-toprogram WinMax lathe control. Its simple conversational commands together with the clear graphical display of the component and toolpath as it is programmed makes the machine an attractive proposition for small-volume and even one-off manufacture. The smaller capacity TM6 lathe without driven tooling was also on the stand.

8 - 8 - CONVERSATIONAL CONTROL DEMO Professional dancer, actress and singer, Jenny Bowen, demonstrated how easy the Hurco Ultimax CNC system is to use. With just six hours training prior to MACH 2008, she was able to create a complex cutter path to produce a demonstration component using the control s conversational programming and touch-screen navigation. After a short refresher session before this year s show, Jenny again demonstrated the user-friendliness of the Ultimax 4 running WinMax Windows-based software. ooooooo Photographs available please Chris Wright for JPEGs [email protected] 1. Hurco DCX22 bridge-type machining centre. 2. Hurco VMX60SR 5-axis machining centre. 3. Hurco VMX42U 5-axis machining centre. 4. Hurco VM10U 5-axis machining centre. 5. Hurco TMX8 turning centre. 6. Jenny Bowen in action at MACH 2008

9 - 9 - On behalf of: Hurco Europe Ltd, Halifax Road, Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3SN. Tel: Fax: [email protected] Web site: Contact: David Waghorn, Managing Director. Issued by: THE RIGHT IMAGE Ltd, PO Box 42, Twickenham, TW1 1BQ. Tel: [email protected] Contact: Chris Wright. Release no: 1091(EX)