MACHINING CENTERS
Getting The Most From Your Vertical Machining Center (VMC) By John Butz & Mike Mills
Time is money.
Would you like to make more money with your VMC? Would you like to be more efficient and productive with your VMC? The easiest way to increase your VMC capacity is by adding an Indexer, Rotary Table, or Trunnion Table. Vertical Machining Centers cost considerably less than Horizontal Machining Centers (HMC). Today, affordable indexers, 4th Axis rotary tables, and trunnion tables have turned simple 3-Axis Vertical Machining Centers into full productivity machines. While many of us would love to purchase the latest and greatest Horizontal Machining Center (HMC) with all of the bells and whistles for doing complex parts, the price tag often keeps many shop owners from taking that step. Many shops find Horizontal Machining Centers too expensive and difficult to justify for the type of work or quantity of parts being produced. This presented a challenge for shop owners who needed 4th and 5th axis production. Therefore, many shop engineers used multiple machines to complete their parts. Every time a part has to be moved from one machine to another, costs rise, there is an increase in time, and quality concerns. When you do more machining in one operation and avoid excess handling of the workpiece, productivity and accuracy increase. Today there are several manufacturers of indexers and rotary tables that allow VMCs to be more versatile and productive. Some of the best known brands are Haas, Kitigawa, Tsudakoma, Sunnen, Nikken, SMW, Yuasa, and Troyke. These accessory items work well and give shop owners the many benefits of a HMC at a fraction of the price. Today the accuracy, rigidity, and speed of these rotary units are helping the 3-Axis VMC become more appealing than the more expensive HMC and more owners are taking advantage of indexers, 4th Axis rotary tables, and 5th Axis trunnion tables. Haas Automation has made it easy and inexpensive to add on 4th and 5th axis products for Vertical Machining Centers. While many of the other manufacturers continue to make it difficult to add on accessories in the field, Haas Automation has simplified the process by installing a 4th axis drive card and wiring in their VMCs. If your Haas VMC is not prepped for a 4th axis, these parts can be ordered from your local Haas distributor or the Haas website.
Indexers For Your Vertical Machining Center The word indexer can be misleading. Indexers hold parts by means of a manual or air-actuated collet. Round parts, or parts mounted to a shaft, insert quickly and easily into the collet. Collet indexers lend themselves well to production of multiple small parts, with some manufacturers offering multiple-spindles, 1-2-3 or 4-headed spindle designs for increased productivity. Many index tables have full rotary capabilities while others have minimum increment of indexing, such as 15 degrees, 5 degrees, or 1 degree. The most popular indexer is the Haas HA5C collet closer indexer. Haas 5C indexers are easy to program, interface, and setup. The HA5C 5C collet indexer requires a 4th axis drive for full 4th axis operation or a rotary control box for stand-alone operation.
4th-Axis Rotary Tables for your Vertical Machining Center Rotary tables greatly increase productivity for VMCs. 4th axis rotary tables give us the ability to automatically position the workpiece so that multiple sides of a part can be machined with one setup. Rotary tables can be mounted vertically or horizontally for added versatility. Chucks and fixtures can easily be mounted on the table depending on the size and configuration of the material being milled or drilled. Typically, this reduces machine idle time and increases accuracy and productivity. When multiple parts are mounted on a rotary table, setup time, cycle time, and the number of tool changes are reduced. One example would be a part with angled flats or cross holes being machined with one setup on a rotary table, in contrast with multiple setups. Other fixtures and tooling, such as tombstones, allow multiple sides of multiple parts to be machined with fewer tool changes. The most common rotary table is the Haas HRT160 (6.3� table) and the HRT210 (8.3� table). Both units require a Haas 4th Axis drive for full 4th axis operation, or a rotary control box for stand-alone operation
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Adding a Trunnion to maximize your Vertical Machining Center. 4th and 5th Axis rotary tables and indexers can turn your VMC into a full 5-Axis simultaneous machining center. With the ability to position to nearly any angle for multi-sided parts, your Vertical Machining Center can transform the way you process parts. Adding a 5th axis of motion (tilting the 4th axis) can provide even more versatility and allow the machining of very complex parts in one single setup. This opens up all kinds of opportunities for new jobs. Machining in 5-axes can produce extraordinary detail and amazing complex curves, work typically not produced on a VMC. There are two kinds of 5-axis rotary tables, tilting tables, and trunnion tables. Tilting tables consist of one rotary unit mounted to the platter of another to provide two axes of motion, usually 360 degrees of rotation and Âą120 degrees of tilt. Trunnion tables provide support for heavier machining. Both types provide precise positioning in the 4th and 5th axes.
For more information, please contact John Butz or Mike Mills at Resell CNC.
Resell CNC Phone: (844) 478-8181 Email: sales@resellcnc.com Website: www.resellcnc.com
About the Authors: John Butz, CEO and founder of Resell CNC, and Mike Mills, President of Resell CNC West. John and Mike have been buying and selling CNC machines for over 57 years combined. Resell CNC is one of the largest buyers and sellers of CNC machines in North America with offices in Orlando, FL and Phoenix, AZ, and has twice been named to the INC 500 list of America’s fastest growing companies.
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