Vertically unchallenged

With more than 800 bridge type and over 600 floor type machines installed all over the world, Spanish machine tool manufacturer Nicolas Correa knows a thing or two about supplying milling solutions to customers operating in demanding industry sectors such as power generation, automotive, aerospace and rail.

In the UK, sales, installation, service and support of Correa machines is handled exclusively by Chorley-based DTS.

Recent news from the company is the announcement that it has sold a large gantry style machine to Babcock Marine based in Bristol. This is Babcock’s third Correa machine installed in the UK and the second in the Bristol facility. The cost is around €3 million.

“Babcock needed a large gantry machine for the machining of a specific cylindrical component,” Javier Garcia, Correa’s marketing and application engineering director explained to Dave Tudor at the recent AMB exhibition in Stuttgart.

“After an extensive search of the marketplace, we were delighted to receive the order a year ago from Babcock. We believe this will be the largest milling machine installation in the UK and we anticipate installation to take place in early 2019. Our colleagues at DTS will carry out the installation together with engineers from our headquarters in Spain.”

The machine itself – a Verxa MW – is part of Correa’s gantry range. The structural design and thermal symmetry of Verxa M models permit the machining of large parts whilst maintaining high dynamics and chip removal. The ‘W’ variant, however introduces a live, six-guide W-axis. Standard Verxa MW features include an automatic universal head, Heidenhain or Siemens CNC, linear guides in X-, Y- and Z-axes and linear scales.

“The machine specified for Babcock is one of the largest models Correa produces of this kind,” Mr Garcia explained. “Travels in X and Y are 8.5m and 6.8m respectively with a distance between columns of 5.6m but what really sets this model apart is the vertical movement capacity.

“In addition to 2m via the ram (Z-axis), we can also move the crossbeam vertically (up and down) by a further 2.5m as well. This means the distance between the crossbeam and table in the uppermost Z and W position is 3.55m. Obviously there is an overlap between the Z- and W-axes.”

In terms of the machine specification for the Babcock machine, three different patented indexing milling heads add to its functionality. These can be exchanged automatically from the head magazine and comprise:

• a 52kW/1,375Nm torque/6,000rpm water-cooled orthogonal auto-indexing differential (OAD) head which can rotate in 0.02° increments (both bodies) through Correa’s patented double crown system. Spindle system is ISO 50 Big Plus


• a C5E 2-axis 37kW/700Nm/4,000rpm continuous milling head which enables working in five axes continuously and is a geared head rather than electro-spindle so spindle rotation is via mechanical transmission. Spindle system is taper ISO 50 and the head can rotate in 0.001° increments or in continuous mode


• An AL-600 25kW/800Nm right angled long snout head, ideal for accessing narrow and complex cavities in the component. The ISO 50 spindle can rotate up to 1,500rpm and with this head, tools are changed manually because the head is too small to fit inside a tool gripper. The AL-600 can rotate every 2.5° (single crown)

“With this machine, the W-axis can be used as a live axis to cut while the machine is moving,” Mr Garcia added. “So when we are using the C5E head, we can control six axes simultaneously – X, Y, Z, W, B and C. It can also change heads and tools automatically: the head magazine is located in one side of the X-axis and the toolchanger is fitted in one side of the column. ATC capacity is 60 tools.”

The machine is also equipped with a wealth of ancillary equipment such as part touch probe, laser tool measurement probe and a variety of surveillance cameras.

Nicolas Correa www.nicolascorrea.com

DTS www.dtsuk.co.uk

Babcock www.babcockinternational.com