New, larger capacity 5-axis mill/turn centre from Brother

It follows the Japanese machine tool builder's introduction of the Speedio M300X3, which joins the smaller M200X3 that offers 200mm of X-axis travel. Sole agent for sales and service in the UK and Ireland is Whitehouse Machine Tools located in Kenilworth.

Both multi-tasking machines are characterised by an 18.9kW/40Nm tool carousel deploying 22 cutters at up to 10,000rpm, or 16,000 rpm with the Big Plus dual-contact spindle option. Below it is an A-axis trunnion carrying a high output, direct-drive, C-axis turning table.

Rated at 4.6kW/1,500 rpm in the new machine, it is over 25% more powerful than the table in the smaller model and generates up to 102Nm of turning torque. When milling, 30m/minute cutting feed rate maintains a high level of productivity and 400Nm of C-axis clamping force ensures accuracy is maintained.

A generous A-axis rotation range from +120 to -30° allows machining of features at the rear of components and facilitates loading and unloading of parts at the front of the machine. The axis is tilted by a backlash-free roller drive to promote accurate metalcutting. A holding force of 500Nm, without the need for mechanical clamping, delivers high speed indexing combined with rigidity when milling parts at an angle or turning them in the horizontal plane.

Non-productive time is minimised by repositioning the X-, Y-, Z-, A- and C-axes simultaneously during tool change, which takes place in 1.5 seconds chip-to-chip. Linear rapids are 50m/minute and the A- and C-axes move at up to 50 and 200rpm respectively.

The spindle motor's fast acceleration/deceleration and a highly responsive servo control enable a start-up and stop time of 0.2 second. The turning table reaches 1,500rpm from zero is less than 0.3 second.

Accessibility for workpiece transfer is ergonomic and the wide door opening can be automated to allow robotic component load/unload from the front, enabling extended periods of unattended and overnight running in high production environments.

Alternatively, all Speedio machining centres are equipped to interface directly with a purpose-built Feedio vision-based robotic component handling system. Jointly developed by Brother and ABB, whose 6-axis robot loads and unloads components from the side, the plug-and-play unit is able to serve one or two machines.

Swarf management is comprehensive, with chip shower and through-tool coolant options. A further design feature is ultra-low use of energy, both during standby and when cutting metal. A high-speed C-00 control system with monitoring of tool change and cutting load completes the package.

Whitehouse Machine Tools www.wmtcnc.com