SB Machine Tools supplies HS4200i lathe to Kitako
March 10th 2009 07:46 am By Web Development in India
Kitako has added the new-generation four-spindle HS4200i CNC lathe from SB Machine Tools to its line.
The HS4200i, with an ultra-high-speed automated gantry loader, features X-axis gantry-loading feed rates of 6,700in/min.
The HS4200i’s four-spindle operation and gantry-loading capability are intended to provide smooth, unattended operation with no idle time for part loading/unloading.
It offers rapid traverse rates, along with a carrier indexing time of 1.5 seconds or a 0.3-second turret indexing per station.
Kitako’s four-spindle technology provides a seamless cycling of work from the loading zone to the machining zone and back again.
Operating much like a pallet changer on a machining centre, parts are transitioned in and out of the machining zone in as little as 0.8 seconds each.
The HS4200i’s four spindles are mounted in a horizontal, square pattern in a large carrier drum.
The drum’s positioning accuracy is ensured by a large-diameter, precision-toothed, curvic coupling.
Spindles are generally partnered as pairs so that the carrier is indexed at 180 degrees; two spindles rotate to the machining area as two spindles move out for loading and unloading.
The two spindles in the machining zone, along with the respective slides and turrets, work simultaneously as well as independently.
This dual-slide flexibility offers a variety of part-processing methods.
For instance, two one-sided parts can be machined in exactly the same time, which is referred to as an AA/AA operation.
Alternatively, if the two sides of a part are of near-equal cycle times, first and second operations can be done simultaneously, which is known as AB/AB.
If the first and second cycles are significantly different, as in many applications, idle time can be eliminated by using an AA/BB approach.
The main spindles of the HS4200i are hardened, precision-ground and supported by accurate double-row cylindrical roller bearings and angular contact bearings.
The cartridge-type spindles are sealed for life and require no maintenance.
Box slide ways on both the X and Z axis can achieve high chip-removal rates.
The HS4200i’s maximum spindle speed is 4,500 revolutions per minute (or 5,000 revolutions per minute optional).
Each slide on the HS4200i features a high-speed, eight-station drum turret; chuck sizes are 8in.