Choosing Machine and technology

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  1. #1
    Erasiuk's Avatar
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    Default Choosing Machine and technology

    Im looking for your help- i am looking for the right technology for processing iron cast round bodies. The messurments varry from 200mm diameter to 900 mm, width/hight 900mm.
    The procesing should incorperate radial milling, drilling, tapping ( up to 1" unc)and boring the center. Somtimes cone/ slopes inside the body.
    I am at a point i need to find one machine to do all of the above, and need to choose between lathe with live tooling (slant or flat bed), vertical or horizontal or milling centeres.
    The part weight between 50-150kg.

    I would appriciate your expirienced advice



  2. #2
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Choosing Machine and technology

    I think a vertical machining center would fit your needs. Any modern machine that meets your work envelope requirement would fine. Maybe in the 35 to 50 HP spindle range.

    The threading would best be done by thread milling. Tapping 1'' UNC requires a lot of power, thread milling is just as fast and requires no more power than similar size end mill. Any modern CAM program can handle this.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  3. #3
    Erasiuk's Avatar
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    Default Re: Choosing Machine and technology

    Thanks for your quick reply.its highly appriciated.
    In fact, 80% of the tapping wount be more then 3/4 " . In that case will your unswer be the same?
    In addidion is milling internal diamater (sometimes gradual, with slop) accurat and easy on vertical machining center then in lathe ( vertical/ horizental) ?
    In general
    Does vmc can to all lathes work?

    Thanks again
    E.R



  4. #4
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Choosing Machine and technology

    Yes, I thread mill everything larger than 1/2 inch, it is very common to thread mill down to maybe 3/8 inch. Smaller than that I use thread forming taps where possible, it really depends on the job I'm running as to what tools I use. But I don't know if thread forming taps work in cast iron, but no problem there are lots of tap styles available.

    As far as a cone shape, no problem. You can do it on a mill. It might be faster on a 5 axis machine, but I did one a couple of day ago on a 3 axis mill. It really depends on the specific job. In some cases, it might be faster to do most of the work on a mill, then do a secondary operation on a manual lathe.

    For your parts I don't see any advantage in a horizontal machining center.

    A lathe might do some operations more efficiently, but it's possible to do everything on a mill that a lathe will do. I have a slant bed lathe with live tooling, but it's really only good for light milling operations because of limited HP on the live tooling.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


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