Machining Long, Complex Parts

MAG Cincinnati’s E Mill is designed for machining long, small-cross-section parts used in aerospace, construction, shipbuilding and wind power applications. It is useful for titanium, aluminum and composite work on stringers, spars, beams and similar parts, the company says. The machine performs contour machining, routing, drilling and tapping to produce finished, complex, 3D-geometry parts as long as 40 ft. (12 m) in a single setup.

The design combines a 500-mm, three-axis HMC with a headstock and tailstock adapted from horizontal lathes to provide fourth and fifth axes of motion. The part manipulation system allows A-axis programmable rotation and 360-degree infinite positioning while supplying V-axis linear travel for pull-through part feed. Work stock is loaded and unloaded from in-feed and out-feed tubes.

Machine options include a 16,000- or 24,000-rpm HSK 63A spindle. Supporting single setup processing, a drum-style ATC accommodates 12 tools as heavy as 17.6 lbs (8 kg), as long as 7.874" (200 mm) and ranging to 4.193" (125 mm) in diameter. The machine comes standard with full enclosure guarding, vacuum filtration and mist/dust extraction for CE and OSHA compliance. A pressurized way system protects against wear from abrasive composite dust.

The headstock/tailstock system features through-hole chucks with powered jaws, allowing the work stock to be advanced incrementally through the jaws. Traveling on V-axis linear slides, the “live” headstock moves next to the stationary tailstock, locks onto the workpiece and then slides back, pulling the work stock along. The system provides 42.9" (1,089 mm) of travel for incremental part indexing. The fully programmable feed system can accommodate work stock measuring 14" (300 mm) to 40 ft. (12 m) in length and ranging to 12" (304.8 mm) square in cross section.

The headstock moves on parallel guideways 30" (775 mm) apart, while the fixed tailstock offers a similar broad base. This provides stability for coordinated A-axis part rotation.

Made from a tough industrial plastic, the in-feed and out-feed tubes are clamshell designs. The in-feed tube opens from the top for loading work stock, with the out-feed bottom opening for ease of part removal. The tubes are seamless extrusions to prevent abrasion and delamination of composite materials, while the enclosed design helps contain cutting fluids, chips and dust.