Three-Axis VMC for Medium- to Large-Sized Parts

The Mikron HEM 800 three-axis VMC from GF AgieCharmilles is designed for high-precision production of medium- to large-sized parts for industries ranging from aerospace to electronics to die and mold. The machine is equipped with a 41.34" × 22.05" worktable that can accommodate a maximum load of 1,760 lbs. The oversized table offers enough surface area to safely clamp machined workpieces, the company says. The table’s T-slots with 3.94" spacing are designed to provide flexible part fastening and quick alignment to the machine movements. X- and Y-axis travel measures 33.46" × 20.87", respectively, and the Z axis provides 23.62" of clearance between the table surface and spindle nose. Rapid traverses for the X, Y and Z axes are 1,181 ipm.

The vertical machining center’s 12.75-hp, 14,000-rpm, CAT 40 spindle generates 31 foot-pounds of torque and enables high-powered milling and drilling operations in the Z axis. The spindle motor provides uninterrupted production both with high torque at low speeds and high power at high speeds. During operations, a closed internal coolant circuit stabilizes and controls temperature drifts of the spindle head.

The side-mounted, 30-tool, automatic toolchanger is separate from the working area to protect tools from chip contamination. Sharply inclined sidewalls and flushing systems direct chips straight to the evacuation channels, the company says, and chip conveyors transport the chips out of the work area. Two adjustable high-flow coolant nozzles and air blow-off nozzles ensure quality cutting edge lubrication to prevent premature tool wear and improve machining accuracy.

The machine is equipped with the Heidenhain TNC 620 digital control system. The user-friendly interface is said to support safer and faster programming and data transfer from programming stations, and the control’s application-oriented setup function reduces downtime.