The machining centers are the most advanced machine tools on the market. These types of machines have high automation and are capable of performing different machining operations (turning, milling, drilling, grooving, etc.), using computerized numerical control technology. >
Characteristics of machining centers
Machining centers are characterized by being very versatile and flexible thanks to their high levels of automation. Thanks to these qualities, the machines can work the same piece, which requires multiple machining operations, in a single procedure. In addition, the results are of high quality and with excellent finishes.
A good machining center is characterized by being reconfigurable. That is, while a machining program is running, the operator can change the settings without having to stop the process.
This type of machine tools work through computerized numerical control, this makes the equipment much faster and capable of producing large quantities of parts in series. Thanks to CNC technology, machining centers can work parts in a short period of time and with minimal human intervention. This reduces production costs and labor.
Double Column Machining Centers
Thedouble column machining center, also called gantry machining center, is one of the most advanced machine tools that exists today. They are characterized by offering great stability and very precise results to deliver pieces and parts to industries such as aeronautics, aerospace, automotive and nautical. It is precisely in these double-column machining centers where a large part of the pieces of the machines that are built in the aforementioned industries are made.
This type of machine is ideal for machining large parts for heavy industries that require very complex structures and that not only extend to automobiles, boats and airplanes, but also to the manufacturing of other machine tools. And it is that to manufacture some of the most used machines in workshops, such as the lathe or the milling machine, double-column machining centers can also be used.
To be more precise, a double column machining center allows the machining of solid and glued laminated wood panels, as well as laminated beams. Among the jobs that can be done on these large-scale machine tools are cutting large-scale parts, milling openings (used for making doors and windows); as well as all kinds of drilling and milling for plumbing and certain electrical work.
Structure and parts
A double column machining center is made up of a structure manufactured and developed seeking great stability, as well as the elimination of stresses and deformations that could affect the parts to be machined. It is important to note that these machines have large dimensions and take up a lot of space inside the workshop.
The gantry machining center differs from a conventional machining center because the axis of the machine is perpendicular to the worktable. In the vast majority of these pieces of equipment, the milling head is mounted and moves along a kind of portal supported by two vertical columns. The milling head moves along the Y axis, but can also move up and down along the Z axis.
The machining center table gantry follows a path on the X axis, which facilitates the loading and machining of large-sized and heavy parts. However, there is another way to configure this machine: by moving the two uprights on which the head sits, along the table or fixed bed. Through this configuration, which depends on the model of the machine, the shocks of the three axes (X, Y, Z) can reach much higher speedswhich allow the machine to support heavier loads.
We can see that the double column machining centers are multi-axis and, in addition, have additional positioning axes in the head and table; this facilitates the machining of parts from different angles and in a single process. In other words, the part is placed in the machine and all the procedures required for said part are added to its computer. This is also due to the fact that the machine has an automatic head changer that allows to alternate between the different machining tools. It is important to note that this type of machining center is called double gantry because it has two columns or beams that support it. In addition, this machine tool can be used in different ways: fixed beam or mobile beam.
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