New machining centre for producing components up to six metres long

The German manufacturer of large machining centres, SHW Werkzeugmaschinen, has introduced a new model called UniSpeed 7 with a working volume of 6 x 1.6 x 1.3 metres. Two further CNC axes are added by an automatic, universal spindle head with 64,800 programmable positions, while one or two optional rotary tables can be integrated into the table.

The machine is attractively priced for a high-performance production unit, according to sole UK agent, Kingsbury. Despite weighing 40 tonnes, the fully guarded machine with automatically opening door does not need special foundations. The range of applications is wide, as instead of machining a single component up to six metres long and six tonnes in weight in the working zone, it can be equipped with a partition that allows pendulum machining of two smaller workpieces.

Spindle speed is up to 6,000 rpm and 50-taper (optionally HSK 100) tools are automatically supplied from a magazine with up to 120 stations. The 44 kW / 875 Nm spindle motor is cooled to prevent growth.

The single-piece machine bed filled with polymer concrete ensures quiet and stable operation and also makes the machine rigid, suppressing vibrations and hence promoting accuracy and extending the life of the cutters.

High productivity is important for a large machine to ensure return on investment, so the UniSpeed 7 has been endowed with surprising agility, evidenced by acceleration at 3.5 m/s2 up to 30 m/min rapid traverse in the linear axes. A Heidenhain iTNC 640 or Siemens 840D SL CNC system provides the control.

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