Information at the Cutting

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: LANDING GEAR INFORMATION AT THE CUTTING EDGE Heavy-duty cutting of exotic alloys can place huge requirements on a CNC machining centre and its working envelope when manufacturing landing gear components. WFL Millturn Technologies says its competence in this area reaches the parts other machining centres cannot reach. Mike Richardson reports.

BELOW: In magine sitting in the and programming are also provided. not always located on the centreline of partnership with Hard-to-machine materials are the component. Sandvik Coromant, dentist’s chair while WFL conducted live they very accurately becoming increasingly more prevalent “Therefore, the most important demonstrations of drill a hole in your in the aerospace sector and titanium requirement our products must satisfy the intelligent 18xD CoroPlus boring bar I tooth from the other machining in particular is a field in is absolute process reliability. Yes, during EMO Hanover side of the room! This gives you which CNC machine tool manufacturers machining cycle times are important some idea of what Austrian machine like WFL are looking to excel. According too - as is the up-time of the machines tool manufacturer, WFL Millturn to company applications engineering – but a WFL machine represents an Technologies and its intelligent manager, Reinhard Koll, the aerospace important acquisition for a customer boring bar measuring 120mm industry represents an important because they often eliminate the need diameter and 2.2m long is capable of. market segment. for other CNC machining processes on WFL claims it is the only company “The reliable and repeatable the shopfloor.” worldwide which concentrates machining of new and exotic materials, exclusively on the manufacture of as well as very deep and accurate Deep thinking intelligence multifunctional turning, boring, milling deep hole machining always present WFL’s machine tool interface for long centres, focusing on the complete a process challenge,” he begins. “In and heavy tools used on prismatic solution from the start. The required addition, our customers often use operations is particularly useful for software solutions with adapted a variety of live boring heads for tools that may be too long for a standard processing strategies, process design machining cylindrical features that are toolchanger. Depending on the machine size, the company says it can offer between three and 18 of these long tools in a special magazine alongside the typical line-up of chamber boring tools and live boring heads. As part of WFL’s focus on internal machining technologies, it formed a partnership with Sandvik Coromant to examine the use of an ‘intelligent tool’ on the M120 MILLTURN at last year’s EMO Hanover event. In light of the ever- increasing importance of networking, a live demonstration of the functionality of the intelligent 18xD CoroPlus boring bar was conducted by the WFL team to interested visitors.

4218 FebruaryOctober 2013 2018 www.aeromag.com Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com Here, the boring bar is integrated into a special WFL prismatic toolholder which included a data interface. Thanks to the CoroPlus technology, information and tool statuses can be transmitted to the control system or a tablet. During processing, the machine operator is provided with information regarding temperature, deviations, background noises, vibrations and the load on the tool. In this way, the chip removal process can be perfectly optimised, protecting both tool and workpiece from damage. In addition, the complete process can be logged in full. This ABOVE: WFL’s M30 Novotest. The machining of large, WFL also used EMO Hanover as technology is typically used in the MILLTURN can tackle heavy and complex workpieces poses a platform to launch its new M30 machining lengths of aerospace industry and generally, for up to 2,000mm and signifi cant challenges for measuring MILLTURN, a complete machining the machining of long, slim workpieces. turning diameters of systems. With the integrated TC63- centre at a top price. As a cost-eff ective up of 520mm “Our ‘intelligent tool’ comprises a DIGILOG measuring probe, digital solution for less complex or smaller boring bar with a long 18XD overhang measurements and analogue scanning applications, the M30 MILLTURN BELOW: WFL measuring 120mm diameter and applications processes can be carried out directly on represents an economical model on 2.2m long,” states Koll. “The tool engineering manager, the machine. Analogue measurements the basis of its previously smallest itself contains sensors and can be Reinhard Koll are especially useful for the evaluation MILLTURN, the M35. automatically changed during the of surfaces or contours, such as the The company says this has been machining operation if required. checking of the surface of a workpiece made possible through healthy synergy Previously, an operator machining for machining errors. With a switching with its existing M35 MILLTURN, as a landing gear component wouldn’t digital probe on the other hand, a large well as by concentrating on especially know exactly what was happening number of points would need to be typical confi gurations that are series inside the bore chamber, whereas our measured in such cases to ensure that produced, independently of the order. ‘intelligent tool’ can detect anomalies adequate resolution is achieved. Not only does the customer benefi t like deviation from the nominal However, the new analogue probe from a signifi cant saving in terms of diameter and correct it accordingly. harnesses scanning technology to cost, but from fully-perfected machine “We can also assess both the generate thousands of measurement technology too. vibration and the temperature of the values in a fraction of the time. With the The M30 MILLTURN can tackle dampening system – especially useful TC63-DIGILOG, quick measurements machining lengths of up to 2,000mm when roughing out a lot of material. of up to 2m/min are possible with and turning diameters of up of 520mm. A dampened boring bar can usually complete accuracy. Features, such as The M30 MILLTURN casing has been absorb these kinds of vibrations, but if fully-automated roundness, run-out and equipped with 50% larger windows in the operation happens to exceed the axial run-out measurements can be ably the sliding doors to ensure optimum capability of the boring bar, our system demonstrated on the M120 MILLTURN. visibility of the working area, and UNISIG’s B700 Gap machine is based can adapt the machine tool’s spindle “Our new probing system is not special attention has also been paid to on proven deep hole drilling technology,speed automatically. This sensor just a touch probe, but a complete improving user-friendly access to the technology allows us to understand measurement system probe that tool magazine from the front via the optimized for the challenges of landingwhat gear is happening inside a deep bore can evaluate features like surface large sliding window and integrated manufacturing, even on unbalanced parts.during the machining.” roughness, for example,” explains Koll. LED lamps within the working area. The gap function easily handles workpieces with large “Aft er turning or milling a surface, the Another advantage is its robust NC Scanning measuring probe scanning probe measures the feature drive for the steady rest slide. An swings at various lengths, with ergonomicsOther newand WFLeasy innovations include and feeds back the information to the optimised machine base guarantees accessibility. Technology its M120 MILLTURN/3,000mm, machine tool’s control, so that when the quick set-up and repositioning of the which makes use of new measuring part is fi nished, it delivers dimensionally machine. and testing technology from BLUM- accurate measurement information.” www.wﬂ .at

UNISIG B700 GAP for Landing Gear Drilling UNISIG’s B700 Gap machine is based on proven deep hole drilling technology, optimized for the challenges of manufacturing large or unbalanced landing gear. The gap function easily accomodates various sizes and swings of aerospace workpieces with ergonomics and easy accessibility. Smart technology handles part orientation, eliminates backlash, and enables bottle boring capabilities, all in a compact, complete machine package. AMB Stuttgart 18.-23.09.2018 , Hall 9 C13 Learn more at www.unisig.de