With significant new business and rising monthly production rates this customer required the additional capacity of two machines but was constrained by a building that could only fit one. Faced with a critical decision, build a new building and house two new machines, or split production between two manufacturing sites, the answer thanks to a newly developed machine by Bertsche made the choice easy, neither. The innovative portal machine design features two 5-Axis machine modules on opposed sides of the bridge reducing the overall footprint and increasing productivity by a factory of 2.
The P5x5 has all the benefits associated with having two machines but with lower operating costs;
- Independent but linked CNC’s,
- Two 5 axis machining modules ( A side, B side) each with a separate machining compartment
- Ability to machine two different parts at the same time
- Nearly the same foot print as a previously supplied single 5 axis P5 mill.
Based on production demands the machine can be operated in 3 ways.
- A side only,
- B side only
- A and B side.
Equipped with integral vacuum fixture tables and zero point connection system work holding fixtures which can be quickly exchanged and together with retractable datum surface swing clamps, parts can be quickly loaded, located, and clamped for machining.
With the growing trend toward cutting composites wet, flood coolant cutting was added and composite debris is flushed into a full bed length flume system. Flood coolant is constantly circulated throughout the machine for greater machine thermal stability and machine bed thermal sensors are used for dynamic thermal growth compensation.
P5x5 Additional Highlights:
- Very efficient use of available floor space with 2 times the productivity over previously installed machine.
- Flexibility to better match daily production demands to available machine capacity
- Longer tool life due to wet cutting composites
- Better air quality due to wet cutting (dust management)
- High response two axis heads and spindle
- Non-linear thermal growth control with multiple slide thermal sensors
- In machine probing, calibration and position verification (bore ring, sphere)
- Maintenance service screens and visual maintenance management system
Machine Specifications:
A and B Side:
- X Axis Travel: 272″ (6900mm)
- Y Axis Travel: 57″ (1450mm)
- Z Axis Travel: 31.5″ (800mm)
- 2 Axis Head
- HSK 63 / 30,000 RPM / 100 HP
For more information please contact us:
Bertsche Engineering
711 Dartmouth Lane
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
+1 847 537 8757
becsales@bertsche.com
Tags : 2 spindles, 240 inch and larger working envelope, 5 Axis, 5 axis machine, 6 meter, aerospace, aerospace machining, aluminum, CNC, Composite machining, dual spindle, dual work zone, fixturing system, sandwich composites, smart fixtures, stringers, structural beams, structural parts