2018cnc6-7

44 www.CNC-West.com CNC WEST June/July 2018 Makino offers the next-generation MAG3.EX 5-axis horizontal machining center (HMC), a machine platform updated with expanded capabilities for the processing of complex aluminum structural parts for the aerospace indus- try. “With its speed, power and motion control enhance- ments, the new MAG3.EX provides aerospace manufac- turers with the productivity necessary to exceed customer demands for costs, quality and lead times,” said a company spokesperson. “The original MAG3.EX has been a staple in the aerospace industry for more than a decade. However, to continuously innovate and position manufacturers for the future, we pushed to increase both cutting and control ca- pabilities,” said Dave Ward, product marketing manager, Makino. “When updating the machine, we focused on three main design objectives: higher productivity, enhanced fea- tures and reliability and interchangeability. The new design delivers on all three with enhanced results, establishing a new standard for aluminum structural aircraft component production.” The MAG3.EX is fully equipped to take on alu- minum structural parts up to 13’ in length, including wing ribs, bulk heads and beam-type components. Its X-, Y- and Z-axis travels of 157.5”, 59.1”, 39.4”, respectively, accom- modate part sizes up to 157.5” by 59.1” by 29.5”, respec- tively. The machine’s A- and C-axes are located within the spindle housing and provide ±110° tilting and 360° rota- tion. Many key components, including the spindle, coolant system and automatic tool changer, have been up- dated with enhanced technologies to achieve next-genera- tion productivity. Makino 5-Axis HMC for Complex Aluminum Structural Parts By increasing the spindle power from 120 kW to 130 kW in the updated model, maximum power can be achieved at 26,000 RPM rather than 33,000 RPM with the previous spindle. Cutting feedrates and acceleration rates have also been improved with cutting feedrates increasing from 25.4 m/minute to 50 m/minute and ac- celeration rates reaching 1G. Together, these enhanced features improve processing speeds for all aluminum structural type components. In addition to added power and feedrates, rapid tra- verse rates have been improved across all axes: 25 revo- lutions per minute on the A/C 2,440 IPM on the X-axis and 2,283 IPM on the Y- and Z-axis. These faster axial movements, combined with an improved automatic tool changer and automatic pallet changer, reduce non-cut- ting times in operation for the highest degree of machine utilization. Makino reports that in some test parts, cycle times have been reduced by up to 23% compared to the previous model. The MAG3.EX is built with a large-capacity auto- matic tool changer, capable of holding up to 120 tools and reducing the time it takes to change tools by 30%, and an automatic pallet changer, eliminating the need to stop machining for work set-up. Furthermore, the platform features a horizontally oriented work-setting station that lets operators quickly and easily set workpieces on the pal- let, similar to how they would a vertical machining center (VMC). Three key features of the next-generation MAG3. EX include Makino’s new Pro6 control, MPmax real-time process monitoring and Collision Safe Guard technologies. A dedicated monitor screen for MPmax is located next to the Pro6 control. Here, the operator can watch uptime rates, view images captured by the monitoring camera and monitor the condition of the spindle in real time. Moreover, operators can access the recorded data and check details afterward. Makino’s proprietary Collision Safe Guard tech- nology is a function that runs real-time interference checks to avoid spindle crashes. By combining on-board machine geometry models with workpiece, fixture and tooling data input by the user, Collision Safe Guard can predict and stop the machine prior to collision, protecting investments in the machine, fixture, tooling and workpiece. This state-of-the-art sensing technology protects the spindle from damage caused by overload. The updated MAG3.EX can be used with existing pallets, work-setting stations and even pallet changers, mak- ing it fully compatible with Makino’s MMC2 systems. This design enables manufacturers to expand existing MAG3.EX cells or replace older machines from their MMC2 with no changes to the foundation.