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Development of Die Mold Processing Machine with Multi-Spindles and Axes
Akihiro Kitamura*, Ichiro Takahashi**, Masahiro Anzai**, and Yoshimi Takeuchi*
*Department of Mechanical Engineering, Osaka University
2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka 560-0871, Japan
**Advanced Development and Supporting Center, RIKEN
2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
Received:September 3, 2007Accepted:October 8, 2007Published:November 5, 2007
Keywords:machine tool, multi-spindle and axes, metal mold manufacturing, tool path, performance evaluation
Abstract
Within the high quality Metal Mold Manufacturing industry there is a continuing effort to reduce overall costs and shorten lead time from design to completion. This is particularly true in the Automotive Industry where model change over has become more frequent. The molds required for automotive type three dimensional shaped exteriors and interiors are typically in the range of 2400 mm X 4800 mm and can weigh up to 19 tons. Currently, the processing of these large-scale molds requires the material to be put on the table of a machine tool that has a long travel and a bed length of more than twice the travel. By using large-scale horsepower, low spindle speeds and slow feed rates the mold is generated. The dynamics of this industry led to the development of a truly original, unparalleled machine tool. This multi-head, large-scale mold processing machine was found to feature a 40-50% decrease in the processing time required for mold manufacture. The newly developed machine has a range of 1-4 heads allowing a variety of different curved surfaces to be processed at the same time, on the same mold. The multi-tasking capability of this machine tool results in quality improvement and over all cost reduction.
Cite this article as:A. Kitamura, I. Takahashi, M. Anzai, and Y. Takeuchi, “Development of Die Mold Processing Machine with Multi-Spindles and Axes,” Int. J. Automation Technol., Vol.1 No.2, pp. 94-102, 2007.Data files:
