The molded parts and finished items used daily enhance lives in many ways by providing countless useful items inexpensively. The machines used to make the molds that make these parts and finished items have to be able to machine complex geometries efficiently. The completion of the die sets made of the difficult to machine materials used in mold making requires combining high feedrates with minute moves to produce the fine surface finishes necessary to reduce the need for labor intensive hand finishing of the completed mold. These precision die sets then are used to produce innumerable automotive, medical, packaging, electronic and consumer products for everyday use and enjoyment.
The GEN MILL 4024 design is capable of performing this demanding mold work due to a series of strategic features that are standard on the machine. Machine rigidity is critical in moldmaking, and the GENMILL has that in spades by delivering a high-strength rigid cutting platform. Heavy-duty cross-roller linear ways support all three axes, providing not only high rigidity and strength, but also enhancing table load capacity. The cross-roller ways deliver twice the rigidity that is offered by standard ball-bearing ways and provide greater cutting capability and extended tool life. The cutting tool is supported in a BIG-PLUS dual contact, high-performance, precision ground spindle that features increased tool rigidity, reduced tool runout, high tool length repeatability and increased cutting capability and tool life. All of these features provided by preloading the tool face against the spindle nose are critical to success in the moldmaking industry.
To further ensure success in moldmaking, a 12,000 RPM spindle is provided featuring 300-PSI through-the-tool coolant standard. A thermostatically controlled spindle oil cooler is included to maintain the consistent spindle temperature necessary for the long sustained spindle run time required for mold work. A separate coolant pump is included for chip wash down on all sides of the enclosure to flush chips into the chip auger so they can be easily discharged from the machine via the included belt-style chip conveyor. The machine table is 45.66 X 25.59 and has a 3,530-lb. table load capacity. The Z-axis travel is 25.59 with a rapid traverse rate of 1,417 IPM and a cutting feedrate of 393 IPM. A 30-tool twin-arm CAT#40 tool changer provides a new tool in just 2.2 seconds.
The CNC control performs a critical role in the successful processing of precision molds. Mold work is notorious for long running programs that have small steps that need to be executed quickly to ensure a smooth work surface. The Mitsubishi M830 high-performance CNC controller has a block processing speed of 270,000 blocks per minute with a 2,700-block look-ahead. The imbedded 32 GB solid-state data server ensures that there is no lag in data being fed to the high-performance Mitsubishi servo drives. Shops do not have to pay for expensive memory upgrades from the builder because SD and USB memory card slots are located on the front of the control. Programs can be run directly from the USB or SD card slots, as well as the imbedded 32 GB data server. Sub program calls can be made on any memory device, and programs can be edited and created on all devices. No performance lag will result from running the active program from the SD or USB memory cards.
The control features Nano Smoothing and Super Smooth Surface Control for enhanced surface finishes and reduced cycle time. Tolerance Control is also provided to allow for a variable deviation amount for rough and finish machining. Mid-program restart can be accomplished to quickly resolve a tool breakage episode. These features, and the 3-year Mitsubishi warranty, all work together to ensure a successful moldmaking experience.
The GENMILL machines are available in seven sizes, from 2416 to 10039, and are all built to deliver high accuracy and fine surface finishes using cross-roller ways, a BIG-PLUS spindle and advanced control features that all add up so that operators can efficiently and profitability get the job done right the first time, one mold at a time.
Authored by Expand Machinery LLC
For more information contact:
Expand Machinery LLC
20869 Plummer St.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
888-542-6374 / 818-349-9166
sales@expandmachinery.com