Five-Axis Turning Plate Machining Center for Faster Workpiece Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current horizontal five-axis machining centers face challenges in efficiently and precisely machining large cutting removal rates for aerospace structural parts, particularly aluminum alloy parts, due to difficulties in workpiece loading and reduced production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A horizontal five-axis turning plate type machining center is designed with a support base, lathe bed, column, and integrated driving units, including lead screws, sliding plates, and a locking mechanism, allowing for horizontal and vertical position conversion of the turning plate, enabling efficient loading and unloading and precise machining through double lead screws and an A/B angle milling head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the workpiece is directly loaded at the machining station, then the structure is simple, but the loading and unloading efficiency is low and production efficiency is greatly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The machining center is divided into separate functional modules: a machining station with the spindle and a separate workpiece loading/unloading station with the turning plate. This segmentation allows workpiece preparation and machining to occur simultaneously in different locations, eliminating the bottleneck of direct loading at the machining station while maintaining operational simplicity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The turning plate serves as an intermediary device between the external workpiece source and the machining station. It temporarily holds and positions workpieces, allowing operators to load/unload workpieces at the turning plate station without interrupting the machining process at the machining station, thereby improving loading/unloading efficiency without complicating the core machining structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a horizontal five-axis machining center is used, then the machining capability is enhanced, but the workpiece loading and unloading becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of bringing the complex five-axis machining station to the workpiece for loading/unloading, the design inverts the approach by bringing a simple turning plate with workpiece to the machining station. The turning plate can be easily positioned and locked at the machining station, making workpiece access simple despite the advanced machining capabilities of the five-axis system.
Solution Approach 2:
The turning plate is designed to rotate and position workpieces in multiple orientations, adding a dimensional aspect to workpiece presentation. This allows the workpiece to be oriented optimally for different machining operations without requiring complex adjustments at the machining station itself, simplifying the loading/unloading process while maintaining versatile machining capability.
3Productivity
If the turning plate is designed to convert between horizontal and vertical positions, then the loading and unloading efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turning plate is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to rotate between horizontal and vertical positions as needed. This dynamic adjustment is achieved through a relatively simple rotary mechanism with locking positions, enabling the plate to adapt its orientation for efficient workpiece loading/unloading without requiring a complex mechanism, thus improving productivity with minimal added complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A horizontal five-axis turning plate type machining center includes a support base, a lathe bed arranged on the support base and a column arranged on the support base, wherein the lathe bed and the column are fixedly connected through a connecting arm, a turning plate device is arranged on the support base, an X-direction sliding plate capable of sliding in an X direction on the lathe bed is arranged on a side, facing the column, of the lathe bed, and a third driving unit capable of driving a workbench to perform position conversion between a turning plate and the X-direction sliding plate is arranged on the turning plate.