CNC Machinery Online Information

Machining centre and milling machine supplier, Hurco Europe, launched three new turning machines in the UK at its open house in High Wycombe during April 2005 in a radical reshaping of its metalcutting product range. Fitted with the company’s own ‘Max’ conversational CNC system for efficient ‘one-off’ and small batch production, the lathes continue the Hurco tradition of simple, shop floor programming. However the control can also be used in conventional NC mode for processing programs created offline on any CAM system, or alternatively CAD data can be converted directly with the optional DXF file reader.

In conversational programming mode, the operator simply inputs the profile dimensions and the control does the rest, calculating all intersection points, even for blend arcs and chamfers.

It also sets speeds and feeds according to the tooling selected.

Automatic constant surface speed calculation ensures good surface finish on the machined component, while the automatic roughing and finishing cycles optimise material removal.

Realistic, high resolution verification graphics allows the user to view the simulated machining cycle to ensure that it is problem-free before production starts.

Explained Dave Waghorn, Managing Director, ‘We have around 2,500 users of our machining centres in the UK and nearly all of them have at least one lathe as well.

Over the years we have often been asked why Hurco did not offer machines for rotational as well as prismatic machining to provide the benefits of a single source of supply.

So we decided last year to develop a range of 2-axis lathes to address this need and at the same time to provide users with unrivalled ease of programming, just as our machining centres have done for the past three decades.’ The result is the introduction of three slant-bed lathes, designated TM6, TM8 and TM10.

Orders were taken in the UK for three machines prior to launch, such is the confidence that Hurco users have in the company’s products.

The machining centre user base will be targeted first with the lathes, as they are likely to be the most receptive and will benefit from a number of synergies including commonality of component parts and servicing.

Having maximum turning diameters of 254mm, 305mm and 356mm, the lathes respectively have 152mm (6in), 203mm (8in) and 254mm (10in) chucks and can turn components up to 325mm, 477mm and 490mm long respectively.

They are powerful machines with 11kW/6,000 rev/min, 14kW/4,800 rev/min and 19kW/3,000 rev/min spindles, the latter being capable of generating a maximum torque of 311Nm.

The lathes are built around a solid, one-piece, cast iron bed and feature oversized, double nut ballscrews, heavy duty linear guideways in both axes and centralised lubrication.

Short non-cutting times are a consequence of 19m/min rapid traverse in the X axis, 24m/min in Z, and a turret index time of 0.5s for adjacent stations.

Tool capacity is 12 positions for the smallest and largest lathes and there are 10 tools in the TM8 turret.

The range covers 80% of the most popular sizes of lathe sold worldwide and each model is said to have the smallest footprint on the market for its capacity.

Base price for the smallest model is just GBP 33,500.

A wealth of optional features can be specified at any time to provide an upgrade path.

They include a tailstock, programmable hydraulic quill, parts catcher and a bar magazine of the customer’s choice, the standard magazine having a 1.5m bar length capacity.

Spindle bore diameters for the three models are 51mm, 61mm and 89mm.

Concluded Waghorn, ‘The three TM lathes are the only first to be offered - further 2-axis models of other capacities will be added.

The next step will be to introduce turning centres with combinations of C-axis, driven tooling and counter spindle.

‘The message is that turning machines are now an integral part of the Hurco portfolio and will become increasingly important in our business.