Ball screws smooth the way for gantry machines
A
SKF UK product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Mar 6, 2002
SKF Engineering Products has supplied hardened and ground ball screws and linear rail guides for the motion control system of a series of CNC gantry machines manufactured by Grainger Machine Tools.
SKF Engineering Products has supplied hardened and ground ball screws and linear rail guides for the motion control system of a series of CNC gantry machines manufactured by Grainger Machine Tools.
The CNC gantry machines meet the specific requirements for making patterns for the automotive industry and are rigidly constructed from 20 mm pre-stressed steel plate.
The SKF ballscrews and linear rail guides measure 4.5, 3.3 and 1.4m, respectively, to cover the machining envelope of 4.5m long by 2.5m between columns by 2m distance under beam.
The flexibility of Grainger machine is such that the machine can easily be adapted, or upgraded, to meet changing needs of the user.
The first machine being delivered has a two-axis manual head, as specified to meet the customer's initial needs.
If required, it will be possible for it to be replaced with a CNC five axis head for full contouring at a later date.
This machine has an inverter driven spindle rated at up to 12,000 rev/min, with power of 5kW.
However the head has capacity to accept a milling spindle of up to 15kW without any major modifications to the structure or controls of the machine.
Prior to manufacture, SKF engineers studied the entire gantry and calculated all the mechanical stresses that would be involved in the CNC machining process before designing the ballscrews and guides.
These calculations led to the pitch of the ballscrews being machined at 50mm to accommodate the high acceleration rates, combined with low motor speed, which are required for the CNC machining.
The SKF ballscrews and rail guides were also designed to accommodate the upgrades and adaptations already mentioned.
Nigel Grainger, head of Grainger Machine Tools has been more than satisfied with the role that SKF has played in designing and supplying the ballscrews and rail guides.
He said, "The price and delivery was excellent.
From order, the ballscrews and rail guides were fully machined and delivered in 6-8 weeks which was half the time of other suppliers".
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