Multi-Spindle Production Center

The eight-spindle Mori-Say TMZ 867 CNC multi-spindle multifunction production center can accommodate barstock as large as 72 mm in diameter and can operate as an open-front chucker.

The multi-spindle offers high precision CNC production capability to a range of part sizes that, until now, required other types of machines, such as rotary transfer machines, the company says.

Provided with a double Siemens 840 D CNC, the machine offers as many as 72 CNC axes and can perform almost any metalcutting operation on precision parts including drilling, tapping, milling and hobbing. The machine has a cast iron base and total weight of more than 30,000 lbs. Combined with high spindle torque, it can handle difficult materials with precision, the company says.

The multi-spindle line offers high processing flexibility and fast change-over with the ability to drop a variety of complex precision parts complete as either a bar-fed or chucker operation, the company says.

The machine’s versatility is provided through its standard features: eight independent AC-driven CNC horizontal spindles, eight independent compound slides (X and Z), eight independent tool carriers with eight 12,000-rpm driven tools, five backworking tools (three driven) and a range of standard presettable VDI tooling.

According to the company, the spindle drive system is the key to the machine’s precision, thermal stability and high reliability. Each of the machine’s eight spindles is linked by a composite shaft to its own motor into the spindle drum, which employs a Hirth coupling. This makes it unnecessary to reverse-index the drum at the end of each 360-degree cycle, connect and disconnect the motors to the spindles with each indexing and to cool the drum to dissipate the heat generated by the spindle motors. The result is greater precision and reliability across high duty cycles. A spindle can be indexed in 2 seconds.