High-Speed VMC Offers Intuitive Machining, Surfacing

Expand Machinery’s Genmill VFM-2416 five-axis (4+1) is a high-speed machining system with 2,700 block look-ahead for precise part tolerances which is the highest in the industry, the company says. In addition to faster control, manufacturers are also able to benefit from more intuitive 3D surface machining and better finishes.

It offers the benefits of a full five-axis machine with reduced setups, shorter tooling, improved quality, faster throughputs and the ability to machine more complex workpieces. It also features a 100-mm zero backlash roller cam tilting rotary table with 360-degree rotary motion and a swing angle of -20-degrees to +120 degrees. Constant preload on the roller cam is said to ensure the table stiffness necessary for precision machining at any angle.  Additionally, the Genmill VFM-2416 offers enough extra table space for a work vice, so the workpiece can be machined to meet the needs for the tilt/rotary table mounting surface in one operation. 

Machine specifications include axes travels of X=24", Y=15.75" and Z=17.7", with rapid rates of 1,417 ipm. The 12,000-prm, 15-hp direct drive, 40-taper spindle features rigid tapping and a thermostatically controlled spindle oil cooler. The machine is also said to utilize roller bearing guideways in all three axes, providing nearly twice the rigidity of ball bearing ways, the company says. Moreover, a 24-tool, twin-arm #40-taper ATC is provided, offering a 1.7-sec. tool-to-tool change time.

According to Expand Machinery, a standard Mitsubishi M830 high-performance control provides optimal surface finish and processes 127,000 blocks per minute. 

The VFM-2416 is the smallest of the VFM series of vertical machining centers (VMCs). The largest machine offered in this series is 100" x 39".