Aerospace manufacturing
complemented by an array of complementary technologies being demonstrated by the companies which ‘partnered’ Starrag for the event. Siemens demonstrated its Sinumeriuk CNC system with Digital Twin software which effectively creates a closed loop between digital design, machining simulation, CAD/ CAM and post-processing to not only minimise the programming of complex parts but also to eliminate costly material test cuts. Caron Engineering showed how its Tool Adaptive Control system can run tools at up to 25% higher rates and extend tool life by up to 25% by process monitoring via sensors for power usage, vibration, and coolant pressure and flow, for example. Hexagon Metrology hammered home the ‘time costs money’ message while demonstrating its NC Measure machine tool probing/measurement/toolsetting expertise that integrates the results from a multi-sensor radio wave receiver. Live demonstrations showcased the impressive capabilities of the new STC 1250 HD on titanium using porcupine, face and rigid milling tools, and how its 12-tonne column can be easily moved by hand! The machine - the first in its class featuring hydrostatic guideways with zero friction/non-stick/slip in the X axis (so, no wear and reduced maintenance compared with conventional box guideways) achieved unmatched roughing times and dynamic finishing of resulting more precise parts - indeed, it is capable of reducing roughing times of structural parts by over 50%. On one test part – a frame door forging of Ti6A14V and measuring 80 mm deep x 300 mm wide and 1,220 mm long – the machine’s roughing and machining time savings also demonstrated a 33% reduction in energy consumption.
With pallets of 1,000 mm by 1,250 mm capable of accommodating workpieces up to 2,200 mm by 1,950 mm, the machine has a torque rating of 30,00-50,000 Nm, a 80 mm drive chain (compared to the traditional 63 mm) and it can achieve roughing cuts up to four times deeper in titanium than traditional machines. The in situ Ecospeed F 1540 machining centre is the smallest of the Ecospeed family but like its stablemates, uses Starrag’s Sprint Z3 machining head to impressive effect - the Ecospeed is unmatched at aluminium removal, hence the dramatic time saving of the aerostructure part from 14 hours to just three hours and 40 minutes. Starrag has been meeting the challenges of landing gear machining since the early ‘90s and today utilises simultaneous multi-axis machining (in one case, on a Droop + Rein FOGS HD mill, simultaneous six-axis operation) to produce the highly-accurate complex shapes in difficult materials, as well as STC and Heckert machining centres for smaller workpieces – the latter undertaking turning as well as milling. By understanding the challenges and combining highly-efficient machines and tooling, Starrag emphasised that it cannot only improve cycle times but also cut the number of tools used and reduce the loads on those tools – which Machinery & Manufacturing 25
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