ADVANTiGE

Titanium ADVANTiGE Technology for  Complex Aerospace Machining

With rising demand for titanium in modern aircraft designs, overcoming the challenges of titanium aerospace machining matters now more than ever.

The material properties of titanium, including toughness, strength, corrosion resistance, thermal stability and light weight, make it a highly desirable material for aerospace design engineers. Conversely, these same attributes pose significant challenges in the machining of titanium components, resulting in rapid tool wear and limited metal-removal rates.

At Makino’s Titanium Research and Development Center, engineers are developing productive and profitable solutions to overcome these challenges. Their solution is ADVANTiGE™ technology.

ADVANTiGE technology is changing the way manufacturers think about titanium machining. By improving spindle performance, coolant delivery, vibration damping, machine rigidity and cutting strategies, ADVANTiGE provides four times the productivity and up to nine times the tool life of conventional titanium machining processes.

 

ADVANTiGE technology includes:

Rigid machine construction: The rigid construction of ADVANTiGE enhanced T-Series 5-axis titanium machining centers serves as a solid, reliable platform for all other technologies and suppresses vibration for reduced tool chipping and improved metal-removal rates.

High-power, high-torque tilting spindle: The ADVANTiGE HSK-125 4,000-rpm spindle is Makino’s most powerful spindle design to date, integrated with 1,100 ft-lbs of duty-rated torque (740 continuous) to handle the high-tensile strength of titanium. Its advanced A-axis twin servo-drive tilting head provides the speed, torque and accuracy necessary to reliably perform full 5-axis roughing and contouring in titanium.

High-pressure, high-flow coolant system: The ADVANTiGE high-pressure, high-flow coolant system delivers large volumes of high-pressure coolant directly to the cutting zone for increased chip evacuation from multi-flute tools. The coolant system includes overhead shower, spindle nozzle and through-spindle coolant for improved cooling, lubrication and chip evacuation in titanium parts. 

Vibration damping system: By adjusting frictional forces based on low-frequency vibration sensing, the ADVANTiGE vibration damping system avoids chatter and cutter damage resulting from structure resonance in real time. This vibration suppression enables deeper cuts, higher metal-removal rates and reduced tool wear.

Collision safeguard and autonomic spindle technologies: Some of the greatest risks to the titanium machining process are accidents and collisions that could result in costly material, tool or spindle damages. ADVANTiGE uses Makino’s collision safeguard and autonomic spindle technologies to monitor upcoming toolpaths and cutting conditions to avoid collisions and adjust cutting forces for higher productivity and profitability.

 

By combining these technologies into one package, ADVANTiGE overcomes the traditional limitations of titanium machining with improved productivity and profitability.

ADVANTiGE is currently available on Makino’s T-Series titanium machining centers. Specifically designed from the ground up for high-efficiency titanium part production, this machine platform delivers the rigidity, dynamic stiffness, vibration damping and agility necessary for more productive titanium machining and a longer tool life.

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    Executive Summary

    The superior strength-to-weight ratios and corrosion resistance of titanium alloys have led to an increasing demand for titanium components in the aerospace and petroleum industries. But titanium’s strength, low thermal conductivity and high chemical reactivity also make it difficult to machine. Controlling cutting temperature is particularly critical to achieving high-performance titanium machining.

    This presentation reviews the latest research into cutting temperatures conducted at the Global Titanium R&D Center at Makino in Mason. The research is aimed at a better understanding of heat generation in order to optimize cutting conditions and select efficient cooling strategies to achieve maximum productivity, tool life and finished surface quality.

  • 5-Axis Roughing and Contouring

    5-Axis Roughing and Contouring

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    5-Axis Roughing and Contouring

    //17 min

    Executive Summary

    Two key benefits of Makino’s ADVANTiGE™ titanium machining technologies are capabilities to improve the typical roughing process through 5-axis roughing—often to the point where the semi-finish process can be eliminated—and to improve the typical finishing process through 5-axis contouring.

    This presentation describes the theory, practices and processes behind ADVANTiGE 5-axis roughing and contouring. It shows, through both simulations and live-action demonstrations of sample applications, how 5-axis roughing produces a near net shape faster than conventional roughing and semi-finishing, and how 5-axis contouring (including one-shot wall finishing, high-speed surface cutting, high-feed floor finishing and finishing with long-reach tooling) can be applied to titanium parts.

  • The Makino Cost ADVANTiGE

    The Makino Cost ADVANTiGE

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    The Makino Cost ADVANTiGE

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    Executive Summary

    Makino is helping companies reduce part costs by offering tooling, processing and equipment improvements with machines such as its new T2 and T4 5-axis horizontal machining centers.

    With the T-Series, tool life is increased and operating costs are lowered. With less tool inventory, you have lower tool replacement labor costs and better quality. Metal-removal rates are also increased, resulting in less machine time and lower operating costs. With that comes less capital investment, lower equipment maintenance costs, less manpower required to operate the machines, less work in process and increased part turnaround times.

    This presentation details the primary methods for reducing part costs, including longer tool life and higher metal-removal rates. This presentation also offers productivity and cost per part comparisons for the T4 and demonstrates that by capitalizing on the advantages of higher metal-removal rates and additional tool life found in machines like the T4, companies can begin to see a significant impact on their bottom line and cost per part.

    Mark Larson, Titanium R&D Team Leader, Makino