Rotary table speeds production: General Industry Coverage

END USER: Precise Machining & Manufacturing LLC, (918) 438-3121, www.accurusaero.com/locations/precise-machining-manufacturing-llc. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Koma Precision Inc., (800) 951-3152, www.komaprecision.com. CHALLENGE: Add 5-axis capabilities to a horizontal machining center and decrease part setup time. SOLUTION: A rotary table.

Companies have a variety of machine configurations to choose from when looking to process a multiple-sided part. In the quest to squeeze costs, parts manufacturers realize that reducing setup time and machine downtime can often make or break a job.

One solution is the addition of a rotary table to a horizontal machining center so it has 5-axis capability. Depending on the machine control, this configuration can turn a standard 4-axis machining center into a 4+1 or simultaneous 5-axis machine tool. The addition of a rotary table utilizes all of the advantages of an HMC, including automatic pallet changing, enhanced chip evacuation and decreased setup times, while seamlessly adding an extra axis.

A Tsudakoma RBA-320K rotary table on an Okuma HMC at Precise Machining & Manufacturing. Images courtesy Koma Precision.

Cable management is accomplished with a scissor arm above the pallet that rotates or bends along with the movement of the B-axis on the HMC.