Producing complex aerospace parts such as vanes, blisks and impellers requires a particularly fast, very precise and extremely dynamic machining center. For manufacturing critical components used in engine and turbine construction, this means a 5-axis machining center. Machines for highly dynamic milling with five simultaneously controlled axes are essential for producing reliable aircraft engine components. A leading developer of CNC vertical milling and turning centers, the Chiron Group has brought a machining center to market precisely matched to the special requirements of the aviation sector: the FZ 16 S 5-axis with 5-axis tilt rotary table.

Optimal solutions for machining complex aerospace workpieces from exotic materials must provide superior rigidity for stable machining, high spindle speeds to make best use of cutting tools designed for shaping challenging metals, and rapid axis positioning to minimize cycle times. The result is production of high precision parts with high quality surface finishes in minimum time.

The mineral cast machine bed of the Chiron FZ 16, with rigid gantry design delivers a high degree of stiffness, and optimal damping characteristics. High-performance motors, two Y-axis drives, as well as short spindle startup and braking times are the foundation for the machine's extreme speed. A axes and C axes equipped with direct drives deliver even greater dynamics. These machine characteristics assure precise multiple-axis motion and smooth acceleration, which are fundamental requirements for high-level aerospace manufacturing.

"A key development for the Chiron machines, providing greater stability for the heavier cuts and the rapid axis positioning is the gantry-style construction rather than a C-frame," said a company spokesman. "This construction will be seen in future Chiron Group machines. The base is a vibration-dampening, highly stable concrete material that is less sensitive to heat than cast iron or steel weldments. Even during heavy cuts, the machine runs nearly without vibration or noise."

Combining high precision metal removal with high feed rates yields a machine that can hog material while delivering high quality surfaces. This capability is of great interest to producers of aerospace blisks and turbine blades, and complex parts from high alloy and exotic metals such as titanium, Inconel, and stainless steels. The ability to produce finished parts rapidly in a single setup saves cycle time and avoids the need for secondary operations.

"The exotic materials used for aerospace applications present challenging demands for high accuracy machining," said Markus Löhe, aerospace sales engineer at Chiron. "The complex part geometries and the need for smooth surfaces require 5-axis simultaneous machining capability," he said.

For example, a blisk consists of up to 120 individual blade components on a disk and has a diameter of around 800 millimeters. Workpieces of this kind can only be consistently produced on a fast, high accuracy machining center, such as the Chiron FZ 16 S 5-axis.

"Blisks are currently machined on Chiron machines from Inconel at one of our major customers in the sector," reports Löhe, "where the new FZ 16 S 5-axis machining center delivered excellent results from the first workpiece."