Advanced materials

highlightsApril 2008

Linear axes

X from 2500 to 20500 mm 85 m/1’ 3 m/s2

Y from 2600 to 5000 mm 85 m/1’ 3 m/s2

Z 1300 / 2000 mm 45 m/1’ 3 m/s2

CRONUS Technical Data

5-axis operating units

Power (S1) 15 kW 12000 rpm 28 kW 4300 rpm (S6) 20 kW 12000 rpm 28 kW 3800 rpm Max rotation 24000 rpm 24000 rpm Torque (S1) 12 Nm 63 Nm Connection HSK 63/E HSK 63/A

Rotating axes

A ± 110° 36000°/1’ 2500°/s2 ± 110° 36000°/1’ 2500°/s2

C ± 300° 36000°/1’ 2500°/s2 ± 300° 36000°/1’ 2500°/s2

Tool changer magazine

16 - 60 tools

Cronusmachine The new

tool standard has emerged!

CMS. High-speed machining of aluminium and composites.

Rotating axes with direct drive system

Double AC servo motors system on linear axes

Linear axes

X from 2500 to 20500 mm 85 m/1’ 3 m/sX from 2500 to 20500 mm 85 m/1’ 3 m/sX 2

CRONUS Technical Data

Double AC servo motors system on linear axes

new

State-of-the-art speed and acceleration High end precision and repeatability

Elevated rigidity Huge working envelope

CBS composites and CMS:a successful alliance in fl exible high-tech

CBS, an Italian company specialised in manufacturing components for the aerospace, automotive (sports cars and racing cars) and defence sectors, has recently cemented the alliance with CMS by acquiring a third CNC controlled machine, model Antares PX5.Founded in 1989 and certifi ed according to ISO 9001/2000 since 1998, CBS has earned a well-established reputation as a highly qualifi ed supplier for composite components, numbering among its customers very prestigious bran-ds such as Aermacchi, Agusta, Recaro Aircraft Seatings, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Momo, Oto Melara.The company growth has also been aided by its collaboration with CMS, who began supplying 5-axis machining centres starting from 1999, and gradually gained a strategic role in the CBS business.CBS owner, Mr. Luigi Peroni, briefl y recounts the story of his company: “In the 90s our production mainly consisted of composite panels and hand fi nished 3D components – mostly for the aerospace market – obtained from moulds supplied by customers.

Entering the automotive market - although for high-end models –involved a dramatic increase in production volumes combined with more and more stringent quality requirements. Consequently we needed to switch from a mainly hand crafted production to an industrial one, aided by 5-axis CNC machines, to give us increased productivity as well as top-ranking constant quality.

As time progressed, the demand for higher output required an extended control on the whole production process, for a better and more fl exible approach and to enable us to react faster to market requirements. So we decided to start the production of moulds and models by ourselves.” It was at this point that CBS were able to fully appreciate and take advantage of the potential of CMS products and services: by means of CMS machines we are now working resin or aluminium models, jigs and composite fi nished parts. For example, the production process to manufacture a carbon fi bre dashboard for a super car consists of:• Acquiring customer’s CAD geometries• CAM processing and tool path generation• Production of (male and female) models from epoxy resin on the CNC machine • Producing the carbon fi bre moulds, laying up on the model, and autoclave polymerisation • Milling of jigs used for supporting and clamping parts during the fi nishing operations• Production of the blanks, placed between male and female moulds, by autoclave polymerisation of carbon fi bre pre-peg• Parts fi nishing on the CNC machine: routing, cutting of apertures, slotting, drilling etc.

highlightsThe dynamic features of the CMS machines utilised in the process achieve the accuracies, repeatability and cutting speeds required by a competitive output, while the relevant investment soon becomes profi t-making.This is a major advantage over traditional metal cutting machine tools which lose out on price/performance ratio when it comes to machining aluminium or composite materials.Furthermore, CMS special solutions provided to contain and extract machining dust, to grant operator’s full safety and ease of work result in a tailored made machine category for non ferrous machining, remarkably different from the traditional machine tools.

Mr. Peroni concludes: “Thanks to the alliance with CMS we acquired valuable tools which, together with our experience gained over the years and our professionalism, enabled us to hit prominent targets. Since 1999 – when we purchased the fi rst machining centre – CBS turnover has increased by approx. 400% and our consolidated competitiveness drives us to reach increasingly ambitious goals”.

Carbon fi bre panel for sports car dashboard

highlightsCMS Ares 3626

helps Crosby Composites produce high-accuracy parts

UK based Crosby Composites have recently invested in and installed a CMS Ares 3626 CNC machining machining centre adding to their existing 5 CNC machining centres

Mr. Crosby founded his company 25 years ago and has spent all his working life in the auto sport industry. He began his career as an engineer with March, when the use of composites in racing cars was fi rst introduced. “It was obvious that this was an opportunity that would get bigger and bigger so I started my own company,” he remembered. “We began with very basic wet lay-up methods, and moved to using pre-preg and autoclave curing as the company developed.”

Mr. Crosby introduced 3D modelling and machining around eight years ago. Before then, he had thought the systems were too expensive but CNC machining and CAD/CAM quickly became the normal way to do things. Utilising this type of technology is the only practical way to machine repeatable to the level of accuracy we need,” he added. “The F1 market generally requires a maximum run of sixteen parts. Unless you can be very effi cient, it is diffi cult to justify the cost of machining everything.”

Advanced materials

Speaking about the newly installed machine and the positive impact it is having on the business, Mr. Crosby said “It is important that as a company we equip ourselves with the very best technology available. That is exactly what we have done with this new capability provided by CMS., we know that they will provide us with an extended pattern making ability and a second to none component trimming capacity, critical in today’s market place.”Following order placement a comprehensive project plan was created by CMS UK Ltd, to ensure all parts of the project were delivered and installed in the correct sequence and at the right time to meet the tight deadlines requested by Crosby and dictated by the Auto sport industry. The machine installed is the CMS Ares 3626 5 axis machining centre, with a 3600 mm X axis, 2600 mm Y axis and a 1200 mm Z axis, equipped with a large 3120 mm x 2020 mm work table. This system allows for tandem or single table working. Fully interlocked automatic doors ensure the operator is completely protected from the cutting area and a sophisticated vacuum holding system provides a very effective and unobtrusive part holding solution, a major benefi t for this type of work.The two rotational axes complete with a powerful 12 KW, 24000 rpm spindle, HSK tool connection and 8 station automatic toolchanger, ensure a heavy and fl exible cutting capability. A particular benefi t of the CMS 5 axis head assembly is the unique clamping mechanism for the rotary axes, giving extra rigidity when machining in the 3 + 2 and 3 axis mode. As a result of the vast experience of CMS in the industry, the machine is provided with effective protection against the ingress of carbon dust to the slide ways and electrics as well as an effi cient extraction hood that rotates with the axis movements. Tool setting is catered for by an automatic laser tool diameter and length setting device to ensure precise and reliable tool accuracy. A radio probe completes the package and provides the necessary functionality for part positioning and inspection.Apart from the increase in accuracy possible with this approach, another big benefi t is that all the machining and inspection can be completed on the machine tool on a single fi xture. According to Mr. Crosby, it is impossible to maintain the necessary tolerances when moving between a series of fi xtures, while using multiple set-ups on different fi xtures would take much longer.The fi rst set of seventeen components produced with this method was supplied to one of the F1 teams and fi tted onto the car with no clashes or re-work. It was the fi rst time in the team’s history that this had happened with any set of composite parts from any supplier.“Since then we have used on-Machine Verifi cation as much as we possibly can,” said Mr. Crosby. “It ensures that we catch any mistakes before they reach our customers. In the six months since we started with this approach, we have only had one part rejected and that was because of just one undersize hole.”“We will continue to use technology to do things better and more accurately,” concluded Mr. Crosby. “Once the teams realise the level of accuracy that we can provide, they will soon switch from other suppliers that regularly send boxes of bits that don’t fi t together.”

Carbon fi bre component for a racing sailboat winch

highlights

Ares/AntaresValue and performances

Linear axes

Antares X 2600 mm 80 - 120*m/1’ 5 - 6* m/s2

Ares X 3600/4800/6000 mm 80 m/1’ 5 m/s2 Antares Y 1500 mm 80 - 120* m/1’ 5 - 6* m/s2

Ares Y 1800/2600 mm 80 m/1’ 5 m/s2

Antares Z 1200 mm 70 m/1’ 5 m/s2

Ares Z 1200 mm 70 m/1’ 5 m/s2

ARES/ANTARES Technical Data

Rotating axes

B ± 135° 16.200°/1’ 3.500°/s2 ± 120° 9.000°/1’ 500°/s2

C ± 320° 21.600°/1’ 3.500°/s2 ± 270° 9.000°/1’ 500°/s2

Tool changer magazine

8 - 16 - 32 - 48 tools

5-axis operating units

Power (S1) 6 kW 12 kW Max rotation 27000 rpm 24000 rpm Cooling By liquid By liquid Connection ISO 30 HSK 63/F

• Automatic axis re-alignment and tool measure device • Air/oil mist tool lubrication system • GE-FANUC full digital numerical control

AN

EW

JEC

-0308E

Advanced materials technology division24019 Zogno (Bg) Italy - via A. Locatelli 49Tel. +39 0345 64 200 - Fax +39 0345 64 280www.cms.it - aluplast@cms.it

highlightshighlightsPoseidonStructural rigidity, fl exibility and convenienceare made a reality

Linear axes

X from 2500 up to over 60000 mm 85 m/1’ 3 m/s2

Y from 2600 to 8500 mm 85 m/1’ 3 m/s2 Z 1300/2000/3000/4000 mm 48 m/1’ 3 m/s2

POSEIDON Technical Data

Rotating axes

A ± 120° 9000°/1’ 1000°/s2 ± 110° 9000°/1’ 1000°/s2 ± 110° 9000°/1’ 1000°/s2 ± 110° 36000°/1’ 2500°/s2

C ± 270° 9000°/1’ 1000°/s2 ± 300° 9000°/1’ 1000°/s2 ± 300° 9000°/1’ 1000°/s2 ± 300° 36000°/1’ 2500°/s2

5-axis operating units

Power (S1) 12 kW 12000 rpm 15 kW 12000 rpm 28 kW 4300 rpm 28 kW 4300 rpm (S6) 15 kW 12000 rpm 20 kW 12000 rpm 28 kW 3800 rpm 28 kW 3800 rpm Max rotation 24000 rpm 2400 rpm 18000 rpm 24000 rpm Cooling By liquid By liquid By liquid By liquid Connection HSK 63/F HSK 63/E HSK 80/B HSK 63/A

Tool changer magazine

16 - 32 - 60 tools

*ANTARES LM equipped with linear motors

Advanced materials