Integrated Milling and Turning: Boost Efficiency with Multitasking Machines

What is Mill-Turn Means?

In the past, turning was only performed on a turning machine, while milling was only performed on the milling machine. Due to technical obstacles at the time, these two types of cutting machining methods were rarely integrated in the manufacturing sector.

However, with the widespread use of power turrets and power tools for machining, these two functions can be integrated into one, and make processing more convenient. For ordinary working conditions, lathes can be divided into two main machining types according to the way of clamping the work piece. These are vertical lathes and horizontal lathes. Some turning and milling machines may also have boring or drilling machining functions, integrating the versatility of a boring and milling machining. This is a machine that uses a rotating tool to remove materials by advancing the tool into one or more tools. Multiple work pieces can be processed under the control of a computer numerical control (CNC) system or manual operation for the machining. Today, machines are usually controlled by CNC systems, and the accuracy is controlled within a relatively small tolerance. The standards set for machining is much higher today.

 

How Many Axes Shall Have and Each Axis’ Operations

Boring and milling methods can be done in different directions based on different trajectories mounted on the axis. The number of axis depends on the customer's needs, and there is no absolute optimal number regarding the axis arrangement since axis can be later added, but only the most suitable choice of axis according to users’ requirements is the best solution.

 

Why There are Vertical And Horizontal Arrangements?

For vertical mill-turn centers, the workpiece is clamped vertically, and the cutting tools are installed in the same direction, so that the machining is performed vertically. Compared with the horizontal method, the clamping is more secure and fixed due to the effect of gravity. The manufacturers of vertical turning machines usually made their vertical turning machines into great manufacturing facilities for users in a variety of industrial sectors that pursue for high precision, such as the automotive industry, aerospace, sports equipment applications, and other fields with larger-sized work pieces operations.

Regarding the vertical clamping mechanism, the spindles of the vertical lathe is also located behind the chuck, and some may be belt driven, while some may be other types of driving mechanisms. Like other milling machines and machining centers, lathes can also be equipped with power tools and tool magazines to improve their functionality and versatility and provide users with more machining possibilities. Power turret is a modern standard accessory for many CNC lathes. As one of the most important accessories for CNC lathe users, Taiwan suppliers have targeted this business and developed many well-known power turret and power tool companies to support these demands have formed the demands of lathe machines’ users all over the world.

Many of the power turrets are driven by a single motor with servo function, which can ensure the best processing results of the machines and save the best energy consumption. At the same time, they can also provide high rigidity for the work piece and the ideal cutting capacity of the machines.

 

Power Turret and ATC

As mentioned earlier, due to the use of a power turret, the integration of milling and turning machines becomes possible. As a result, in this mechanical design, the tool magazine will be accompanied by an automatic tool changer, so that the tools work vigorously.

In addition to power turrets, tool magazines and automatic tool changers (ATC) are also the best-selling products of Taiwan machine tool accessory manufacturers. Tool magazines and ATC systems made by Taiwan suppliers can provide customers with the best T to T timing based on their cycle time engineering, which can help business owners respond to order demands.

 

The Advantages of Taiwan’s Turning Centers

Compared with global competitors, Taiwan’s proprietary technology can provide comprehensive services to global customers with the best plan according to the user’s situation, so that products with machine tools or accessories can actually be face lifted to the latest version of their mill-turn functionality that is modern to the order requests.

 

Other Important Accessories

Turning spindles and fixed chucks and corresponding hydraulic cylinders are also well developed in Taiwan. Together with the CNC turning center market, there are a bunch of lathe products and accessories that have been widely distributed in different industrial fields and applications around the world.