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Over the
centuries, and especially in the last three decades, metal
spinning has evolved into a high tech computerized manufacturing
field. For example one-off parts out of platinum or huge
quantities of aluminum reflectors are extremely cost effectively
produced on metal spinning machines with combined playback &
CNC controls.
History
What today is classified as spinning
encompasses some of the oldest known methods of re-shaping
materials and is derived from the ancient Egyptian art of
potting on a wheel. The rapidly-rotating, manually powered
potter’s wheel, known to be in use 3,000 years before the birth
of Christ, provided the basis for the art of spinning.
Metal spinning machines have been
built for more than 75 years. The development led from hand
spinning lathes, hydraulic spinning machines, template
controlled machines to today’s modern
PNC/CNC
controlled heavy-duty spinforming machines.
A reliable modern spinning machine
must possess a certain mass in order to guarantee stability.
This mass ensures vibration-free operation when producing
light-gauge parts at high speed. By thick walled work pieces
this mass is decisive in order to realize very tight repeatable
tolerances. This implies:
•High spindle drive capacities.
•Large longitudinal and transverse
slide thrust.
•High forming speeds.
The machine must also be easy to
handle and able to be changed over in short time.
Top of the line spinning machines
are required to be programmable in playback mode, online or
offline
CNC
mode or even in combination (playback with
CNC
subroutine).
Playback: The first part is manually
spun by the operator via joystick and potentiometer. Since human
beings show a time delay between optical perception and manual
reaction, the first part can be spun at relative small feed rate
speeds. Numerous machine movements, including all necessary
additional functions, such as profiling, machining and...
...Continued
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