Radical Departures

Understanding the Elements: The Coordination of Materials, Coatings and Geometry

Manufacturer Competes with MAG3 MMC Investment

Most Powerful Integral Drive Spindle in the World Available

A66E-5XD Five-Axis Machine Ideal for Turbine Parts

Makino's A99E-CD Offers Aerospace Productivity and Flexibility

	For aerospace manufacturers, demand is escalating and customer requirements are familiar—higher quality parts at lower costs, faster than ever before. But to get there, it is not just about improving on old processes. For Makino, it is about pinpointing new problems, then investing in new techniques and application expertise to find solutions. That exacting focus has helped Makino redefine the manufacturing of blisk engine component parts. Creating this engine component across a single Makino high-speed, five-axis machining center eliminates tolerance stack ups from multiple parts made across different machines and the cost of supporting various operations. The conventional approach to compressor rotors involves an assembly of shafts, disks, blades and retainers. The one-piece blisk part is lighter than a conventionally designed assembly, and since a blisk’s blades cannot shift or move due to centrifugal force or blade load, aerodynamics are improved and overall part performance is more efficient. In comprehensive application tests, Makino machines the blisk faster than ever before, from one piece of titanium, with impressive results. Makino also machines stainless steel and aluminum blisks with similar results. High rigidity standards are required to create such close tolerances on this intricately contoured part. Makino has an integrated design that includes rigid castings, vibration control, advanced servo technology and unmatched spindle stiffness with high levels of horsepower. This translates into a fast, rigid machining center capable of more accurate metal removal and feedrates as high as 1,970 inches per minute. The machining center’s five-axis configuration provides access to the blisk’s blades and various angles. And a high-speed, automatic tool changer (2.0 seconds tool-to-tool) reduces out-of-cut time and increases throughput rates. Importantly, this application is not dedicated. The impact made on blisk manufacturing can be realized with an array of parts and part models due to the advanced technology’s flexibility. In fact, an operator can machine a different part number in minutes by merely changing the part program. Copyright © 2001 - 2008 by Makino, Inc. All rights reserved.