At this year’s EMO in Hannover on the GF machining Solutions stand, Step-Tec High-speed motor spindles will be featured. The high-performance spindles are used for mould making, production, energy and aerospace applications.
The spindle portfolio has more 100 different types of spindles ranging from 90mm to 320mm in diameter, covering a performance range of 1 to 130kW, with a torque up to 1,200Nm on the most powerful spindle.
Step-Tec offers a comprehensive range of standard platform spindles as well as tailored products which thanks to its intense investment into the latest technologies such as data management, electronics and high precision mechanics, ensures customers a lead in an competitive environment where precision machining of the highest performance level is required.
The latest power spindle from Step-Tec is the HPC290. In 2011 Step-Tec launched its HPC190 that set a new benchmark when it came to performance milling. Compactness, energy-efficiency but most of all its versatility to hold any optional equipment or feature a customer could need on one platform.
Step-Tec followed this spindle with an XL successor, a heavy-duty spindle for roughing and milling large mould structures and tough material such as aluminium and titanium for aerospace components.
The HPC290 is an all new spindle developed from scratch. The prototype of the new platform in the 15,000min-1 version with 46kW and HSK-T100 will be on display at the stand at EMO.
With a torque of 366Nm this spindle is capable of milling large mould structure in one hit. The ideal motor performance characteristic is good for roughing with face mills with inserts. Substantial spindle power guaranties great chip removal even in tough materials.
The broad dynamic over the entire speed range enables it to roughen the workpiece followed by grinding to finish in one and the same fixture. By using small tools at higher speed operators get an excellent surface finish expected when milling small workpieces.
The bearing layout with three and four bearings in new arrangement results in a high stiffness of the rotating axis. That allows working long and heavy tools for milling deep cavities in one go.
This spindle model is well suited for use in aerospace applications where structural components such as housings and cross members out of aluminium but also titanium are manufactured for aircraft.
A new bearingless rotary union suitable for all media allows coolants and lubricants to enter into the rotating spindle shaft for tool and workpiece cooling. High pressure cooling or low dosed minimum quantity lubrication is possible as well as air in rotation. At the same time the service life of these wearing parts has been significantly increased due to an enhanced sealing technology within the rotary union.
The moderate spindle mass of less than 200kg results in a compact and highly dynamic swivelling head with a great mass to power ration. More powerful variants of the 290 platform are expected from Step-Tec.
Used in many machining centres around the world the high-performance Step-Tec spindle is an ideal component for any machining centre operating for more than 7,000 hours a year. Highly accurate and thermally stable Step-Tec spindles ensure that machines can handle everything from heavy-duty roughing to fine-finishing operations.
See the Step-Tec spindles at GF Machining Solutions during EMO 2017. Hall 27, Stand B24.
GF Machining Solutions
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