New 5-axis Machining Cell Features Integrated Workpiece Loading And Unloading

Machining centre manufacturer Brother has announced that it is now offering its M200X3 5-axis mill-turn model, as well as two other 30-taper machines in its range, with the factory-fitted option of a robotic workpiece magazine. Sole sales and service agent for the UK and Irish markets is Whitehouse Machine Tools, which has a cell available for demonstration in its Kenilworth showroom.

Although of standard configuration, the BV7 stocker is flexible enough to be adapted to suit a manufacturer’s automation needs. It offers a higher degree of functionality for loading and unloading individual parts than a simple cobot, yet avoids the complexity of a fully-fledged storage and retrieval system for machine pallets, with its larger space requirement.

As with all Brother equipment, the vertically-oriented robotic workpiece stocker is very compact, occupying a space less than one metre from either the left or right hand side of the machine. For holding billets and machined workpieces, 10 trays measuring up to 470 x 300 x 135 mm may be easily inserted and extracted manually, each weighing a maximum of 25 kg. The tray that is to be machined next is simply selected by push-buttons on the side of the unit. Any number of components can populate each tray to suit the requirements of the user.

The integral robot effecting load/unload of the individual workpieces has four CNC axes, three rotational and one linear into and out of the machine via an automatic door. It carries twin grippers with the end effectors at right angles to each other. They load and unload parts into and out of a pneumatically- or hydraulically-actuated fixture on the rotary table, which in turn is mounted on a swivelling trunnion.

The automation unit is pre-connected to the machine control, so there is no need for additional wiring. Programming of the robot movements is either by a teach pendant or using PC software running Brother’s BASIC programming language.

The M200X3 itself is also compact, occupying a footprint of less than 1.3 x 3.9 metres. It nevertheless has a generous working volume of 200 x 440 x 305 mm, coupled with high productivity offered by 50 m/min rapids and a 16,000 rpm BIG Plus spindle that deploys 22 cutters from an integral tool magazine.