Automatic Die Sinking and Copy Milling Machines

Automatic Die Sinking and Copy Milling Machines

Automatic Die Sinking and Copy Milling Machines - This machine, shown in Fig., has a table mounted on a cross saddle, similar to a milling machine. Mounted on a column above the table is a head carrying the cutter and stylus spindles, together with the driving arrangements for the cutter and the hydraulic control for the stylus. The console at the RH side of the machine houses the electrical controls, and the joystick shown projecting is for manual control of the table movements in four directions.

Automatic Die Sinking And Copy Milling Machine

Normally, after setting up, the machine will operate automatically with up to about 10% (time) operator supervision. In operation, a former shaped to the profile to be copied and the die blank or other component on which the profile is to be produced are clamped to the table.

In their respective positions, a cutter and a stylus, shaped on their ends to suit the intricacies of the profile, are then secured in their spindles, and these are adjusted horizontally and vertically to match up with the relative positions of the former and the work.

The machine is then set into operation on a traverse which results in the stylus scanning over the former on a line joining its two extremities. In so doing it follows the profile, and the hydraulic valves in the stylus head control the vertical movements of the spindle and the horizontal table movements so that the cutting point copies the stylus movement.

One line over the profile on the former having been traversed, a pick feed operates to move the table over by a small amount for a second increment of cut to be taken. These cycles are repeated until the whole profile has been covered and the shape of the former has been reproduced on the work. At this point the machine is automatically stopped.

On the standard machine an infinitely variable range of speeds from 75-1250 rev/min is available for the rotating spindle, and by substituting a high-speed finishing spindle the range is increased to 400-1 0000 rev/min. The driving motor is 0.56-1.13 kW, two speed, 1400-2800 rev/min.

The working traverse rates for the table vary from 0-508 mm/min. and the pick feed rates from 0.13-8 mm/min. In order to extend the capabilities or versatility of the machine, various adaptations are possible:

(a) the use of two cutting spindles to allow two components to be milled  simultaneously;

(b) mirror image attachment to allow a mirror image to be machined from a true image master;

(c) rotary attachment to permit impressions to be cut on cylinders copying from a flat master.

(d) template holder this enables shapes of uniform cross section to be machined from a flat template of the sectional shape, and dispenses with the use of an expensive former.