MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
the inner races, negating any ‘bumps or clunks.’ While bespoke features on the mating faces of the outer race make it easier for correct alignment during reassembly, this is especially key for the maintenance teams in the field. Due to the generous axis travels and
a few metres to suit the diversity of industrial applications. Many of the leading manufacturers use forged billets that are extremely hard at around 58/62 HRc, and wire erosion is simply the best way to cut it. As the process produces very little heat it does not affect the hardness or the structure of the base material. It provides a ‘gentle’ method of cutting the bearing in half. In split bearings, the inner race is designed to fit around a shaft and is split into two halves, creating two gaps where the material has been cut away. Often, the outer race is engineered so that, once it is split in half, the resulting face-to-face contact slightly alters the dimensions of the races. This design compensates for the removed material, ensuring proper alignment and performance once assembled. Each manufacturer will apply a significant amount of engineering and product experience to the shape and angle of the wire cut. Tapered cuts are often used to ensure smoother joins in
ability to accommodate heavy loads on the worktables the Excetek V Series range of four CNC Wire Cutting EDM machines often provide suitable solutions for bearing manufacturers. Comprising of the V650, V1060, and V1280 this range can often provide the foundation for customised solutions that are tailored to meet bearing industry demands. Excetek’s exclusive partner in the UK is
Warwick Machine Tools, and Managing Director, Ian Holbeche, explains: “The standard machines in the V Series are extremely cost-effective, offering performance and capability levels that belie the price points they are set at. From this starting point, Excetek can enhance the machines even further by increasing axis travels as well as applying bespoke generator technology to further increase the benefits to the bearing manufacturer.” An example of the popular industry
enhancements can be found on the Excetek VG1060R3. While the machine tool is based on the V1060 it offers bespoke upper and lower heads as well as a customised fixturing system that allows annual or hollow section blanks to be loaded vertically. This design helps manufacturers split large
diameter bearings without increasing the floorspace required. “By presenting only the part of the bearing that requires splitting to the EDM wire we are effectively positioning the remaining raw material, up to 1,300 kg, in the space above the worktable,” says Ian Holbeche. Depending upon the height, section
size and diameter of the bearing the raw material could be running on the machine tool for a few days, and typically the splitting operation is one of the final phases. So, the reliability of the Excetek VG1060R3 wire EDM machine is vital to any businesses delivering on promises to their customers. Bespoke fixturing can be developed by
Warwick Machine Tools in conjunction with the customer, which can then be integrated on to the machine table, making setups easier and quicker. Ian Holbeche concludes: “Excetek
offer the flexibility to supply machine tools adapted to meet the challenges faced by bearing manufacturers at affordable prices. There are not many companies out there that will do that. With raw materials going up, energy prices increasing significantly, along with wages, all costs have gone up for manufacturing businesses. To address this you have to keep chipping away at efficiencies to get things done quicker and better. The Excetek VG1060R3 wire EDM machine is a classic example of how to achieve this.”
www.warwickmachinetools.co.uk www.welding-world.com WeldingWorld1 / 47
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