Makino's V33 has provided many tool, die, and mold shops with high-performance machining capabilities for hardened materials. The heritage of this machine has inspired Makino to create the V33i, a hardmilling vertical machining center updated with the latest technological advancements and refinements to provide even tighter accuracy, sustained dynamic performance, superior surface finishes, and long hours of continuous, unattended operation.

The V33i is perfectly suited for high-speed hardmilling in materials at 50+ HRc. Refinements to the spindle have further increased stiffness and rigidity, reducing the potential for tool chatter. In addition, meticulous attention to the V33i design has enhanced precision by further reducing system lost motion and associated thermal growth that could cause inaccuracies during the cutting of long die and mold programs. These features help retain superior accuracy during long periods of unattended operation.

"The V33i has the accuracy of a jig boring machine and the features and capabilities of a milling machine," says Bill Howard, vertical machining center product manager for Makino. "We just had a customer who ran a hardened fuel-cell mold for nearly 18 hours and achieved less than two microns depth accuracy on the ribs—and under four micron variation over the entire surface. This machine will revolutionize the way people look at high-speed, unattended hardmilling."

The machine's worktable is 750mm by 450mm, with associated travels of 650mm (X) by 450mm (Y) by 350mm (Z). The machine workzone will accommodate a maximum workpiece size of 750mm by 595mm by 250mm. The V33i is equipped with the latest version of Makino's Super Geometric Intelligence (SGI.4) control software to improve feedrates, accuracy, and reduce part cycle times by 40 percent—or more—compared with the prior generation of software.

REFINED SPINDLE

Makino's V33i features a shorter spindle that is more stiff and rigid than other vertical machining centers of its size. By decreasing the length of the spindle, the V33i is able to operate—vibration-free—over a wider range of spindle RPMs thereby reducing chatter and improving both surface finish and tool life. In addition, refinements have been made to the lubrication system design to tightly control or eliminate spindle thermal growth during long and continuous, high-speed hardmilling—typical of die and mold applications.

The V33i comes standard with a 20 HP, 20,000-rpm spindle. For higher-speed machining, Makino offers optional 30,000 and 40,000-rpm spindles. Spindle nose configurations are available in Cat40, HSK 63A and 63F, HSK-E50 and HSK-E32 to support a wide variety of tooling and applications.

The machine's strength and accuracy are due in part to its massive castings. Integral, hardened, and ground, hand-scraped guideways provide outstanding geometric tolerances and extremely precise positioning and repeatability. The no-overhang, fully supported construction ensures peak performance with no lost motion or unsupported components during operation, which guarantees tight dynamic tolerances for hardmilling of complex, three-dimensional sculptured surfaces.

COOLING AND LUBRICATION

Makino's V-series high-speed spindle features a patented spindle core cooling system that circulates chilled coolant through the spindle and bearing packages, dramatically reducing spindle growth. Increased lubricant flow in the V33i further minimizes thermal growth, providing superior accuracy and an increased bearing life.

Temperature-controlled lubricant is used throughout the machine to minimize thermal growth during cutting. Cooled elements such as core-cooled ball screws, lubricated ball nuts, a servo motor-cooling jacket system, and temperature-controlled passageways provide superior structural temperature control. Controlling the impact of machine movement on thermal characteristics reduces temperature impact on the machining process and provides sustainable, long-term, dynamic accuracy.

For more on the V33i, contact:
Bill Howard
Vertical Machining Center Product Manager
(513) 573.4408
william.howard@makino.com

View this Webinar:
Achieving Jig Bore Accuracy on a Vertical Machining Center

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