Americanmachinist 4062 Lasertec653d
Americanmachinist 4062 Lasertec653d
Americanmachinist 4062 Lasertec653d
Americanmachinist 4062 Lasertec653d
Americanmachinist 4062 Lasertec653d

3-D Printing: Made in the USA

July 30, 2014
DMG Mori is bringing its American-made hybrid additive / subtractive machine to Chicago this year to help change the way manufacturing is done.

DMG Mori will be taking up a lot space at IMTS this year. And for good reason.

In its massive, 32,600 sq. ft. booth, DMG Mori will be showing off the real power of American manufacturing, featuring new machines pulled straight off the line from its Davis California plant – machines, it says, that are "made in the USA for the USA."

One of those machines has the whole industry buzzing.

Part 3-D printer, part machine tool, the Lasertec 65 3D can produce parts in steel, nickel and cobalt alloys, brass or titanium.

IMTS 2014 will mark the U.S. premier of the Lasertec 65 3D, the latest entry in an emerging new 3-D printing market for hybrid additive / subtractive machines. Machines, it should be noted, that are starting to offer the first real promise of functional viability for 3DP technologies in the machine shop.

Mori's machine has a few extra surprises that push this development along even further.

Based on a DMU 65 monoblock machine developed by Sauer Lasertec and DMG Mori, the machine is equipped with a powerful diode laser for metal deposition, while the 5-axis machine platform enables highly accurate subtractive machining operations between layers.

Add to that a metal deposition 3-D printing process that is 10 times faster than laser sintering in a powder bed and the Lasertec 65 is capable of building polished, tooled and totally finished pieces from scratch in a single build chamber. It can even add wear protection layers inside the build.

And that is a wild, exciting step for the industry.

A New Generation of NHX

Joining the Lasertec 65 3D in the booth, and also pulled out of the Davis facility, will be the world premieres of the second generation of DMG Mori's NHX 4000 and NHX 5000 horizontal machining centers.

According to the company, these heavy-duty horizontal machining centers are ideal for machining workpieces of up to 31.4 x 39.3 in., with a loading capacity of up to 1,100 lbs (NHX 5000 2nd Generation, optionally up to 1,540 lbs).

With the new generation, they are now equipped with an even more powerful spindle, offering 15,000 rpm and an excellent power-to-torque ratio of 29.5 hp. with 93.7 ft/lbs.

Rapid traverse has been increased to 39.4 in/s or 63.0 in/s (optional), while the new design and the advanced controller (MAPPS V and CELOS) complement the machine’s high-performance features.

According to the company, the workpiece range of the NHX 4000 with 400-size pallets comprises workpieces up to 24.8 in. in diameter and 35.4 in. in height (NHX 5000 2nd Generation: 31.5 x 39.4 in.). In a work area of 22.0 x 22.0 x 26.0 in. (X/Y/Z) for the NHX 4000 and 28.7 x 28.7 x 34.6 in. (X/Y/Z) for the NHX 5000, the horizontal centers machine components extremely accurately and efficiently.

Chip-to-chip time, it adds, has also been improved to less than 2.4 seconds. The high demands made on the precision of the NHX series, which is also reflected in a circular accuracy of <0.000067 in. with 1.3 in/s feed in X and Y as well as 3.9 in. radius, go hand-in-hand with impressive speed and dynamic values.

The NHX 4000, seen here, offers spindle speed of 15,000 rpm and a loading capacity of up to 1,100 lbs.

CELOS in Control

Directing these machines, and the 20 other products showcased in the booth, will of course be DMG Mori's CELOS software.

CELOS, the company says, simplifies and accelerates the process from the idea to the finished product, and also forms the basis of paperless manufacturing. It is designed to be as easy and intuitive to use as a smartphone, compatible with PPS and ERP systems, suitable for networking with CAD / CAM applications and ready for future CELOS APP extensions.

Exciting stuff.