Multi-Operation Machining: Turning and Milling in One Setup

On a milling/turning machine with the TNC 640, you can machine the complete workpiece at one time: milling, turning, milling, in whatever sequence is needed. The TNC 640 offers you powerful functions that enable you to switch the NC program as desired between turning and milling under program control. This enables you to decide with complete freedom how and when you want to combine the two machining methods.

The field-proven HEIDENHAIN lathe controls provide the software basis for the turning functions. So you also have contour elements unique to turning, such as recesses or thread undercutting. Besides the standard path functions you can also use FK free contour programming to easily create contour elements.

You can use standard conversational commands to switch as desired under NC program control between the milling and turning modes. There are practically no limitations. The control switches modes regardless of the current axis configuration and the TNC 640 adopts all internally required changes:

• Transition to diameter display
• Setting the datum in the center of a rotary table
• Locking the tool spindle and other machine-dependent functions

You can program the turning operations conveniently under dialog guidance in HEIDENHAIN conversational format. Besides the standard path functions you can also use free contour programming (FK) to define the turning contour. With FK, you can easily create contour elements that were not dimensioned for NC.What’s more, you also have the contour elements recess and undercut for turning operations. Intuitive help illustrations support you in the definition of these contour elements.

Tools for turning are defined in the same way as those for milling, while the TNC 640 offers the user comprehensive graphical support.

The TNC 640’s package of cycles contains, along with the familiar milling, drilling and boring cycles, many intelligent turning cycles, with which even complex turning operations can be programmed very easily at the machine.

Cycles for roughing, finishing, recessing, tapping or recess turning are part of the TNC 640’s cycle package. The TNC 640’s automatic blank form update detects surfaces that have already been machined and adapts both the machining area and the approaching and departing paths to the current progress of machining. That reduces programming and machining time. Programmed probing cycles ensure that the workpiece attains the dimensional requirements exactly.

The turning cycles take the tool geometry defined in the turning tool table into account in order to avoid contour damage. Special cycles enable you to manufacture external teeth through hobbing as well as to machine eccentrically fixed workpieces.

During turning, the TNC 640 also permits any angle of inclination between the tool and workpiece. This makes it possible to machine even hard-to-reach areas of the workpiece under optimal cutting conditions. Here, too, the blank form update function provides support in optimizing tool traverse..