The Hardinge Group Blog

Hardinge announces the newest members of the GX-Series of Vertical Machining Centers as a standard product offering in North America.  These machines are designed and built for a production environment.  The machine can literally overlap one another to better utilize valuable floor space and to promote cell manufacturing.  The unique design provides service and operator interface to only the front or back of the machines.  This design allows the machines to be stacked in a line side by side since there is no need to access the sides of the machines.  Don’t let the small footprint fool you as the GX 300 & 510 packs a powerful punch. 

A unique feature of this milling machine is the spindle torque and horsepower compared to other small footprint machines.  With 20 horsepower and 99 ft-lbs of torque the GX300 & 510 is able to provide a solution for the aerospace, medical, defense, 3C, automotive and other industries, requiring high-value, complex parts from difficult to machine materials.  

Some of the key differentiators of these machines are:  Heavy-duty linear roller guide-ways ensuring a stiff machine design.  High acceleration rates of the spindles and axes required for high production. Standard with swing arm ATC, required for high production. Also, this machine is designed to support single piece flow and/or automated parts handling.

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Introducing the newest member of Bridgeport’s Five Axis VMCs – - the fully-integrated 5-axis XR 300 5AX High-Performance vertical machining center is built to suit all manufacturing requirements.  This machine is positioned in the top of Bridgeport’s machining center portfolio. Our 5-Axis VMCs are ideally suited for a diverse range of applications within the aerospace, automotive, motor sport, medical, mold and tool and die sectors.
The 255mm (10″) diameter integrated dual-axis rotary table with 150-degree tilt and 5-arc second accuracy enhances the machine’s flexibility and high precision machining capability. The ability to machine complex shapes, undercuts and difficult angles in a single setup reduces tooling cost and labor time, resulting in lower cost per part in addition to maintaining parts conformity throughout production runs. The machining center is equipped with a 48-tool carousel-type automatic tool changer (ATC) features random access, bidirectional indexing and 4.6-second chip-to-chip change time.

Learn More – Bridgeport XR 300 5AX

Existing machines and toolholders can be used in BIG-PLUS Spindle System machines and toolholders.  When a new machine with BIG-PLUS Spindle System is introduced, existing toolholders can be used.  It is not necessary to purchase all new toolholders.  Therefore, it is possible to save cost to introduce simultaneous fit toolholders.

Although other simultaneous fit systems requires exclusive new accessories, BIG-PLUS Spindle System uses existing accessories such as a presetter and a toolholder fixture as it is based on a conventional steep taper shank.  Therefore, no extra cost is needed.

Simultaneous fit of taper and face prevents vibration from heavy or high speed cutting and discoloration on taper (called fretting corrosion).

At high speed rotation, a machine spindle expands due to centrifugal force and heat.  Then, a toolholder is pulled into the machine spindle. On the contrary, BIG-PLUS toolholder is not pulled in even at high speed rotation as the flange face fits the machine spindle nose.  Then, variation of projection length in Z axis is minimized. (variation due to heat exists.)

Rigidity is enhanced by simultaneous fit of taper and face.  There are excellent effects on heavy or high speed cutting, deep or large dia. boring and especially using a cutting tool with long projection length.

Since BIG-PLUS toolholder is rigidly supported on taper and face, higher repeatability at ATC can be achieved.  This brings about many good effects such as higher T.I.R and stable precision of finish boring.

BIG-PLUS Spindle System is strictly controlled in dimensions of a machine spindle as well as a toolholder in order to guarantee simultaneous fit between taper and face, the dimensions are measured by a exclusive high tolerance gage and measuring devices.  Full interchangeability exists between all BIG-PLUS machine spindles and BIG-PLUS toolholders.