MACHINING CENTERS

Among the most important advances in technology applied to the industrial sector, the machining center stands out. This machine is the result of the improvement of the milling machine, a type of mechanized tool used for cutting and machining different materials.

As a characteristic element of this numerical control machine, the incorporation of electronic units stands out, which facilitates its automation. The purpose of said invention is precisely to improve aspects such as performance, maneuverability of equipment, precision in semi-finished or finished products and the occupational safety of the personnel employed.

Operation of a machining center

The machining center is a highly automated machine, implemented in the industrial sector for the development of mechanical functionalities and that operates under an electronic system called Computerized Numerical Control, or Computer Control (CNC). Its use lightens human intervention in all those industrial processes in which it is implemented, thus promoting worker safety and better use of resources.

This machine tool allows the finishing, semi-finished, forming or design of parts, after the mechanization and modification of any type of material used within the industrial sector, such as plastics, wood and metals, among others. The machining center can, in turn, combine different types of cuts on the same piece, by having devices that perform milling, drilling and threading techniques, among many others, even simultaneously.

The presentation of this device occurs in a significant variety of sizes, types, functions, automation levels, spindle speeds, nominal powers and weight capacities; characteristics that influence your final costs. Likewise, as a result of technological development, modular machines have been developed that can be assembled from different parts or accessories, according to the needs of the specific production area.

Essential components of the machining center

Machining centers have a series of elements or devices that distinguish them from any other type of machine tool, not only in relation to physical characteristics, but also in terms of functionality and results. The main components of a machining center are the following:

• Computer Numerical Control (CNC): It is an electronic system or device that makes possible the automation of functions, after programming commands that are housed in a data storage medium, such as a computer. Consequently, it offers greater precision in the results.
• Machining tools: This machine tool has a multiplicity of devices capable of giving a diverse treatment to materials. Among the applicable machining techniques or functions, according to the available tools, are milling, turning, grinding, drilling, threading and die-cutting of parts.
• Automatic tool changer: This distinctive element combines the operability of the two previous components. The function of this module is to facilitate and speed up the execution of the different operations required on the machined material, without human intervention.

Main advantages of a machining center

Machining centers, as a result of the technological evolution of traditional machine tools, provide important benefits for industrial production and working conditions. Some of them are listed below:

• The streamlining and automation of work favors the optimization of time.
• The intervention of operators is reduced and with it potential workplace accidents.
• Training is more basic and economical, which expands job opportunities.
• The size of the materials or volume of the pieces does not represent a limit.
• The multiplicity and simultaneity of functions favors more efficient results.
• The operation of the machine is continuous and can work without prolonged interruptions.
• Prototyping is becoming less and less necessary thanks to digitalization.
• Feature monitoring is a much easier and more automated task.

The implementation of machining centers is aimed at different types of industry. Among them, they mainly lead in manufacturing, for the development of matrices, patterns, molds, pieces... among others; and the automotive industry, for the manufacture of automobile parts. At the same time, its use is fundamental and of great value for the aeronautical industry, jewelry or any type of high-production creation.

Machining centers usually greatly speed up the production process given the flexibility offered by their use, thanks to factors such as automation in changing tools, simultaneous multifunctionality and the precise placement of the materials or parts to be formed.

The quality, efficiency and precision of the work that these tools currently provide are of recognized excellence, and continue to be factors in development and increasingly prominent.