DX4080 To DX6080 Large Steel Structure Beam End Face Milling Machine

A. Scope and Application of Large Steel Beam End Face Milling Machine:

1.  What Is Large End Face Milling Machine:

1) As the most crucial parameter in the field of end face milling, when vertical direction milling stroke reaches 4,000mm (DX40xx models, for example, DX4080), the machine goes into level of Large Steel Beam End Milling Machine;

2) Up Limit: Currently, the max. up and down stroke on end milling is 6,000mm (DX60xx models, for example, DX6080);

3) Secondary Parameter: The horizontal stroke on end face milling does not as critical as vertical stroke, from viewpoint of machine designer and manufacturer. However, from customer’s viewpoint, this specification also matters. Currently in industry, the scope of horizontal stroke end face milling is up to 8,000mm:

4) Wuxi JACK DX6080 model Heavy duty End Face Milling Machine works at Vietnam customer facility: (Fig.1)

2.  Typical Application of Heavy duty Steel Beam End Face Milling Machine:

1) In facilities of Shipbuilding/ Large Bridge Construction/ Power Plant… etc., large size and heavy weight structure members are necessary to be welded and or installed together, into finished/ semi-finished projects. Before that, these jumbo ones workpieces need to be end milled to remove the rough and rusted layer --- This is the purpose customer purchase such Large End Face Milling Machine:

Operator mills on a piece of large steel structure Beam workpiece for shipbuilding, on operating platforms of Wuxi JACK DX4080 model machine: (Fig.2)

2) Market Share: DX series BOX H Beam conventional size and Large End Face Milling Machine itself belongs to special equipment, mainly focusing on fulfilling end face machining of steel structure members, including: Pipe/ H Beam/I Beam/ Box Beam/ Tank… Of these, the DX4080 to DX6080 heavy duty models belongs to niche product of this special equipment, account for around 10% application in the market, at the most;

3.  Wuxi JACK Leading Position on Developing Large Steel Beam End Face Milling Machine:

1) Great Challenge: On the other hand, development/ pilot/ manufacture/ commissioning on these large models machines with super large overall dimension and heavy weight, involves series of challenge, this is the reason why only very few suppliers in the Welding and Cutting Machinery Industry have real capability and experience on develop and delivery such heavy duty machines, and Wuxi JACK is a prominent member:

Hoisting upright column of Wuxi JACK DX6080 model: (Fig.3)

2) Here, we list 2 representative products of Wuxi JACK  large models machines, over the past years:

a) DX4080 model, for a Chinese Shipbuilding company in Wuhan, in year 2011: (Fig.4)

b) DX6080 model, for a Vietnam Steel Structure company, in year 2018: (Fig.5)

B. Upgrade on Design and Production of Heavy duty Steel Beam End Face Milling Machine:

To meet customer requirement, and have consummate performance of these large machines, development was upgraded on many aspects on the basis of standard design:

1. Subject of Force Calculation and Validation for Large End Face Milling Machine:

1) Importance: The manufacture on these big machines brooks no lapse and defect: It will lead to immeasurable loss to customer and Wuxi JACK;

2) So, force calculation was validated with computer assistant finite element analysis;

3) Assembly process was simulated ahead of time with VDRA (Virtual Design Realistic Analysis); DFMEA (Design Failure Mode Effect Analysis) and PFMEA (Process Failure Mode Effect Analysis) were made to make sure 100% correct on every dimension and structure of these large machines;

2. Fully Managed Process Technology on Large End Face Milling Machine:

There is a Chinese saying going: “Quantitative change brings along qualitative change”. Although the same principle of end face milling and same machine structure as normal size models, the substantial enlargement on all the sizes of the machine units made these heavy Duty machines a completely new one from the viewpoint of:

1) Need to calculate all the machine parameters again from basic data, including loading capacity of guiderail, strength and rigidity of machine bed, end face milling stroke, and rpm of milling head, etc.;

2) The machining of structure members, welding and assembly process of machine frame all involve strict and rigorous process control:

3) For example, for DX6080 model, the 10.6m long machine bed and 8.3m height column were machined as integral parts in Gantry Milling Machine, instead of pieced together;

4) The 6m leadscrew for vertical transmission within this Large Steel Beam End Milling Machine is also machined into shape from an integral piece of raw material in Large Lathe:

The super large upright column of Wuxi JACK DX6080 model, its cross section height is higher than an adult male people: (Fig.6)

C. Technical View on DX4080 to DX6080 Large End Face Milling Machine:

Not every producer in Machine Tool Works Industry has real strength on design and producing such big and heavy duty equipment. The key points on capability of delivering heavy duty machines lies in ability on developing special designed and manufactured machine frame, especially its base bed and column:

1. Mechanical Main Frame of Large Steel Beam End Face Milling Machine:

1) Importance: Mechanical body is the most challenging part of large and super large models machine design and production. Its strength and rigidity directly determines performance and service life of large machines;

2) Steel Plates and Process Technology: The horizontal base bed and upright column of these heavy duty machines are made from finely machined integral members, welded into the shape of structure, and integrally annealed post welding;

3) Overall Larger Dimension: Cross section size of horizontal bed and upright column are calculated and made specifically larger with sufficient margin, for the purpose of making strong and sturdy structure, especially vertical column, which determines rigidity and firmness of operation job in Large Steel Beam End Milling Machine;

4) Strengthening Stiffeners: There are groups of stiffeners deployed all along machine body of the large machines, especially connection between upright column and base bed, making the main frame of entire set of large machine more solid and durable:

5) Groups of stiffeners plates, at bottom of horizontal bed, and connection between horizontal bed and upright column, of Wuxi JACK DX4080 model machine: (Fig.7)

6) Raw materials for being fabricated into mechanical system of Wuxi JACK heavy duty machines are 20~ 30mm thickness high strength steel plates and section steels

7) In all, the prerequisite on successful performance of Heavy duty End Face Milling Machine, is its mechanical system has features of firm/ stable, and good precision, without any deform;

2. Preparation jobs on Put into Use Large Steel Beam End Face Milling Machine:

Customer have two preparatory jobs before putting it into use:

1) Make foundation based on the drawing from Wuxi JACK;

2) Make large steel structure workpieces work tables of corresponding size. Usually for super large size of workpieces from DX4080 to DX6080, customer prepare on workpiece platform based on practical condition:

The long, large and heavy worktable for steel structure beam workpieces of Wuxi JACK DX4080 model machine: (Fig.8)

3. Transportation and Installation on Large Steel Beam End Milling Machine:

1) Trial Run: For these heavy duty machines, after being commissioned at Wuxi JACK company, its machine body is disassembled, shipped to customer site, assembled into an integral machine again, and then carry out final commissioning and trial run;

2) Installation: The levelness of machine base bed and verticality of upright column are critical control parameters, during machine installation:

a) Erecting the 8.3m height upright column of Wuxi JACK DX6080 model large machine: (Fig.9)

b) Adjust on levelness of 11m long horizontal bed of Wuxi JACK DX4080 model heavy duty machine: (Fig.10)

D. Technical Parameters of DX4080 to DX6080 Large Steel Beam End Face Milling Machine: