MACHINING CENTERS

Among the most important technological advances applied to the industrial sector is the machining center. This machine is the result of the refinement of the milling machine, a type of mechanized tool used for cutting and machining various materials.

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

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 operates under an electronic system called Computerized Numerical Control, or CNC. Its use reduces human intervention in all industrial processes where it is implemented, thus enhancing worker safety and better resource utilization.

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

The presentation of this device comes in a significant variety of sizes, types, functions, levels of automation, spindle speeds, nominal powers, and weight capacities; characteristics that influence their 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 specific needs of the 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 functionalities and results. The main components of a machining center are the following:

• Computerized Numerical Control (CNC): It is an electronic system or device that enables the automation of functions, after programming commands that are stored in a data storage medium, such as a computer. It consequently offers greater precision in the results.
• Machining tools: This machine tool possesses a multiplicity of devices capable of providing diverse treatment to materials. Among the applicable machining techniques or functions, according to the available tools, are milling, turning, grinding, drilling, threading, and stamping 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 various operations required in 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 significant benefits for industrial production and working conditions. Below are some of them:

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

The implementation of machining centers is aimed at different types of industries. Among them, the manufacturing industry leads primarily due to the production of dies, patterns, molds, parts... among others; and the automotive industry, due to the manufacturing of car 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 often greatly streamline the production process given the flexibility their use provides, thanks to factors like tool change automation, simultaneous multifunctionality, and precise placement of materials or parts to be shaped.

The quality, efficiency, and precision of the work currently provided by these tools are of recognized excellence and continue to be developing and increasingly prominent factors.