Complex Shaft Machining, Including Hobbing, Now 75% More Efficient

Recently a customer asked Gosiger to help reduce the cost of machining complex pump shafts it produces for military and other applications. The CNC machine shop was using 5 machine tools to perform 14 operations on the workpiece, including turning, drilling, milling and hobbing. This required multiple setups, programming, machining cycles, and movement of the part between the 5 machines.

The solution was to replace all 5 machine tools with a single, multi-function Okuma LBEX MYW horizontal lathe. This 2-axis turning center offers numerous options to address a wide variety of applications. The lathe is built on Okuma’s Thermo-Friendly Concept to ensure minimal thermal growth and employs slanted box bed construction for greater rigidity.

For this application an automatic bar feeder and vacuum unloader augment the Okuma machine tool, to further reduce overall production time. Substantial time-savings is achieved through the optional hobbing function that previously required significant setup and operating time, and which is now seamlessly integrated into the machining process.

See the LBEX MYW horizontal lathe perform hobbing and other functions below.

To learn more contact the application experts at Gosiger.