Precision and Reliability in a Large Package

A 60-metric ton mill/turn machine was delivered last fall to a Czech manufacturer, V-NASS a.s. in Ostrava, which supplies precision parts to manufacturers in oil-and-gas production, nuclear power system, and metallurgical process manufacturing. The M150 Millturn is the second-largest machine offered by WFL Millturn Technologies GmbH, and as recalled by V-NASS director and chairman Pavel Krbec, the installation was a response to the expectations that firms like his will continue improving their capabilities to support customers.

"Maintaining one's market position at a time when production of simple components is increasingly being moved to countries with lower labor costs means focussing on complex production processes, which require comprehensive solutions," Krpec said. He added that appreciates the multifunctionality provided by the new machine.

Mill/turn machining was not what V-NASS a.s. had planned when the project began. The original call had been for a single vertical turning machine and a separate horizontal turning machine. Krpec also was thinking of adding a five-axis machine for milling operations in the future. At that time, however, the WFL machine was available, and it combined all current and future requirements.

The M150’s parameters and the combination of functionality and performance proved to be a strong argument for a higher-value, longer-term investment. Representatives from V-NASS took the opportunity to see the machine in operation last year at another manufacturer, where WFL had recently installed a medium-sized M80-G Millturn.

"Seeing what a machine can do in practice is of course the best option for any engineer. We were able to do this here," Krpec said of that visit to T-Machinery in Ratíškovicích, Czech Republic, which included a practical demonstration of the technology.

It's worth noting that the new machine was delivered from stock, fully retrofitted by WFL Millturn Technologies and equipped with an automatic U-axis at the customer's request. The U-axis enables face plates and D’Andrea heads to be applied for precision drilling and turning operations outside the axis.

Now, V-NASS is adding a complex machining center for turning, milling, drilling, counter boring and, thanks to special support, further special technologies such as five-axis-milling, shaping, and deep hole drilling. Besides these benefits of the machine, the exchange system for milling and other adapters using the prismatic tool interface is worth emphasizing.

At 16.5 metres long, the M150 Millturn machine can process workpieces up to 6.5 metres long, 1.5 metres in diameter, and weighing up to 15 metric tons.

"Put simply, we can produce bigger and more complex parts with greater added-value," Krpec summarized: "Our machine shop didn't allow for production of large parts, but now that's changing. Together with our operators' skills, we are now able to produce technically challenging parts with complicated molded parts, gear teeth and deep holes on a single machine."

During the preliminary acceptance of the machine at the WFL Millturn Technologies manufacturing plant in Linz, Austria, a completeness check was conducted by machining a sample part and then carrying out deviation measurements.

"The machine fulfilled both the geometric and all other requirements. The performance values are at the level of a new machine," according to Zbyněk Ludačka, the managing director of Ludačka Machine Tools s.r.o., in regard to the test results, adding some data from the performance log.

"When machining the sample part, all exact deviations in size and position were in the range of 3-6 micrometers for the 36 measurements." The machine thus meets all expectations and underpins the value of retrofitted Millturn models.

There are not many used machines available that offer such high quality and technology; they rarely come onto the market, and if they do their systems may be 20 years old, or more. Which is why the manufacturer's strategic decision to now focus more on used machines is very welcome.

“This allows us to offer customers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia an attractively priced, reliable machine with the full support of our service team and a manufacturer's guarantee, which sets us apart from dealers with used machines," explained Ludačka.

Because of the size of the machine, part of the 500-km route from Linz to Ostrava had to be cleared for the delivery.

Pavel Krpec had already assigned a first project for the new machine: "We have an interesting order from General Electric, which was a challenge for both our programmers and operators – as well as for the WFL teams, I believe."