A Unisign gantry-type, travelling gantry miller is machining large steel frames for a German manufacturer of wood processing machines, Homag. The Uniport 7 features a new design of integrated spindle. The integrated spindle on the Uniport 7 delivered to Homag is rated at 36kW and 6000 rev/min.

It features an automatically shifting two-stage gearbox and applies a maximum cutting torque of 1420Nm.

For powerful five-side machining jobs, Homag uses a Unisign right angle head , which is automatically changed onto the spindle nose and delivers the same high torque, says Unisign.

Four hydraulically activated collets and a highly accurate Hirth coupling attach the right angle head firmly in place.

The right angle head can also be indexed in 5deg increments in the horizontal plane.

A double gripper tool changer loads tools to the normal spindle nose or to the right angle head.

When the right angle head is exchanged back into the head magazine, a protection cover is automatically attached to the spindle nose.

The head is stored in a covered magazine.

The main spindle head and the right angle head are water-cooled.

Cutting tools are stored in a 27-pocket chain on the lower part of one of the columns.

Two additional tool chain magazines, each holding 87 tools, are mounted on the back of the cross rail.

There are 192 pockets in total for ISO-50 (DIN 69871/72 Form A) with additional nine pockets for tool handling.

A vertical tool runner, located on the back of the travelling bridge, exchanges tools with the three individual magazines.

The operator can load five tools at one time into the magazines by using a tool loading bay, located at the side of the machine, by the 27-tool chain magazine.

The system handles tools up to 200mm diameter and up to 500mm long.

The operator can load larger tools through a loading door to a dedicated pocket.

A pick and place unit picks up the large tool and hands it to the double gripper unit.

Unisign can supply the Uniport 7 series with X axis of 4000 to 18,000mm, Y-axis of 2600 to 4600mm and Z-axis of 1000 or 1200mm.

Clearance between the columns can be 2000 to 4000mm.