Stabilizing Quality

With the conventional ball screw drive type of motor structure, the motor and ball screw are in direct contact. It is a mechanism that uses the ball screw to convert the rotational motion of the motor to linear motion in order to drive the machine. However wear of the contact parts occurs during prolonged use and this can result in loss of positioning accuracy.

For this reason, Sodick from an early stage started development of a linear motor drive system that can deliver high response as well as stability during prolonged use. In 1998, we became the first manufacturer in the world to release a linear motor product. With a linear motor drive system, because the parts do not contact one another, the linear motor drive force can be transmitted to the machine with no loss. Initial accuracy can be maintained and there is no deterioration of machine accuracy due to ball screw wear or similar factors throughout the machine lifetime (10 years or more). Our own linear motors are used in main Sodick models, and at present we have shipped a total of 60,000 such machines.

For example, with the K4HL small-hole drilling EDM...
Sodick linear motors are used for the XYZ axes, allowing stable and high-speed machining of φ0.25 - φ3.0 holes during prolonged continuous operation, even with materials that are difficult to cut.

See here for details about the linear motors.

Displacement caused by temperature changes occurs not only in the workpiece but also on the machine side as well. The tool tip position when the spindle is rotating at high speed changes due to heating of the spindle. As a result, it becomes more difficult to produce the target machining accuracy. In addition, temperature changes within the factory also affect the machine. When performing machining that requires high accuracy, countermeasures are necessary in response to even slight changes in the machine body.

The spindle thermal displacement compensation system (*1) that is installed in the UX450L machining center that is exhibited here is a function which automatically compensates thermal displacement caused by heating of the spindle. The warm-up time can be shortened by 97% compared to conventional models. This reduces the wait time before machining and contributes to improving machining process efficiency and shortening lead time.

The products introduced here (*2) include the “TH COM” precision thermal displacement compensation system installed as standard. The machine acquires the temperature from sensors and automatically performs compensation according to changes in the room temperature and other elements of the external environment. This function is able to reduce thermal displacement by around 40% compared to conventional models.

*1: Optional function *2: VN400Q / AL600G i Groove⁺ Edition / AX350L i Groove⁺ Edition / AL40G