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Pinnacle Introduces Versatile 5-axis CNC Machining Center

The 630mm-diameter turntable as C-axis tool is patented and makes the machine ideal for processing complicated workpiece

2015/08/17 | By Ken Liu | PINNACLE MACHINE TOOL CO., LTD.

Pinnacle Machine Tool Co., Ltd., founded in central Taiwan back in 1976, releases a feature-laden five-axis CNC machining center dubbed BX700 for budget-conscious, high-end manufacturers looking for machines that are competitively priced yet uncompromising in precision and quality.

Pinnacle BX700 5-axis CNC machining center.
Pinnacle BX700 5-axis CNC machining center.

The BX700 is a five-axis, synchronous-motion milling-turning machine able to process workpieces along X, Y, and Z plus B and C axes.

The main feature that makes the BX700 unique is its C-axis tool, a 630mm-diameter turntable built right in the center of a 1.4-meter standard T-slot table, the design of which is patented in Taiwan and mainland China.

The design enables this machine to process complicated workpieces like propellers that need to be machined full-circle or along a 360- degree circumference by using the turntable, which is designed to turn 50 revolutions per minute (rpm), and long workpieces that need to be machined lengthwise by using the long table.

The B-axis tool is a built-in milling spindle swinging minus-and-plus 120 degrees and turning at 15,000 rpm. It is outfitted with a dual-pitch worm gear set made of steel alloy worm wheels and an aluminum-bronze alloy 7-worm shaft, with higher and thicker teeth on the shaft providing low friction and efficient torque transmission. 

The B-axis milling spindle swings minus and plus 120 degree.
The B-axis milling spindle swings minus and plus 120 degree.

The B and C axes assure minimum five arcsecond of positioning accuracy and two arcsecond of repeatable positioning accuracy mostly thanks to the rigid bearing and hydraulic systems in the BX700. This machine overall has a guaranteed machining accuracy of at least 20μm on finished products, with permanent magnetic motors providing high-torque output and power to meet different cutting demands.

Preload Bearing

The machine has an axial preload bearing three times more rigid than a radius bearing to overcome B-axis cutting vibrations in both the vertical and horizontal planes, with a 360-degree drumbrake for an even, firm grip on the B axis shaft to achieve high rigidity to support the swing milling head.  

Deformation and backlash on ballscrews along the X, Y, Z axes are significantly reduced by oil coolant running through the hollow screw rods. Roller guideways ensure optimum rigidity and speed of X-, Y-, and Z-axis travel. High-response pneumatic cylinders and an air reservoir tank generate a counterbalancing force to ensure fast, stable Z-axis movement, hence extremely smooth surface finish on workpieces.  

The BX700 is suitable for making items with multi-asymmetric sides, such as turbine fan blades for aircraft, precision molds for electronic components, and alloy wheels for cars.

BX700 is an ideal equipment for various high precision workpieces including alloy wheels for cars
BX700 is an ideal equipment for various high precision workpieces including alloy wheels for cars

German controller

This machine is controlled by the Heidenhain iTNC530 system from Germany, which allows operators to monitor real-time production of products on its computers through an Ethernet wireless connection. 

According to company general manager, Allen Hsieh, BX700 is one of the company's BX series of milling machines that has added turning functionality this year. “The combination simplifies the setup and production of complicated, multi-sided parts without losing precision, accuracy, or time, cutting two or three production processes to only one. Its rpm is the speediest among Taiwan's milling-turning combo five-axis machining centers,” he touts.

Hsieh's company generates about 80 percent of turnover from CNC machining centers and 20 percent from milling machines and CNC turning centers. “CNC machining centers are the most versatile among these machines. The automotive industry used to be the only user of CNC machining centers, but in recent years operators in the aircraft, green energy, 3C (consumer electronics, computers, and communications), and medical equipment industries have come onboard,” says the GM. 

The company's CNC machining centers include vertical machining centers, 5-axis machining centers, horizontal machining centers, and CNC double column machining centers. “Five-axis machining centers are generating ever-higher profits for us, because these machines demand higher technology than three-axis and four-axis units to command higher margins,” says Hsieh.  

The company's latest machines target high-end markets in Germany, Russia, Turkey, India, Brazil, Eastern Europe, mainland China and Southeast Asia. “Our high price/performance ratio diverts buyers in these markets away from the pricier, western-made products when austerity in the current downturn is a priority,” Hsieh notes.  

Pinnacle machines have been adopted by subcontract makers for Bosch and the DMG Group of Germany, Hsieh reports.

Imported instruments

To develop five-axis, synchronous motion machines, the company has invested at least NT$10 million (US$322,580) in imported, high-end instruments for testing the precision of the machines, according to Hsieh.

A CE- and EMC-certified manufacturer, Pinnacle targets developed economies as its primary markets. According to Hsieh, the company is drumming up OEM/ODM orders in the U.S. and promoting its branded tools in Europe, apparently undaunted by the fact that Germany is the world's foremost maker of machine tools.  

Hsieh reports that Pinnacle, while being still a maker of traditional CNC milling machines, had begun pushing into the European market around three decades ago. “In the beginning, we showed up there as a contract manufacturer, but now we promote the ‘Pinnacle' brand. This is feasible because of our high price-performance ratio and the sagging competitiveness of the European machine tool industry,” he recalls.  

The maker's competitiveness is built on its team that develops application software and is made up of experienced engineers who develop new programs using CAD/CAM/CAE software and Finite Element Analysis. “Also our reliable partnerships with dealers keep us well informed of the latest technologies and market trends, assuring that Pinnacle products remain popular,” says Hsieh.

Apprenticeships

To overcome the perennial problem of talent shortage, Pinnacle provides apprenticeship programs in cooperation with several local colleges, including the National Chin-Yi University of Technology and vocational schools near its Taichung headquarters. “A shortage of manpower is a headache for Taiwan's machinery industry because mechanical engineering graduates tend to work in the electronics industry for the bigger bonuses offered there, so we work with nearby schools to fill engineering vacancies,” says Hsieh.

Hsieh points out that although Taiwan is already the world's No.4 machine-tool exporter and the island's machine-tool builders are seasoned makers of mechanical hardware, they lag in developing back-end applications for their customers. He ascribes the deficiency mostly to modest financial capacity at most of the island's machine-tool makers. “Most German and Japanese equipment manufacturers are financially stronger than Taiwanese manufacturers, so they have been able to develop such applications, which are now the most valuable part of machinery now,” he says.

Like most of the island's machine-tool makers, Hsieh is cautious towards his industry in 2015. “Compared with last year, the global economy is not looking better this year. The Russian market is likely to go down this year because of the intensifying Western sanctions on Russia over the Ukrainian crisis. Also, the weak Japanese yen and South Korean won will continue upsetting Taiwan's exports throughout this year,” he says.

However, he emphasizes that the currency issue has not seriously impacted his business because his company has carved out its own niche in the market.

Although European enterprises are mostly on summer vacation now to have slowed business activities including buying manufacturing equipment, Hsieh stresses undelivered orders will keep his company's production humming until the end of September. “When they return from vacation, business activities also pick up because the Christmas shopping season is coming up,” Hsieh notes.