Why Do We Need To Preheat The Machine?
Why do we need to preheat the machine?
Factories use precision CNC machine tools (machining centers, EDM, slow-walking machines, etc.) for high-precision machining, and the first parts that start-up after a long holiday are often less stable inaccuracy, and deviations are easy to occur in high-precision machining, especially in position accuracy.
Factories without experience in precision machining often blame the quality of the equipment for this unstable accuracy. Factories with experience in precision machining, on the other hand, pay great attention to the ambient temperature and the thermal balance of the machine tool. They know very well that even high-precision machine tools can only obtain stable machining accuracy under a stable temperature environment and thermal balance. In the case of high precision machining production after starting the machine, it is the most basic common sense of precision machining to warm up the machine.
Why do we need to warm up the machine tool?
The thermal characteristics of CNC machine tools have an important impact on machining accuracy, accounting for almost half of the machining accuracy. The machine's spindle, XYZ motion axis parts used by the guide, screw, and other components will be in motion due to load and friction and warming deformation, but the thermal deformation error chain ultimately affects the machining accuracy is the spindle and XYZ motion axis parts relative to the table displacement.
Machine tool in a long time stop running state and thermal equilibrium state of processing accuracy differences, the reason for this is because the CNC machine tool spindle and each axis of motion in the operation of a period of time, the temperature is relatively maintained at a fixed level, and with the change in processing time, the thermal accuracy of CNC machine tools tend to stabilize, which shows the processing of the spindle and moving parts before the warm-up is very necessary.
However, the machine tool "warm-up exercise" this preparation is ignored by many factories or do not know.
How do we warm up a machine?
If the machine has been on hold for more than a few days, it is recommended that it be warmed up for 30 minutes or more before high precision machining; if it has been on hold for only a few hours, it is recommended that it be warmed up for 5-10 minutes before high precision machining.
The warm-up process is to involves the machine tool in the repeated movement of the machining axes, preferably in a multi-axis linkage, such as having the XYZ axis move from the lower-left position of the coordinate system to the upper right position, repeatedly going diagonally.
The execution can be done by writing a macro program on the machine tool to allow the machine tool to repeatedly perform the warm-up action.
After the machine has warmed up sufficiently, the vibrant machine is ready for high precision machining production, and you will get consistent accuracy in your machining.
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