Page 53 - Modular design for machine tools

24 Modular Design Guide and Machine Tools Description

Figure 1-14 Unit construction in milling machine of bed type (type LFD160/3090 of
Bohle make).

resources accumulated on that occasion played a very important role in
the continued existence of modular design in the late 1950s under the
acronym BBS.
Although the unit construction within the same kind is obviously
simple, the obtainable benefit is considerable. Thus, Reinhard Bohle KG
applied it to the milling machine of bed type, as shown in Fig. 1-14 and
Table 1-1, even in the 1960s [12]. So it is not surprising that the Index-
Werke GmbH applied the unit construction to the NC turning machine
in the 1990s [13]. In these cases, the module was determined on the basis
of the fundamental design concept of the conventional machine tool,
i.e., unit-based design, together with maintaining the applicability to
both the conventional and special-purpose machine tools as Georg stated
in the 1950s [14]. He suggested, e.g., a unique idea, in which a headstock
was finish-machined on its four faces so that the designer could choose
four different center heights. In addition, the headstock was available
for turning, drilling and boring, milling, and grinding. This appears to
be a predecessor showing the essential feature of the modular design,
i.e., different-kind generating modular design.
In retrospect, modular design approached its development goal of the
first stage in the mid-1960s, duly showing the establishment of the fun-
damental feature of modular design. It may be said that there have
been no remarkable research and development activities thereafter,
apart from the machine tool description and proposals for some novel