Page 76 - Modular design for machine tools

Basic Knowledge: What Is the Modular Design? 45

Large-size machine tools. In most cases, the large-size machine tool is
manufactured with one-off or a kind of production mode when receiving
the customer’s order. The machine can thus be regarded as a suitable
objective to apply the modular design for the same kind as well as for
different kinds, with the expectation of considerable reduction of design
work and time. In fact, there are two application methods of modular
design to the large-size machine tool.

Extreme increase of flexibility with unit construction. This application aims
at the reduction of the facility expense within the user’s factory by
reinforcing the flexibility of both the machining capacity and the
method. Consequently, the primary concern is an extremely large-size
machine, and TOS of Czechoslovakia manufactured the planomiller of
various types by predetermining the 11 basic structural units as shown
in Fig. 1-32(a) together with varying the table width across six dimen-
sions. In fact, the BBS of TOS emphasized the variation of the struc-
tural configuration and allocation of the milling head together with
varying the three different output powers. This BBS obviously shows
the capability of producing 91 variants, provided that the commonness
of the units across the whole design was about 80 percent [23]. More
specifically, the noteworthy concept of the design lay in the increase of
both the structural stiffness and the versatility. On this extension, it
is worth suggesting that the milling heads of ram and quill types
depicted, in the case of Butler, in Fig. 1-32(b) were allowed as the basic
units to strengthen the machining variety.
Another representation was the horizontal boring and milling
machine of Scharmann make in the mid-1960s. In this case, various
structural configurations were produced as shown in Fig. 1-33 by com-
bining the structural body units. Following that Toshiba Machine
Manufacturing was marketing the vertical boring and turning machine
with a table of more than 5 m in diameter (type TDP-105NC). This
double column machine was characterized by its column of block built-
up structure, double-table structure, i.e., stationary inner and rotatory
outer tables, and cross rail of fixed type, resulting in the eight variants
shown together with the overall view in Fig. 1-34 [24]. Importantly, the
Cincinnati Milacron demonstrated the advantageous features of the
modular design even in the 1990s. In fact, the CNC profiler (type L-
series) with 10-axis control in maximum was designed by the modular
principle, where 80 variants can be produced from the three basic types,
i.e., those of bridge, bed, and rail types.

Manufacture of different kinds. In this context, Ikegai Iron Works is cred-
ited as an initiator in 1962 by manufacturing the planer, planomiller, ver-
tical boring machine, vertical boring and turning machine, and bedway