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CNC SINGLE-SPINDLE centerless grinder—one of the traditional ways of fnishing such parts (which would still need to be roughturned)," Mr. Woodward says. "Reasoning that programming can duplicate most any manual technique, provided the variables can be held to an absolute minimum, we decided to replace the chucker with a dedicated turning center. Within that category, a gang-tool machine seemed to most closely resemble our existing process, which was proven to work. Since by this time we'd already had four Hyundai WIA L210s working beautifully for 5 years, it made sense to investigate the broader Hyundai WIA line. We decided on a KIT450." Te Hyundai WIA KIT450 is a compact CNC lathe featuring gang-type block tooling, which is ideal for processing small-diameter, high-precision parts. It comes with a gearless spindle designed for highprecision applications, with features :: This distribution spool that ensure minimal thermal growth from a Woodward power at high speeds. High-precision steering control valve is double-nut ballscrews drive all axes, a 2-layer part. The outer and rapid high speed axis movement sleeve is shrink-ft onto is achieved by the use of linear an inner sleeve, and fuid passages are then milled motion guideways. through the outer sleeve "Most of today's machinists are to communicate with aware of the debate over boxway those in the inner sleeve. versus linear-motion guideway machines for cutting steel, and I had some doubt myself as to whether the required fnish in hard steel could be held with a 'live' tool slide. A KIT450 does, after all, weigh several thousand pounds more than the chucker, thus worrying about stability seemed kind of silly. Also, the machine has a frethey had been manually hard-turning this part using a hose coolant supply, which, although it couldn't be run highly modifed chucker. Te main obstacles to holding during a cut, could certainly be programmed to thermally close diameters in dry hard turning are the thermal stabilize the part during the process. Some trial and efects and the high concentration required of the error was required to bring it to room temperature in the machinist. In other words, it's a difcult job that makes machine, but it defnitely worked." the operator weary. After a day and a half of tweaking the tool path and coolant dwell time, Mr. Woodward had the new KIT450 A Production Boost holding ± 0.00013 inch, which was above his expectations. Recently the motorsport divisions of several major EuTe next day, the regular operator applied a few more ropean car manufacturers adopted Woodward U-joints. tricks and was easily holding ± 0.00010 inch. After estabOnce the sales of this product grew beyond NASCAR and lishing the edge life (much longer than before, which related American racing, the production of the parts beMr. Woodward attributes to the machine's heavy slide, gan to fall behind. massive toolholders and general rigidity), the company "Te tolerances we had always held are such that was able to bring it down to somewhat tighter than that, nobody would confdently quote a robot-loaded the Fanuc control meant we could run all of our old programs. We now have a line of four L210s. Our operators—almost all women—like the ergonomics of the tooling and the quick setup with the Q-Setter." Mr. Woodward says his shop turns the bearing trunnion (also known as a bearing "cross") for its universal joints directly to fnished size from a 6150 near-net-shape investment casting pre-hardened to 60 RC. Tat hardness requires straight ceramic, also without coolant. Te fnish and tolerance are what you might expect for a 3/8-inch inner bearing race with zero radial clearance. Since 1989 36 PRODUCTION MACHINING :: NOVEMBER 2013