New 800 mm Stroke FANUC ROBOCUT Wire EDM Is Ideal For Large Aerospace Parts
New ROBOCUT α–C800iC offers 500mm Z-axis option and several other stand-out features that boost aerospace component manufacture
FANUC has a new wire EDM offer that provides a number of notable advantages to sectors such as aerospace, as well as other industries where large, complex components require high-quality, high-speed machining. The new ROBOCUT α–C800iC is the largest model in FANUC’s latest-generation α-CiC series of wire EDM machines. Although offering 800 mm of travel in the X axis, 600 mm in Y and up to 500 mm in Z, the α-C800iC still manages to retain a compact footprint with its uniquely shaped tank unit.
Now officially available across Europe, the ROBOCUT α–C800iC made its debut appearance at the EMO 2023 exhibition in Germany. To demonstrate its impressive capabilities, EMO visitors saw the machine wire-cutting a complex aerospace turbine part made from SUS304 stainless steel.
Stefan Raff, FANUC Europe’s Head of Sales for both ROBOCUT and ROBODRILL machines, says: “At EMO, we were crafting fir tree slots in an aerospace engine rotor, showcasing the machine’s cutting-edge technologies. It’s a tricky component to produce, with a very large distance from the nozzle to the workpiece, but it becomes simple with the ROBOCUT’s intelligent, easy-to-adjust functions. Even operators without special knowledge or skills can adjust the machine to achieve optimal results.”
FANUC ROBOCUT α-CiC series wire EDM machines offer a number of key advantages for parts weighing up to 3,000 kg. Delivering peak performance and ultimate reliability, attributes include multi-workpiece cutting, a user-friendly CORE STITCH function, an extremely fast filling time of just 160 seconds with Z500 option or 120 seconds with standard z-axis stroke, rapid 10-second wire threading, automatic in-path re-threading, precise twin-servo wire tension control and a hardened workpiece table. Easy to install, maintain and repair, the machine is the epitome of efficiency.
A new discharge control device (SF3) ensures high-quality cutting by preventing wire breaks in support of stable high-speed machining, while an improved mechanical structure delivers precise pitch accuracy and roundness.
FANUC AI (artificial intelligence) sees machine learning algorithms help deliver the correct amount of thermal compensation to the wire position, even in fluctuating ambient temperatures. Also worthy of mention is ROBOCUT-LINKi software, which provides real-time monitoring of machine status to help minimise downtime, while also measuring energy consumption.
Further customer benefits include the FANUC feature-rich iH Pro user interface with its 21.5’’ widescreen multi-touch LCD. Those investing in this important industry advance can also take advantage of a ROBOCUT-CCR high-precision rotary table, a wire loader to boost continuous unmanned machining and the potential to connect a machine-tending robot/cobot via a single Ethernet cable. Importantly, FANUC offers lifetime machine support regardless of running hours.
Source: The FANUC Corporation