SW has a new specialist for machining large-volume light metal workpieces such as structural components.
SW has developed the BA W08-12 to meet the changing market requirements brought about by electromobility. This is a single-spindle, horizontal machining center designed for 4- and 5-axis machining of very large light metal workpieces such as battery housings. An essential component of this BAZ is the double-swivel beam, which is equipped with two independent rotary axes and enables loading and unloading to take place during machining. The rotary table concept implemented in this component, together with the horizontal spindle arrangement, guarantees free chip fall. Since the BA W08-12 also features sophisticated flushing in the machining area, it is virtually impossible for chips to adhere to or remain on the workpiece and impair its quality or further handling. In contrast, this can hardly be guaranteed for modified woodworking machines, which have also been used for e-car components to date.
For holding workpieces and fixtures, the BA W08-12 offers a cylinder with a diameter of 950 mm and a length of 1,710 mm (500 l volume). Compared to the two-spindle BA W08-22, the traverse path in the X axis increases by 700 mm, nearly doubling the machining reach for workpieces. This can be fully utilized depending on the workpiece design and clamping situation. In order to achieve even more flexibility with regard to component size and shape, SW has developed a double swivel carrier with a recess: This allows even particularly bulbous parts to be rotated horizontally. SW has therefore modified its own machine concept to meet the requirements of many new vehicle parts in the field of hybrid and electric mobility.
More flexibility thanks to recessed double-swivel beam
Since a safety separation between loading and machining area is necessary, the recess is closed by a cover whose size is individually adapted to the shape of the workpiece to be machined. The recess size is limited only by the opposite, second fixture with workpiece. Thus, parts of up to 1,300 x 400 x 300 mm (L x W x H) can be rotated horizontally. With larger or smaller dimensions in length or width, the other dimension can change, which means that a workpiece could also have dimensions of 1,000 x 700 x 300 mm, for example.
This space advantage can also be used if companies already have a BA W08-12 in their machine park: The Q-beam can be exchanged on these machines and replaced by a Q-beam with a recess, so that downtime due to conversion is reduced to a minimum. However, the SW machine is not only characterized by high flexibility with large components. A single-spindle BA W08 could even be converted into a two-spindle machine; after replacing the 3-axis unit, the BAZ can then also be used to produce smaller components at high output.
