In the field of aerospace and energy equipment, impellers, as key power components, directly determine the efficiency and operational stability of fluid machinery based on the blade profile accuracy (required profile ≤ 0.03mm) and the coaxiality between the hub and blades (≤ 0.02mm). A high-end impeller manufacturer is facing a traditional process bottleneck when processing a Φ 300-500mm titanium alloy centrifugal impeller: it needs to go through three processes: "vertical milling machine rough milling wheel hub → five axis machining center precision milling blade → horizontal lathe trimming benchmark", multiple clamping resulting in blade profile deviation exceeding 0.06-0.08mm, aerodynamic efficiency loss of 12% after impeller assembly, and a single piece processing cycle of up to 120 minutes; At the same time, titanium alloy (TC4) has high high-temperature strength and large cutting deformation. The tool wear rate is three times that of steel parts, and the cost of single blade wheel tools exceeds 800 yuan.
To overcome this dilemma, the company has introduced the Demagesen Precision VTC80B CNC Vertical Turning and Milling Composite Center to build a "one-time clamping full process" impeller exclusive machining system. The equipment adopts a mineral casting bed body (with a 70% improvement in vibration reduction performance compared to cast iron), which is dynamically compensated by a laser interferometer (positioning accuracy compensated to ± 0.007mm), combined with a C-axis driven by a torque motor (indexing accuracy ± 2.5 "). The structural rigidity is optimized through finite element analysis, and the radial cutting stiffness reaches 28kN/mm, which can stably withstand the 18kN radial force during high-speed cutting of titanium alloy; Equipped with Siemens 840D SL CNC system and contact type on machine measuring probe (measurement accuracy ± 0.001mm), it achieves real-time measurement and compensation of blade profile, accurately matching the strict requirement of contour degree ≤ 0.025mm. In response to the processing characteristics of titanium alloys, the equipment is equipped with a liquid nitrogen cooling system (with cutting zone temperature controlled at -10 ℃) and ultra-fine grain carbide cutting tools (including TaC coating, hardness HRC68), effectively suppressing work hardening and tool bonding.
Customer usage scenarios
In terms of technological innovation, the equipment has achieved a dual breakthrough of "process integration+precise surface control" in impeller machining: integrating a Φ 1000mm static pressure spindle (maximum speed 1000r/min), an 8-station power turret (Y-axis stroke ± 100mm), and a five axis linkage milling head (swing range ± 120 °), which can complete the wheel hub outer circle precision turning (tolerance IT6), blade surface precision milling (contour ≤ 0.025mm), balance hole drilling (positional accuracy ≤ 0.05mm), and benchmark end face grinding (flatness ≤ 0.01mm) in one go. For the processing of complex blade profiles, an innovative "adaptive feed process" is adopted: based on on on machine measurement data, cutting parameters (feed rate 30-80mm/min) are adjusted in real time through AI algorithms, and the material removal rate is increased by 40% while ensuring accuracy; In response to the deformation problem of titanium alloy thin-walled blades (wall thickness 3-5mm), the "layered progressive cutting method" is adopted, with each layer's cutting depth controlled at 0.1-0.3mm, combined with a rigid tapping system (tapping range M6-M20), to ensure a thread machining accuracy of 6H level.
Customer processed finished products
The implementation results are fully in line with high-end equipment standards: the single piece processing cycle has been compressed from 120 minutes to 65 minutes, and the daily production capacity has been increased from 30 pieces to 58 pieces; The profile of the impeller blade is stably controlled at ≤ 0.025mm, the coaxiality between the hub and blade is ≤ 0.015mm, and the surface roughness reaches Ra0.4 μ m, fully meeting the requirements of SAE AS9100 aerospace quality management system; The aerodynamic efficiency of the impeller has been improved by 10% and has passed the fluid dynamics performance certification of T Ü V Rheinland in Germany; The tool life has been extended by 80% due to low-temperature cooling and parameter optimization, and the cost of single blade wheel tools has been reduced to 450 yuan; The intelligent maintenance system equipped on the equipment can monitor spindle vibration (sampling frequency of 2kHz) and tool wear in real time. Combined with processing big data analysis, the comprehensive utilization rate of the equipment has increased from 72% to 94%, and the annual downtime has been reduced by 520 hours.
VTC80B has achieved a leap from 'qualified manufacturing' to 'precision intelligent manufacturing' of titanium alloy impellers. ”The technical director of the company stated, 'Our impellers have now been successfully applied in the fields of aviation engines and gas turbines. They have not only passed the supplier certification of Pratt&Whitney, but also meet the strict requirement of 20000 hours of single machine operation without faults. This has established a technical barrier for us in the high-end impeller market.'. ”This case confirms that CNC vertical lathes have become the core equipment for breaking through performance bottlenecks in the high-end impeller manufacturing field through the deep integration of "multi axis collaborative architecture+material process adaptation+intelligent precision control".
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