Machining and Machine Tools Laboratory (LZW)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Walter
Hochschule Esslingen
Fakultät Maschinen und Systeme
Labor für Zerspanungstechnik und Werkzeugmaschinen
Kanalstraße 33
73728 Esslingen am Neckar

Telefon: +49 (0)711-397-3282
Telefax: +49 (0)711-397-48 3282
 

weitere Ansprechpartner

Laboringenieur:  Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Frank Hafner

Machines

• Index V160 CNC vertical milling machine for workpieces up to D=200 mm with automatic loading and discharging for turning, milling, drilling and thread cutting. Possibility to install additional tools (milling, grinding, honing spindle)
• Digma HSC 300 HSC milling machine with 3 axes, speeds up to 40,000 rpm, with CAD-CAM coupling
• Production CNC honing machine from Gehring for long-stroke honing, path and force controlled
• Several CNC milling machines, one 3-axis production milling machine, one 4-axis machining centre with 80 tools, one fast 3-axis machining centre
• One stable CNC plain lathe for workpieces with Dmax=400 mm and 1 m in length
• Grob G350 – 5-axis machining centre with pallet changer

Metrology and test equipment

• Kistler force measurement platform (3-axis) to measure forces and moments during milling, drilling, tapping, honing etc.
• Kistler force measurement platform (3-axis) to measure forces and moments during turning
• Various path, vibration, acceleration and temperature sensors to measure machine, tool, vibration and temperature characteristics
• Mahr roundness measurement device with a measuring resolution of 0.1 µm
• Tool calibration on modern tool calibration and setting device
• HBM measurement amplifier
• Temperature measurement equipment
• Piezo acceleration measurement equipment for vibration measurement
• Laser interferometry
• Olympus measuring microscope

Laboratory exercises in machining

• Analysis and optimisation of the following methods:
  • Turning
  • Milling and HSC milling
  • Drilling, lubricated drilling
  • Honing
• Measurement and interpretation of cutting forces during plain turning, drilling and milling
• Machine measurement and vibration analysis
• Roundness and cylindricity measurements
• Surface and profile measurements
• Dry machining
• Hard turning and milling
• Implementing CAM solutions for HSC milling (3, 4 and 5-axis)
• Testing and assessment of new tools and clamping devices
• Method development

Vibrations of machine tools

• Analysis and stability
• Measurement of dynamic stiffness
• Externally induced and self-induced vibrations
• Use of auxiliary tuned mass damper
• Use and understanding of metrology

Production and measurement of workpieces

• Self-contained production of a workpiece on various machine tools (conventional lathe, CNC lathe, CNC 5-axis machining centre)
• Measurement of the workpieces produced with different production measuring machines (roundness, surface measurement machines, manual measurement equipment)
• Analysis of results, also static investigations, and interpretation

Acceptance tests for machine tools

• Measurement of contouring errors with cross-grid encoders
• Calibration of NC axes with a laser interferometer
• Assessment of positional uncertainty

Clamping systems

• Use of clamping cylinders, clamping devices and zero-point clamping systems
• Shaft clamping technology
• Measurement of the positional uncertainty of a zero-point clamping system

Research activities

The Machining an Machine Tools Laboratory headed by Prof. Dr. Walter collaborates closely with industrial companies in Baden-Württemberg. Medium-sized and small companies are often looking for support with process engineering issues. They in particular require simple and low-cost solutions.

Machining and Machine Tools Laboratory

Projects which were carried out in the Machining and Machine Tools Laboratory are listed below by way of example:

Research activities and projects

• Development of energy- and resource-efficient machine tools
• Cutting force measurements during turning, milling, drilling
• Investigations of the processes during hard turning and milling
• Development of a tool pressing-off fixture for milling machines
• Development of a lathe conversion kit for milling machines
• Temperature measurements in drilling experiments
• Industry 4.0 – CAD-CAM production
• Cutting data analyses for trochoidal milling
• Comparative analyses of different milling strategies
• Vibration analyses with machine tools
• Resonant frequency determination on machine tools
• Investigations of hones
• Cutting value determinations for honing

Industrial partners for the machining technology:

1. Index, Esslingen
2. Grob, Mindelheim
3. EMAG, Salach
4. Diato/Gehring, Ostfildern
5. Lang Spanntechnik, Holzmaden
6. Mahr Messtechnik, Esslingen
7. Kistler Messtechnik, Sindelfingen
8. Forkardt Spanntechnik, Reutlingen
9. Schunk Spanntechnik, Lauffen am Neckar