End detail machining of long aluminum extrusions

[Kbarrett1825]

Good morning everyone,

I am running into an issue in my shop where we need to machine the ends of pretty long aluminum extruded pipes up to 16 feet. We have been doing it for a few years one at a time on a knee mill with 3 axis CNC that is raised off the ground on a platform but the issue I'm having now is we are ramping up production and I'm looking for an alternate method of machining the ends of these pipes potentially 10 or more at a time. I'm wondering if any has had a similar experience? we have looked into horizontal mills and right angle heads in a vertical machining center as well as lathes. Generally the extrusion is too large and an odd shape in order to fit into a lathe. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[memphisjed]

Just profiling/adding holes or something different? Guessing something the tube laser can not do?.

 

[BROTHERFRANK]

I've seen this done in production on a horizontal with a custom fixture. X, Y and Z are handled without the part(s) moving and you have a tool changer. The long parts will stick out of the machine with support but don't move. Some guarding around them would be a consideration still.

 

[gbent]

Do you need CNC, or are the details able to be produced on a manual machine? Old horizontal jig mills like a DeVlieg are cheap. I would then add a table, topped with something slick like uhmwpe, to support the back end.

Want better answers? Give more details.

 

[DDoug]

Good morning everyone,

I am running into an issue in my shop where we need to machine the ends of pretty long aluminum extruded pipes up to 16 feet. We have been doing it for a few years one at a time on a knee mill with 3 axis CNC that is raised off the ground on a platform but the issue I'm having now is we are ramping up production and I'm looking for an alternate method of machining the ends of these pipes potentially 10 or more at a time. I'm wondering if any has had a similar experience? we have looked into horizontal mills and right angle heads in a vertical machining center as well as lathes. Generally the extrusion is too large and an odd shape in order to fit into a lathe. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

CellCon - A Division of Mittler Bros. -

Part is fixtured on table in front, only the tool moves.

 

[BT Fabrication]

Good morning everyone,

I am running into an issue in my shop where we need to machine the ends of pretty long aluminum extruded pipes up to 16 feet. We have been doing it for a few years one at a time on a knee mill with 3 axis CNC that is raised off the ground on a platform but the issue I'm having now is we are ramping up production and I'm looking for an alternate method of machining the ends of these pipes potentially 10 or more at a time. I'm wondering if any has had a similar experience? we have looked into horizontal mills and right angle heads in a vertical machining center as well as lathes. Generally the extrusion is too large and an odd shape in order to fit into a lathe. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

order of only 10 pcs? that's tough without spending some coin on something like a bed gantry style mill
if its in the hundred or more at a time. tube laser all the way.

what profile is being cut into the tubes?

 

[Mike1974]

Good morning everyone,

I am running into an issue in my shop where we need to machine the ends of pretty long aluminum extruded pipes up to 16 feet. We have been doing it for a few years one at a time on a knee mill with 3 axis CNC that is raised off the ground on a platform but the issue I'm having now is we are ramping up production and I'm looking for an alternate method of machining the ends of these pipes potentially 10 or more at a time. I'm wondering if any has had a similar experience? we have looked into horizontal mills and right angle heads in a vertical machining center as well as lathes. Generally the extrusion is too large and an odd shape in order to fit into a lathe. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

order of only 10 pcs? that's tough without spending some coin on something like a bed gantry style mill
if its in the hundred or more at a time. tube laser all the way.

what profile is being cut into the tubes?

Without more (any?) details we are all taking a crap shoot.

 

[Kbarrett1825]

The parts need to have a profile milled on the ends. Generally there is a round bore and a flat flange on one or both sides of the bore that run the length of the pipe. As far as quantities we are looking at approximately 100,000 total over a span of a few years so doing a 10, 20, 30 or more at a time would be great .I will see if I can get a picture on here of approximately what needs done.

 

[gbent]

That looks like a simple plunge cut for a hollow mill. Just need a spindle and a short feed, no need for a machine tool.

 

[Kalispel]

How about something like this with a right angle head on it?

C-Series Vertical Machining Center | Made in USA | Wapakoneta, OH

 

[Chip Chester]

So, an annular cutter (or gbent's hollow mill) plus a couple saws that come in from the sides? Am I missing a hole in the center, or is that already extruded or formed? Downside is, if your aim isn't good, you could harm the "already round" part and scrap 16' of stock. Or does 'up to 16 feet' mean mistakes could be shortened and re-worked?

Always possible that the tolerances are too tight for my "woodworker" approach.

 

[crickets]

Throw some plywood or MDF on a decent size CNC router and machine a fixture for a dozen or so of these. Then throw these pipes into the freshly machined fixture and chip away. Should be repeatable and fast. CNC routers shouldn't sneeze, since this is aluminum. That assumes the entire profile can be cut from a single setup using a vertical spindle.

 

[Nmbmxer]

A factory I once worked in had to make similar endwork on some extrusions and they made a dedicated multi-spindle machine that did the end profiling. It was PLC controlled and used air over oil actuators to follow around a cam profile. Pretty similar to a woodworking multi-spindle horizontal boring machine.

 

[CalG]

You might consider adding an independent self powered spindle to the table of a common knee mill.

Table motion carries the tool path.

Table goes in / out, left / right. knee goes up and down

Heck, pull the head off the ram and mount it on an angle plate. $500 and four hours work to have a "custom machine"

Work holding and support sold separately. ;-)

eta

On second thought, screw the angle plate! Just bolt the head down to the table . (If the work envelope allows.)