Machining centres for titanium: Japanese machine tool manufacturer introduces machines designed specifically for this demanding material

摘要

With new aircraft having to satisfy ever-increasing demands for greater efficiency and lower emission levels, more use will be made of titanium for its properties of lightness and strength. Some 15% (by weight) of the extra-wide-body version of the Airbus A350 will be titanium, compared with 5% for the A300 and 9% for the A380. Titanium is also used widely in all three variants of the F-3.5 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter), and Lockheed Martin has identified its machining as 'a significant cost driver'. With the aerospace growth potential of titanium in mind, as well as its increasing use in other sectors such as marine and petrochemical, the Japanese machine tool builder Makino - the world's largest producer of horizontal machining centres (by number of units) - has introduced two new five-axis machines specifically for the efficient manufacture of components from titanium and its alloys. Designated Makino T4 and T2, the machines are available in the UK and Ireland from the manufacturer's sole agent, NCMT Ltd, Thames Ditton (Tel: 020 8398 4277).