Concept universal 5 axis machine

目前市场上的机床传统上分为三个主要类别，铣削，车削和磨削，加上较新的增材制造类别，有限数量的机器设计提供了这两个类别之间的交叉，例如铣削/车削，铣削/研磨，车削/铣削和现在的铣削/增材。所有这些交叉设计都有明显的限制，其通用性主要是由于基本机器的标准格式。即，一个标准格式的五轴铣床有有限的车削能力，由于车削工具被保持在铣削主轴。此外，在许多设计中，为了实现5轴铣削能力的全部范围，刀具主轴的移动方式存在局限性，需要大的线性运动来产生相对较小的角度或旋转位置变化。该项目的目的是证明和确定机器设计概念的优点和缺点，以解决这些限制的方式，同时采用已建立的机床设计和构造技术，提供一个改变游戏规则的解决方案，促进极其灵活的高速5轴铣削，精确的中低速车削，多功能外圆磨削和3D打印/增材制造能力，在一个单一的高效，多功能，灵活和可维护的单元。

Machine Tools currently on the market are traditionally split into 3 main categories, milling, turning and grinding, plus the newer category of additive manufacturing, with a limited number of machine designs that offer a cross-over between 2 of these categories, for example mill/turn, mill/grind, turn/mill and now mill/additive. All these cross-over designs have significant limitations to their versatility mainly due to the standard format of the basic machine. i.e. a standard format 5-axis milling machine has limited turning capability due to the turning tool being held in the milling spindle. Furthermore, limitations are found in many designs in the way that the tool spindle is moved around in order to achieve the full extent of the 5-axis milling capability, requiring large linear movements to create a relatively small change in angle or rotary position.The aim of this project is to prove out and identify the strengths and weaknesses of a machine design concept that addresses these limitations in a way which, while embracing established machine tool design and construction techniques, provides a game changing solution facilitating extremely flexible high speed 5 axis milling, accurate medium and low speed turning, versatile cylindrical grinding and 3D printing / additive manufacturing capabilities in a single highly efficient, versatile, flexible and maintainable unit.