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，外加较新的添加剂制造类别，以及有限数量的机械设计，提供这些类别中的两个之间的交叉，例如磨削/车削、磨削/研磨、车削/磨削，现在是磨削/添加加工。所有这些交叉设计在其通用性方面都有很大的限制，主要是由于基本机器的标准格式。即，由于车刀被夹在铣床主轴中，标准格式的五轴铣床的车削能力有限。此外，在许多设计中，为了充分实现5轴铣削能力，刀具主轴的移动方式存在局限性，需要较大的直线运动才能产生相对较小的角度或旋转位置变化。本项目的目的是证明和确定机器设计概念的优势和劣势，该概念在拥抱已有的机床设计和构造技术的同时，提供了一种改变游戏规则的解决方案，在单个高效、多功能、灵活和可维护的单元中提供了极灵活的高速5轴铣削、精确的中低速车削、多功能外圆磨削和3D打印/附加制造能力。

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.