West Manufacturing News • August 2024 • JTEKT Debuts New HMC Series with Pallet Pool

JTEKT Machinery Americas Corporation will feature seven new metalcutting machines and automation solutions at IMTS booth 338700, plus IoT solutions and technology presentations. Showcasing a complete range of production solutions powered by JTEKT, the company’s new offerings include HMCs, a WELE 5-axis VMC as well as VTC, Takisawa Taiwan CNC turning centers and two new production cylindrical grinding machines.

JTEKT Machinery will use IMTS to demonstrate its FH5000 Series highspeed HMCs with advanced pallet automation, specifically, a pallet pool for flexible machining system operation. The competitive advantage of FH5000 machines is that they offer 25% more machining capacity than other machines in its size range, the company reported.

The FH5000S-i machine offers 800 mm x 800 mm x 880 mm (XYZ) strokes, 900 mm workpiece diameter and 1,100 mm workpiece height capacity. FH5000 Series machines include a 500 mm table capable of handling 1,000 kg loads. “With this series, JTEKT meets the growing demand for producing components with high metal removal rates, short cycle times and superior surface finishes,” said a company spokesperson.

“We determined that the sweet spot of the machining center market—typically a 500 mm table—needed greater machining capacity, flexibility and productivity,” said Graham Roeder, JTEKT Director of Sales. “Designing pallet automation for this machine range provides shops with greater possibilities for unattended production at a more competitive price point.”

To offer the benefits of unattended production to shops of any size, JTEKT designed and produced pallet changers for single machines, as well as pallet pools for flexible machining systems, which permit longer running time, Roeder noted.

To support unattended machining, JTEKT also includes adaptive control in its standard machine package, which allows users to manage tool life through acceptable spindle load ranges. The machine, control and pallet automation are all JTEKT designed and built to operate seamlessly as a system.

“We help users with the strategy that will allow them to handle more machining in one machine, with tool complements from 60 to over 300 tools,” Roeder said. “So, with pallet automation, adaptive control, large tool complements onboard, 25% higher part density in a 160 sq. ft. floorspace, we are helping small and larger shops in general machining, aerospace and other industries to optimize production and reduce production cost.”

JTEKT’s FH5000S HMCs with 60-tool ATC capacity are designed for speed and production reliability, featuring a 15,000 RPM, 50 HP (37 kW), 303 Nm (223 ft-lbs.) high acceleration spindle. The larger machines in the FH5000 series are equipped with a 50-taper spindle, 60 tools and a longer X-axis travel.

This machine is equipped with a direct drive B-axis table featuring an index time (90°) of 0.7 seconds. The FH5000 machining centers with the spindle design allows machine shops to take advantage of more aggressive, machining in a compact footprint, according to the company.

Easily programmed, the FH5000 series features the TOYOPUC-Touch panel through which the operator can monitor the machine, see operating data including energy consumption and edit as required