Mitsui Seiki recently introduced its line of large capacity, heavy duty, and configurable machining centers to North America at IMTS 2010. The new HU100 series is the first range of configurable machining centers aimed at a variety of manufacturing industries interested in versatile equipment for heavier applications. The concept of configurable machines has been a part of Mitsui Seiki philosophy for many years, but only recently has the concept been standardized for the marketplace. Configurable machines are those that are based on a set of standard modular components that can be arranged to suit specific customers' needs easily and affordably.

Mitsui Seiki's approach to providing customers with the suitable technical solution has just become easier. For example, users can choose axis travels from 1300 mm to 2500 mm, four, five, or six axes of continuous motion with a choice of a rotary table, trunnion table, or table on table. There's also a variety of spindle choices, including fixed spindles from 6000 rpm (50 hp, 2000 ft./lbs. torque) for heavy milling up to 25,000 rpm for high speed applications. Tilt or swivel spindle choices are available from 6000 rpm (800 ft./lbs. torque) for heavy milling up to 12,000 rpm for high speed machining. Mitsui Seiki also offers quill type spindles for precision boring with shorter tools. Of course, Mitsui Seiki applications engineers will assist customers in selecting the optimum component choices to meet their needs and objectives now and in the future.

The HU100 series is for larger aerospace and power generation parts. The machines accommodate weights from 4400 lbs. (2000 kg) to 17,500 lbs. (8000 kg). These machines can be equipped with simple pallets changers to fully integrated FMS systems for work and raw material handling. Likewise, tool handling systems range from on-board magazines to central systems for more than 2500 tools.

Launched earlier this year, the HU100 line is already one of Mitsui Seiki most popular products, and has been sold to industries as diverse as aerospace, refrigeration compressor, mold & die, heavy equipment, and energy. All of these industries have fundamental common requirements: machine rigidity /stiffness and high accuracy. As with all Mitsui Seiki's machine tools, high accuracy and ultra rigidity come from the builder's attention to the basic structure, 3-D FEM Design, hand scraping of all castings for geometry and frequency tuning, plus hardened and ground steel box ways. All critical components for the machines are designed, manufactured and quality controlled in-house.