Davenport’s Hybrid Machine was designed to handle the rigors of modern manufacturing. With tighter tolerances and harder-to-machine materials, many companies have turned toward Swiss machines for precision production components. The Hybrid Machine allows users to realize Swiss level accuracy and precision while maintaining speeds typically found on multi-spindle machines.
What makes the Hybrid Machine more accurate than traditional screw machines?
This is a question prospective customers ask us all the time. Our development team took a multi-faceted approach when they created the Hybrid Machine, the most precise Davenport Machine ever made.
One of the main reasons is quite obvious: CNC axis movement. All cross-working axes on the Hybrid are entirely CNC controlled and equipped with linear rail and ball screw configurations. Gone are cam banks and linkages, which could build compounding inaccuracies into your parts.
Using the Hybrid Machine, individual and global offsets can be applied in 0.0001” increments to every machining position, allowing for extremely precise axis movements, ensuring every part will come off the machine as good as the one before it.
The Hybrid also sports a reimagined revolving head design. All 5 spindles, as well as the revolving head itself, ride on angular contact bearings. This provides superior rigidity from traditional multi-spindles, which were often metal-to-metal fits with bronze boxed spindles. This enhancement all but eliminates side-play and end-play from the machine head, providing superior length and size control in the toughest materials.
Another major factor to the accuracy of the machine is the ability to profile turn 3rd and 4th positions. Just as well, the sub-spindle can be utilized as turning positions. Incorporating this to the already dramatically improved forming accuracy of the Hybrid provides an unparalleled ability to hold size and finish tolerances.
Application Tests
The Hybrid has been utilized for a variety of applications on many materials, allowing us to compile a large array of accuracy and repeatability data. The data shown below is from a recent customer part test.
An 8-hour runoff was performed on a customer part made from 6061 Aluminum. The Part featured several turned diameters and radii, including an 0.309/0.3104 Diameter and 1.075/1.085 Overall Length. Samples were collected and recorded off of all five spindles every 15 minutes. The Part ran at 97% efficiency with zero tool changes or offsets. See the histograms outlining process capability below.
An additional 8-hour runoff was performed on a customer part made from 400 Series Steel. The Part featured several turned diameters and radii, including an 0.308/0.3089 Diameter and 1.195/1.205 Overall Length. Samples were collected off of all five spindles every 15 minutes and recorded. The Part ran at 92% efficiency with zero tool changes or offsets. The Raw data and histograms outlining process capability are below.
With the improved precision of the Hybrid, can this machine run ‘lights out’?
The efficiencies and accuracies demonstrated by the Davenport Hybrid continue to open new doors for our customers. In conjunction with the IEMCA Next 25 bar-loader, the Hybrid Machine has allowed multiple customers to run their machines “lights out”. Leading up to the test shown here, our Hybrid Solutions Team ran the machine 3-4 hours per night, completely unattended.
There are currently multiple machines in the field running overnight totally unattended. The Hybrid Machine features a spindle load monitoring system built into the control. This system allows users to track cutting forces across all tooling positions and gives the option to set interval windows of minimum and maximum load. If a tool exceeds or doesn’t receive any feedback due to a broken or severely worn tool, the machine will shut off, saving customers from costly crashes. This feature in particular has given our users peace of mind when deciding to move towards unattended machining.
How does the Hybrid Machine speed compare to traditional Davenports?
The Hybrid has maintained the legendary speed Davenport is known for. Still boasting a 0.4 Second index, it is one of the fastest multi-spindles manufactured today. Many processes from traditional machines can be mimicked with the Hybrid, allowing the machine to yield very fast cycle times.
In a manufacturing environment when precision and efficiency are paramount, the Hybrid Machine is a game changer.
If you or your team has questions about what the Hybrid can do for you, contact us today.