Mori Seiki introduces an entirely new series of lathes that provide milling capability as robust as a machining center. Engineered from the viewpoint of workpieces and tools, the new NL Series of lathes focuses on increasing rigidity and minimizing thermal displacement as a means of improving precision and productivity.
The NL Series features a milling motor inside the turret directly coupled to the milling tool. This patent-pending design drastically reduces the transmission losses and inherent vibration associated with competing designs, which use a series of gears and belts to provide a milling feature. When compared to conventional models, the direct-coupled milling motor reduces tool spindle acceleration time by 2/3 and diminishes vibration and noise by 1/2.
Mori Seiki offers thirty models in the NL Series. Models include 6 in., 8 in., 10 in. and 12 in. chuck versions with the longest maximum turning length reaching 49.6 in. on certain models. The NL3000 handles bar work as large as 3.54 in. in diameter.
The machines feature a digital tailstock in which a servo drive provides all movement. This allows position and thrust to be controlled from the operation screen rather than manually setting them. Additionally, by adjusting the tailstock from within the part program, setup time can be reduced by up to 50%.