Drake Manufacturing’s four-axis CNC rack mill, Model GS:RM, has a redesigned cutter head for more stability and increased speeds with coated HSS milling cutters. Part capacity has been increased by 200mm, and the machine now accommodates racks from 500mm to 900mm in length. The machine also has a cast polymer base that dampens vibration and contributes to improved cutting performance and accuracy.
Drake rack mills are designed for automated production of steering racks and easily fit into a manufacturing cell environment. The GS:RM is only 2500mm (98”) wide and has a 1000mm (48”) load height.
The front access automatic loader easily ties into the customer’s automated cell conveyor system. Parts are loaded onto the infeed conveyor on the right side of the machine and then automatically cycled into the vise. The milling cutter produces a finished 6º helix rack in less than 40 seconds to a depth of 8mm. Finished parts are then fed onto the exit conveyor on the left side of the machine. For faster changeover when running families of parts, Drake equips the GS:RM rack mill with a CNC controlled helix (+/- 14º) and power table positioning with tenth-micron feedback for dialing in the center tooth position, helix and over ball dimensions.
Drake programs all customer parts and stores them in the machine’s CNC. No operator programming is required. The operator follows the on-screen prompts and enters the appropriate values. Setup time between parts can be accomplished in under 10 minutes including cutter changes. Drake provides a quick-change arbor and cutter change fixture to minimize tool changeover time. The GS:RM’s simple setup and operation is ideal for low labor cost environments. Drake has recently shipped rack mills to China, Poland, and U.S. auto steering manufacturers.Drake Manufacturing designs, builds, and services state-of-the-art precision CNC thread and gear grinding, rack milling, and gear hobbing machines that help maximize productivity, improve quality and reduce production costs for a wide variety of demanding applications. For more information contact Jim Vosmik at (330) 847-7291 or go to [www.drakemfg.com].
