New line from milling machines expert

Jun 12, 2023

Soraluce is introducing the new Performance Line, which is designed to deliver the best possible ratios of reliability and precision with exceptional flexibility for medium-large workpieces. The range has been designed with a common structure, three different types of architectures and endless solutions to adapt to the needs of each of the company's customers in the most competitive way possible.

Performance Line features three families of machines with three different architectures, all based on a common modular structure. Each of these families has a number of models and configurations, producing machines that can be configured for a number of work environments. These are three families sharing the main machine features – such as the column, saddle, ram and heads – built on the principle of modular design, to provide reliability, easier service and flexibility to devise a solution for the customer.

The Performance Line has the same design principles as Soraluce's heavy-duty machine range: Soraluce Winning Combination, providing an extremely rigid and dynamic solution, with a combination of a cast iron structure, linear guides and active and passive damping technology.

The company has applied experience obtained from its larger models and has chosen the solution that would deliver more precision and reliability: a direct drive inline motor driving system with high power and torque in the ram, equipped with a spindle motor with a capacity of 32kW, to a current maximum of 7000 rpm. The motor is water-cooled for better thermal stability, to produce the best precision machining results.

The Performance Line offers a new choice of milling heads. High performance automatic-rotation mechanical heads, with high rpm and high precision. Heads are water-cooled for maximum head stability and precision results. It can include universal heads with different indexing: 2.5° x 2.5° / 1º x 2.5º / 0.001° x 0.001°, compact-design orthogonal heads indexing 1ºx1º with maximum utilisation of machine travel. Also, for the multitasking versions with milling, turning and grinding capabilities, Soraluce designs and manufactures high-torque multitasking heads. Additionally, it integrates a vertical high-speed head, vertical high speed continuous positioning head (torque motor, C-axis) and universal automatic indexing head with electrospindle attachment, for 4 or 5 axes continuous machining.

Performance Line includes 24in touch-sensitive screens and a larger work space to boost ergonomics and interactivity of users with the machine. In addition to the standard 640, the company can also fit the new Heidenhain TNC7 with the new interface, to make the control system easier to use, and boost interactivity with the user.

The range features Soraluce's Smart HMI, a smart intuitive interface enabling the firm to manage the work area running the NC program in parallel with an area for the development of apps that allow it to connect the machine to the customer's ERP, or monitoring energy consumption, for example.

New Soraluce TA, Bed type milling machine

The basis of the new Performance Line was a machine already in the company's product portfolio: the TA-A bed type milling machine. The company has boosted the efficiency of this range and redesigned to give the machines improved features such as new inline spindle driving system, higher head revolutions, new water-cooled head options, damping pads, grease lubrication and greater precision.

TA is a milling machine with greater capacities than a machining centre in terms of volume of work, power output, torque, chip removal and ergonomics. There are a number of versions or configurations. There are different versions with square or round tables that can also be multitasking.

The machine has standard peripheral guarding with easy front and back access to the work area. It includes a flexible control panel arm, allowing CNC control at the front or rear-side of the machine with the best view of the tool in any machining operation.

The machine is floor-fitted, with no need for any specific foundations.

New Soraluce FA, floor type boring mill

Whenever a higher longitudinal travel is required, then floor type architecture is a great option. A machine concept, splendidly versatile with multiple configurations available, and working area tailor-made to the customer's needs: maximisation of productivity.

It can be configured with floor plate, rotary table or rotary-travelling table, with one or more multitasking tables (milling and turning), with a portable rotary table which can be positioned vertically with a tailstock or horizontally, with an option of duplex machines - machining with two spindles simultaneously, or with a floor plate at user height for better ergonomics.

Floor type milling machine ensures minimum footprint in the shopfloor with a compact design and allows for pendulum working with a number of work areas. The new FA is designed in such a way that it can be set up either with a pit or at floor level, and the floor plate or work table can even be raised to represent the loading/unloading ergonomics of fixed-bed machines.

New Soraluce SA, fixed table travelling column milling machine

The new SA is an excellent alternative with full splash guarding travelling column with integrated chip removal systems to keep workshop spaces clean and swarf-free. SA has a unovel machine architecture: the moving column and the table share the same base. The work area is fully guarded, with complete front access to the workpiece, workpiece at user height, CNC on sliding guide in front of the machine, and integrated swarf collection system.

It also has different work area versions. With a fixed table, rotary milling or milling/turning table of Ø 1,000mm on one side of the table, or two milling or milling/turning tables at either end of the machine.

Like the FA model, it can operate in pendulum mode. This range is floor-fitted and does not require any foundation.