When Audi Tooling Barcelona (ATB) wanted to ramp up the machining capability of its new Toolmaking Tryout Center, the VW Group company opted for a Neos 6000 from the Spanish machine tool manufacturer Zayer, which is represented in the UK by Asquith Butler Ltd, Brighouse (www.asquithbutler.com).

Based in Martorell, Spain, ATB manufactures tooling (for automotive body parts) that is shipped to production facilities around the world.

With over 150 staff, the company develops its tools with three 2,500-tonne hydraulic try-out presses; the machines it uses to produce these tools include a Zayer Tebas 6000 and the new Neos 6000, which can process components up to 5m long.

Moreover, the success of these two machines at ATB has resulted in similar products being bought by other companies in the VW Group — a Neos 4000 by Volkswagen Mexico and a Tebas 6000 by Volkswagen Brazil.

These Zayer machines have a polymer concrete base that is spring-mounted to prevent any vibration in the vicinity detracting from the surface finishes on the tools being manufactured.

The Neos 6000 has a table area of 5.5 x 4m, a work envelope of 6 x 4.5 x 1.5m, a rapid rate of 50m/min and a maximum feed rate of 20m/min. The 24,000rev/min spindle is rated at 43kW, and control is via a Heidenhain TNC 640 CNC control with an HR 550 FS wireless hand-wheel.

Despite the machine’s substantial work envelope, it achieves a high level of accuracy and a repeatability of better than 0.005mm, as verified by the Renishaw RMP 600 probing system for part measurement.