The Nakamura Tome NTJ-100 is a fast, highly productive twin-turret twin-spindle milling and turning centre that features a B axis, as well as a number of innovative features. It is available from Turning Technologies UK, which is part of the Engineering Technology Group (www.engtechgroup.com) and the sole UK and Ireland representative for Nakamura Tome turning centres.

The machine is aimed at the machining of smaller components with multiple features, particularly where angular positioning is required. The upper B-axis turret can swing through 182deg for the in-cycle milling and drilling of angled features; the versatility of the NTJ-100 for one-hit machining is further enhanced by Y axes on both turrets (80mm stroke on the upper turret and 65mm on the lower turret).

The angular-positioning capability of the B-axis turret typically gives much shorter cycle times than a machine with an automatic tool changer, due to its short chip-to-chip times. The small dodecahedral servo-driven turret gives a chip-to-chip time of around 1.5sec, compared to 8sec for an ATC-type machine. Furthermore, the NTJ-100 can mount up to six turning tools on the face of the upper turret, which can be tilted in to machine the workpiece using the B axis; and with 12 milling tool stations on each turret, or 30 turning tool stations on the upper turret and 24 on the lower turret, there is a maximum capacity of 54 tools. Moreover, one of these tool stations can be used for an unloading gripper with a cycle time of around 2.6sec.

As with all Nakamura Tome multi-turret machines, the NTJ-100 is equipped with the company’s Intelligent Programming System (NT-IPS); this is hosted on a high-specification PC that is built into the machine. It works in conjunction with the latest Fanuc 31i-B CNC system to give a high degree of functionality coupled with fast processing speeds.

The NT-IPS interface features a 19in touch-screen LCD display, keyboard and touch-pad alongside the standard MDI keys. It is designed to be user-friendly, easy to navigate and easy to understand.