The increase of the precision and quality of finishes together with the reduction of size of workpieces and their details require specific machines and tools to be developed with technologies appropriate to these needs. IK4-Ideko has designed and manufactured, in collaboration with Soraluce and other Spanish companies, machines for micro-milling and laser ablation processes.
This article describes the most important characteristics of the developed ultra-precision milling machine, and two of these are exclusive and new. The first of these is that both the fixed structure and the moving slides have been manufactured in natural granite. The second is that its X axis, the table on which the workpieces are mounted, is designed in such a way that there is no contact between the moving and fixed part, all the active elements have been fitted on the base and fixed guards are used.
The final result is a highly dynamic machine in comparison with other machines with its characteristics. In addition to the description of the machine’s characteristics, the article also details the verifications carried out and the characteristics of the workpieces that it machines while working with bits and milling cutters with diameters under 0.1 mm.
