Taiwan to put rising 5-axis tech skill on display at TIMTOS

Taiwan vertical machining centers are known for their high quality performance especially for the mould making industry. The 5-axis high speed high precision machining centers are the best production tool for aerospace parts, medical equipment as well as computer and communication components. At the 2013 Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS), all major manufacturers will showcase their state-of-the-art 5-axis machines. Domestic as well as overseas buyers are all welcome to take part in this biennial exhibition.

With an annual production output of NT$ 151.3 billion, or US$ 5 billion, Taiwan is the 4th largest machine tool producing country in the world. A third of the total production value is contributed by machining centers, which is NT$ 54.3 billion, or US$.8 billion. Undoubtedly the machining center is the bench mark product of the Taiwanese machine tool business. The technical development and the sales volume of Taiwanese-made machining centers is the key performance indicator of the high tech industry.

The export amount of machining centers in 2011 has surpassed the peak volume in 2008 before the economic crisis. Nevertheless, the impact of European debt casts shadow on the promising business in 2012 and a sales downturn is expected. The chart illustrates the export volume of Taiwan-made machining centers from 2006 to 2011.

Machining centers can be generally categorized as vertical and horizontal types as well as by the structural principle. The definition of a vertical machining center includes: standard C-frame, double column and moving column types. If categorized by the machine’s application capability: there are general purpose, high speed cutting, 5-face and 5-axis cutting, and so forth.
The Taiwan-made 6,000 – 8,000 rpm vertical machining center is encountering fierce competition from Chinese rivals whose machines are considerably improved in both quality and appearance. The profit and competitiveness of Taiwanese machines is shrinking. The positive side of this competition is that it forces Taiwanese machine builders to go for high-end products such as machines with ultra high speed spindle, small size double column machines, extra large 5-face or 5-axes double column machining centers. Take an X axis one meter, 5-axis machining center as an example, the critical know-how includes:

High Speed Spindle Technology
The quality and performance of Taiwanese-made spindles below 18,000 or 20,000 rpm is mature nowadays, but for spindles above 20,000 or 24, 000 rpm, the market is still dominated by European suppliers. The technical challenges for producing ultra high-speed spindles include academic as well as practical research in metallic engineering, structural design, machining process and lubrication, etc. Technological breakthroughs from leading spindle manufacturers or machine tool builders are expected in the near future.

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