On the wings of Hi-Tech

Aerospace Report

Who has never admired an airplane in flight?. Every day the sky is crossed by about 25,000 civil aircraft. Few people know that almost 80% of these were built with the contribution of the Italian industry. Among these, AZ SpA of Thiene (VI), manufacturer of special large cylindrical grinding machines, has always stood out for its ability to deal with and solve technical issues, even complex ones, offering very flexible and customized solutions to the individual customers needs.

The company has over 40 years of experience in the sector and has always had an international vocation that is found with an export share of over 95% and more than 3,000 grinding machines delivered and operating in more than 80 countries worldwide.

AZ SpA has been able to gain worldwide leadership success thanks to the high quality and performance levels of its products, the result of high professionalism and engineering creativity able to grasp and often anticipate market demands.

The sectors on which AZ SpA focuses are those in which the top technology excels. Among these, we speak in particular of the aerospace sector, in constant evolution and expansion and related ones, where the complexity and the required precision of the pieces to be worked enhance the characteristics of AZ systems.

AZ SpA has an impressive modular range of grinding solutions designed specifically for the aerospace industry called "AZ-Aerospace" for the manufacture and maintenance of components of aircraft engines, turbo spindles and landing gears. All grinding solutions are studied, designed and tested together with the customer with maximum flexibility and customization to meet and solve the needs that are required. The numerous lines available range from the RUA, RUX, RU and RUG for universal grinding machines for external and internal diameters range, to the more specific grinding machines for technical issues to be worked on such as the AKP range for landing gear grinding machines with gap bed, the range GSB for internal landing gear grinding machines and the LBC range for landing gear orbital grinding machines for external and internal diameters or for asymmetrical heavy parts with rotating table.

The AZ-Aerospace range use the most advanced mechatronic solutions, are all

customizable, energy efficient, safe, reliable and comply with Industry 4.0 requirements. Measurement systems, motors, drives, as well as machine mechanisms and applied CNCs, are selected among the best brands in the world and their combinations with AZ engineers creativity produce one of the most sophisticate range of products today on the market. The grinding process has some functions to give to the operator few automatic and safe working cycle: Electronically variable spindle speed, GAP control, Dressing control, Wheel Balancing control, In-process control, CRASH control and control of diameters from CNC. This gives to the machine the possibility to reach unbelievable

performance on accuracy. In addition, Wikicam is a monitoring system that allows to control remotely some parameters of the CNC machine. There is also a live video streaming solution built-in, to monitor what the machine is doing in real-time. The connection to the builder's headquarters is made by a high-strength secure encryption algorithm, using a VPN.

The machine base has been designed with FEM analysis and is made with special Composital technology structure that reduces the elasticity coefficient, guaranteeing an exceptional absorption of vibrations, great machine rigidity, stiffness and high dynamic performance. The machine axes slide on high precision recirculating linear guides. Normally, the grinding machines are conformed with the grinding wheelhead mounted on the main Z and X overlapping and crossed axes and with fixed longitudinal workpiece table. This axes scheme allows for large operating capacity with reduced dimensions on

the ground. Different wheelhead configurations are available (wheel diameter range from 508 to 760 mm) which can be fixed or rotating manually at +/- 20°, or automatic with B axis at +/- 30° or +/- 360° and equipped of a plurality of spindles for external and internal grinding processes. All this allows configurations with straight, angular, internal wheels and "B" - axis which is driven by an integrated torque motor. There are also the most innovative solutions for Silicon carbide, corundum, CBN and diamond grinding wheels allow grinding all aerospace materials, metals and their alloys including chromium, in particular those subjected to the most innovative systems for thermal spray techniques, such us H.V.O.F. (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel). The headstock with spindle power from 2,3 to 3,6 kW, can swivel manually or automatically and is designed to use different clamping systems in accordance with the specific workpiece. The tailstock is equipped with conicity (taper) adjustment with continuous control of the force between centers. As an indication, some operating capabilities on the AZ-Aerospace range are: on the RU line the distance between centers from 1,000 to 6,000 mm, swing over table from 400 to 1,200 mm; on the GSB line max internal grinding diameter 350 mm and on the AKP line max swing on the gap 3,600 mm.