Heavy-duty Lathes
NWD-series
Heavy-duty lathe of the NWD series with integrated turbine rotor
Turbine rotor supported by a 3-roller steady rest
3-roller steady rest and tailstock faceplate
Heavy-duty turning lathe of the NWD series with mounted roll
Sturdy design – tool holder and faceplate
Optional equipment: swivelling milling unit
Advantages at a glance
Herkules heavy-duty turning lathes of the NWD-Series have been developed specifically for turning, milling and heavy-duty machining of very large workpieces. Individually customized by Herkules to its customers' needs, the machines are used in a diverse range of industries: roll manufacturing, section mills, large forges and heavy-duty machine manufacturers as well as companies in the energy sector all over the world. In addition to rolls, different kinds of shafts are machined, such as marine drive shafts, turbine rotors and toothed gear shafts.
The biggest lathe in the world
Herkules delivered the biggest roll turning lathe in the world to roll manufacturer Gontermann-Peipers in Germany. On this lathe, rolls with a weight of up to 400 tons and a length of 15,000 mm can be machined.
Machine concept
High-performing, precise and reliable – one characteristic of the robust and reliable heavy-duty lathes of the NWD-Series are the hydrostatic guideways in all axes.
All main component groups of the machines are oversized with respect to their application. For instance, the guideway width and roller bearings of main shafts in the headstock and the tailstock are dimensioned generously. This ensures a long service life as well as permanently high axis precision.
Stability for machining results of utmost precision
+ Machine bed
The machines of the NWD-Series are generally fitted with heavy-cast iron 4-way-guideways. Two guideways accommodate the lathe saddle or saddles, the other two the tailstock, steady rests or roller guides. This principle does not only guarantee absolute stability and precision, but also ensures unimpeded movement of the saddle along the entire working area. Through spacious drop-out openings hot shavings are carted off promptly, so that guideway precision is not impaired by the effect of hot chips.
+ Headstocks
The high stability of the headstocks is a result of tried and tested Herkules principles: housings made of high-quality machine casting, main shafts of forged steel, gear and switching shafts manufactured from one piece, gear wheels smoothed and tempered at the sides as well as special, thermostable main bearings equip our headstocks to deliver highest torque and concentricity.
+ Tailstocks
As a counter-bearing to the spindle stock, the tailstock, made of high-quality machine casting, must meet similar requirements in terms of stability, concentricity and damping. The oversized main bearing allows the rotation of the quill and therefore of the large, built-in centers. The range of workpieces that can safely be mounted in these centers is restricted only by the mechanical load limit of the machine.
+ Turning saddle and carriage
Depending on their application, Herkules lathes are either designed with one or two saddles equipped with facing slides and/or turrets. Both support axes (X and Z direction) are constructed according to the principle „one pump per pocket“ and fitted with hydrostatic guideways with wrap-arounds. The carriage (Z-axis) has a zero backlash master/slave drive with a feed force up to 30 t so that there is no reverse backlash that could interfere with the machining accuracy even when working from two sides. The hydrostatic guideways are protected by robust telescopic covers.
+ CNC control
The high precision of our heavy-duty lathes is also ensured by our integrated, state-of-the-art CNC controls. The standard control for our NWD-Series is the Siemens Sinumerik 840D sl. For each application, Herkules offers specially developed, tried and tested software packages.
Equipment options
+ Special units
In order to significantly reduce machining and retooling times when handling workpieces with complex geometries, Herkules offers a variety of powerful special machining units:
+ Milling unit
A milling unit with a performance of 20 kW is mounted on the tool slide for light milling operations.
+ Angular milling unit
A milling unit performing up to 75 kW can be integrated between the right and the left tool slide of the upper saddle. It serves to machine longitudinal grooves, surfaces at the turned part, bores and radial and axial threads into the front end. Milling large gear wheels with spur toothing or herring bone gearing on shafts of slow-running gears is also possible.
+ Machining boring bars
Herkules uses boring bars to effect complete machining of complex workpieces, inner surfaces included. They are mounted vibration-damped on the turning saddle by the help of a special holder. Common dimensions include diameters of up to 300 mm with overhangs of up to 3,000 mm.
+ Grinding unit
The Herkules grinding unit, featuring wheel diameters of 600 mm and a driving force of 20 kW, is used to machine cylindrical and conical bearing seats on shafts or rolls.
+ Workpiece accommodation
Apart from machining of workpieces in centers, Herkules offers various other accommodation devices for workpieces:
· 3-roller steady rests – also available in C-shape – for all diameters and load ranges
· Roller guides – for example for mounting rolls on the tailstock side, cutting (facing) ends or to supporting very thin shafts
· Hydrostatic steady rests – particularly for high-precision finishing of turbine rotors
Performance characteristics
Herkules can realize the following performance characteristics for you:
- Workpiece diameters of up to 3,000 mm
- Turning lengths of up to 30,000 mm
- Workpiece weights in centers of up to 400 t
- Torques up to 400,000 Nm
- Angular milling head with up to 75 kW driving power
Herkules NWD