Slant Bed v/s Flat Bed CNC Turning Centres

Slant bed design offers some reduction in the effects of cross-slide backlash.  It helps in making Z axis motion more straight and stable. With the bed tilted upward, and with a machine’s moving parts “hanging” on the uppermost surface of the uppermost ways, the force of gravity helps in stabilizing motion and improves accuracy.

In case of a slant bed lathe, the slant position of the  guide way relative to the spindle center line and the positioning of the ball screw causes major cutting forces to be absorbed directly into guide way thus promoting maximum load capacity and further enhancing long term accuracy, rigidity and wear characteristics. In addition, the design removes the mechanical couple associated with the forces generated between cutting tool, guide way and ball screw -nut which tends to ‘crab’ the carriage, thus, cutting and drive forces are in equilibrium.

In the slant design, a permanent cavity/gap in the bed has been accommodated to allow for extra ‘gap-swing’ without the usual loss of slideway support.

By utilizing a 30 degree slant bed design and installing protective covers over the linear guide ways, swarf debris cannot accumulate on the bed way or in swarf ‘traps’.  With the slant bed design, there is dramatic improvement in the ability to get hot chips off the machine and to let them directly accumulate in a chip conveyor before they could ruin machine accuracy by transferring heat to slideways and castings.

Slant bed offers some ergonomic advantages as well. When the cross slide , or the whole machine bed, are tipped up off the floor, the turret is naturally tipped toward the operator, making tool mounting, inspection and maintenance some what easier than the flat bed lathe.  The slant of the bed presents the work area at a much better angle for the operator with regard to loading, access and visibility.

Jasmin C. Shah

CNC Application Engineering Consultant

Date :  March, 19^th 2008

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Great Member Article
written by CNC Information, March 30, 2008

This is a good example of a great piece created by one of our great members.

Ivan

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