Century Tool, a Tooling Tech Group company and a composites tooling specialist, announced it has invested in a CHETO IXN 3000 — a unique 7-axis CNC deep-hole drilling and milling machine tool and one of only five in the United States. Designed to enhance the mold making process, the CHETO IXN 3000 offers deep-hole gundrilling on one side with the unique capability of changing out the gundrill bit from a 5-gun locker. On the milling side, the machine features a 50-gun locker for changing out cutting tools.
“We are excited to add this new capability to Century Tool,” said Lee Childers, Tooling Tech Group CEO. “The CHETO machine allows us to improve productivity by stringing together gundrill and milling programs, unattended, for up to 48 hours. And these machines are recognized for the steadiness and balance of their drills, all helping us serve our customers even better.”
The CHETO IXN 3000 provides a spindle speed of 6,000 rpm and a 60,000 pound capacity. It allows Century Tool to drill as deep as 98 inches, as well as drilling over three times faster than previous machines. Additionally, the system has the ability to monitor tool wear, helping to reduce tool breakage and increase uptime without operator intervention.
In addition to the CHETO IXN 3000, Century Tool has also invested in the company and the market with the recent purchase of Fidia 5-axis and Toshiba 3-axis machine tools.