MadeForYOU at the forefront of technology services

Rafael Idigoras - Managing Director SORALUCE

Therefore, the company continues to develop highly innovative solutions committed to customers’ technological progress, responding to the most demanding machining challenges efficiently and with high levels of productivity.

Rafael Idigoras, managing director of the company, stated, “#MadeForYOU is how Soraluce expresses commitment to active listening, to asking and analysing what customers need from their technology partner. It’s thinking, feeling and acting the way our customers want us to. It is our commitment and our responsibility to our customers, partners, employees, society and the environment. It is what makes Soraluce a comprehensive partner with the most complete and advanced ranges of products and services on the market, which is also designed to be customised according to each customer’s specific needs.”

Idigoras added that #MadeForYOU is their relationship with customers. It is actively participating by responding to their unique characteristics as a comprehensive, technologically-advanced machinery partner, making the “Intelligent Machine” a reality, while providing high-added-value services and solutions, offering expert advice in machining engineering.

With its leading portfolio #MadeForYOU, the company offers a wide variety of milling machines, the new range of gantry machines, vertical lathes, multitasking solutions, automation lines and “best in class” services. In addition, this vision continuously contributes to improving the accuracy, productivity and profitability of each customer.

New range of gantry machines

The Spain-based manufacturer’s new gantry range is a further example of its constant evolution. It is backed by its knowledge and experience, as a technological leader in the sector. Soraluce presents a complete range of gantry machines in two configurations, i.e. mobile table portal machines or gantry type machines, including fixed or mobile cross beam and multitasking alternatives.

The new family of portal machines offers a range of high-capacity, high-precision machines, a high stock removal rate, incorporating the most advanced damping systems in the market, such as DAS®, and provides great versatility thanks to the multitasking option with a capacity for milling, turning and grinding. These machines can be customised to the customer's requirements, both in terms of their milling and turning heads, tool magazines and work areas.

To achieve this, the manufacturer has invested € 9 million (US$9.981 million) in purchasing and upgrading its installations, with a new warehouse of 4,900 m² (140 metres long, 35 metres wide and 17 metres high) for assembling this family. This is the new PORTAL FACTORY, the most modern, complete and advanced manufacturing centre, dedicated to the manufacture of portal machines.

The SORALUCE PMG model presented in EMO, is a portal gantry type machine with longitudinal travel of 14,000 mm, transverse travel of 5,500 mm and vertical travel of 2,000 mm once installed on site, which is equipped with a stepless universal head indexing at 0.001º x 0.001º at 5,000 rpm, 37 kW, 900 Nm.

The company has been a pioneer in the use of linear guidance systems and has applied all its knowledge in developing new portal machines, combining guidance technology with passive damping systems by means of incorporating damping pads, as well as including active systems, such as the DAS® (Patented) system, which is exclusive to Soraluce. The result is high-precision machines that are highly dynamic, stable during machining and reliable in terms of availability.

The driving systems chosen for the different axes provides durability and reliability. The cross and longitudinal axes are driven by double rack and pinion systems by means of two motors configured in master-slave mode on each of the racks, which ensures high dynamics, with maximum speeds of 35 m/min., with a backlash-free transmission that is immune to wear.

In addition, the alternatives for driving the head include various motor options, integrated into the ram and always water-cooled. The most powerful variants can also incorporate the option of mechanical reduction. The machine exhibited includes a direct motor with nominal values of 43 kW and 900 Nm. It incorporates a tool magazine for 80 tools, with full visibility of the magazine, protection against chips and coolant, as well as a sliding window for easily loading and unloading tools. The operator cabin is fully enclosed and includes a CNC panel for smooth movements. Allows perfect visibility of the machining area.

In general, these are highly configurable machines, on which it is possible to work in one or more areas, either to maximise productivity by minimising downtime during workpiece set-up, or to increase the versatility and flexibility of the machine, including rotary tables for milling and turning.