【正文】
ationary and the cutting tools rotate , as they do in milling and drilling operations . The development of machining centers is intimately related to advances in puter control of machine tools , in general , a numerically controlled lathe(turning center) has two turrets carrying several cutting tools for turning , facing , boring , and threading. The workpiece in a machining center is placed on a pallet or module that can be move and swiveled(oriented) in various directions . After a particular cutting operation has been pleted , the workpiece does not have to be moved to another machine(as has been done traditionally) for additional operations , such as drilling , reaming , or tapping . In other words , the tools and the machine are brought to the workpiece . After all the cutting operations have been pleted , the pallet automatically moves away with the finished workpiece , and another pallet containing another workpiece to be machined is brought into position by automatic pallet changers . All movements are putercontrolled , and palletchanging cycle times are on the order of 10 to 30 seconds . Pallet stations are available with multiple pallets serving the machining center . The machines can also be equipped with various automatic parts , such as loading and unloading devices . The machining center is equipped with a programmable automatic tool changer . Depending on the design , up to 200 cutting tools can be stored in a magazine , drum , or chain (tool storage) . Auxiliary tool storage is available on some special machining centers for many more cutting tools . The cutting tools are automatically selected with random access for the shortest route to the machine spindle . The toolexchange arm shown in is a mon design . It swings around to pick up a particular tool (each tool has its own toolholder) and places it in the spindle . Tools are identified by coded tags , bar codes , or memory chips attached directly to the tool holders . A toolchanging time is typically between 5 and 10 seconds 。 they may be less than one second for small tools , or up to 30 seconds for tools weighing 110 kg (250 lb) . The trend in tool changers is to use simpler mechanisms ,resulting in faster toolchanging times . Machining centers may be equipped with a tooland/or partchecking station that feeds information to the puternumerical control to pensate for any variations in tool settings or tool wear . Touch probes can be automatically installed into a tool holder to determine reference surfaces of the workpiece , for the selection of tool settings , and for the online inspection of parts being machined. Note in that several surfaces can be contacted , and that their relative positions are determined and stored in the database of the puter software . The data are then used to program tool paths and to pensate for tool length and diameter , as well as for tool wear in more advanced machine tools . Types of Machining and Turning Centers Although there are various designs for machining centers , the two basic types are vertical spindle and horizontal spindle 。 many machines are capable of using both axes . The maximum dimensions that the cutting tools can reach around a workpiece in a machining center is known as the work envelope