North America’s Largest Double-Column Machining Center

Unisig installs huge mill from Okuma for in-house part production.

The Okuma MCR-A5CII-35x100 installed at Unisig (Image courtesy of Unisig.)

The Okuma MCR-A5CII-35×100 installed at Unisig (Image courtesy of Unisig.)

A colossal high-speed machining center will significantly bolster the capacity of a deep hole drilling manufacturer.

Unisig recently announced the installation of the Okuma MCR-A5CII-35×100 double-column machining center in its Menomonee, Wisconsin facility.

The machine is the largest of its kind in North America. It will be used to process complex components rapidly for large-sized deep hole drilling systems. Its multiple heads allow five sides of a large part to be processed in a single setup.

The MCR-A5CII also features a 118” x 394” table with a 61-ton weight capacity and a 6,000 rpm 50-taper spindle. It incorporates a radio-controlled 50-ton bridge-style crane with a 40-foot span and 17’1” clearance for safe and efficient part-handling.

In preparation for the new machine’s installation, Unisig modified its production facility to include a deep, specially engineered foundation weighing 650 tons. The foundation uses helical piers to support the combined weight of the machine and the crane.

The machining center enables Unisig to manufacture vital components for its systems in less time and at a reduced cost compared to traditional vertical machines.

“This machine allows us to keep semi-finished part-production in-house and decreases labor-intensive finishing work,” said Unisig CEO Anthony Fettig.

He continued, “By investing in new production equipment, such as the Okuma machine, we can reduce our setup times, improve throughput and minimize costly production errors…”

For more information, visit Okuma and Unisig’s websites.

Written by

Ian Wright

Ian is a senior editor at engineering.com, covering additive manufacturing and 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing. Ian holds bachelors and masters degrees in philosophy from McMaster University and spent six years pursuing a doctoral degree at York University before withdrawing in good standing.