The Taiwanese machine tool industry has expanded from a nascent industry to an awe-inspiring powerhouse with impressive capabilities as a result of steady growth and development for more than six decades. However, future demand is expected to shift toward high-precision manufacturing in response to the transition in the global manufacturing industry. Consequently, the Taiwanese machine tool industry must constantly strengthen its grasp of base material composition (e.g., stability) and process technologies (e.g., casting and heat treatment). Continued upgrades and innovation have turned into a top priority for the Taiwanese precision machinery industry.
Numerous countries constantly enhance their machine tool technologies and specifications. Advanced countries such as Germany and Japan still maintain their leadership role in the machine tool industry. These technological advances help maintain machine precision and stability over long periods. The dimensions of structural machine components must be kept stable to ensure optimal machine precision. Stabilized status of cast structural components is a key factor for the manufacture of high-precision machinery. This usually requires a process of natural aging over a period of one year or longer, which is not only time-consuming but also poses an immense challenge for machine precision.
After a process of research and certification, the MIRDC has developed a casting stabilization technology that combines thermal cycling and vibration treatment. This technology allows castings to reach a stabilized status within a short period and significantly reduces the time required for traditional natural aging from over one year to less than ten days. Through thermal cycles and vibrations, the castings are exposed to suitable stress, which accelerates the stabilization process and facilitates the manufacture of precision machinery. The new technology also helps avoid deformations of cast structural components over time due to exposure to heat and cold or machine processing vibrations. Optimal machine precision over long periods is ensured and maintenance and calibration times are reduced.
Dr. Chiu-Feng Lin, the president of MIRDC, stated that the research team has already established a database for dimensional stability and heat treatment properties of grey cast iron materials such as FC250, FC300, and FC350, which are frequently used in Taiwan, and a database for the impact of stress on deformations. The goal is to assist domestic enterprises in the solution of issues associated with the precision and service life of CNC machine tool castings. In the long run, these efforts are expected to enhance the overall quality and competitiveness of the domestic machinery industry to facilitate its entry into the international high-end market.