Nomura NN-42

For a hydraulic directional valve spool body blank (40 mm diameter, 1045 steel, 6 turning operations + 2 cross-bores): CNC turning center cycle: 90-130 seconds = 28-40 parts/hour. Nomura NN-42 at 6 spindles: 15-25 seconds cycle per station = 144-240 parts/hour. Throughput advantage: 4-6x. For a manufacturer running 300,000 spool bodies/year: single-spindle turning requires 7,500-10,700 machine hours (approximately 4-6 CNC lathes); NN-42 requires 1,250-2,080 hours (approximately 1 machine). The floor space freed — typically 30-50 square meters — can be reallocated to other production requirements or eliminated from facility footprint entirely.

Yes. Ductile iron (nodular cast iron) is a common material for hydraulic cylinder end caps and valve body blanks on the NN-42. Machining parameters for ductile iron at 40 mm diameter: cutting speed 150-250 m/min with coated carbide (TiN or TiCN for interrupted cut protection); feed 0.1-0.25 mm/rev; depth of cut up to 3 mm roughing. Key considerations: (1) Sand inclusion and hard spots in castings can cause rapid insert wear — use tougher insert grades with negative geometry for interrupted cut protection; (2) Ductile iron produces breakable chips requiring effective chip conveyor management; (3) Dry or minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) machining is possible for ductile iron, reducing coolant system requirements for certain component types. The NN-42's heavy frame construction handles the intermittent cutting forces typical of cast iron without vibration-induced chatter at standard production feeds.

Nomura NN-42 vs Index MS 40E (Multi-Spindle 40 mm): Both machines target the 40 mm class multi-spindle market with similar fundamental capabilities. Key differences: (1) Control — Index MS 40E uses Fanuc 30i or Index-proprietary C200-4D control; NN-42 uses Fanuc 30i. For shops with existing Fanuc expertise, both offer familiar programming environments. (2) Service network — Index-Traub has a significantly larger European and North American service network than Nomura, providing faster field service response and better parts availability in Western markets. (3) Application engineering — Index has more extensive published application support for European and North American market conditions. (4) Pricing — both machines typically fall in the $500K-$1M range at similar configurations. For North American and European buyers, the Index MS 40E's local service network is a meaningful advantage; for Asian market buyers, Nomura's Japanese manufacturing and regional support may be preferred.

NN-42 floor preparation requirements: (1) Machine weight of 20,000 kg requires reinforced concrete floor slab with minimum load-bearing capacity of 6,000 kg/m² in the machine footprint area — typically a 250-300 mm thick reinforced slab with appropriate rebar specification; (2) Leveling pads or anchor bolt pattern as specified in Nomura installation documentation; (3) Electrical service: 400 VAC 3-phase, 50 kVA minimum supply with appropriate disconnect; (4) Compressed air: 6-7 bar, 300 L/min for machine pneumatics, coolant system, and chip blowing; (5) Coolant drainage: floor drain with chip trap in the machine foundation area for coolant overflow management; (6) Overhead clearance: 3.5-4 meters minimum for bar feed loading and any overhead crane access for maintenance; (7) Access aisle: 1.5 meters minimum on operator and maintenance sides. Total cell footprint including bar feeder and parts conveyor: approximately 35-50 square meters.

The NN-42 longitudinal stroke of 130 mm determines the maximum part length from the collet face. For most hydraulic cylinder end caps and valve body blanks (typical length 40-120 mm), the NN-42 operates comfortably within this range. For parts approaching the 130 mm limit, the programmer must carefully balance operations across stations to avoid interference. Maximum part length is also constrained by the bar feed collet and guide bush configuration — long parts approaching full stroke benefit from firm guide bush support to prevent chatter on slender features. Short parts (15-50 mm length) can be processed at maximum efficiency, with cycle time primarily determined by the most time-intensive operation (typically boring or threading rather than longitudinal stroke limit). The back-working attachment adds approximately 20-40 mm of additional processing length for rear-face operations on the cut-off end.