Aluminum high-speed cutting nose structure

We have developed a new production process for the nose structure of Shinkansen cars and have begun applying this process to actual products. The nose structure constitutes the face of high-speed cars and has hitherto been made from an aluminum frame. Aluminum panels are welded onto the frame, after which curves are produced by means of hammering executed by highly skilled workmen. However, in the new production process, thick aluminum plates are used as the material. In the early stage of the process, three-dimensional CAD data is used to divide the nose form into around twenty blocks. CAD data for each block is created in this way. Moving on then to the production process, each block is first formed with a which three-dimensional CAM data is used to enable a high-speed five-shaft machining unit to create a monolithic outer plate and rib structure by means of high-speed cutting, leaving the rib section corresponding to the skeletal framework. These panels are then combined to create the nose structure. This is a revolutionary new production technology in which machines carry out a part of the process of production of the nose section that was previously executed manually by skilled workers. It has also enabled us to supply nose structures of greater accuracy than ever before.

Example of animated display of analysis results