In shipbuilding, some components feature large dimensions, long machining areas and complex structures. For such workpieces, standard CNC machine tools often cannot cover the full machining range. Therefore, long-travel CNC gantry boring and milling machines are commonly used equipment for machining large ship components.

Recently, Jinan Shuochao CNC has completed manufacturing and delivered one TX80220 CNC gantry boring and milling machine to the customer. Adopting a box-in-box gantry structure, this machine features an effective X-axis travel of 8 meters and Y-axis travel of 22 meters. It is mainly used for milling operations of ship components. The practical application of this machine represents a typical application scenario of large gantry boring and milling machines in the shipbuilding industry.

What Travel Requirements Apply to Machine Tools for Ship Component Machining?

Not all ship components are small standardized parts. Some structural parts and large mechanical components have large overall dimensions and long machining zones. When the length and width of a workpiece greatly exceed the working range of standard machining centers, the machine tool must be equipped with longer X-axis and Y-axis travel so that the cutting tool can reach all required machining areas on the workpiece.

The TX80220 has an effective X-axis travel of 8 meters and Y-axis travel of 22 meters. For this customer’s ship component machining requirements, the 22-meter-class Y-axis travel provides a long longitudinal machining range, while the 8-meter-class effective X-axis travel covers a wide transverse machining zone. The travel configuration of the machine is determined according to the customer’s actual workpieces and machining processes.

Thus, for large gantry boring and milling machines, longer travel does not always mean a better fit. Travel must match the actual workpiece dimensions and machining areas.

Why Does the TX80220 Adopt a Box-in-Box Structure?

Besides machining range, structural form is a key consideration in the design of large gantry boring and milling machines. The TX80220 uses a box-in-box structure. Based on the machine’s 8 m × 22 m machining range and the customer’s ship component machining requirements, Shuochao CNC configures the gantry, beam, ram and other major structures accordingly.

For long-travel gantry boring and milling machines, the motion range is large and the structural dimensions increase accordingly. During the design phase, the main structures are matched according to machine specifications, cutting load and the working mode of moving components.

The box-in-box structure provides an overall layout solution for large gantry boring and milling machines and suits the design of machine tools for long-travel and large-size workpiece machining.

TX80220 for Milling of Ship Components

This TX80220 machine is not configured as a general-purpose machine tool. It is manufactured to meet the customer’s specific milling requirements for ship components.

For large ship components, machining tasks may involve large planes, steps and structural surfaces at various positions. The gantry boring and milling machine offers ample machining space. Workpieces can be fixtured according to their dimensions and machining processes, and all required milling operations can be completed via multi-axis movements of the machine.

For long workpieces, long-travel machine tools reduce repeated repositioning caused by insufficient machining range, enabling completion of long machining zones on a single machine setup.

Therefore, when selecting gantry boring and milling machines for shipbuilding, besides machine model and spindle parameters, the actual workpiece dimensions, machining zones, fixturing methods and specific machining contents are critical factors for determining machine specifications.

Manufacturing Logic Behind Each Machine Tool

At Shuochao CNC, the development of large gantry boring and milling machine projects always starts with the customer’s actual workpieces to define machine solutions.

Even for ship components, workpiece dimensions, weights and machining tasks vary widely between manufacturers. Accordingly, machine travel, structural forms and functional configurations differ from project to project.

The TX80220 project adopts an 8 m × 22 m machining range and box-in-box structure, configured to satisfy the customer’s practical operational requirements. This is one key principle followed by Jinan Shuochao CNC in developing large CNC equipment: machine specifications shall ultimately align with actual workpieces and machining processes.

Shuochao CNC Delivers TX80220 Gantry Boring & Milling Machine

Shuochao CNC specializes in R&D and manufacturing of CNC gantry boring & milling machines, CNC gantry drilling & milling machines and large custom CNC equipment.

The delivered TX80220 gantry boring and milling machine features an 8-meter effective X-axis travel, 22-meter Y-axis travel and box-in-box structure, designed mainly for milling ship components.

As demonstrated by practical project cases, the specifications of large gantry boring and milling machines should be defined based on workpiece dimensions and machining processes. For enterprises engaged in shipbuilding, large equipment and heavy machinery, Shuochao CNC can develop customized machine solutions according to workpiece dimensions, weight and machining requirements.