Preventing vibrations affecting operating performance at Civil Aerospace Division

United Kingdom

Machine

Makino T2

Client

Rolls Royce, UK

Farrat Solutions

Isofoam 120, 50 mm thick

Top layer of Isofoam 120, 25 mm thick

Project Overview

Farrat work with Rolls Royce Civil Aerospace Division to prevent vibrations affecting the operating performance of two new multi-axis Makino T2 machining centres.

The Challenge

When Rolls Royce required two new machining centres at their UK aerospace facility to machine titanium parts for the Trent – the worlds most efficient large aero-engine – the Makino T2 was chosen for it’s highly effective metal removal rates
and accuracy levels.

The Makino T2 can reach a surface speed of 200 m/minute and offers a longer tool life than other machines of its type. However, machine rigidity and damping characteristics are necessary to reach optimum thresholds and due to these high machining rates, vibration – if unconstrained – can significantly reduce the machining efficiency. The facilities foundations would therefore need to be isolated before the machining centres could be installed.

The Solution

The Structural Engineer approached Farrat early in the design stage to discuss a material to isolate the walls of the machine foundations. Farrat have worked with Rolls Royce in the past and has a track-record of successfully isolating a variety of machinery and equipment of various types and sizes.

Farrat Isofoam 120, 50 mm thick, was selected as the most effective material for this lateral configuration as its high resilience / low damping characteristics prevent vibrations travelling through the floor-slab and radiating through the ground. A top layer of Isofoam 120, 25 mm thick, was then installed before backfilling the surrounding floor.

Using this method, Farrat were able to ensure that the operating conditions (in terms
of vibration levels) were controlled to within equipment specifications to allow optimal machine performance.