CNC Machine Tool and Gun Drilling Machine Design
Machine frames, fixtures and gun drilling, deburring and boring equipment.
Machine tool builders compete on accuracy, rigidity and reliability. We support them with structure design, motion system sizing and fixtures, and we understand what shop-floor machines need to survive.
We also run our own gun drilling work and design deep-hole drilling and deburring equipment.
Where We Help
- Machine beds and columns designed for stiffness
- Ballscrew, guide and motor sizing by calculation
- Workholding and fixturing for repeatable setup
- Chip and coolant handling layouts
- Gun drilling and deburring machine design
- Floor boring and special machining stations
Typical Equipment
- Deep-hole gun drilling machines
- Deburring machines
- Floor boring machines
- Machine frames and bases
- Workholding fixtures
Accuracy starts with the structure and the axes
A machine tool is only as accurate as its weakest stiffness path. Bed and column design, guide spacing, ball screw support and spindle mounting all decide whether the machine holds tolerance under cutting load and over years of use. LTM supports machine tool builders and workshops with structure design, axis sizing, fixtures and complete special machining machines, with every critical value calculated and documented.
Machine tool design services
- Machine beds, columns and saddles in welded steel, with stiffness checks and machining datums
- Linear axis design: ball screw sizing for critical speed, buckling and life; linear guide block loads and life
- Servo motor and gearbox selection for feed axes and spindles
- Workholding fixtures, steady rests and part supports
- Chip, coolant and guarding layout
- CNC retrofits and auto-feed upgrades for manual machines
Retrofit or replace?
Many workshops run older machines with sound castings or welded structures but worn guideways, outdated drives and manual feeds. Replacing the machine is expensive; a retrofit can restore or improve accuracy and productivity at a fraction of the cost. A typical retrofit replaces manual feeds with ball screws and servo motors, adds linear guides or regrinds existing ways, upgrades the spindle drive and adds guarding and coolant management.
Before recommending a retrofit we check that the structure can hold the required accuracy, that cutting forces and new feed rates are within the frame's stiffness, and that the payback is better than buying new. LTM has designed such an upgrade for a manual gun drilling machine, adding two CNC axes and automatic feed.
Gun drilling and deep hole drilling machines
Deep hole drilling is a specialist area where LTM has hands-on experience: we run our own gun drilling job work and have designed a two-spindle gun drilling machine for medical shafts up to 500 mm long and an auto-feed upgrade that adds two CNC axes to a manual gun drilling machine. Gun drilling machines need very straight, stiff guidance, accurate drill bushings, high-pressure coolant through the tool and controlled feed to avoid drill breakage. These details are designed in from the start.
Other machining SPMs designed include a two-spindle deburring machine and a floor boring machine.
How axes are sized
For each feed axis we calculate cutting and acceleration forces, then check the ball screw for whirling speed, d·n limit, buckling and rated life, the guides for block load, static safety and ISO 14728 life, and the servo motor for peak torque, RMS torque and inertia ratio. You can try the same checks with our free ball screw calculator, linear guide life calculator and cutting speed calculator.
Who we work with
Machine tool builders adding new models, SPM builders, job shops building their own special machines, and manufacturers upgrading older machines rather than replacing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer gun drilling job work?
Yes. LTM runs deep-hole gun drilling job work in carbon, alloy and stainless steels and aluminium, for parts such as hydraulic manifolds, mould cooling channels and hollow shafts. Send your drawing for a quote.
Can you design a CNC retrofit for an old machine?
Yes. Retrofits add ball screws, servo axes and new guarding to sound existing structures, after checking the structure can hold the required accuracy.
Do you design spindles?
We design spindle housings, bearing arrangements and drives, and select cartridge or motor spindles from established manufacturers for high speeds.
How do you check machine stiffness?
Structures are checked by hand calculation and FEA for static deflection under cutting and acceleration loads, and the stiffness chain is reviewed from tool to bed.
What accuracy can a retrofitted machine achieve?
It depends on the condition of the structure and guideways. Both are reviewed first, so the achievable accuracy is estimated before detail design starts.
How an Engagement Works
Brief
You share the function, loads, space, cycle time and any drawings you already have.
Concept
We propose a concept with a layout sketch and the key calculations, so you can approve direction early.
Detail design
3D model, calculations, GD&T drawings and BOM, reviewed with you at agreed checkpoints.
Release and support
Native files and PDFs handed over, with support during fabrication and assembly.
Have a project in mind?
Send a short brief with sketches or specifications. You get a clear scope and a fixed quote, usually within one business day.