Apparatus for machining hubs for vehicles

An apparatus for machining hubs for vehicles comprising:

• a first machining group (11) having a first number (n1) of first stations, said first stations comprising at least one first machining station (111, 112, 113, 114), an inbound transfer station (11a), an outbound transfer station (11b), a loading station (117), and an unloading station (118);
• a second machining group (12) having a second number (n2) of second stations which comprise at least one second machining station (121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128), an inbound transfer station (12a), and an outbound transfer station (12b),
• a first rotating table (13) having a number of first workpiece-holder sectors (131) equal to said first number (n1);
• wherein said first machining group (11) and said first rotating table (13) are mutually arranged in such a way that each first sector (131) is indexable so as to be disposed across from one of said first stations such that workpieces to be machined are transferred from each first sector to a corresponding one of the at least one first machining station and such that machined workpieces are transferred from each first sector to the outbound transfer station (11b) of the first machining group (11);
• a second rotating table (14) having a number of second workpiece-holder sectors (141) equal to said second number (n2);
• wherein said second machining group (12) and said second rotating table (14) are mutually arranged in such a way that each second sector (141) is indexable so as to be disposed across from one of said second stations such that the machined workpieces are transferred from each second sector to a corresponding one of the at least one second machining station and such that unload further machined workpieces are transferred from each second sector to the outbound transfer station (12b) of the second machining group (12);
• a first transfer group (15) configured to transfer the machined workpieces from the outbound transfer station (11b) of said first machining group (11) to the inbound transfer station (12a) of the second machining group (12) and to transfer the further machined workpieces from the outbound transfer station (12b) of said second machining group (12) to the inbound transfer station (11a) of the first machining group (11),
• wherein said first machining group (11) comprises a third number (n3) of said at least one first machining station (111, 112, 113, 114), which all carry out a first same machining operation which requires a first machining time;
• wherein said second machining group (12) comprises a fourth number (n4) of said at least one second machining station (121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128), which all carry out a second same machining operation which requires a second machining time;
• wherein said third number (n3) and said fourth number (n4) are chosen in such a way that both the first machining time divided by said third number (n3) and the second machining time divided by the fourth number (n4) are equal to a switching time;
• wherein said first transfer group (15) is configured to transfer the machined workpieces from said first machining group (11) to said second machining group (12) and the further machined workpieces from said second machining group (12) to said first machining group (11) at a rate equal to one workpiece per switching time;
• wherein said first machining group (11) and said first rotating table (13) are mounted on a first base (17) and wherein said second machining group (12) and said second rotating table (14) are mounted on a second base (18);
• said first base (17) and said second base (18) are joined together so as to minimize a distance between the inbound transfer station (12a) of the second machining group (12) and the outbound transfer station (11b) of said first machining group (11) and between the inbound transfer station (11a) of the first machining group (11) and the outbound transfer station (12b) of said second machining group (12);
• and
• wherein a damper, configured to damp vibrations, is placed between the first base (17) and the second base (18) in order to counteract a transmission of vibrations between said first base (17) and said second base (18).