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Manufactured from 1975 onwards, the TOS Series FD milling machines were a direct replacement for the by-then elderly Type FB. Of convention knee-type design the FD was available a dedicated Vertical, a Horizontal and a Universal - this being, in the usual way, the Horizontal fitted with a table that could be swung 45° to each side of central.
Although the millers were offered in a basic form, there was the option of specifying several modifications and options that greatly increased their versatility and production capacity; hence, in terms of a used example, it's necessary to make a close examination to determine its exact specification.
As standard, all three types were fitted with conventional "trapezoidal" table and knee feed screws, hand-operated locking of the table and knee, automatic spindle braking, a mechanism for automatically lowering the knee by 0.5 mm on the completion of a cut to allow a rapid reverse back to the cut starting point, the facility to operate downcut milling, automatic lubrication of all the slideways and automatic changing of spindle speeds. Alterations to the ordinary specification included recirculating ball screws to the table's X and Y feeds, hardened bedways, automatic table locking, a Type UCN 50 face-tool clamp or a Type UED 40 that used quick-action electro-mechanical locking. Further optional changes included the fitting of the maker's PPFA program milling, an electric-contact copying attachment and a table-sequencing system with eight-track stop bars to set the job up.
All three types used the same basic column and knee assembly, the latter holding the driving mechanism for the table feeds and a separate 3 kW, 3-phase motor running at 1460 r.p.m. Built-in electromagnetic clutches and brakes were used to control both normal and rapid feeds - the latter able to be engaged (though a single lever) whether the spindle was running or stopped - the table feed rate was changed by a rotating lever on the face of the knee. To lubricate the various mechanisms, oil and its delivery pump were stored in the base of the knee.
All versions also used an identical 560 x 1800 mm table with four 22 mm T-slots on a spacing of 100 mm and could carry a maximum load of 1200 kg. Table travels and feed rates were also identical - longitudinal travel was a maximum of 1300 mm, in traverse 450 mm and vertically 485 mm. 24 rates of feed were available, these being from 10 to 2000 mm per minute longitudinally and in traverse and from 2.5 to 500 mm per minute vertically. In addition, the millers were also provided with an extra-fine finishing feed, this being set at 18 mm per minute longitudinally and in traverse and 4.5 mm per minute vertically.
Driven by a powerful 25 kW, 1420 r.p.m. flange-mounted motor, both the 16 spindle speeds of the horizontal and the vertical miller were identical and, as standard, ranged from 35.5 to 1120 r.p.m - though both a slightly faster range from 45 to 1400 r.p.m. and a slower from 28 to 900 r.p.m. could be specified.
Listed as optional extras was the usual range of fittings that included the Type-HUD swivelling vertical head for the two horizontal models (this ran at the same speed as the drive spindle); the Type HOD-40 slotting attachment for the Vertical model; the Type SR-500 hand-operated rotary table; the Type SM-500 power rotary table (that picked up its drive from an extension the table feed screw); the Type DU-400 Universal Dividing Attachment that was used in conjunction the Universal miller's swivelling table; this unit allowed for direct, indirect and differential indexing, the division into unequal parts, the milling of helices, threads and disc cams the active (working) surface of which was produced by an Archimedean spiral. The DU-400 could be elevated by 10° downwards and 100° upwards. Also listed was the PDB-40 rack-milling attachment and the usual selection of horizontal, cutter-holding arbors, machine vices, taper sleeve adapters and collet chucks.
The FD-40 weighed approximately 6600 kg, the FD-40U 6800 kg and the FD-40V 7040 kg.
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