5 AXIS MACHINES PRO'S AND CON'S

[MLS]

I haven't seen one, but I have heard that before somewhere. Ours are six or seven years old I think. Do your machines have the new control?

[Jeremy Herron@DBS Solutions™]

Not my companies, but some of my contractors do. I have also seen them at Kentucky. Windows 7 based controllers so they process much faster, G54.4 work peice error comp replaces G54.2 (which is available on all matrix controllers) , in which G43.3, G61.1, and G05 are all legal, and G61.2 (only available on the matrix 2) super fast!

[MLS]

The multiple modes was exactly what I was fighting with that machine... always a trade-off with decent accuracy or speed. Sounds like they may have caught up though... cool...

[Oscar R.]

Hey, CADCAM, not sure if you've already decided on a machine yet, but had to chime in here.

 

We've had our Matsuura MX-520 on the floor for about a year now. Aside from typical setup issues when the machine was delivered, it's been rock solid since. We don't do much true 5-axis work here (yet) but all of the 3+2 work that we've done comes out of the machine looking great.

We also have the optional 500mm table which reduces our spindle to table clearence a bit when the A axis is turned to, near, or past -90deg. The standard comes with a 300mm, I believe.

At first glance the tool/spindle head clearence looks limited but it's surprised me on several occasions.

The setup/operators love the fact that you can literally step halfway into the machine workspace when the doors are opened to check out their part or fixtures.

 

CAMplete simulation/verification/post software that comes included with the machine is pretty good too. It doesn't take much time to learn and has awsome drag and drop post customization that makes it TONS easier to customize your post than having to learn post language.

 

In "full disclosure", we got ours from Selway Machine Tool out here in SoCal. The service that we've recieved from everyone there and especialy James has always been top notch.

I can't mention price becuase I don't write the checks, but the "higher ups" here are pretty happy with the deal they got.

 

I have to agree with others here, more HP and material removal aren't always best. VMCs or HMC's yes, but not so much on a 5-axis machine IMHO.