Prototype machine tool

[JMahon]

Have not looked at tormach? Any specific model you recommend?

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

Tormach is high-end-hobby or bottom-end-business.  Four axis maximum, toolchanger is an add-on.

[dstryr]

lol this thread took a turn to the dumpster...

From Hermle and Datron to Haas then to Tormach haha

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

Hey, don't knock the Haas!  It's making these bone plates just fine thank you.

[JMahon]

Haas is actually a decent machine. I've just recently gotten a chance to run them. I've always ran Mazak but for what I run on them, the Haas is just as capable. Haas service is top notch compared to Mazak.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Haas are good value for the money you spend. It really comes down to the volumetric tolerances you need to hold. +-.0005?, sure you can get close to that with good quality holders and a solid setup. I consider that most Haas machines are really a ".001" accuracy machine. If that's all the tolerance you need to hold, then they are good machines. If you need ".0001" accuracy, then a Haas won't get you there. Yes, you could get a boring head and hold a tight diameter and cylindrical tolerance on a single hole, but what if you needed to hold a pattern of holes to .0001 True position tolerance, then rotate the block and have other holes intersect the first pattern, while holding position, form, and perpendicularity? Within .001? Sure. Within .0001? Nope.

[Rstewart]

Have you looked at Tormach?

 

 

He's just Trolling guys...

 

NYCNC 

[Newbeeee™]

lol this thread took a turn to the dumpster...

From Hermle and Datron to Haas then to Tormach haha

I'd love a 4axis Tormach with toolchanger in my garage...

[MrFish]

Haas are good value for the money you spend. It really comes down to the volumetric tolerances you need to hold. +-.0005?, sure you can get close to that with good quality holders and a solid setup. I consider that most Haas machines are really a ".001" accuracy machine. If that's all the tolerance you need to hold, then they are good machines. If you need ".0001" accuracy, then a Haas won't get you there. Yes, you could get a boring head and hold a tight diameter and cylindrical tolerance on a single hole, but what if you needed to hold a pattern of holes to .0001 True position tolerance, then rotate the block and have other holes intersect the first pattern, while holding position, form, and perpendicularity? Within .001? Sure. Within .0001? Nope.

I totally agree when you are talking multi axis work with rotaries that emphasise positional inaccuracies . But for 3 axis work we can hold 0.01MM (0.0005") all day long on high accuracy medical instruments and implants. It takes a temperature controlled environment , solid and accurate tool and work holding and quality programmers that know the machines but is very achievable.

my 2 cents !

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

I think part of the key is getting a laser cal and ballbar.  We had PQI do that and holding tenths on interpolated features isn't that hard.  We're scheduled to have it done once a year.  According to my digital mic I'm holding .00005" on a periphery in 17-4 H900, ten parts in a row so far.

 

Another part is programming for the machine, with faster but lighter passes, and skim passes for finish.

[MrFish]

I think part of the key is getting a laser cal and ballbar.  We had PQI do that and holding tenths on interpolated features isn't that hard.  We're scheduled to have it done once a year.  According to my digital mic I'm holding .00005" on a periphery in 17-4 H900, ten parts in a row so far.

 

Another part is programming for the machine, with faster but lighter passes, and skim passes for finish.

Yip you've hit the nail on the head Matthew. We can hold similar tolerances in the land of metric but I didn't want to state that here in fear of the ear bashing we are going to receive from all the haters !!

[Colin Gilchrist]

You guys are correct, especially with proper tuning of the drive parameters. That is a critical and often overlooked aspect of maintaining tolerance control, as are temperature control and being fastidious about being clean and using good quality holders.

 

The other thing is that the quality control and the engineering at Haas continues to improve. It is much easier to achieve this level of precision on a Haas produced in the last 5 years vs. a machine that was manufactured 10+ years ago. Especially one that has not been tested and had the parameters properly tuned!

[Trevor Bailey]

check out my work facebook page. i have a mazak vcu 300a 5axis. its perfect for small parts. i have some really good videos of the machine in action, including steels and stainless steels.

 

https://www.facebook.com/mastercamreseller/?ref=page_internal

[JMahon]

I've been wondering about the lil 300a. We've got a vcu400a and some vcn compacts. Looks like the 300a is pretty much a small vcu with the same rotary as a compact.

 

Id love to try one but the higher ups are about burned on Mazak now. Our service out here is not the greatest...

[jlw™]

We are too.  Five new machines in the last two years.  Of those five, 3 new spindles, 3 new grease pumps, Mitsubishi in 4 times to tune drives, one tool presetter that didn't work, four new servo drives, 2 new servos, one tool presetter that was down for 6 weeks waiting on a prox switch that they simply forgot to order and one magazine that simply wouldn't work for the first 8 months so we hand loaded tools on a $1mil machine while Japan reprogrammed the PLC.  That list is a quick shoot from the hip list.

 

I truly am brand loyal to Mazak but the last year could have been much smoother for me if the machines were reliable.  I really like our support guys and the Mazak salesman in our area is top notch but dang we were struggling to get them up and running.

[Cory M. Pio]

Whoa those bumotec machines are sweet! Any idea what one like that runs?

750K and up... if you can fit all your parts through a 50MM spindle there is no other machine tool.

[JMahon]

Anyone have experience with an Integrex I-150? It's got a 2nd op vise/gripper rather than a sub spindle so the price should be quite a bit less than a full blown Integrex.