Zimmerman CNC

[Rocketmachinist]

Has anyone ever used any Zimmerman CNC machines? We have been looking at a FZ33 for a project we might be getting. Any recommendations?

[jlw™]

We looked at them real hard when we were looking for one that size.  The FZ33 was one that we looked at.  I personally wanted it over the Mazak we bought.  I never got to see it but the owner went some where up north where they had one.  He was impressed with the speed but he also said he thought it wouldn't be rigid enough for our parts.

[Rocketmachinist]

5 minutes ago, jlw™ said:

We looked at them real hard when we were looking for one that size.  The FZ33 was one that we looked at.  I personally wanted it over the Mazak we bought.  I never got to see it but the owner went some where up north where they had one.  He was impressed with the speed but he also said he thought it wouldn't be rigid enough for our parts.

What did you get instead?

[gcode]

We have one, an FX40

It was purchased used, then beat to death, doing heavy roughing  in steel which destroyed the 5X head (twice).

It wasn't running when I started here in 2007. 

In 2009/10, it was retrofit with a state of the art German 5x electric head.

Unfortunately the new 5X head and  weldment that mounts it to the Z axis ram weigh 11K pounds

Now we have the equivalent of a blown 454 V8, shoehorned into a rusted out Vega.

The 5X head is far too heavy for the machine and added nearly 30" to the end of the ram.

The machine is nearly useless, capable only of very light work in aluminum.

Even then, rapids must be kept very low. The inertia of 11K pounds dangling from the

end of a broomstick is over powering. At 400 ipm, you can see the ram flexing as the machine

rapids from point to point.

I never saw the machine run in it's original form, but I believe it was designed to be a very

fast light duty machine.

With the right work a Zimmerman is probably a nice machine, but it was a poor choice

for the work we wanted to do on it, and the retrofit only compounded the problems

[jlw™]

4 hours ago, Rocketmachinist said:

What did you get instead?

Mazak V100

[Rocketmachinist]

Just now, jlw™ said:

Mazak V100 

What's the starting price on that thing?

[jlw™]

1.2, no attachments

[RACINGCONVERTERS]

I  have had experience running Zimmermann machines. They are built to be fast light cut machines.  If you keep that in mind they are very productive and can make you a lot of money.  If you order new, almost anything you think of can be an option. Vacuum, hydraulics, etc.ect...