Thread: Hardinge, Bridgeport, Okuma

I just got a notice of a new machine, a 40" Vertical Machining Center.
Offered by the Hardinge Group, Branded as a Bridgeport, with an Okuma Control.

Is Okuma selling controls to other builders?
Are they all part of the same organization now?

Just Curious.

Ed just got one.

I just figgered it had to doo with Gossiger reping both Hardinge and Okuma somehow?


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Sweating to the Oldies!
Ox

Originally Posted by Ox

Ed just got one.

I just figgered it had to doo with Gossiger reping both Hardinge and Okuma somehow?


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Sweating to the Oldies!
Ox

I just got one too, it's an animal compared to our other vertical- a haas vf-2. I hope they put the control on some smaller machines because I really need about 3 30" machines for every 1 40" machine.

If they'd put it on a lathe I might actually bother looking at them.

Okuma dropped their MCV line. They said they couldn't make it profitably anymore. It's a shame because I love the one I have. There lowest cost VMC is now the Genos which is based on the MB line.

CNC Machining Center, Vertical Machining Center, GENOS M460-VE, Okuma

It's a sweet machine with construction similar to a double column machine, but it's around 140k. It's priced a little to high for the smaller jobshop looking for a general purpose mill.

I heard from our salesman that Morris, Hartwig, and Gosinger (the three big okuma dealers and now hardinge dealers) got together and asked Okuma for a lower priced machine. They had no plans to build one so they came up with the GX1000 OSP. I was also told that Morris, Hartwig, and Gosinger actually formed a new company to import the GX1000 OSP machines.

I've had mine for a couple months now and so far I'm happy with the machine. It takes a little longer than my MCV to get the spindle up to speed, and it's a little noiser with the belt drive spindle. The toolchanger is fast but it's not a servo driven unit so it has to stop at each pocket when the drum is indexing to the next tool. Not a big deal if the next tool is pre staged though. I ran a few steel jobs through it already and I have no complaints about performance, surface finishes look good too. The one I got has a standard CAT40 spindle, the ones there shipping now have a CAT40 Big Plus spindle. Overall it's a good machine for the money and it has my favorite control too