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Hurco anybody?

Good machine, go for it.
(I would say that though, as I work for them).
Seriously, I like them. They are very versatile and have great programming.
 
I've been running a VMX42 for just over a year. All in all good machine but I personally wouldn't buy one. I gave myself a year using the conversational to get used to it. (I am sure there lots of details I have yet to learn). It is easy to learn and good overall. The graphics, interrupt button, touch screen and DXF editor (po' boy CAM at the machine) are brilliant. Mechanically good. Just in the last month the control has started acting funky and occasionally locking up.

I have recently been using G-code because it is frustrating to call up a page to just change work offsets or a retract height when it can be done with a simple three letter G-code command. Also in conversational the program isn't displayed as it runs so you can't see the next move or post comments ie, what to do when you have a stop programmed. Another big one is you can't program point to point in Z like you would in Gcode or even Aniliam conversational. You program a series of X & Y movements or a profile and then it raises & rapids back to the start for the next pass. Lots of wasted movements.

The number one biggest problem for me is NO F_ING MDI. There are lots of things such as squaring up a block or just changing a tool during setups that i like to do in MDI. Nope, you have to write a program to make simple cuts or push a series of buttons on different pares to change the tool. Conversational machines are supposed to be for short run work but not having MDI really makes simple stuff take longer than it should.

OK rant off. All in all, good machine if you want easy programming and aren't worried as much about efficient machining. The guys who were running it before me were turning out good parts with very little experience. But they were horribly inefficient and were doing things that would make a journeyman shudder. (ie letting the machine do the thinking and not changing the feeds & speeds going from steel to AL) If you are proficient in G-code or looking for efficient programs you will probably be frustrated.

Personally I would like to see a machine with the Hass control with Hurco's interrupt button, graphics, touch screen,& DXF editor and some of Aniliams pocketing and profile cycles on a Okuma made base machine.:)
 
Oops,:o I actually looked at the link and see that you are looking at the 5-axis version of the machine I run. I still stand by my comments but have no experience with the %-axis version. I found it interesting that the company in the link is also not using the Hurco conversational which is supposed to be their big selling point.
 
I still like the old Blue machines from the '80s for what they can do.

Kmb1 with the precision table.

Of course I use Autocad for programming and an autolisp program I made to pick points and spreadsheet them into incremental and then into a Loop and Repeat program.

But then that's me. :)

Best regards,

Stan-
 
I can't make any comments on that particular machine as we only do 3 and 4 axis work, but:

The winmax is a nice control whether you choose to use the conversational programming or not. It copes very well with large cam generated programs (we use featurecam) and has very impressive processing speed and look ahead, and some nice features for surfacing. It's very user friendly without getting in the way or slowing you down in terms of setting tools and work offsets etc.

As Jon points out there is no MDI, whether that is an issue or not is a personal thing, I don't miss it. I can't honestly think of a need for it on the hurco control. About the only time MDI is ever used on our fanucs is to change tools. However his comment of having to write a program to make simple cuts is not strictly true, as you can do that in manual mode.

Jon also mentioned the interrupt button. That feature alone is so good that it will make you wish every machine you own had one!

Mechanically I'm quite impressed. We bought a VMX64/50T last year having priced it against a mazak. I forget the model from mazak, but the hurco was equivalent in terms of speed and capacity, significantly heavier than the mazak and a good bit cheaper. It's a solid machine that spends it's days tearing up large billets of 4145HMod with large tools and high loads. It has impressed us sufficiently that we are hoping to buy another hurco in the near future...

Gregor
 








 
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