Small CNC advice

[Kennedy314]

I have started working at a place where they want me to set up a small workshop for prototyping and custom parts. the space I've been given is quite small and due to the age of the building the route to my workshop is also quite limited.

I'm having trouble finding a CNC mill that will fit into my workshop, are they're any that you can advise looking at? Currently the only mill I've found that will fit is the HAAS CM-1. I'm not too fond of this mill as I've been finding it hard to find any suppliers that sell ISO20 tool holders. I've also looked at Datron routers but they're smaller machines have a similar problem with tool holder sourcing.


My workshop dimensions are around 6m x 5m x 2.5m.
The smallest chokepoint to my workshop is around 1.9m tall and 1.3m wide.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[beege]

Maybe this will fit?

 

[TeachMePlease]

The Trak will fit. But it's not as good of a machine as the Haas CM1... And I am not really a Haas fan, just stating facts.

Hit up @mhajicek, he'll tell you about his CM1 and where to get holders.

 

[beege]

And I just stumbled over this one from Chiron...

 

[Orange Vise]

Currently the only mill I've found that will fit is the HAAS CM-1. I'm not too fond of this mill as I've been finding it hard to find any suppliers that sell ISO20 tool holders.

Haas sells em. They only have ER16 in one length, but it should cover most bases, I think.

 

[mhajicek]

What sorts of parts will you be making? For what I'm doing (very small medical device parts), the CM-1 is great. It even does well on small (3" x 4") mold blocks (though the roughing is slow), and can run a .010" extended reach ball endmill pretty well. You would be limited in cutter size and stickout; I can run a 3/16" at the cutter's limits, but above that I have to start babying it, up to a 3/8" being the maximum the spindle taper can handle in hard materials at very reduced cutting parameters. Drilling in hard materials is limited to about 3/16" as well due to torque limits; above that I'll helix bore it with a solid carbide high-feed. I have the 50,000rpm spindle though, I think the 30,000 has a little more torque.

Techniks makes the ISO-20 holders for Haas, but I prefer to get them from T-Tool. They seem to have a better fit and finish, at a lower price. They have ER-16 and ER-20; this is their store front:

ISO 20 Tool Holders

www.cnctoolholderstore.com

I can DM you their rep's contact info if you like too, or let me know if you'd like any measurements to make sure it'll fit.

 

[mhajicek]

If you need more reach you can always use something like this:

ER Adapters :: Productivity, Inc.

ER Adapters

ecomm.productivity.com

 

[Kennedy314]

Haas sells em. They only have ER16 in one length, but it should cover most bases, I think.

Sorry I Should've mentioned in my post. I'm based in the UK, HAAS UK don't sell them here. When looking them up I've only seen a limited supply and not much variation. It is similar with Datron I can easily find HSK-60 tool holders but not HSK25e.

 

[Kennedy314]

What sorts of parts will you be making? For what I'm doing (very small medical device parts), the CM-1 is great. It even does well on small (3" x 4") mold blocks (though the roughing is slow), and can run a .010" extended reach ball endmill pretty well. You would be limited in cutter size and stickout; I can run a 3/16" at the cutter's limits, but above that I have to start babying it, up to a 3/8" being the maximum the spindle taper can handle in hard materials at very reduced cutting parameters. Drilling in hard materials is limited to about 3/16" as well due to torque limits; above that I'll helix bore it with a solid carbide high-feed. I have the 50,000rpm spindle though, I think the 30,000 has a little more torque.

Techniks makes the ISO-20 holders for Haas, but I prefer to get them from T-Tool. They seem to have a better fit and finish, at a lower price. They have ER-16 and ER-20; this is their store front:

ISO 20 Tool Holders

www.cnctoolholderstore.com

I can DM you their rep's contact info if you like too, or let me know if you'd like any measurements to make sure it'll fit.

Sorry I Should've mentioned in my post. I'm based in the UK.

I work in experimental physics, so I make parts in a wide range of sizes. This is where I'm having trouble, I would like the biggest machine I can get so I can cover a wider range of sizes. I could fit a larger mill like Hurco's VM10 (Just about) but I wouldn't be able to get it too the workshop.

Material wise I'm quite lucky, I can't use anything magnetic so its usually just Aluminium, OF Copper, Stainless and little bits of Titanium.

Thanks for the tips with tool sizes.

 

[Kingbob]

I would talk to haas and see if they are willing to, or capable of, disassembling bringing in and then reassembling a TM machine for you.

 

[hi-fly-cnc]

My workshop dimensions are around 6m x 5m x 2.5m.
The smallest chokepoint to my workshop is around 1.9m tall and 1.3m wide.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Have you got any external walls?

Seriously, removing one and then putting it back after is not such a tricky job?

Ed

 

[GiroDyno]

Will a small Brother/Robodrill not fit? S300 is 2,497H x 1080W x 2557D and that includes the open control cabinet door.
You'd have to remove the top cover/Z motor to get through the 1.9 high space (assuming doorway?) but that is not terribly complicated.
People (on a seemingly daily basis) shoehorn S5/700s into spaces smaller than yours...

 

[hi-fly-cnc]

Yeah, the S500 is 1.5m wide, but that is presumably with all the covers on. I can't see a (theoretical) reason why it couldn't be disassembled for entry?

Have a chat with Whitehouse Machine Tools (UK) and see if they have some ideas?

 

[Comatose]

It's almost certainly cheaper to widen your constriction than it is to limit your machine choices artificially. Especially if you are in a typical commercial building where interior walls are rarely load bearing. Having to move everything for a shop through a 1.3m wide passage sounds like a proper pain in the butt every day, not just on machinery moving day.

 

[Bluejeep]

Haas sells ISO20 toolholders.

 

[mhajicek]

Haas sells ISO20 toolholders.

Haas resells Techniks ISO 20 holders I believe. T-Tool's ISO 20 holders are nicer in my opinion, and significantly cheaper. Regofix also sells some, and I'm sure they'll be nice, but I'm also sure they'll cost an arm and a leg.

 

[trochoidalpath]

I have a Brother S500X1 in a space smaller than yours (4.8 meters on a side, 2.6 meters tall). It is a close fit but entirely workable — it takes up about half the space, with some room for storage behind and a shallow-depth counter in front. The machine is fantastic.

The challenge would be getting it into your space. I think the minimum width is a touch over 1.62 meters. An S300 would fit easily, if your parts will fit in the machine. I'd probably be looking at whether the access could be widened....