I need some advice to figure out my options for a smaller, cost-effective cnc mill. One was a Moore jig borer with ballscrews and x-y servos. We need the accuracy afforded by a machine like this but I don't know if it's practical, and I don't know if I can trust the accuracy of a converted vertical mill. We have a machine now that was custom built around 1980 as a 5-axis machine but we only use it in 3. It's a 9000lb beast but extremely accurate. However the software system is completely out-dated. I'm looking into what it would cost to upgrade but if I can replace the entire system machine and all for the same price without sacrificing the accuracy I already have, I would do it.
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CNC Mill Suggestions
- Thread starter glassman
- Start date
- Replies 11
- Views 1,826
ManualEd
Stainless
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Location
- Kelowna, Canada
You're not going to get any useful answers without more information.
How accurate do you actually need it to be, and what brand and control are you thinking of upgrading?
Size of work envelope?
How accurate do you actually need it to be, and what brand and control are you thinking of upgrading?
Size of work envelope?
I would think any decent CNC mill built in the past 35 years will be better than a converted jig borer.
9000 lbs is a very small machine. That's under the table load capacity on a lot of machines.
Spell out what you are trying to do and look at craigslist. Plenty available out there.
9000 lbs is a very small machine. That's under the table load capacity on a lot of machines.
Spell out what you are trying to do and look at craigslist. Plenty available out there.
We are performing very light side cuts, about 0.020", on 0.25" aluminum, so not heavy duty at all. But the contours we are cutting have to be extremely accurate, 0.0001-0.0002" max. The parts are not big, about 8" x 5" max.so I thought that perhaps the x-y accuracy of a jig borer might get me there.
as9100d
Stainless
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- Apr 19, 2019
- Location
- Paris, Arkansas
Finegrain
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2007
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
You have strict thermal control then? 8" Al part will change by .0002" per * Kelvin.
Regards.
Mike
as9100d
Stainless
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2019
- Location
- Paris, Arkansas
You're not going to get that with old machines that's for sure.... Maybe look at okuma Genos better
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Really? Get real. I know you have your factory filled with new Haas's and ISO shit, but a couple tenths position on a 5" part is not really a stretch for any old Jap machine.
The fucking ballscrews on my 80's Mori's are bigger diameter than the servo motors on your Haas's.
as9100d
Stainless
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2019
- Location
- Paris, Arkansas
Sorry man, you're not going to convert an old mill to CNC and get .0001 precision.
And we all know it's not the size of the ballscrew that matters ..it's all about the precision of the ballscrew that makes the ladies happy [emoji23]
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Yeah, I agree converting anything is just stupid, but you gotta be a little more specific than "Old is not going to do it". I have a lot of CNC shit that's 20-30 years old and it's damn accurate.
as9100d
Stainless
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2019
- Location
- Paris, Arkansas
Did you read the OP post? That's why I said what I said... He wants to convert a jig machine into a CNC machine.
Any 2000+ CNC mill with a boring head will nail that tolerance
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Any 2000+ CNC mill with a boring head will nail that tolerance
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