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looking for feedback on Haas DT2

D.D.Machine

Stainless
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Location
poulsbo, wa, usa
I need to add a new spindle to the shop and run a lot of alum parts thru VF super speed mills . and there doing a great job ,, but I have a lot of second op parts coming up and would like to get a faster machine to save on building big fixtures to keep the tool change time down ,,, so the question is how are the DM machine at milling ?
 
I really like mine. It is scary fast and I haven't had any mechanical or accuracy issues. It makes a lot of chips very fast. Tool changes are crazy fast. I have a TRT100 on mine.

I am in N. Idaho. You are more than welcome to make the drive over if you want to see it running.
 
I put in two DT2's in September. I also have a DT1 that's 7 years old. Was looking at a robodrill but decided two spindles are more productive than one for basically the same price. I went with the DT vs DM because I think you gain 3 more tools. Unless you're doing sub thou work they are great little machines.
 
Don't buy a DT series. And if you're going to buy a dm2...might as well get the dm2.

We have 14 of them and plan to buy 2 more next year to replace the older vf2s we have. Primarily do aluminum and 4130/4140 alloy steels with some titanium in there sometimes. No issue with tolerance, repeatedly, or surface finish.

They are more rigid than the robodrills and equally as fast.

I bit the bullet and got probing and automatic coolant refill on every machine. Ended up not putting the tool setters in the machines and just use our standalone tool setter.

It's neat to see the difference between the two mill departments....one side has auto coolant refill and the other doesn't. Less down time for coolant refills and no more spills on the auto side.



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One of the questions I had about the DM2 mills is if they really need bolting down to the floor ?
I do a lot of second opps that are 5 or 6 tool and well the vf2ss mills are fast by the end of the day there tool changer starts looking slow...


( Goo Proto I sent you a IM )
 
"Don't buy a DT series. And if you're going to buy a dm2...might as well get the dm2."

What's wrong with DT series?

All my tools are less than 1/4" and the extra tools were way more important to me than having a 40 taper. 20 vs. 18 tools.
 
"Don't buy a DT series. And if you're going to buy a dm2...might as well get the dm2."

What's wrong with DT series?

All my tools are less than 1/4" and the extra tools were way more important to me than having a 40 taper. 20 vs. 18 tools.
We don't have any of our machines bolted down. The first 4 we gave it a go without it and haven't had any issues at all so skipped bolting the rest down.

Dm is just a more rigid machine. The first 4 we have are an old casting style with 6 leveling pads. The new ones only have 4. 2 of the new castings have a little twist we can't get out .

Keep that in mind if you are going to need that twist taken out with 4 pads. Also I don't like bt30. It's a whimpy taper with the pull studs are tiny. It's not uncommon to take hefty facemill cuts here and the cat40 handles it much better than the bt30 robodrills.

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I am looking at the DM2 with auger and HSM only ... All my other Haas mills have probing and 4th axis. I just need a simple 3 axis mill that can crank out second opp parts coming off the 4th. Well I really have learned to like the probing I don`t want to use the table space on a DM to mount it ...

I have looked into the BT30 thing and don`t think its for me ,, I like the idea that the DM uses the same holders as the VF mills I all ready have and that I can run a pull stud I don`t have to worry about ,,,, from everything I have read it sounds like the "FUSE" in a BT30 machine is the stud busting. I have stalled the spindles on vf2ss and vf4ss machines and it just chipped a cutter and I was back up and running with only a cutter and program change ,,
 
I am looking at the DM2 with auger and HSM only ... All my other Haas mills have probing and 4th axis. I just need a simple 3 axis mill that can crank out second opp parts coming off the 4th. Well I really have learned to like the probing I don`t want to use the table space on a DM to mount it ...

I have looked into the BT30 thing and don`t think its for me ,, I like the idea that the DM uses the same holders as the VF mills I all ready have and that I can run a pull stud I don`t have to worry about ,,,, from everything I have read it sounds like the "FUSE" in a BT30 machine is the stud busting. I have stalled the spindles on vf2ss and vf4ss machines and it just chipped a cutter and I was back up and running with only a cutter and program change ,,
Get the probing, you're already a pro with it and the dm2 has plenty of dead table space so it won't take up room or waste space.





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We just finished up the first batch of 250,000 of Walmart's new facial recognition camera housings that were ran on DM-1's and DM-2's and they performed flawlessly. Most of the ops were tapping but had a few milled features and handled them fine also. I opted for the 12K spindles rather than the 15k just so I could take advantage of the low end torque to get the taps up to speed. I'm still quite sure the spindle can't hit 5000 rpms tapping but it's fast enough.

I have worked the heck out of em running balls out 24/6 for over a year and other than preventative maintenance there has been no service calls. Most of the machines have well over 300K tool changes and my only concern is as fast as that arm swings around, just how much can they take. My only gripes are the door is a bit small and on the new models it's the only window on the machine. I just can't figure out why they took out the second window.

I did have to farm some of the parts out to another shop that has Robodrills and using my same program, fixturing and tools they did manage to squeeze 14 seconds off the total cycle for 6 parts. I like the tool changer better on the Robodrill but the even smaller door, no programmable coolant nozzle, and dingy lighting inside would be enough to steer me away from the Fanuc.
 
I would like to thanks every one for there feedback on the mill . I just got a DM2 on order today and it should be on my floor in a couple weeks. I well be pulling a job off a VF2SS and putting it on the DM2 and well post up the cycle times for each machine ,,
 
I would like to thanks every one for there feedback on the mill . I just got a DM2 on order today and it should be on my floor in a couple weeks. I well be pulling a job off a VF2SS and putting it on the DM2 and well post up the cycle times for each machine ,,
You forgot the most important add-on though lol auto coolant!

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You forgot the most important add-on though lol auto coolant!

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I just wanted a simple inexpensive fast machine ,,, all my other Haas mills are loaded with 4th , probing , ETC .... This mill well be feed a lot of second opp skim the back off and what I call ZERO opp parts ,,, meaning it well face the back and cut the ends to size before going into one of the VF mills for a spin on the 4th ..

one of the biggest factors for my choice on the DM2 was I can run any of my programs from the VF mills and use all the tooling from them ..
 
Once you get it....I think it may be best to swap... Using your vf for the 2nd op.

Wait until you see how fast it is compares to the vf series.

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Sometimes its what the doctor called for...quick simple and least expensive.
Then next one can be tailored closer to your needs as they develop.


Its a huge benefit when you can pull a job from one machine, load into another, hit start and go.

Best of luck with the new machine!
 








 
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