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New Machine Day - Mazak VCU500 5 Axis

StreetSpeed

Hot Rolled
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
Location
NY
Folks,

Our first Mazak mill arrived yesterday. Tis' a VCU500A-5X. We moved two Haas's around in our milling department and managed to squeeze in the Mazak. Actually created more room in the area, but I'm running out of space in the shop. Just waiting for the tech to come and set it up. Looking forward to making some chips. I'll update this thread once the spindle is turning.

Oh also, we just launched our new website. If PM will allow the blatant self promotion please check out AMT- Advanced Manufacturing Techniques and let me know what you think!


The mill area beginning of this year. 4 Haas mills.


The arrival. 15,000lbs of it.


Unwrapping in the parking lot. The business end of the machine looks, "daintier" than I originally imagined. I'm sure it'll be fine. It weighs twice as much as our VF2 and is anchored to the floor.


Slid the VF2 to the right and put the VF5 where the VF2 was. That piece of paper on the ground is where the Mazak was to go. Unfortunately we had the paper turned 90 degrees the whole time we were planning for this install. Machine is actually much deeper than it is wide.


It fits!


It actually fits!



New layout. Quite happy. Except of course for the oily tops of the machines in this picture. Man they get dirty fast.
 
You are going to need to make all new programs for the Mazak. Running a program optimized for a Haas is not going to do the Mazak any justice. Crank it up! :D
 
Are those a 4+1 machine or Simultaneous 5 axis?

Nice machine btw :cheers:

Simultaneous 5x. However I bought it for 3+2 initially. True 5 axis parts will come after we get comfortable with this thing. It's funny though a couple people knew we were getting this machine and through word of mouth we've gotten a few 5-axis quotes. I'm not getting the word out to all our customers until we can really run this thing.
 
Congrats!

One word for you: software.

A machine like this needs high speed toolpaths to shine.

As much as I love Mazatrol, this machine needs to be fed from some high-end CAM.

ToolCat
 
Congrats!

One word for you: software.

A machine like this needs high speed toolpaths to shine.

As much as I love Mazatrol, this machine needs to be fed from some high-end CAM.

ToolCat

We have high end cam. I wouldn't dream of running a mill with Mazatrol. Our lathe guy runs our QTS250 with Mazatrol - seems stupid compared to just doing everything in cam.
 
We have high end cam. I wouldn't dream of running a mill with Mazatrol. Our lathe guy runs our QTS250 with Mazatrol - seems stupid compared to just doing everything in cam.

I agree with the need for CAM on the mill, but Mazatrol on the lathe is stupid simple and way faster to produce and prove out a program than any CAM system I have seen or used. Time it for yourself.
 
I agree with the need for CAM on the mill, but Mazatrol on the lathe is stupid simple and way faster to produce and prove out a program than any CAM system I have seen or used. Time it for yourself.

Perhaps. Seems to me like our guy is on the phone with Mazak every time a part comes up that is out of the ordinary (which is our primary job). Change this parameter, adjust that setting, and then it works. I'd prefer the machine just do what I tell it do instead of working around a bunch of parameters. But, to each his own.
 
New layout. Quite happy. Except of course for the oily tops of the machines in this picture. Man they get dirty fast.

Big congrats from me, that's going to be fun to learn. On the dirty machine tops, close up the open tops and get some mist collectors on the machines, or get a central unit and plumb to each mill and lathe. Your shop will stay much cleaner and your worker's lungs will be happier. It's one of the best investments you can make for employee moral (outside of strippers).
 
No Okuma?

They didn't give me that one from the video thing so Eff em'!

Just kidding, I'm sure they're great machines. Mazak has courted me for a few years and I was very impressed with their factory, their sales and support, and the equipment, so I figured I'd give them a shot. QTS250 is cool, but really looking forward to getting my hands on this machine since I'll be running it primarily.
 
Just an update. Machine took a bit longer to dial in then anyone would have liked. Tech couldn't get the axes any better than .001'' at first. Tried grinding shims, ended up having to order shims from the factory. All in all he was there about 7 days. Got it mostly tooled up and started making parts on it last week. Then I got a "low lube alarm" that wouldn't shut off. Call tech support, they had me bleed the grease pump but to no avail. Sent a tech, took the sheet metal off, and found the grease line in the back was loose and just spewing grease all over the back of the machine. 3 hours of driving for a 10 minute fix. Oh well. Just hope these little problems don't keep popping up.

The 3+2 ability is a revelation. Linked below is a short vid of one side of a part. Easy part, only doing 20, but eliminating two weird setups and the speed of this machine will finish the parts multiples faster than I quoted. Love programming to the center of the table, setting the Z and pressing start. We've gotten up to speed making chips on this machine much faster than I thought. I don't like the control. It's not ergonomic, and things that take 2 buttons on the Haas take 10 on the Mazak. I'm already getting pretty quick on it, but we'll see how I feel about the control after a few months.

https://www.instagram.com/p/-4frcVw213/?taken-by=amt_machine

We're slammed at the moment, so I'm getting myself up to speed on the machine before we bring in a guy for onsite training for three days (which I've already paid for). Prolly won't be til beginning of next year.

Anyway so far I'm impressed. I think this will be a game changer for us.


AMT- Advanced Manufacturing Techniques
 
Just an update. Machine took a bit longer to dial in then anyone would have liked. Tech couldn't get the axes any better than .001'' at first. Tried grinding shims, ended up having to order shims from the factory. All in all he was there about 7 days. Got it mostly tooled up and started making parts on it last week. Then I got a "low lube alarm" that wouldn't shut off. Call tech support, they had me bleed the grease pump but to no avail. Sent a tech, took the sheet metal off, and found the grease line in the back was loose and just spewing grease all over the back of the machine. 3 hours of driving for a 10 minute fix. Oh well. Just hope these little problems don't keep popping up.

The 3+2 ability is a revelation. Linked below is a short vid of one side of a part. Easy part, only doing 20, but eliminating two weird setups and the speed of this machine will finish the parts multiples faster than I quoted. Love programming to the center of the table, setting the Z and pressing start. We've gotten up to speed making chips on this machine much faster than I thought. I don't like the control. It's not ergonomic, and things that take 2 buttons on the Haas take 10 on the Mazak. I'm already getting pretty quick on it, but we'll see how I feel about the control after a few months.

https://www.instagram.com/p/-4frcVw213/?taken-by=amt_machine

We're slammed at the moment, so I'm getting myself up to speed on the machine before we bring in a guy for onsite training for three days (which I've already paid for). Prolly won't be til beginning of next year.

Anyway so far I'm impressed. I think this will be a game changer for us.


AMT- Advanced Manufacturing Techniques

I am using that vise (and the riser too, although I can't completely see it in vid, pretty sure...), I really like it so far. I have only used a few controls, but the 5 axis mazaks I ran before the controls sucked too, not sure what model they were, I just ran parts, no programming on them. :( What cam are you using? We have mastercam, we bought the multiaxis and machine simulation for our Haas UMC750. So far it works pretty good. No crashes yet, well maybe a smudge mark on the paint haha. I have found one thing though, you really have to set everything correctly in your cam if you want to use it to verify and not have an oops. Seriously, I know it sounds like a no-brainer, but set your stickout lengths on tools to what they actually are!! Also, if you have a transform function to set the height of your part, put a rough value to start using a tape measure or whatever, but once you actually pick up Z, put the actual value in! This affects everything on your 3+2 setups since the cam calculates your offsets, tool positions, etc from this when you are not at ABC 0. < I mean for the verfiy, your program will still work, but you might have a clearance issue, or a tool not long enough when you actually start running.
 
Oh also, we just launched our new website. If PM will allow the blatant self promotion please check out AMT- Advanced Manufacturing Techniques and let me know what you think!


Nice shop & website and congrats on the new machine!

One recommendation on your website. I would keep the type of work you do as generic as possible. Could cause problems with your insurance. They don't like words like "defense", "aerospace" & "medical"
 








 
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