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New machine thread: CM-1

mhajicek

Diamond
Joined
May 11, 2017
Location
Maple Grove, MN, USA
Where's the new machine thread? I know you needed a small mill with a high RPM, but I'd like to hear what all led to that particular machine.

Haas impressed me with the performance of the 2015 VF-3SS with trunnion I'd been using for six years, where I'd been running a one-man prototype and short-run shop for a medical device company. They decided to become a virtual company (a few managers in offices, jobbing out absolutely everything physical), and began the process of shutting down. I was allowed to use the facility for free to begin growing my business, and it's been taking off splendidly.

My clients' parts range from the size of a grain of rice to 7", Titanium to plastic, and I figured it best to start with minimal overhead. So I wanted a machine with full industrial quality, high RPM, and 5 axis capability, that I could fit in the garage with enough space left for inspection etc. Single phase was a bonus.

We got it with a fourth, an wired for 5. 36 tools, 50,000RPM.

IMG-20210909-120209.jpg
 
But but but you should have got a brother :cryin::willy_nilly:
:D

Or a 40x20 with an 8K spindle, depending on who you ask...

Is having the 4th only going to be a big limitation compared to the 5th you have been running? What will the cubic size limit be of a 5 axis trunion on the CM?

What is a "normal" machine for medical implants? Would it be a Kern? It seems like you've been on the large and now small sides of the equation, making it happen. I see the swiss lathe promo videos making crazy parts, but setting those up for one-off parts seems painful.

Can you share pictures of parts you've run? I'm trying to imagine a rice grain sized part and coming up short.
 
I'll be able to do all of my current clients' existing repeat parts in 3 or 4 axis, with suitable fixturing. I need a couple months of paid invoices and then I can add the fifth, a TRT70, which has a 4" diameter work envelope for positional, or 1" for live 5 due to torque limitations. If business continues at its current pace, I should be looking at machine #2 within a year, hopefully something a little larger. Then after a couple years probably getting a space, moving out of the garage, and some larger, higher performance machines and a good quality CMM, and maybe a Swiss.

The bone plates I was doing were for the company that shut down; my current clients' parts generally are much simpler. But with the fifth I'll have more versatility to take on more challenging work and more clients.
 
I'm still wondering how you are gonna do this without having a brother...they are the only pm approved garage machine and the choice of like 10 other pm companies to use. [/sarcasm]
 
I'm still wondering how you are gonna do this without having a brother...they are the only pm approved garage machine and the choice of like 10 other pm companies to use. [/sarcasm]


The rest of us our wondering why you are trolling Mike's thread.
 
Hi mhajicek:
Welcome aboard the club of guys with their own machines...I'm stoked for you and just a little bit envious.
I've had my eye on a CM1 with a TRT 70 for a while now but haven't pulled the trigger because I'm getting on in years and not too eager to commit only to fall over dead from a heart attack the next day, leaving my Lovely Wife with even more of a pile of gear to get rid of.

Definitely envious though, especially of that spindle speed.
I'm still limping along with a Minimill bought new in 2001...6 whole thousand RPM, (WooHoo), and it's painful to try to use a 0.010" cutter for our kind of work at those kinds of speeds.

So which spindle option did you choose?
I assume you got probing and a tool setter and all the other goodies too.

I will be looking forward to hear how you like the machine...if you speak highly enough about it I just might swallow my apprehensions and pull the trigger too, so I'll be watching with great interest as you post about how it's all working out for you.

All fingers and toes are crossed for your success, and if there's anything I can do to help you out as you come up to speed, give me a shout.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

Whoops I see you already posted your spindle choice...now I'm REALLY jealous!
 
Or a 40x20 with an 8K spindle, depending on who you ask...

Is having the 4th only going to be a big limitation compared to the 5th you have been running? What will the cubic size limit be of a 5 axis trunion on the CM?

What is a "normal" machine for medical implants? Would it be a Kern? It seems like you've been on the large and now small sides of the equation, making it happen. I see the swiss lathe promo videos making crazy parts, but setting those up for one-off parts seems painful.

Can you share pictures of parts you've run? I'm trying to imagine a rice grain sized part and coming up short.



The small PEEK part in this image is about the size of a grain of rice. You can hold a thousand of 'em in one hand. I wouldn't want to make 'em in a VMC though.

meniscal+fastfix.png
 
This machine has me curious so I did a search and found an interesting video of them being made. I always like to see machines with their covers off exposing the castings, ways, and screws. Check the video out at 2:20


It would be interesting to see your machine make some stuff, even if it's just simple parts for fixturing or such. There are not many videos of it making parts and none without music. I am curious about how stable it can machine.

Does that 50k spindle have cooling? How long can it run at 50k? or 30k?
 
It would be interesting to see your machine make some stuff, even if it's just simple parts for fixturing or such. There are not many videos of it making parts and none without music. I am curious about how stable it can machine.

I'll record and post some stuff when I'm up and running.

Does that 50k spindle have cooling? How long can it run at 50k? or 30k?

I didn't see anything about a cooling system, but I also haven't seen anything about a duty cycle.

CM-1 50k Spindle.jpg
 
50k is spinning pretty fast so at first be aware of the spindle temps. All I found said "air cooling". What is the warmup routine for the spindle? Those certainly are cute little holders.
 
…….Nice looking machine with the guards off - ratios of pitch of rails and sizes etc look sturdy for this size of machine.

This ^ is kidding right? The video showing this without covers highlights just how skimpy the construction is. Then, the spec is skimpy too. Slow rapids and feeds for a tiny machine.

The X arrangement was particularly shocking. The guide blocks for X are mounted very closely on the Y casting. This likely accounts for the very modest 150 lb table load limit. At the travel limits it appears that more than half the table is overhung from the blocks. This is asking for table roll after some period of use.

I get that this is intended as a super light duty machine tool. I just see areas where it could have been much more nicely designed to give longer accurate service. We saw similar with Mori’s M300L machines in the Y axis. The blocks were closely spaced relative to the axis travel. After 5 or so years of use, moving Y toward the negative travel limit would show a couple thousandths of droop and resulting loss of geometric accuracy.
 
This ^ is kidding right? The video showing this without covers highlights just how skimpy the construction is. Then, the spec is skimpy too. Slow rapids and feeds for a tiny machine.

The X arrangement was particularly shocking. The guide blocks for X are mounted very closely on the Y casting. This likely accounts for the very modest 150 lb table load limit. At the travel limits it appears that more than half the table is overhung from the blocks. This is asking for table roll after some period of use.

I get that this is intended as a super light duty machine tool. I just see areas where it could have been much more nicely designed to give longer accurate service. We saw similar with Mori’s M300L machines in the Y axis. The blocks were closely spaced relative to the axis travel. After 5 or so years of use, moving Y toward the negative travel limit would show a couple thousandths of droop and resulting loss of geometric accuracy.


Yeah, my eyes bugged out at 2:20 in the video. I had to back it up and watch it a few times. It looks like the Y axis blocks are touching too. At least the blocks and rails are certainly oversized for that machine.
 








 
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