Thread: New FPS 300M ready for shipment

Originally Posted by jz79

she's a beauty!

have you named her yet?

Need a really sexy german first name, any suggestions ?

Frau Blücher -- (horse whinnies is the background)! (Props to Young Frankenstein)

How about Elise? Famous German name with the music to go with it

Originally Posted by AlfaGTA

Of course there are questions:
Nice looking machine, perhaps its the lighting but does not appear very shiny in the snaps.
Any comment?

I know that they (FPS) retained the 14 1/2 * pressure angle gearing for the spindle drive.
Wondering if they retained the original Deckel designed needle roller bearing spindles.
Can you tell us the top spindle speed?
Is that machine setup to run "Aktive" on all three axis?
Are the vertical "Box" ways hardened like the later FP-NC's?

I would be somewhat skeptical of a "minimum" lubrication scheme for the ways, knowing what i see on originals machines having problems with
the vertical ways....
Way oil is relatively cheap, wondering why you thought this change was needed?

Nice looking machine. Hope to see it in person when it is all settled in.
Thanks for sharing.....Love to get a sense of how quiet she runs in top gear.
Cheers Ross

Ross,

Per FPS:
- machine does not have needle bearings, FPS regards these as no longer modern and too difficult to change, they are using shoulder bearings same as NC machines
- guideways of machine are not hardened, FPS does not believe this is necessary for manual machine

Originally Posted by AlfaGTA

...
Are the vertical "Box" ways hardened like the later FP-NC's?

...

Are the vertical ways not dovetails?

Also, why is that bearing on the overarm support so HUGE??

Well, you know that you will, for sure, get a lot of envy vibes, but please post as much as possible. And, of course, enjoy this amazing machine!

BR,
Thanos

Originally Posted by drcoelho

Need a really sexy german first name, any suggestions ?

from what I've seen so far, she looks like Heidi to me

Originally Posted by thanvg

Are the vertical ways not dovetails?

Also, why is that bearing on the overarm support so HUGE??

Well, you know that you will, for sure, get a lot of envy vibes, but please post as much as possible. And, of course, enjoy this amazing machine!

BR,
Thanos

I believe FPS decided to adopt the FP2/3/4 overarm support bearing as standard for all their new machines, thus the size. I'm pretty happy about the whole horizontal machining setup, it's got DIN 69871 tooling and very robust arbors and of course the heavy duty support bearing, should be able to move some chips.

Its all a compromise. Small support bearings require less material at the bottom of the support and hence give the ability to reach over the work and cut deeper with the same size cutter.
Of course the larger bearing will provide better support, but uses up clearance ...
This is precisely why most "American" pattern horizontals provided both a style "A" and style"B" arbor support with the appropriate bearing coupled with the correct arbor for each.

Cheers Ross

Originally Posted by drcoelho

I believe FPS decided to adopt the FP2/3/4 overarm support bearing as standard for all their new machines, thus the size. I'm pretty happy about the whole horizontal machining setup, it's got DIN 69871 tooling and very robust arbors and of course the heavy duty support bearing, should be able to move some chips.

I think the overarm support on my FP2, be it the simple one or the attachment for the long-reach head have the same, relatively small bearing. I would say, by memory, around 20 mm or less.
I guess this changed for the later, squared, machines, right?

Heidi is Swiss
Proper German name would be Gretha

Nice machine

Peter

Originally Posted by thanvg

I think the overarm support on my FP2, be it the simple one or the attachment for the long-reach head have the same, relatively small bearing. I would say, by memory, around 20 mm or less.
I guess this changed for the later, squared, machines, right?

FPS is building machines that match the very last designs of Deckel, so yes, anything they build new will have almost identical specs to the squared style machines.

Here's the Indexing Head with Counter Support (more typically setup in vertical) along with the external tailstock:



Here's the Swivelling Fixed Table:



Here's the Swivelling Table with Indexing Attachment (e.g. Universal table):



Here's the Benz Tool Angle Head (SLIM WGX05 model) with custom FPS mount:



Here's the Benz Tool Angle Head (FLEX WDX05 model) with custom FPS mount:



Both Benz Tool Angle Heads accept modern ER collets.

Originally Posted by Peter from Holland

Heidi is Swiss
Proper German name would be Gretha

Nice machine

Peter

funny thing, I'm not well versed in German names, and I thought that Heidi has something to do with Swiss as well, then I looked up where FPS is located, saw that it is in the South, and thought to myself - ah, close enough (and wrote my suggestion)

P.S. sorry for OT