CNC decision paralysis - Probably Tormach

Do they offer a servo/encoder option for the Tormach? I retrofitted a Millport knee mill with an Ajax AllinOneDC Centroid retrofit setup - it is nema 42 servo equipped and nmtb30. It is pricey but super easy for me to use. I want an enclosure though - man the open knee machine is messy! I saw the 1100 has an enclosure option now. I think I will just build my own enclosure for the knee.
 
I just finished an enclosure for my mill. It is not water tight, though I don't use flood coolant, so it's not an issue. Makes a huge difference in how often I need to sweep ;) Material is 1/8" lexan sheet, and 1010 series 80/20 extrusion.

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You can see the pile of chips I accumulated when machining some pieces for the 3d printer I am working on. All that would have been strewn about the garage, or all over me.

Regarding servos/steppers, I don't think it's that big a deal. I mean, definitely on larger machines, they are worth it, but on machines in this range, steppers work fine. I wen't with DC servo's on my mill because the cost difference was not that great. They are a bit of a pain to tune as well. AC servos of course beat everything hands down... except on price.

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One of the things I like and hate about the Tormach is the TTS. I like the idea of being able to switch tools quickly, with the Z-referenced. But I don't like the issues that many have experienced with Pull-out. I'm pretty conservative on my cuts on my manual mill, however. I'm more interested in tool life and finish quality than ultimate speed.

I like the Centroid conversions. But more time, risk and set-up required. Has anyone used or converted a Bridgeport Boss?

Anyone ever done/seen a centroid-type retrofit on a VMC, like a fadal, or similar?

Eric
 
Eric,
A few years ago I came to the same conclusion as you. I made the decision to purchase a Tormach 1100. Before I ordered a new one, I got on ebay and CL and took a look. I wound up purchasing a used one with a base, computer, rotary table, a bunch of TTS tooling and quite a lot of other tooling for about 60% of new price. If you have some time, and the ability to go pick up a mill, I would definitely look around for a used one. As far as the pull out on the TTS, you need to take a look at the white paper on that subject on Tormachs website. Rember, tools can pull out of regular R8 coletts, too.

CJ
 
I'm pretty conservative on my cuts on my manual mill, however. I'm more interested in tool life and finish quality than ultimate speed.

Eric

I'm not very conservative on the cuts, remnants of my jobbing shop day's, take as much as you can as fast as you can, and I've never had a tool pull out yet, I mostly use 5/16 and 3/8 two flute carbide for hogging out the meat because that's what I happen to have, I've not tried a heavy cut with a 1/2 tool yet.:))
 
I run a mix of TTS holders and regular R8-collets. I have not had any problems with pullout on the TTS. I recommend reading the Tormach app-note on pullout, regardless of whether you go with TTS tools, Tormach, or anything else.
 
It's all good discussion to know and be aware of all the possibilities but beware of analysis-paralysis. When the time came for me, it came down to two things: A) Making sure in my mind that CNC was needed/necessary for the work I do. B) Deciding on a budget. You might find (as I did) that deciding on a budget will quickly narrow-down the possibilities -keeping in mind, that in my case, the decision was made to purchase a pre-canned machine. Of course, it's absolutely necessary to do your homework and learn what's out there -but when the time comes, make sure your eyes don't get bigger than your pocketbook.

Budget is really key here. For example, Haas has a personal/professional milling station but by the time you add all the "nice to have" stuff, it cost 50 grand. For that kind of money, you can purchase a Hurco production machine and it will out-gun anything on the block. There are other good names to look at too like Litz Hitech (which is available through me) who makes the machines for Hurco. Milltronics, and other names too.

I personally looked at some very nice package setups (which have been discussed by others in this thread) which have many nice features and a lot of glitz and pizazz... At the end of the day, I personally felt that I was getting wrapped-up and suckered-in just like the teenager down the block with a tricked-out Honda Civic... you know, the kind of car with fancy tires, expensive rims, tricked-out suspension, custom exhaust, nitrous injectors -and big fuzzy dice hanging from the rear-view mirror... -And a year from now, it will be burning 2 quarts of oil a week and have a market value of ZIP.

... In any event, the decision process should start with what you need and can afford. If you're doing this for a hobby and are financially well-off, just go out and buy something high end. If you're like me (starting a business and money is tight) and had some, but not huge, need for CNC work; a basic and reliable machine is probably best. Also, it's not going to kill you to change bits by hand; I've done it on my manual mill for a long time and I'm still here, alive and breathing to tell you about it.

Having said all this, I'm pricing/negotiating a high-end CNC -not because I want one -but because I'm also negotiating a contract to produce parts with it. Do I plan to sell the one I have? -Nope!

Ray

EDIT: And FWIW, I've used both R8 endmill holders and ER32 collets and no bit has ever pulled out on me. If they do, it's because you didn't design your feeds, speeds and toolpaths properly.
 
I'm not very conservative on the cuts, remnants of my jobbing shop day's, take as much as you can as fast as you can, and I've never had a tool pull out yet, I mostly use 5/16 and 3/8 two flute carbide for hogging out the meat because that's what I happen to have, I've not tried a heavy cut with a 1/2 tool yet.:))

Don,

The combo of using both roughing and finish endmills is very effective and it's saving me a lot of money. The roughing endmills almost look like spiral taps and they tear off meat really fast and best used with hill climbs (assuming you have ball screws). I take everything down to within 10 or 15 thou then switch to the finish endmills. The finish endmills are lasting much longer this way...


Ray
 
I thought the same way Ray did about changing tools manually when I bought my Tormach 770, after running 10 small parts with 8 tool changes per part I decided to order the power drawbar. It is well worth the money in my opinion and I would never go back to manually changing tools. Now I just need to find a place to hang my fuzzy dice :rofl:

Kevin
 
It seems to me that if you're going to use the TTS, then the power draw bar would be almost a necessity.

But fuzzy dice... Lol ? We're working with metal here, so you need something like these.

i-6pnDBfm-M.jpg

(5/8" cube, O-1, Heat treated and polished)
 
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