Automate 1032vmc

[Doubleeboy]

Hi All, Looking to buy my first CNC mill. I am not opposed to used but all I can find is beat, too large for my shop and electrical service. I am limited by 8' doors, 9' ceilings and need to limit a 3 phase motor to 6hp or so. I would jump at a nice Haas Mini Mill if it were in good shape and recent with reasonable price but that does not seem to happen very often in Oregon.

http://www.smithy.com/am-1032-bed-mill

I have checked out the AutoMate online and spent some time via email corresponding to the company (Smithy) and their tech seems pretty upfront. Its a Chinese machine, built to their specs. I have not seen the machine in person and would like to know if anyone around here as seen one or know of anyone who uses one. The story I got from Smithy is that they are selling mostly to small shops hence not much talk or videos of them in action on line. The one reference I have spoken with likes the machine and is making money with it in his gunsmithing shop, does not regret the purchase, said tech support from Detroit Machine (smithy) is good.

If anyone here has any input I am all ears.

thanks
michael

 

[tmarks11]

The 1032 bed mill is the same mill that Novakon sells as the Torus Pro, except that Smithy is up-spec'ing it with an industrial controller instead of Mach 3, a servo spindle, a 3/4 enclosure, BT30 tooling and a ATC. Recommend you go to both the Smithy and the Novakon forums on cnczone and read some user reviews.

The Smithy price is a reasonable price compared to the Novakon once you consider what those upgrades would run.

By and large, Novakon users love their machine. Not a lot of owners of the current 1032 offering, but they have sold it in the past in a stripped down form that more closely resembled Novakon's version.

 

[Doubleeboy]

I do not think the AutoMate is same machine as Torus Pro, isn't the Pro dovetail slideways. There is a substantial weight difference in machines, the Automate has smaller x travel but weights considerably more.

I will go check out CNC zone and read about the Torus again, not much on smithy accept a few comments by Cade in which you were involved.

cheers
michael

 

[tmarks11]

hmm, I missed that.

Didn't notice that they had updated to linear ways when they up-shifted their offerings. That makes the machine look even more reasonably priced; the extra $10.5k is buying quite a few improvements.

What made me think this was the Torus Pro was the first extra picture on the 1032VMC page, where it shows the back of the vertical column, which is clearly the same as the Torus. But after looking at it again (as compared to the other 1032VMC pictures), it really looks like they have scrambled their picture set, and that is actually a picture of their old mill that they discontinued... even the BL1032 is slightly different.

Smithy had a lot of scrambled pictures on their lathe offerings (which I have been drooling over), the SL6 page shows a couple different castings (which was clearly impossible). They said they would clean it up.

But I agree, the 1032VMC is clearly a different machine, and I don't think it has its roots in the Torus Pro design.



Smithy used to sell a bed mill that was exactly the same as the Torus Pro. But now that I have looked closer at all their photos (except for the one above), it really looks like they no longer carry that model. Even the BL1032 (which has dovetail X &Y) has a different geometry to the column then the Torus.

The BL1032 also seems to be a much better deal than the Torus Pro ($14.7k vs 15.5k for the Torus Pro Servo version): it has a PDB and BT30 spindle, both options on the stock Torus Pro. Plus, it has an industrial controller.

 

[Doubleeboy]

Its odd that there is almost no mention of these machines on online forums or youtube. Cade seems like an okay fellow, seems to know his stuff, but the communication leaves a bit to be desired. I am a serious buyer and have the funds. I am hesitant to pull on trigger on the word of only one of their customers 2500 miles away. I suspect but do not know for a fact that they have sold not many of these machines.

michael

 

[tmarks11]

Smithy has really seemed to dabble in hobby level cnc for a long time. First it was the Sieg KX1 and KX3, then it was the Novakon NM200, now it looks like the have jumped in with both feet with a large product line.

I think you don't see very many customers for their current machinery yet because they just jumped (last year) from the relatively cheap stuff ($3k-$11k) to some semi-pro equipment. There is one guy on the cnc zone smithy forum who just bought one of their lathes, and he seems happy (so far), although he hasn't posted much about it yet.

One "comforting fact" is that they have been in business selling machinery for a long, long time. So they are not a fly-by-night company that is going to disappear, leaving you with a non-working $20K lump of precision junk.

If I was going to buy, I would take a trip to their showroom to look at the machines and talk to their salesman. This is a lot of money to spend sight unseen. I flew down to CA to look at Novakon and Tormach before I bought my Tormach 1100 (and that is a lot less money).

Its odd that there is almost no mention of these machines on online forums or youtube.

Bolton Hardware is another one in that odd niche. They have had a similar lineup to Smithy for awhile, and they are currently selling a machine (BT24L) that looks just like the 1032VMC. But you NEVER ready anything about any of their machines. And they have been marketing cnc for at least 5 years.

http://boltontool.com/Lathes/milling-machine/3-axis-cnc-mill-with-10-position-atc

I think I would be more inclined to buy from Smithy than from Bolton, even if it costs a few bucks more. Smithy is focused on the machining market whereas it is just another product in a box for Bolton.

 

[Doubleeboy]

Thank you for your insight Tim. Its a chunk of change for me to fly to Smithy for a look, but Kade and the machine will be in LA in a couple weeks for a show and tell, I am in the process of trying to fit into their schedule so I can see machine under power making chips. If it does not work out I will likely suck it up and spend the grand to fly east. I totally agree about seeing the machine. I have considered the Torus Pro, and its a fall back option but bang for the buck the AutoMate looks awfully good. If the tolerances published in their online manual are true its a pretty tight machine.

Thank you again for your thoughts
cheers
michael

 

[tmarks11]

Well if you buy one, I will swing by and check it out next time I am your neck of the would (in-laws live in Albany, OR, my wife and I went to school at OSU).

 

[Doubleeboy]

Go Beavers!!!! nice work by the Womens BB team.

Ya, I made my flight reservation today for LA in a couple weeks. Its possible I may buy the machine they are demoing in LA to save 1000 miles of shipping, might be worth it. Kade asked me what kind of part I wanted made for my demo, which will be early in the morning before their actual show starts. I did not have one in particular other than 3D with curves in steel. My main concerns are ; overall feel of machine, what it sounds like, chip to chip speed of ATC, does PDB lock up tight without issues, does it sound like a bucket of bolts or a well designed machine and what kind of vibration is there when running hi speed feeds or rapids. As they are doing a show I don't know if they will be running flood so I may not get to see how well it drains, or leaks, but I suspect I will run a FogBuster anyhow, so not an issue really. I suspect I will be pleased, but if not, I am prepared to go home empty handed and look for used Haas or the like. I am limited by power supply and door and ceiling issues. This machine would be perfect size wise, I could fit in, power it with current 10HP rotary, and still be able to run one other machine at same time.

I will let you know how it all turns out.

michael

 

[tmarks11]

What show are they down there for? And are they bringing any lathes?