Vertical Machining Center is designed for mold makers.
Press Release Summary:
Built with cast-iron construction, VM-3 employs 12,000 rpm inline direct-drive spindle powered by 30 hp vector dual drive system. Features include 40 x 26 x 25 in. work cube, 54 x 25 in. table with 4,000 lb capacity, and high-speed control with full look-ahead. Machine also incorporates internal ribbing on castings, linear guides on all axes, and brushless servos combined with fine-pitch ballscrews and digital encoders. Side-mount tool changer holds 24+1 tools.
Original Press Release:
New High-Speed VMC for the Mold Makers
Haas Automation, Inc., continues to expand its product line to meet the needs of today's industries. The company's latest entry is a high-speed VMC designed for mold makers. Dubbed the VM-3, this high-performance machine features a generous 40"x26"x25" work cube, a 54"x25" table, a 12,000-rpm inline direct-drive spindle and a high-speed control with full look-ahead.
Like all Haas VMCs, the VM-3 features massive cast-iron construction. Extensive internal ribbing on the castings increases rigidity and damps vibrations. High-precision linear guides on all axes further increase rigidity and stiffness, while providing a low coefficient of friction and long-term reliability. High-speed brushless servos, combined with fine-pitch ballscrews and high-resolution digital encoders, ensure ultra-precise positioning and extreme repeatability.
The VM-3 is equipped with a 12,000-rpm, 40-taper spindle that uses a unique inline, direct-drive system that couples the motor directly to the spindle rather than using belts (a major source of heat). This results in less vibration, less heat and less noise than other drive systems, providing excellent surface finishes, extreme thermal stability and quiet operation. Powered by a 30-hp vector dual drive system, the spindle produces plenty of low-end torque, as well as the speed necessary for high-speed machining. On-the-fly wye-delta switching provides a wide constant horsepower band.
To ensure thermal stability, coolant is circulated through a jacket in the VM-3's head casting to remove heat generated by the spindle. The headstock is also lined with insulating material to prevent radiated heat from affecting the casting, and air is circulated through the entire assembly for additional cooling. An electronic thermal compensation algorithm in the Haas control accurately models ballscrew heating from high duty cycles and automatically corrects for any expansion that could cause positioning errors.
The VM-3's 54"x25" cast-iron table features standard T-slots, as well as an array of drilled and tapped holes, for fixturing versatility. It has a maximum weight capacity of 4,000 lb.
The VM-3 comes standard with a side-mount tool changer that holds 24 tools plus one in the spindle; it features a quick-change double-arm gripper that swaps tools in 2.8 seconds. Also standard are an automatic chip auger system, remote jog handle, automatic air gun, high-speed machining software with look-ahead, hard drive with Ethernet interface, floppy drive, Visual Quick Code programming, user-definable macros, coordinate rotation & scaling and spindle orientation.
Available options include a spindle chiller, linear scales, Visual Quick Code probing and expanded program memory (up to 16 MB).
For more information, call 800-331-6746 or visit www.HaasCNC.com on the Internet.
