What To Consider When Purchasing A Big Tool

So, you’ve decided to invest in a big machine, and that can come with a high price Tag. Choosing the right machine is not easy, but we can help with these tips.

1. Size Matters

Whether you have a horizontal milling/boring application or a vertical turning/boring application, choose the right machine by looking at travels, rotary table size and capacity (HBMs) or swing, table capacity, and height under rail (VBMs/VTLs).

The summit can customize these for you to offer the best fit for your application(s)

2. Quality Of Structural Parts & Components

To go a long way, look for a good quality, Meehanite certified, closed-grain cast iron when it comes to structural parts. And always check for the best available components: Bearings, Ball Screws, Scales & Encoders, UL/CSA Electrics and electronics, motors, hydraulics, lube and pumps.

3. Ease of Operation

A machine operator has to feel the machine as an extension of his hands and brain.

Summit offers this unique concept - MANUAL 2 CNC – where the operator has 4 ways of running the machine:

• Pure Manual, using Joysticks & P/Bs (but selecting/programming a Federate & Speed rate and using the overrides)
• Basic Conversational, using the Soft Keys with Canned Cycles in JOG screen
• Advanced Conversational, using ShopMill or ShopTurn (VBMs) built-in software
• Full ISO programming

4. Available Options For More Versatility

On a Horizontal Boring Mill, one can use a variety of attachments to fit specific applications:

• Tailstock & Boring Bar for Line Boring
• Vertical Attachment for 900 Milling
• Spindle Support for extended quill use
• Facing Head for facing or boring large diameters
• Tool Changers for full CNC machines
• Flood Coolant and/or High
• Pressure Thru Spindle Coolant

On a Vertical Turning/Boring Machine, one could choose from:

• Customized Configuration of Vertical Heads (Turret Type, Ram Type, or combination of both)
• Adding a Side Head
• For Full CNC, one can choose Live Spindle Ram and active “C” Axis and/or add Tool Changer
• Flood Coolant and Thru Spindle Coolant of Live Spindle Ram models
• Angular Milling Head on Live Spindle Ram