Thanks again for the input. Caprirs, I agree 100% that there would have to be alot of mass. I like the idea of using the pre-cast iron bar for construction as Zumba mentioned earlier. I guess that I should list my hopes for the machine so that we all know. I would like a small mill roughly 20" x 14" travel in XY and 16" in Z. These numbers are just estimates though. I would like to have a spindle which goes up to 25k rpm and be able to feed accurately up to 400ipm. The company it would be going to is really concerned about saving floor space in their plant, so the smaller the footprint the better, but functionality is first priority. I would like a tool changer, but not a carousel, probably just a line of tools in a holder off to the side which the spindle would move to. The more research I do the more I see that 10k USD is a rather ambitious budget even for the most resourceful of us. I am still in the stage of getting a proposal together, and the 10k budget was just a number I picked. I just need to make sure that the price isnt getting anywhere close to the range of a used hsm mill. In the past the university I attend has gotten great deals from companies like fanuc, baldor, and a few metal suppliers, so I think that I will be able to get nearly at cost products from most of them since this is an educational project. Please feel free to give your opinion and share your thoughts as to what would make a better machine. I am also going to need to start gathering prices for components, so if you know of a place that might supply what I need please let me know so that I can contact them. Sorry for the long post. Thanks again everyone!  |