I just heard that an individual has a 3year old Minitech 3/pro mill that came without thrust bearings. I thought that thrust bearings were an important part of a precision mill.

Could someone who has a Minitech 3/pro or 4 mill tell me if their mill has thrust bearings?

If the mills do not have thrust bearings, is there something that I don't understand that allows them the mills to work well without thrust bearings?

Thanks,

Don Frambach

The Minitech machines look very nice on the pictures at their website.

off course they have a lot off different types off mills, but when we are talking about the minimill 3 for example:

10.000 dollar +

high precision products inside (a machine concept to dream about)

Preloaded ballscrews (if they are ground at least 1000 dollar per axle, xyz)

fixed bearing unit (dubbel angular contact bearings)

floating bearing unit (single deep groove bearing)



If there are only 2 deepgroove bearings at the sides it would be crazy.

think even when you only mill materials like wood and plastics, there will be so much wear in a short time off use that the high precision ballscrews are not neccesery.

Off course the machine has to be in balance, a set ballscrews off 1000 dollar need a set off bearing off high precision. ($$$$)
off not matched right the machine is as good as the weakest link, so then you have a 10000 dollar machine that is as precise as a 30 dollar bearing???

OFF COURSE THE GUYS BY MINITECH ALSO KNOW THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!

all i know about the machines is the data off their website, i based all this on simple basic engineering rules. I`m a student automotive engineering.

Kind regards,

Roy Bakker
the Netherlands

ps. i only would believe this when seen.

I got a email from Jack at Minitech which confirmed that there are thrust bearings on their mills.