Review of Minitech's Mini-Mill 4... one year later.

[rustyclock]

Hi everyone,

I've been using my Mini-Mill 4 (from Minitech Machinery) for a little over a year now. This machine is one of their largest offerings, and is serving me very well. It is almost like a swiss army knife of cnc machines... I have used it as a standard CNC mill for various prototyping/moldmaking operations. I have used it as a knife plotter (by inserting a swivel knife in a collet), for cutting out lettering on self-adhesive sheets. I have used this machine for producing life-like miniature rivets in thin sheet brass, by inserting a .035" punch in the spindle collet, and having the machine simply "kiss" the material set on a board. The depth leaves a tiny impression, and it's so much easier doing it this way than by hand.

I have even used this machine for something it really wasn't intended to do; a "chucker" lathe. You see, minitech has something similar to a modular headstock system for this machine, and besides being able to offer various spindles (ranging from the Sherline system, up to automatic tool-changing spindles using the ER style collets), all I had to do was rotate the headstock 90 degrees and figure out the CNC axis layout... instant make-shift chucker lathe.

You couldn't ask for a better machine, BUILT IN THE USA. It basically amazes me every time I have a job for it...

Usual disclaimer is inserted here: I don't work for Minitech, nor do I have any affiliation with their company... BUT I WILL PROBABLY START SELLING THESE MACHINES ONCE MY SHOP GETS GEARED UP FOR SUCH BUSINESS. That is how impressed I am with this craftsmanship and customer support from Minitech Machinery Corp. I guess that is how any shop owner should feel about the tools they use. When you buy quality, you buy it once. This machine uses linear slides and ball-screws, equating to nearly zero backlash.

If anyone is thinking about an industrial benchtop milling solution for their shop or small factory, please drop me a message, and I will be glad to give you more details about how happy I am with this purchase.

Minitech's web site is here: www.minitech.com

Thanks for reading my post,

Jason Spangle
Old Foundry Toy Works

[DieGuy]

OMG! it is $25K+. It is well out of my price range!

[rustyclock]

Wait, before you pass out...

There are MANY MANY options to get with your milling machine, I brought the price down quite a bit, by going with a Sherline spindle, and Mach2 Software... I had thought the same thing almost, and in fact, originally looked at one of their less-expensive offerings. It's made like a fine watch, and it has nearly bullet-proof software & hardware driving it.



Jason

[Halfnutz]

Yeah, I bet its nice, but theyre expensive arent they? Maybe I'm thinking of the other model, the pro. Well anyway, they have a $6,500.00 model that I can dream about owning someday. They have great specs, and look very nice, just a little out of my league right now. Good luck and thanks for posting, come back and bring some pics of the stuff you do.

[rustyolddo]

Originally Posted by DieGuy OMG! it is $25K+. It is well out of my price range!

If it's $25k, you can buy a Fadal Tool Room Mill 30"x14"x14" x,y,z with 5000 rpm spindle for $21,900 new.

[Chris D]

I can see why they have to charge as much as they do for those sized machines, however, as someone else pointed out, Fadal and also HAAS has real machine offerings in that price range.

So, let's see, I can buy a very small desk top machine for $20,000.00 or for a few thousand more, I can buy a real CNC machine capable of doing MUCH MUCH more.

Sorry to sound negative about this, as I have not even seen one of the minitech machines. I am sure if they could, they would price it less, but I can easily understand why they have to charge what they do for the machines.

It's kind of like clothes. Baby clothes are much smaller than the clothes I wear, however, they cost nearly the same.

But, if you need a very small sized machine - it is a choice.

[mgamber]

What size THK rails does this use? What about the ballscrews. Do you have any pictures?

Originally Posted by rustyclock Hi everyone, I've been using my Mini-Mill 4 (from Minitech Machinery) for a little over a year now. This machine is one of their largest offerings, and is serving me very well. It is almost like a swiss army knife of cnc machines... I have used it as a standard CNC mill for various prototyping/moldmaking operations. I have used it as a knife plotter (by inserting a swivel knife in a collet), for cutting out lettering on self-adhesive sheets. I have used this machine for producing life-like miniature rivets in thin sheet brass, by inserting a .035" punch in the spindle collet, and having the machine simply "kiss" the material set on a board. The depth leaves a tiny impression, and it's so much easier doing it this way than by hand. I have even used this machine for something it really wasn't intended to do; a "chucker" lathe. You see, minitech has something similar to a modular headstock system for this machine, and besides being able to offer various spindles (ranging from the Sherline system, up to automatic tool-changing spindles using the ER style collets), all I had to do was rotate the headstock 90 degrees and figure out the CNC axis layout... instant make-shift chucker lathe. You couldn't ask for a better machine, BUILT IN THE USA. It basically amazes me every time I have a job for it... Usual disclaimer is inserted here: I don't work for Minitech, nor do I have any affiliation with their company... BUT I WILL PROBABLY START SELLING THESE MACHINES ONCE MY SHOP GETS GEARED UP FOR SUCH BUSINESS. That is how impressed I am with this craftsmanship and customer support from Minitech Machinery Corp. I guess that is how any shop owner should feel about the tools they use. When you buy quality, you buy it once. This machine uses linear slides and ball-screws, equating to nearly zero backlash. If anyone is thinking about an industrial benchtop milling solution for their shop or small factory, please drop me a message, and I will be glad to give you more details about how happy I am with this purchase. Minitech's web site is here: www.minitech.com Thanks for reading my post, Jason Spangle Old Foundry Toy Works

[fpworks]

15mm wide rails
15mm ballscrews

[fpworks]

About the $25k price tag:
This includes a very expensive spindle and servo setup. This price can be reduced CONSIDERABLY with a stepper setup, Mach2/3 control software, and a different spindle.

I have purchased a customized Mill/3 through Minitech, and since you work directly with the owner of the company, they offer nearly unlimited customization options.

My mill's configuration is a good demonstration of the possibilites:
Ground Class 1 grade ballscrews, -34 stepper motors (450 oz*in), DenverCNC controller (Gecko drives, high voltage/high current...still being built, expecting reliable 300 ipm rapids), a 2.7hp (18,000rpm) VFD controlled spindle.

I'll follow up in the future with some pics and videos once I get the basement finished and machine set up.

Justin

[blouis79]

But for work requiring a high degreee of finish, it appears to compare well with machines costing more than ten times as much!

Exploring for 5-axis machines with high accuracy, the contenders are limited...
see
http://www.desktopcnc.com/mill_table.htm
http://www.kern-microtechnic.com/2-Machines-MMT.html

Check out the samples on Kern's website:
http://www.kern-microtechnic.com/2-Sub-Samples.html

[ironDigit]

25.9k on a benchtopmachine i'ld expect it to hold microns for tolerances on all 5axes

whatabout it being a swiss army knife :what can it do a "normal"3-axe machine won't but engraving

??oops no 5axes? i dunno about servo's and how expensive they get but for 25k i'm sure this machine is capable of some neat stuff but .....but....

ok relax guys you can get a steppermotor system departing from 17k and they even throw in a 1'8"collet and winCNC control software
i just hope those are ground ballscrews
Variable 5,000 to 50,000 RPM, 1 kW power, DC Brush-less, High Precision Spindle am i the only thinking 5000rpm might be a lil fast to start with being able to go up til 50000rpm might be nice but starting at 5000??and i don't even see any coolant being offered ??

i hope i'm not being unreasonable if i am feel free too let me know

[phantomcow2]

I think I will take this one instead:
http://cgi.ebay.com/BRIDGEPORT-TorqC...QQcmdZViewItem