Help me decide which high precision CNC lathe to buy!!

[groovemixer]

Hi,

Our company is looking into purchasing a new high precision CNC lathe with live tooling and Y-axis. We manufacture parts with 5 micron tolerances so I am looking at the following brands with glass scale option: Hardinge SP RS42, DMG CTX 210 and the Okuma LB2000-MY EX.

I am leaning towards the Hardinge as we have a 8 year old SP and she still preforms great.

Any advice or experience with these is greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

[highspeedmazak]

Okuma is what Mazak uses in their shop. That is a great machine.

[PinnacleMachine]

Have you thought about a Mori?

[Palerider]

I highly reccomend Okuma. We were looking at one of their live tool lathes recently while investigating a 2 axis.

I nearly got the hot model, but the deal on the 2 axis with 10" chuck was too good to pass up.

Have fun whatever you decide.

[g-codeguy]

Originally Posted by groovemixer Hi, Our company is looking into purchasing a new high precision CNC lathe with live tooling and Y-axis. We manufacture parts with 5 micron tolerances so I am looking at the following brands with glass scale option: Hardinge SP RS42, DMG CTX 210 and the Okuma LB2000-MY EX. I am leaning towards the Hardinge as we have a 8 year old SP and she still preforms great. Any advice or experience with these is greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Are you familiar with Okuma controls? If you are not, but are with Fanucs, and then get an Okuma with their control, you may not like it as well as the Fanucs. Not that they are bad...just a different animal.

We have but one Okuma, and it has the OSP700L control. You have to be in Single Block Mode to control rapid moves. Want to re-run an operation? None of this type in line number, search, wait for it to reach that line number, hit Start. Press Extend, type in line number, press write, wait for the program to scroll to that block, press Sequence Restart, wait for turret to move and index to the last tool used before that operation, and now you can hit Start. Don't know if their new contols are this way or not.

Are you famliar with Macro B? Okuma controls don't use it. However, I think you can get an Okuma with a Fanuc control if desired.

I am much more familiar with the Hardinge lathes. We have one that's probably 20 years old. Still running great, and running jobs with tolerences in the tenths. We don't have any lathes with Y-axis so I can't comment on that aspect.

[big_mak]

you can't leave out these machines!!!!

http://www.nakamura-tome.co.jp/e/pro...ihin/NTY3.html

[Kool Parts]

That is the same machine that I am looking for also. This is the leading candidate so far. SC200
Gary

http://www.methodsmachine.com/_asset...488f1a85d1.pdf

[Zumba]

We've had our Mori Seiki NL2500SY/700 for about 6 weeks now and it has performed flawlessly. 5 microns = .0002" which is what the Mori can hold quite easily given the right tooling and setups.

We chose the Mori over the Hardinge RS65 for a couple reasons.
1. Similar price.
2. Mori's reputation.
3. Ellison Technologies' reputation (our dealer).
4. All box ways except for the subspindle.
5. Huge bar capacity, 3.1" on our main spindle (10" chuck).
6. Very cool live and static toolholders available for Moris from MD Tooling, e.g. 12,000 RPM geared up live tools, multi-headed live tools (up to six), gang turning and boring holders, etc.

Nakamuras are very good as well. They are sold by Methods Machine Tools, and unfortunately, Methods doesn't have any local offices near us.

We didn't look at any Okumas due to a horror story reported by one owner. Either his X or Y axis ballscrew on his turning center was overheating due to some sort of misalignment. Rather than fixing the problem (known before the machine was sold), Okuma decided to slap on a glass scale and let that be the end of it. Not my idea of good customer service on a $400k machine.

So make sure you have a good dealer who will stand behind their product. Ellison is a top notch outfit here in socal, not sure if they're there in Canada.

By the way, if your budget can take it, consider Mori's NZ series with the triple turrets. If you can get a steady backlog of 5-micron precision work on an NZ, you'll be making some pretty serious coin...

[littlerob]

I dont want to take any credit away from Mori seiki, I think Mori builds an extremely quality machine, but Okumu. Five microns is tough no matter what machine. I run an Okuma LR-45 (with live tools) 16" chuck 40" Z travel 35" X. that was built in 85 and once the way lube is warm it will hold 2 tenths all day. Robert...but I agre with gcodeguy the control is something different, once you are used to it there is no going back but getting used to it, is lets say "intimidating"?