New SL-20

[ken70ss396@yaho]

I'm about to purchase a Haas SL-20. A little background first. I work for a large,make that huge, company in the R&D division.I have a Haas VF2 for CNC milling with many options. I'm slowly updating the machine shop and a CNC lathe is next. All the parts produced are prototype,very rarely more than 10 to 20 pieces,but many times they are groups of parts for assemblies or fixturing.I set up the Haas mill and run it semi unmanned which allows me to run other parts on the manual lathes or mill. I want to be able to do the same with the lathe. 95 percent of the lathe parts are 6 inch diameter or smaller and most of those are 3 inch or smaller.All require secondary milling ops.Materials are mostly aluminium,stainless steel,moly,delrin etc.Almost all the lathe parts have Id and Od radii and angles and are time consuming to produce manually,many have to be subcontracted out.
I chose the SL-20 after attending Eastec ,and seeing the SL-30 and SL-20.The SL-20 fit my needs and budget without overbuying.The options I chose are the 5000 rpm spindle ( I want the 8 inch chuck),tool presetter,programmable tailstock,Haas intuitive system,5c collet chuck,Chip conveyor, HIL, Tool tray,and Liner kits (some parts are 18 inch to 24 inch long and liners will support them).I've run Mori Seiki and Hitachi Seiki cnc lathes with live tooling and y axis and don't need it yet .Next machine on the list will be a 5 axis Haas mill either VF-2tr or VF-5TR.but that's next year.
I already have all the new tooling,holders and inserts,as well as a combination cutoff- bar puller. Which reminds me,I'll need aluminium and steel soft jaws. And I've got plenty of work that can go into the machine and and endless stock rack.
I know I've done my homework,but what options am I missing?Are there any options you regret not getting? Now is the time for me to add them.
Thanks for any help.

[Geof]

You missed Rigid Tapping.

But maybe it is included with the basic machine package?

[ken70ss396@yaho]

Thanks Geof. I had to go back and check that one. Included in the Standard features $0.00. If it were not included,I'd add it, as I've used it on a Mori Seiki 300-427 with live tooling and bar feeder. It was for a bolt circle and eliminated a secondary op. I've been a lurker here for a while and read many of your posts.Thank you for the informational posts, I'll recall the one about the Royal combination cut off/bar puller, sub program(don't use single block) as that's the new puller I have.
Thanks

[Donkey Hotey]

Have you considered the big-bore option? It buys you the SL-30 spindle--more torque and a larger through hole than the SL-20. I think you'll give up the 5K RPM but, the through hole might be more important for unknown prototyping. It's the same spindle nose and the same tooling (A2-6).

What about the long-bed option (SL-20L)? Again, if you don't know what you're going to use it for, that'll buy you some flexibility.

I'd get both options if I could (same environment: engineering R&D). I just (just) went through this decision process. Five years ago they were asking for a TL-1, then a TL-2. That turned into a TL-2 with the enclosure, then a GT-20, then an SL-10. At the last minute, we changed to the SL-20. They finally funded us (to shut me up ).

I'd have asked for both options I mentioned above but, they're already going to kill me when that thing shows up and it's not a conventional-looking lathe.