Looking to purchase a new Vf1

[DRD]

Guys, I am looking at buying a new haas Vf1. Our knee mill with cnc controls works good, but it's time to step up to a real machine, with a tool changer.

Any input on the new vf1? the good and bad.

Thanks
Darren

[Geof]

If you can swing the cost go for the Side Mount toolchanger. It holds more tools, is much quicker and the tapers are kept well away from being coated with chips while in the changer.

Skip the programmable coolant nozzle they are prone to malfunction, just use multiple fixed nozzles. Get the high volume coolant pump to really get flood cooling.

Get the 10,000 rpm spindle, maybe even higher rpm but remember that then makes balanced tooling essential. 10,000 rpm is a good compromise between acceptable SFM and IPM and being able to use tooling without having to actively balance it.

Get Rigid Tapping, get Macros, get the 4th Axis installed - you don't need to buy a rotary but down the road when you find one will be handy you will curse if the wiring has not been installed.


I am sure other posters will have other suggestions.

[wms]

Skip the programmable coolant nozzle they are prone to malfunction

Well I totally disagree with that one..I would never own a machine without it after having it..

I have not have a minutes trouble with either of mine..VF2 and Mini Mill..

I do not have it on my VF3 or my VF1 ,(because of their age) and I sorely miss it on both..would retrofit in a heartbeat if it was possible.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by wms Well I totally disagree with that one..I would never own a machine without it after having it.. I have not have a minutes trouble with either of mine..VF2 and Mini Mill.. I do not have it on my VF3 or my VF1 ,(because of their age) and I sorely miss it on both..would retrofit in a heartbeat if it was possible.

This goes to show how you cannot please everyone and also how variable some things are. I have three machines with it and it stopped working; intermttently at first but the alarm would halt the program se we turned off the Parameter.

[1ctoolfool]

I would agree with the 10K spindle, Rigid tapping, and expanded memory or hard drive.

Side mount tool changer is an extravagance in my opinion unless you really need that one-second faster tool change, it's really expensive, more than all the above options combined.

I would recommend the VF2 with the above options as a first machine. It is HAAS' best selling and cornerstone machine.

But if you're using a CNC Knee mill now you won't be disappointed with any Haas.

Joe V.

[HAILINHAAS]

VF-2 W/ gearbox, high torque 10k, side mount ... without a doubt or just no gearbox with a 10k spindle .. depending on what you plan on doing.
But diffinitely get a VF-2

[JROM]

If you can swing it buy a bigger machine. A few grand more now will payoff big time down the road. My older machine with programmable coolent works 100% of the time. The one on my new machine gets lost and will need to be replaced soon ($800.00) BUMMER. I have learned over the years that when you buy a new machine, go for all the goodies you can afford. If you have them you will use them and the machine will be more productive. also alot of the Haas options can be turned on for 30 days so you can try them out before you pay for them. Not the programmable coolent though.

[JROM]

Good point about the fourth axis Geof. The other benefit is you have a hole set of spair parts right in the machine. If you are running 3axis and something gives up you can just swap ot the broken part with the one from the fourth. Gets you back up and running quicker.

[miljnor]

I think programmable coolant is a must as well.

I have retrofitted one machine with it and plan to do another as well.

The only problems I've had with my PMC is after some idiot runs the nossele into an object the unit gets play in it and starts hunting for is home allot slowing down overall cycle times...

Grainger sells the gearboxes for the internals on the older machines so its an easy fix.

[Cory]

We have a new VF-1 in our shop.

10k spindle with gearbox
16 MB memory upgrade
4th axis wiring and drive
HRT-160B rotary
Tool and Part probe
Auto Air Gun

We did not get the programmable coolant or the chip auger. These two are options that I would say are invaluable.

We run almost entirely aluminum, on parts that require a lot of chips to be moved. I constantly have to stop halfway through a part to pull chips out of the machine because they completely cover the coolant drain and the machine turns into a swimming pool. I also frequently find myself needing to stop to adjust the coolant lines for shorter/longer tools, or else I get drills with a giant rat's nest of chips on them. I REALLY wish we had sprung the extra $2500 or so for these two options.

The probe is absolutely invaluable. Not as much for setting tools as for setting your WCS. We run very low quantities of the same part, but a whole lot of different parts. Lots of parts with the WCS set to the center of a bore, or some other feature that it would take much much longer to indicate off of without the probe. Best $5000 you can spend, imo.

Most of our parts fit inside the VF-1 work envelope. We occasionally will be making parts around 38" long, in which case we will run each part in 2 ops. Kind of a PITA, but a VF-2 or VF-3 just wasn't in our budget.

I do wish it had a bigger table. We have two Kurt 6" vises on the table, with a subplate we clamp on top for non-vise work. It would be impossible for us to keep both vises on, as well as mount the 4th on the table at the same time. and nobody wants to take your vise off to put the 4th on for a day, just to put the vise back on the next day.

If you're thinking at all about any of the above options, plus the sidemount tool changer, absolutely get the value option B package. It's something like $26,000 individually, for $15,000. It's worth it just for the toolchanger, probe, HSM, chip auger, and programmable coolant.

As for it's actual performance, we've only run AL so far, but it cuts like butter. No problems with accuracy whatsoever. Finish is good. The control is good. We were considering a Fadal 2216FX prior to purchase, and I'm thoroughly happy that we chose Haas and not Fadal, after reading the FX horror stories.

[DRD]

Guys, thanks for the input! The machine will be used for alumium only, were not really worried about making a 1000 parts a day.
We are a high performance engine building shop, and need the machine to make simple 3d parts for our engines, and intend to cnc port cylinder heads with the machine with 5 axis fiture down the road.
Our CNC knee mill has worked for us, but changing tools has been the big problem, I guess we all start out small and move to bigger and better.
One question, is If get the hard drive option, will the haas pull the code off the hard disk as needeed like drip feeding?

Thanks again.
Darren

[wms]

and intend to cnc port cylinder heads with the machine with 5 axis fiture down the road.

I think you better think about a VF3 if you really want to do this...A VF1 or VF2 for that matter, is going to be a bit too small in the Z travel for even a small block head..

Just food for thought.