Published 8/16/2017

Milltronics Keeps Its Focus

A recent open house at Milltronics’ Waconia, Minnesota, headquarters shows that this machine tool supplier is concentrating on serving its best customers, which include job shops, start-up machining companies, toolrooms, tool and die houses, and other users who want flexible, capable and affordable machines for milling and turning applications.

Mark Albert

Editor Emeritus, Modern Machine Shop

This knee mill, the VK4II, is new. It is designed to be an efficient, productive machine for the toolroom, R&D department, engineering lab or training center. By introducing this three-axis CNC knee mail, Milltronics says it is responding to customer demand that the company bring back a knee mill to its product line. However, this model features an innovative MillSlide Z-axis and a control unit for programming styles that suit experienced operators as well as trainees.

The MillSlide provides movement via a programmable slide mounted between the milling head and ram of the machine. By not relying on the quill as a programmable axis, axis rigidity and accuracy are improved, the company says. Manual quill operation is retained, however.

The VK4II features the Milltronics 8200-B CNC unit that provides conversational shopfloor programming, G- and M-code programming, or programming via an offline CAM system. This unit is PC-based, with solid-modeling graphics, high processing speed, 1 GB of memory, 2 GB of disk storage, a 12-inch LCD monitor and membrane keys.

This is the new SL8II is a slantbed turning center with an 8-inch chuck (2.5-inch bar capacity). The machine features linear-guide roller ways for rigidity and accuracy. Shops with Milltronics machining centers can move readily into turning operations with this machine, the company says. The Windows-based 9000 CNC offers conversational programming but accepts CAM-generated programs as well.

The RH20 is the company's rigid-head toolroom bed mill. With travels of 40-, 20-and 24-inches in the X, Y and Z axes, it's a step up from a knee mill, but still presents the open-bed design that lends itself to toolroom work, prototyping, repair parts and short-run jobs. It has an 8200-B CNC unit.

The VM2515 is a good representation of the VM series of verticals in Milltronics' lineup of "value" models. This series features the 9000 CNC, which can accurately be thought of as a high-end CNC that retains features for conversational programming on the shop floor. This VMC has a 25- by 15-inch table and a footprint that is likely to fit a tight space in a crowded job shop. It has a 40-taper, 10,000-rpm spindle. Also on display was the VM4020, with a 40- by 20-inch table that is a very popular size for a VMC.

The Milltronics 9000 CNC has a dual-core processor, 15-inch-touchscreen display panel, and high-resolution graphics for solid modeling. By offering conversational programming, on-screen help, intuitive menus, and prompted tool settings, this control is designed to help new operators train more quickly and become more productive sooner, the company says.

One of the guests at this event clearly has the right attitude.

Milltronics has a line of "combo" lathes of the flatbed style. Representing this line is the ML26. The "combo" designation indicates that these machines provide the flexibility for CNC operation or teach mode and handwheel operation. Turning capacity is 26 by 42 inches. The combo machines have been widely used for short-run manufacturing and thread repair.

The largest machine on display was the VM6030XP. This machine has a 66- by 30-inch table and a 50-taper, 8,000-rpm spindle. The XP stands for "extra power." The standard 24/15-hp-spindle motor can be upgraded to a 35/25-hp option. Likewise, the standard spindle torque, which is 255 foot-pounds, can be upgraded to 365 foot-pounds as an option. The company says it is suitable for large weldments, pump components and energy-related parts.

Here is the BR8100IL high-speed bridge mill in preparation for its debut in the show room. This machine is designed for large aluminum aerospace parts and pattern shop work. It is capable of moving the cutting tool at 1,000 ipm.

The Waconia facility also houses a training room with portable CNC modules that duplicate the capabilities of current control unit offerings.

You could characterize Milltronics as a niche supplier of machine tools, but that might be misleading. The company provides machining centers and turning centers that cover a broad range, from toolroom and startup shop models to four-axis CNC mills and CNC slantbed lathes. Roughly, these machines can be grouped as "value" models (which the company would describe as affordable, yet capable) or "performance" models (which the company would describe as bigger, heavier, stronger models that are still competitively priced).

So what makes Milltronics a niche supplier? My impression from a visit to a recent open house at the company's headquarters in Waconia, Minnesota, is that Milltronics is devoted to a customer base that isn't looking for a supplier trying to be "all things to all shops." Rather, the customer base is looking for machines that fit the need, are supported by thorough service and sales engineering support, and offer a growth path. By growth path, I mean that customers can easily move up in machine type, size and capability within the Milltronics product range.

Joe Braun, the marketing manager who oversees Milltronics' sales strategy and brand positioning, explained that by knowing this customer base well, the company is able to better match it with the most attractive mix of machine features, workpiece capacity and control unit style—plus competitive pricing. As a result, Milltronics has a strong following among toolroom customers, start-up shops, job shops that want to grow by adding more machines, or shops moving up in CNC capability.

The photos above are a sample of machines on display at the company's open house and customer event, which followed a national dealer and distributor meeting at the Waconia headquarters at the end of July.