Compact VMC Designed for Moldmakers

Designed for the moldmaking, tool and die, and medical industries, the compact VM-2 vertical machining center from Haas Automation provides accuracy, rigidity and thermal stability required for high-precision work. It offers travels measuring 30" × 20" × 20", a 12,000-rpm spindle, a 30-hp vector dual-drive system, a 24-pocket side-mount toolchanger and a high-speed control with full look-ahead capability.

The VMC’s 40-taper spindle uses an inline direct-drive system that couples the motor directly to the spindle to provide smooth, quiet operation and high thermal stability. On-the-fly wye-delta switching provides ample low-end torque, as well as high rpm for high-speed machining, the company says.

To further ensure thermal stability, coolant is circulated through the head casting to remove heat generated by the spindle. To prevent radiated heat from affecting the casting, the headstock is insulated and cool air is circulated through the entire assembly. An electronic thermal-compensation algorithm in the control accurately models ballscrew heating from high-duty cycles and automatically corrects for any expansion that could cause positioning errors.

For maximum fixturing versatility, the VMC’s 36" × 18" cast iron table features standard T-slots in both the X and Y directions, as well as precision dowel-pin bores and an array of drilled and tapped holes. The table’s weight capacity is 3,000 lbs.

In addition to the 24-pocket side-mount toolchanger that swaps tools in 2.8 sec., standard features include an automatic chip auger, remote jog handle, automatic air gun, programmable coolant nozzle, high-speed machining software with look-ahead, 750-MB expanded memory, Ethernet interface, USB port and more.