CNC Milling
Two vertical machining centres, in-process probing on both, and an inspection room that checks the result rather than assuming it.
Most of what leaves this shop is milled. Two Mazak VC Ez vertical machining centres cover the work — the larger takes a part up to 1,250 mm along X, and both run a BT40 spindle to 12,000 rpm with a 24-station tool changer.
Both machining centres, in full
| Specification | VC Ez 510 IP | VC Ez 410 IP |
|---|---|---|
| Travel X / Y / Z | 1,250 / 510 / 635 mm | 950 / 410 / 510 mm |
| Spindle power | 18.5 / 7.5 kW | 18.5 / 7.5 kW |
| Spindle speed | 12,000 rpm | 12,000 rpm |
| Taper | BT40 | BT40 |
| Tool changer | 24 station | 24 station |
| Tool-change time | 2.2 s | 2.2 s |
| Control | Mazatrol SmoothEz | Mazatrol SmoothEz |
| Coolant | Through-spindle | Through-spindle |
| Probing | In-process | Renishaw OMP60 |
| 4th axis | — | Kitagawa MR200 rotary |
Figures from the RAVIS capability profile, pp. 8–10.
Why two machines rather than one
The 410 carries the rotary table, so short-run indexed work sits there while the 510 runs longer envelopes. That split keeps a rush job from stopping a production batch, and it means a fixture can stay set up on one machine while the other changes over.
What in-process probing changes
A probe on the spindle sets the datum from the part rather than from the fixture, and it can re-check a critical feature before the part is unclamped. The practical effect is that a mistake is caught while the part is still located — a correction rather than a scrap report. It is also what makes a second operation repeatable without re-indicating by hand every time.
Travels are not workspace
Axis travels describe how far the spindle moves relative to the table, not the largest part that can be machined. Workholding height comes off Z, and a deep pocket needs a tool long enough to reach it without the holder entering the pocket. This is covered in more detail in work envelope versus part envelope.
How to tell us what you need
Drawings express tolerance in one of three ways, and each tells us something different about how the part should be made and inspected.
- A general tolerance callout. A note such as ISO 2768-m in the title block sets the default for every dimension carrying no tolerance of its own. ISO 2768-1 defines four classes — fine (f), medium (m), coarse (c) and very coarse (v).
- Individual limits on critical features. The dimensions that decide whether the part functions. These drive the process plan, the fixture and the inspection routine.
- Geometric tolerance. Position, flatness, perpendicularity, true position and the datum scheme they reference. These are measured on the CMM rather than with hand gauges, and they are the reason in-house metrology matters.
Send STEP, IGES or PDF with material, quantity, tolerance and the date you need it by. If a feature is outside what we hold, we will say so rather than quote it and find out later.