[autobot]

How does Haas automation build their CNC products? Using their older generation CNCs?

As for the leading up chicken and egg question, how did they make their first machine? Did they start with someone else's manufacturing products to make their own machine then achieved self sufficiency afterwards?

[Ydna]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV65KFgjTwM]FactoryTour WIN - YouTube[/ame]

They have a combination of Haas and other machines since it's obviously much more economical to use in-house machinery where needed. It seems most of the non-Haas equipment they use are mainly items that they don't have available, like large gantry mills, FMS systems, grinders, etc.

[mfgbydesign]

At Kearney & Trecker we used K&T's where appropriate, but as mentioned, we used gear hobs, planer mills, cylindrical grinders, etc. from other companies.
I have some interesting insight as an FMS Applications Engineer. Even though K&T literally wrote the book on FMS we did not employ this technology in our own factory. We solved the same problems over and over on customer sites, and I was frequently asked "how do you do this in Milwaukee?" Well I had to add that we didn't actually use our own systems. When I asked why to my boss, the response I got was we didn't have the volume. Our systems were going into high mix, low volume environments yet we didn't see ourselves that way. My reply was that we could learn and build better systems were we using them ourselves instead of treating our customers as Beta test sites. Companies like Mazak were eating our lunch because they took our ideas and built on them (I can't say perfected them as I think our technology still leads in many areas).

Speaking of eating lunch the executives had their own lunch room on the third floor (Walnut Row we called it), and their own underground parking garage (along with mechanic who washed their company cars & serviced them) and rode their private elevator so they never had to interact with anyone doing the work. Bill Fife bought us out while at G&L and closed the place down. He and his brother made millions liquidating the place; he cashed in $54,000,000 in G&L stock and bought Woton, too bad for them. Our own president at the time was a wet rag with no vision who sold Pratt & Whitney down the road before driving us into the ground.

[Machineit]

How does Haas automation build their CNC products? Using their older generation CNCs?

As for the leading up chicken and egg question, how did they make their first machine? Did they start with someone else's manufacturing products to make their own machine then achieved self sufficiency afterwards?

And the purpose of this post is what?

Ask the same question for any manufacturer. Mori, Okuma, Leadwell, and on and on.

Most equipment for building large machines would be specially built anyway.

Pointless.

Welcome to the forum.

[99bluemoon]

And the purpose of this post is what?

Ask the same question for any manufacturer. Mori, Okuma, Leadwell, and on and on.

Most equipment for building large machines would be specially built anyway.

Pointless.

Welcome to the forum.

The purpose of this post is that he wanted to ask a question...about Haas

If you know the answer you wouldn't ask would you?

It was not pointless and you should apologise

[Machineit]

The purpose of this post is that he wanted to ask a question...about Haas

If you know the answer you wouldn't ask would you?

It was not pointless and you should apologise

If I am wrong I do apologize, but over the years I have seen posts elsewhere that are just designed to show that one machine is better than another because they use a competitors machine to make them. Then they end a manufacturer bashing and provide no useful information.

Perhaps this is not one of those, we'll see where it ends up going. Perhaps I am just full of :bs:, sure would not be the first time.

Sorry Autobot.

[autobot]

The purpose of this post is that he wanted to ask a question...about Haas

If you know the answer you wouldn't ask would you?

It was not pointless and you should apologise

Yeah, Im asking cause its an interesting question. Yes its a valid question for every CNC company but Haas is one of the biggest CNC manufacturers so I came here instead. The same question applies to all. How was the first bridgeport built? How did they build subsequent bridgeports? etc. Plus its bragging rights. Haas CNC making Haas CNC sounds better than Haas CNC making New_Company_123 CNC.

[WallyL7]

The purpose of this post is that he wanted to ask a question...about Haas

If you know the answer you wouldn't ask would you?

It was not pointless and you should apologise

LOL. Get a grip, man. It is a loaded question.

If you want to see an impressive shop in regards to Machine company A products BUILDING Machine company A products...then go visit a Mazak plant. Other than what may have been mentioned as far as specialized grinders and some sheetmetal stuff which they don't make, it is ALL MAZAKS MAKING MAZAKS.

Haas has some massive Japanese built equipment helping them along...but they do have an impressive facility down there in 'Snard.:stickpoke


To answer your initial question, Haas started by making Rotary tables for Fadal is what I remember. Then they looked at how crappy Fadal Mills were and figured they could make a mill. The rest is history.

[underthetire]

Well, if your building something precision, rule of thumb is to have equipment more precise than you are making. No one builder makes every type of machine, so no matter what factory you visit, there are going to be other brands in there. Mori had some huge high precision bridge mills that were certainly not there's, but most of the day to day parts were built on moris. The ballscrew grinding area also had specialized grinders built in Germany I believe. I do know at one time haas had moris, mazaks, and others in there. They used to take the name plates off and I heard even repainted the machines, so visitors wouldn't see the competition in the factory.

[Geof]

...As for the leading up chicken and egg question, how did they make their first machine?....

The history of Haas Automation is that in the 1980s Gene Haas started making indexers and 4th axis add-ons for the machine then in use. Then he expanded into making VMCs some of which are still in use I believe.

So obviously he must have started with a manufacturing shop that used machines from other companies.

[Brian-Gilliam]

The history of Haas Automation is that in the 1980s Gene Haas started making indexers and 4th axis add-ons for the machine then in use. Then he expanded into making VMCs some of which are still in use I believe.

So obviously he must have started with a manufacturing shop that used machines from other companies.

I heard a completely different story. I heard that Gene Haas had an idea for a machine and subsequent company so he took all of his resources and built a time machine and went into the future and brought back some of his machines to make his first haas vmc because that's way more interesting than the idea that he had to use some other machine to build something that doesn't exist yet.

[dertsap]

it doesn't really matter if it's haas , mori , mazak or whatever , they are all similar beasts which fall from the sky , machines building machines sounds like something Stephen King would dream up .

Sorry but I couldn't resist
I'm sure the haas factory would be an interesting tour




.

[underthetire]

This is going to be the plant in the US to take a tour at..
Building Machine Tools in Paradise : Modern Machine Shop

The DTL is amazing, i'm betting the manufacturing plant will be to.

[smallplanes]

What came first the chicken or the egg? Thats what it all boils down to in this post.

It's all good

[Rstewart]

I know Haas has some Mori's in their manufacturing facility....

[hitachibos]

up until 2002 Haas was the Worlds Largest customer to Hitachi Seiki

Hitachi went bankrupt that year made me change carrers

Hitachi built large gantry or bridge mills and hass had 3 in thier plant (hitachi only had 2 in thier us facility) as well as many other hitachi models.


since then a lot of Hitachi customers bought Mori because Mori bought all Hitachi's Technology patterns thru japans bankrupcy courts.


what they use today i am not sure.