[springlakecnc]

Hi everyone,

I build custom machines for production. I start with a "cnc ready" bed mill frame, and i buy them without the head, because i install 15,000 RPM router heads. I also build the milling fixture, so the machine is ready to go when i drop it off at the customers.

I seem to be the only one on the planet, that doesn’t know where to buy these frames for a really good price. The frame must be new, 20"x40" x&y travels, and good quality.

Does anyone know where to buy these, in the USA, for a reasonable price? It looks like I need 3 of these frames for a project I have going, and that’s a lot of money, so I thought I would shop around a little, if I knew where to shop.

The machine in the picture has 2, 15,000 rpm router heads, an Ajax cnc control, and sure servo 1kw medium inertia servos. It machines the end of a long narrow part, and the operator can change one side of the fixture while the machine works on the other side.

Thank you for any help.

[diyengineer]

Pretty awesome machine! What material does a setup like this usually handle? Seems like it would be rigid as heck!

[springlakecnc]

Hi, this machines aluminum parts. It does 160 parts per hour, 2 shifts a day, and I already built 4 of these for the same part, and they need 3 more. That’s a lot of parts! Please buy "imported from Detroit" and you will own a part that came off this machine.

[ihavenofish]

Hi everyone,


I seem to be the only one on the planet, that doesn’t know where to buy these frames for a really good price. The frame must be new, 20"x40" x&y travels, and good quality.

id be curious to know who on the planet DOES know where to find these in the US. i dont think they exist. there are a few in china, theres one really nice box way one, but its near 20k for the bare frame and 10000+ lbs and needs really peppy servos and drives to get it moving (read:$$$$$).

you could design a frame and have it cast in the us, then milled, stress relieved etc to take linear rails pretty easily using wooden patterns.

if you find something, let everyone know

[diyengineer]

wow. Very awesome! what purpose do the yellow skate wheels serve? Any more photos?

[springlakecnc]

Hi diyengineer,
The roller skate wheels are there because there is a small detail that the part slides over, which pulls down and forms a small shape in the aluminum. The part ejects itself out about 4” so the operator can grab it, and the roller wheel keeps him from lifting the part before the pull down detail is clear, or the part will get bent. I think you can see the prox switch on the side of the fixture, for the pull down. If the pull down don’t cycle, the part is poke yoke in so the operator has to get a floor manager.

[mactec54]

springlakecnc

It looks like a Kent cnc Bed Mill or similar, there. are many different brand names built like this

[ihavenofish]

kent is a chinese frame. trick is finding where KENT buys theirs (or knuth etc). you can find a dozen on alibaba, but which seller can be trusted with your $20k... that i dont know. 20x40 travel also puts you in another level. most of the economical chinese ones are 12/16 x 24/30.

[springlakecnc]

Attachment 181826Attachment 181825Back in the early to mid 90's, i could buy this bed mill (the one that says KBC on the head) for $7,500 cnc ready, just slap on a Centroid control, and sell it for under $20,000. (i was a Centroid dealer back than so i got Centroids for 40% off retail) This mill had a 10x50" table, and 20" y&z travel. I don't remember the X travel, it was the same as most any 50" table machine. This machine is much lighter than the ones i am buying now. The place i got these from went out of business in the late 90's. Maybe they were selling these to cheap!

I threw in a pic of a 3 head machine i built, the machine has a 2-station fixture, and runs auto parts. Each head has a different tool in it, so there is no time wasted for tool changes. I also built a 4 head machine, but i can't seem to find a pic of it.

[ihavenofish]

Attachment 181826Attachment 181825Back in the early to mid 90's, i could buy this bed mill (the one that says KBC on the head) for $7,500 cnc ready, just slap on a Centroid control, and sell it for under $20,000. (i was a Centroid dealer back than so i got Centroids for 40% off retail) This mill had a 10x50" table, and 20" y&z travel. I don't remember the X travel, it was the same as most any 50" table machine. This machine is much lighter than the ones i am buying now. The place i got these from went out of business in the late 90's. Maybe they were selling these to cheap!

I threw in a pic of a 3 head machine i built, the machine has a 2-station fixture, and runs auto parts. Each head has a different tool in it, so there is no time wasted for tool changes. I also built a 4 head machine, but i can't seem to find a pic of it.

neat.
hmmm.

this is the last "big" one i found on the google. brutally heavy, like 12000lbs bare. a little bigger than you are asking, i think its 42x24. the next size down though was 32".


all the other ones are too small for your request.

a long time ago a guy on ebay had a 16x30 travelling column frame and enclosure for $5k. he got it from a backrupt us machine maker. long gone now.
fadal as well blew out a numeber of bare frames when they closed. remnants are still on ebay.

[mactec54]

springlakecnc

Fryer is another one that has a machine the size you are looking for, so either Kent or Fryer, Im sure you could do a deal with to get what you want' both have very good machines