[MBX5]

Looking at this unit at HGR -

MORI SEIKI CNC TURNING CENTER | HGR Industrial Surplus

I am looking for a live tooling machine with rigid tap and full c-axis. Did these Mori units typically have full c, or were they indexing? Rigid tap standard or not offered? I don't know much about these, but I am a robot integrator with lots of Fanuc parts, so having a Fanuc control will be beneficial. I would imagine that this unit being in the price range that it is, will probably need work....but I am ok with that if it has the features I need. What's the best way to tell?

Thanks!

[fordav11]

the M means live tools (milling) and the C means C axis. it would surely have a regular full rotation C axis otherwise its pretty limited/useless.

From the panel it looks like a 15-series with FAPT which was the top spec. control back then. The CNC control photo in the rear shows it's a 15TT Model A which has several separate slot-in boards into a larger motherboard with slots.
All the ZLs I've worked on were 15TTF (very very nice :-)

[The Swede]

The big CRT make me believe it´s a Fanuc 15 Control. Definitely full C-axis as fordav11 says with model name MC

About rigid tapping it may be too old for this. What can the seller find out from machine documentation ? If there are driven toolholders dedicated for tapping following the machine it probably doesn´t have rigid tapping

[MBX5]

Seller doesn't have any documentation unfortunately...I may see if they can go back to the folks they purchased the units from and ask.

Since it has full c-axis, you would think that rigid tap would be a software function only right? Maybe those controls back then didn't have it, or maybe its an option?

Iv'e been looking for a full-c axis milling lathe....in your experience - is a unit like this worth the hassle? For $10k it's almost worth messing with for me, unless I have to put $30k into it... There is a Hardinge Talent 8/52 unit similarly spec'd, much newer, and is almost $50k.... So, if I can get into something like this for under $20k, it seems possible.... I am used to old controls - I have a 1995 Fadal 4020 right now with CNC88HS....As long as I can drip feed, for what I do, that's good to go.

[The Swede]

I´m afraid I misunderstood you. I thought you were looking for rigid tapping for live tooling

As you say with a full C-axis the hardware for rigid tapping should be there (correct me if I´m wrong Mori experts). Then the question first of all is if Fanuc had the software at that time and secondly if Mori Seiki implemented it in their machines at that time

[fordav11]

Rigid Tapping is available as an option on any machine with live tools and C axis, including a Mori ZL-15MC with Fanuc 15TT-A
Most sellers are clueless about technical specifications so you won't know if that machine has the option until you buy it.
If it doesn't and you need it I'm sure it can be sorted out with a PM to the right person ;-)
Assuming it's working 100%, the machine looks reasonable for the price.