[CNCer__]

TurboStep,
backlash on Y axis is .0008" for loose gibb, .008" was just my typo.

Setup
- for both tests the gibb had the same orientation: thicker end on the right side
- the gibb was held on the 1-2-3 block with two neodymium magnets located close to center (pretty solid clamping method for this setup, verified no movement during the test)
- 1-2-3 block was slightly rotated in the vice to get the same level of both sides of gibb ends, only curvature was under scope not the taper

[CountrySmith]

I bought my 770 in late December, 2011 and picked it up at their facility. There was no evidence that any of the packaging had been opened for inspection.

Along with the mill, I bought the TTS tooling package. Here is one piece of early evidence of their quality control:
Attachment 333826

R J

[wjh308]

Thats too bad, typical Chinese junk


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[CountrySmith]

My concern is if something as obvious as this gets by their QC, what is happening in areas that are buried deep in the machine? It is my understanding that all their QC happens overseas and that Tormach has two or three people there overseeing everything. However, by their own admission, defects slip through.

A good QC program requires inspection at every stage of the manufacturing process not just at final inspection. Ideally, worker will monitor their own work, making sure that they are manufacturing to spec. At the very least, parts or a sample of parts should be sent to QC for verification of quality. For something like a gib which is hand scraped to a machine, it should be verified for flatness and proper fit 100% of the time.

R J

[wjh308]

My concern is if something as obvious as this gets by their QC, what is happening in areas that are buried deep in the machine? It is my understanding that all their QC happens overseas and that Tormach has two or three people there overseeing everything. However, by their own admission, defects slip through.

A good QC program requires inspection at every stage of the manufacturing process not just at final inspection. Ideally, worker will monitor their own work, making sure that they are manufacturing to spec. At the very least, parts or a sample of parts should be sent to QC for verification of quality. For something like a gib which is hand scraped to a machine, it should be verified for flatness and proper fit 100% of the time.

R J

If they can't do that, how do you expect them to machine the castings ways to be flat, parallel, and the x to y perfectly perpendicular to each other? The possibilities for error are just scary. If they are simply Chinese junk, then expect everything to be off!


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[keen]

My concern is if something as obvious as this gets by their QC, what is happening in areas that are buried deep in the machine? It is my understanding that all their QC happens overseas and that Tormach has two or three people there overseeing everything. However, by their own admission, defects slip through.

A good QC program requires inspection at every stage of the manufacturing process not just at final inspection. Ideally, worker will monitor their own work, making sure that they are manufacturing to spec. At the very least, parts or a sample of parts should be sent to QC for verification of quality. For something like a gib which is hand scraped to a machine, it should be verified for flatness and proper fit 100% of the time.

R J

Well put RJ I echo your concerns.

I have discussed these issues with a Chinese manager after a similar issue I had with a replacement HG 28 centre lathe being of substandard quality. . He said often a company starts off really well with highly skilled and experienced staff, well trained, dating back to the conservative communist era. Working slowly making high quality product.

But with rapidly increasing volumes and the adjustment to capitalism, a lot of the old time consuming procedures become a drag on the need to accelerate production and semi skilled staff are taken on to ramp up production volume, and get the product out. QC during construction is lightened to speed up processes. Quality drop steadily as volumes are increased.

I am not sure this is happening to the Tormach mill factory, but I worry that it is. As I said before the quality of my 2007 1100 is far higher than my 2014 1100. I completely dismantled it and inspected the internal workmanship and alerted Greg Jackson to my concerns. He said he would bring up the issues when they next visited the factory. I have not heard back from Tormach on this subject.

Keen