My boss and I were discussing last night about if we were to purchase a new machine in the next 12-24 months, how would we option it. On the Haas website we built our hypothetical new VF-4SS. The multi auger/conveyor system is $7700 extra over the standard auger. My question is, is it worth the extra cost? If we were to buy this machine its job would be strictly to cut aluminum, specifically cutting several of our existing parts that have pretty high chip volumes. One part in particular is 61lbs of aluminum chips per part. Currently in our VF-2SS the standard auger can't keep up on this part and I do have to spend quite a bit of time working chips out of the machine. I would think the multi system would be better, but is it $7700 better???? Is there enough coolant wash/spray that the chips will naturally wash into the augers and into the conveyor without manually sweeping/hosing them as I currently have to do?
How much farther out the end of the machine (if any) does a conveyor system stick out than an auger spout? Real estate is at a premium as this hypothetical machine would sit in the same spot as a VF-2 currently sits. If the conveyor doesn't take up any more room than the standard auger, the tape measure says this VF-4SS will fit.