Haas VC-400SS

The Haas VC-400SS is the faster of the two VC-400 pallet-changing vertical machining centers: 12,000 rpm at the spindle, 1,200 ipm (30.5 m/min) rapids and a 2.4 s chip-to-chip tool change. Travels of 22 × 16 × 20 in (559 × 406 × 508 mm) and the twin 22 × 14.5 in (559 × 368 mm) pallets are shared with the VC-400.

On a pallet machine, the time spent loading parts is already out of the cycle, since one pallet is loaded while the other is cut and the exchange takes 15 s. What remains is the time between cuts, and that is what the SS shortens. The VC-400 rapids at 800 ipm (20.3 m/min) and feeds at up to 500 ipm (12.7 m/min); this machine does 1,200 ipm and 833 ipm (21.2 m/min). The 30+1 side-mount tool changer needs 1.8 s tool-to-tool. For parts made of many short operations, drilled and tapped hole patterns for example, those are the figures that set output.

More spindle speed does not mean more spindle. The rating is 30 hp (22.4 kW) and 90 ft-lbf (122 N·m) at 2,000 rpm, the same as the 8,100 rpm VC-400, so the extra range pays off with small cutters and in aluminium and adds nothing to a heavy roughing pass. The spindle is inline direct-drive and liquid cooled with air/oil-injection bearing lubrication, and the taper is CT40, BT40 or HSK-A63. Each axis is rated for 3,380 lbf (15,035 N).

Pallet capacity is a part up to 22.5 in (572 mm) in diameter and 20 in (508 mm) tall. For load, the table shows 880 lb (399 kg) as the maximum and, in another pallet row, 500 lb (227 kg); confirm with Haas which applies. Hydraulic pallet clamping is a listed feature, while the pallet pool and the automatic probe riser are options. The machine ships at 17,520 lb (7,947 kg) and needs 9 scfm of air at 100 psi (255 L/min at 6.9 bar). The starting price is US$180,995.