Honor Seiki VL-400CM

The Honor Seiki VL-400CM is a 4,500 mm (177.1 in) vertical turning center for parts up to 40,000 kg (88,183 lb). Its live spindle runs 50-2,250 rpm, its tool carrier has 20 positions and its turning height is 2,000 mm (78.7 in).

A part that fills this machine does not get moved casually. Forty tonnes at four and a half metres across needs a heavy crane, a wide aisle and a long time to set true on any table. That is the argument for the CM over the VL-400C: once the ring or hub is clamped and clocked, every hole pattern, spot face and slot that the live spindle can reach is done in that clamping. The VL-400C shares the envelope and load but has no live spindle and 16 tool positions.

Honor Seiki says little about the live spindle beyond its speed. Buyers should ask for its power and torque, the taper, the reach of the ram at the outer diameter and whether the table indexes or contours as a C axis. A dual speed gearbox for the live spindle and high-pressure coolant through the tool holder are on the option list and will matter for large drills in hardened flanges.

The maker describes the range as having a wide span column, box ways and its patented Solid lock tool clamping mechanism, aimed at huge workpieces and at the wind power industry. A table with manual 8-jaw chuck is standard, and so, on the CM series, is the cabinet air conditioner. One size up, the VL-500CM moves to 6,000 mm (236.2 in), 80,000 kg (176,367 lb) and 24 tool positions.