Compact CNC milling machine is under US$7,000
More compact and inexpensive than traditional milling machines, a machine with the same strength, power, and accuracy to cut high-performance alloys is priced at only US$6,800
Tormach, innovator of CNC technology, has introduced of its PCNC 1100 CNC, the most affordable 3-axis milling machine on the market. With a base price of only US$6,800, the PCNC 1100 CNC mill represents an entirely new class of machinery, more compact and inexpensive than traditional mills, with the same strength, power, and accuracy to cut high-performance alloys.
Tormach coins the term, ‘Personal CNC’, to describe the product, drawing parallels in cost, size, and ease of use of the personal computer compared to its bulky, room-sized predecessors.
Three years in development, the design of the agile PCNC 1100 combines reliable cast-iron construction with the best of CNC technology to create a simple and robust platform with ample options for user-installed upgrades.
The mill weighs 1130 lb and is equipped with a 1.5HP - well suited for short run and prototyping applications as well as secondary operations.
‘Tormach’s PCNC release is really the advent of a revolution in CNC which will make the technology far more accessible and far simpler to use,’ said Tormach CEO, Greg Jackson.
‘Where 3D printers have allowed companies to make prototype replicas in house, this new generation of CNC will enable companies to affordably produce both working prototypes and initial production parts.
Further reading
CNC is easy to use for smaller machine shops
Easy-to-use, PC-based CNC machine control software brings the benefits of precise computerized cutting to individual craftsmen and small to medium-sized businesses
Low cost toolholders offer quick changeover
To reduce the high cost of tooling - a barrier to truly affordable CNC machining - a range of low cost, quick-change toolholders has been introduced
Five-axis machine drills and routs aluminium
An advanced 5-axis profile machine centre will be shown at MACH 2008 and is capable of drilling, routing, tapping, cutting and notching in aluminium and steel
Unlike 3D printers, where the material is limited to plastics, materials used in Personal CNC technology are basically anything that can be cut with a tool.’ With a modern bed mill style frame and iron construction, the machine is fully capable of cutting iron, steel, titanium, and even chromium alloys such as 300 or 400 series stainless.
Details of the mill include a 4500 rev/min variable-speed spindle, dovetail ways and ground ballscrews, with a 15-point lubrication system and full-bellows covers.
The standard 33.5in x 9.5in table and 17in vertical clearance provides a work envelope suitable to the majority of small or medium parts.
Available upgrades include fourth axis, 20,000 rev/min spindle, integrated stand, and a quick-change tooling system.
All machines are designed by Tormach engineers and built with USA-manufactured electronics, and are sold and supported directly by Tormach LLC.
* About Tormach - the people at Tormach are dedicated to delivering tools, accessories, and components of unprecedented value in the world of CNCand motion control.
Whether customers are involved in R and D, education, short run production, or simply entrepreneurs with new ideas, Tormach products allow them to make what they need easier, quicker, and more affordably.
