CNC & Machinery
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IH CNC & Machinery
57 South Street
New Britain, CT 06051
Phone: 860-832-8285
IH Mill vs Square Column Mill Drill
IH CNC Mills vs. Other CNC Mills
IH CNC Mills & Machinery Videos
IH Bedmill vs Square Column Mill Drill
IH CNC's Manual Mill Comparison
A few facts to show the common mistake being made of comparing an IH 12Z Bedmill to a RF45 Mill Drill
In 2003 we began the project to re-design the Square Column Mill/Drill.
Our CNC kits were limited by what a RF45 would support.
We needed a base mill that could handle all the speed and side loading our Full Servo CNC System can generate. Not a clone nor a copy, but a fully designed and engineered Heavy Duty piece of machinery .
We believe that we have achieved what we were after. A Mill that is a great Manual Mill with a DRO or as a Full Servo CNC Mill capable of 12 hour days of hard production.
Although inexpensive mill drills are great and have
there place in the shop, they just are not up to the
task of being the base mill for our Turnkey CNC Mill
Systems which have to perform to a much higher standard.
Key Problems RF45 Mill/Drill whether Square or round column;
Early IH Mill with 10” Slide
This is a picture of #2 of the first IH Mills
that we still have. We also have #1 (CNC'd) and use them both.
.
Machine castings were completely redesigned for this Mill. Substantial amounts of ribbing and reinforcement points were added.
The column is now 8 inches wide with a thicker casting and 5 reinforcement points. The slide is now 10 inches versus 7” on a RF45. This machine was a vast improvement over a RF45 Mill Drill. Over 250 lbs more of reinforced casting than the average RF45. Early models still had milled ways not yet ground and a noisy Head
New IH Manual Mill 12.5” Slide & Collar
While the Head Slide & Collar are the major visible differences between these 2 IH Mills, there have been substantial changes. Today’s IH Mill is in fact competitive or superior to similarly sized Knee Mills in power and rigidity. The ways are now ground, fit & finish is great and lead screw dials are accurate to tenths
and the new head is much quieter.
The ability of a Milling Machine to effectively transmit power is primarily limited by Head attachment and Column support to it’s base. Increase those 2 factors and you are able to effectively use more power. An RF45 head slide attachment is 7” high and weighs 14.5 lbs. The IH Mill head Slide attachment is 12.5 inches high and weighs 45 lbs. The slide assembly is attached to a wider, heavier and significantly more re-enforced Column. Which in turn is attached to a much larger base with 4 reinforcing points. Now nearly 300 lbs more of reinforced castings over the average RF45.
Note; we are using Rigidity to express what happens when machine surpasses its point of effective power transmission. You experience increased to extreme noise and vibration and cutter shake.
A 40 inch Table with 12 x 30” travel! RF45 has 7.5 x 21” travel 158 sq inches of machining area.
The IH Mill has 360 sq inches, twice as much. RF45 32” Table shown on Left with a table mounted Mini-Mill on the right.
The IH Mill still has a small footprint and can be placed in garages and even basements.
Power Transmission
First thing you’re going to notice when you turn on an IH Mill is how quiet it is! Why an IH Mill is so much quieter is a Precision cut and Hardened Gear set. Higher Mill speeds and more power transmission requires a superior Gear set. While a Standard IH Mill max speed is 1600rpm there is a VFD motor option with a max spindle speed of 3600 rpm. Both motor versions require only 220 volt single phase power.
Ways & Lead Screws
Precision Ground Ways and Quality Inch Lead Screws make movement with an IH Mill a pleasure!
Head movement with the crank is smooth and easy compared to most mills.
IH Mill Specifications: |
|
Table Work Surface Area |
39.5" x 9.475" |
Longitudinal Table Travel |
30.125" Stop to Stop |
Cross Table Travel |
12" Stop to Stop |
T-Slots & Size |
3 Slots, 5/8" |
Head Tilt |
90` Left, 90` Right |
Spindle/Quill Travel |
4.75" |
Spindle Taper |
R8 (NT30 optional) |
Quill Diameter |
3" |
Spindle to Table (Min, Quill Retracted) |
3" |
Spindle to Table (Max, Quill Retracted) |
22.25" |
Motor |
2 HP 220V 1 Ph |
Spindle Speeds (RPM) |
100,190,330,480,910,1600 (VFD option 10 to 3600 spindle speed) |
Lead Screw Measurement/ Dials |
Imperial (Inch) |
Required Floor Space (for max travels) |
90"(H w/Stand)) x 87" (W) x 38" (D) |
Weight |
1,000 Lbs |
* These machines feature our hardened gears, which allows 1750 rpm motor to be replaced with an optional 2 HP VFD driven 3400 RPM motor. VFD option allows operational spindle speeds up to 3600 rpm.
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