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<\/a>The Haas VM-6 is being used to produce a whole host of complex moulds and dies, in materials ranging from aluminium to special alloy steels.<\/p><\/div>\nThe Haas VM-6 is being used to produce a whole host of complex moulds and dies, in materials ranging from aluminium to special alloy steels. End parts can be anything from a side-mirror chassis to a steering rack. In addition, the company serves sectors that include rail, domestic appliance, and perfumery.
\n\u201cThe trend for intricate, deep features is one of the challenges we face on a daily basis,\u201d says Mr. Sanjuan, \u201cas it requires the use of very small cutters. Take this chassis of a rear mirror for a German auto company, for example. The mould produces four units, and is very complex, with eight sliders and very narrow but deep indentations.\u201d
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<\/a>\u201cOur experience with the Haas machine is very good,\u201d states owner, Mr. Sanjuan. \u201cIt\u2019s among the best machines in our workshop, and helps us hold tolerances in the region of 0.01-0.02 mm!\u201d<\/p><\/div>\nThe problem is eased, however, thanks to the capabilities of the Haas VM-6, which is the first Haas machine tool on-site at RS Moldes.
\n\u201cOur experience with the Haas machine is very good,\u201d states Mr. Sanjuan. \u201cWe were unsure at first, because we didn\u2019t know the brand, but now it\u2019s among the best machines in our workshop, and helps us hold tolerances in the region of 0.01-0.02 mm!\u201d
\nAlthough the Haas VM-6 at RS is surrounded by\u00a0other-brand CNC machine tools, the head of workshop, Mr. Rafael Cabezas, claims the Haas is more accurate. This is important, explains Mr Sanjuan, as the volumes produced are high, and there is little margin for error.
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<\/a>\u201cThe big challenge at RECA for the Haas machines was the materials we cut,\u201d says Mr. Merlos, RECA factory coordinator. \u201cHowever, the Haas VF-7 demonstrated no issues, and we subsequently acquired two more in the years since. In fact, we\u2019ve had no reliability issues whatsoever with any of our Haas machines, notwithstanding the heavy-duty cutting.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n\u201cWe send our moulds up the supply chain to smelting shops,\u201d he says. \u201cThey will work with it for a period of time, say six months, then order a new one. It depends on the production run of the vehicle and the number of units sold.\u201d
\nAlthough the industries served are quite different, customer requirements are similarly demanding at nearby RECA (Rejillas Calibradas), which\u00a0makes and exports hundreds of varieties of metallic, embossed, and perforated steel flooring. The 60-year-old company\u2019s trio of Haas VF-7 CNC vertical machining centres are used to make tool dies for stamping its products.
\nBefore buying its first Haas machine 10 years ago, RECA had three ageing, German-built machining centres. However, difficulty sourcing spare parts prompted the 80-employee, \u20ac24 million turnover company to source an alternative machine tool supplier. A salesman working for a former Haas distributor introduced Julio Merlos, factory co-ordinator at RECA, to Haas machines. Mr. Merlos was invited to see in action a Haas machine installed locally, where he learnt from the user that it was in constant use, without any problems.
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<\/a>RECA (Rejillas Calibradas) makes and exports hundreds of varieties of metallic, embossed, and perforated steel flooring.<\/p><\/div>\n\u201cThe big challenge at RECA, of course, was the materials we cut,\u201d says Mr. Merlos, \u201csuch as ASP 23, a chromium-molybdenum-tungsten-vanadium high-speed tool steel that we buy from Uddeholm. However, the Haas VF-7 machine demonstrated no issues, and we subsequently acquired two more in the years since. In fact, we\u2019ve had no reliability issues whatsoever with any of our Haas machines, notwithstanding the heavy-duty cutting.\u201d
\nThe dies produced at RECA are extremely complex. Holes \u2013 sometimes numbering up to 1100 per die and ranging from 0.5 to 16 mm in diameter \u2013 are produced to location tolerances of 3 \u00b5m. Each one has to be reamed; hence, on-machine time can be as long as two weeks. With an average of two new designs coming through on a weekly basis, the Haas machines are extremely busy.
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