Started running a Fanuc and a Haas side by side for 6 months, the difference is bigger than people admit

Everyone says a machine is a machine and it's all about the programmer, but I've been running a 2018 Fanuc and a 2020 Haas next to each other at my shop in Kalamazoo since January and the finish quality is noticeably different. The Haas has way more chatter on the same feeds and speeds, even with the same end mills and coolant mix. Is anyone else seeing a real gap in rigidity between brands or is it just my luck with this specific setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaronsullivan1d ago

Man I heard some old timer at a trade show say Haas builds their machines around a price point not a spec sheet, and I think that explains a lot. Word gets around that they use thinner castings and lighter frames to keep costs down, which directly kills rigidity. Youre probably seeing the difference in real time. Same end mills and speeds should give you a clue if it was all about the programmer. The Haas is just flexing more under load, plain and simple.

leo_black761d ago

That Haas/Fanuc gap is real. @aaronsullivan, you hit the nail on the head with the price point comment. I used to roll my eyes at the Haas hate but now I get it after running both myself.

aaron7401d ago

My dad always tells me I could break a bowling ball with a rubber mallet, so maybe Haas built this one special just for me. But seriously, I swapped the exact same 1/2 inch AlTiN coated end mill between both machines last week on a 6061 job and the Haas left witness marks on the walls that the Fanuc just didn't. I checked the drawbar force with a pull test gauge and the Haas was 200 pounds lower than spec, so maybe that's part of it too.