1500MX

J

JackBrush

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The1500MX CNC Mill from Tormach

tormach.com tormach.com

Looks funny



Kind of spooky that its not cast iron but its only $6k more than a 770mx with more features. Not to mention through spindle coolant.

Its cool to have some of these high end features but I always saw tormach as hobby machines. Do we really need epoxy granite, through spindle coolant and chip conveyors?
 
I wonder what the accuracy specs are for the machine? I looked on their website but didn't see anything like that.
Maybe "need" isn't the right term. Want maybe?

Not sure I can afford to ruin metal that fast at such high feed rates.
 
That's finally a true alternative to a Haas Mini Mill... and more garage/small workshop friendly.

I love my 770 S3, but back when I bought mine it was 1/3 the cost of this.

This 1500MX is a no brainer against an 1100mx.

If I had the money just sitting around and didn't know what to do with it... I'd probably bite.

4 hp, linear rails and 1200ipm cutting and rapids it would be enough production machine for a lot of uses.

That's the perfect high end Tormach really. The largest machine you can run on a 12ga 240v circuit, and you service it yourself instead of paying a tech. If that's your cup of tea, this is an interesting choice. And they needed something to beat Syil with. Plus their control is great. You don't pay extra for HSM and whatnot like Haas.

Now they just need to focus on keeping the price down on the 770m and make the 1500MX replace the 1100mx. Those two machines are by far the best they have for price to performance. The 440 and 1100 won't matter much anymore.
 
Are linear rails a thing on mills? I've only ever seen them on 3d printers so I'm not filled with a lot of confidence.

It does feel like it trivializes the mx line. But I wouldn't want to beta test any machine. I'd give it a couple years myself.
 
They're generally superior to dovetail ways. It's what the high end machines use. That's a big step up for them.
 
My old (1997) Cincinnati Falcon lathe has linear rail. There is a substantial amount of iron supporting those linear rails (#7000 machine - designed for an 8” chuck, about a 12” cut diameter, 20” btw centers - not a very big machine) - on the X & Z axis. Seems to work fine. Problem is no parts are available. I can’t even get replacement wipers.

The point being linear rails are not a new concept and have been used on machines that commanded a significant price point (back in the day - now, even working well it is worth scrap metal price).
 
so when I was looking for a granite countertop for my bathroom, I talked with them about quartz, and manufactured granite .
both quartz and manf granite are epoxy with quartz or granite.. They explained the problem with them is that they can/will sag over time. so why build a frame out of epoxy granite? I would assume tormach is using a higher grade epoxy, but still, wouldn't it creep over time.
 
JackBrush said:
Are linear rails a thing on mills? I've only ever seen them on 3d printers so I'm not filled with a lot of confidence.

It does feel like it trivializes the mx line. But I wouldn't want to beta test any machine. I'd give it a couple years myself.
Click to expand...

Linear rails have two advantages over v ways. Because of the rolling vs. sliding friction, they can operate with virtually no clearance and they can operate at relatively much higher speed. A 1200 ipm rapid on my on my 770 S3 would be 10x the current speed and downright scary.

While I'm not familiar with the 1500MX design, an excellent configuration for the rails is shown below. The rail is securely mounted on the base at multiple points along its length. We used this design on a product that we made. There are other similar designs which are also vastly superior to a simple round rail.
1713364357554.png
 
woodchucker said:
so when I was looking for a granite countertop for my bathroom, I talked with them about quartz, and manufactured granite .
both quartz and manf granite are epoxy with quartz or granite.. They explained the problem with them is that they can/will sag over time. so why build a frame out of epoxy granite? I would assume tormach is using a higher grade epoxy, but still, wouldn't it creep over time.
Click to expand...
We have quartz countertops and when I was doing some research on them, I discovered that they can warp, especially at elevated temperatures. They typically have a 93% aggregate/7% epoxy composition. This is accomplish by use of extremely high pressure presses that essentially squeeze out any excess epoxy. However, I was told by the fabricator that a counter top left in a closed van in mid summer can distort very quickly when internal temperatures exceeding 120ºF.

I worked with epoxy composites for a medical device company. We manufactured a product that was required to be flat within .1mm. We would get complaints from customers regarding non-flat product where they left the product in the trunk of their car. I did an experiment where I placed a sheet on the dash of my car and found I could roll the sheet into a cylinder after an hour in the sun.

Epoxy granite should be better than the glass beads we used but there is still a potential for warpage. It would be useful to embed a steel skeleton in the mix, This would resist any tendency to warp.
 
so RJ, even adding steel or rebar, there is still a problem with epoxies makeup, it will over time and temp like you note, do things you wouldn't want. Why wouldn't they just cut sheets of granite, and only use the epoxy to bind them together with bolts and inserts. Using epoxied granite is asking for trouble, because not only is it temperature related, it's gravity, just like glass will get thicker at the bottom over time, epoxy will creep.
 
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