Living With the Mori Seiki MV Junior in Your Shop
If you spend any time browsing used machinery sale, the mori seiki mv junior is a name that will appears constantly, generally with a layer of shop dust plus a surprisingly higher bidding price for something built in the particular 80s or 90s. There is an excellent reason these issues don't just finish up in the scrap heap. Whilst modern CNC devices are faster and have much prettier interfaces, the "Junior" has earned a reputation as one of those rare devices that was basically over-engineered for its own good.
I've talked to plenty of guys that started their stores with one of these, and most of them regret the morning they traded it in for something "newer" and "faster. " There's something to be said intended for a machine that will you can leave sitting for a month, walk upward to, hit the power button, and possess it hold the couple of tenths all day longer without a problem.
Why These types of Old Machines Will not Quit
The first thing you notice regarding the mori seiki mv junior isn't the technology—it's the iron. This particular was back whenever Mori Seiki had been really centered on building heavy, rigid box-way machines. Unlike a lot of modern entry-level VMCs that will use linear instructions (which are good for velocity but could be a bit "chatty" under heavy loads), the Junior uses traditional box ways.
Exactly what that means for you in the true world is rigidity. You can take a decent cut within 4140 steel and the machine doesn't sound like it's screaming for assist. It has a dampened, solid sense that a lot of lighter in weight modern machines simply can't replicate. The "Junior" was designed in order to be the small version of their own larger vertical mills, but they didn't really skimp on the casting high quality in order to save weight. These people just made the particular footprint smaller.
The "Junior" Name is Deceptive
Don't let the particular name fool a person into thinking this is a desktop mill or the hobbyist toy. It's a real-deal industrial vertical machining center. It usually weighs in somewhere about 7, 000 to 8, 000 pounds. It's "Junior" just when compared to the enormous MV-45s or MV-55s of the exact same era.
The work envelope is really quite decent for a small-footprint machine. You're usually looking at travels within the neighborhood of twenty two inches in X and around sixteen inches in Y. For a small job shop or a garage setup, that covers about 80% from the components most people are usually making anyway. It's an ideal size intended for second-op work or even to get a startup that needs to show they can make quality parts just before dropping $150k upon a brand-new 5-axis.
Coping with Classic Electronics (The Fanuc Factor)
Many of these devices shipped with Fanuc controls, often the particular 10M or maybe the 0M. If you're utilized to a modern Haas with a giant touchscreen plus "visual programming, " walking up to Fanuc 10M can experience a bit such as stepping into a cold-war era boat. It's all buttons, tiny green textual content, and cryptic security alarm codes.
Yet this is actually the secret: all those Fanuc controls are incredibly reliable. Due to the fact there were therefore many of them made, parts are usually everywhere. If a power supply goes out or a CRT monitor finally provides in the ghost, a person can find substitutes on eBay or even through dozens associated with repair houses inside 24 hours. You aren't held hostage by a single manufacturer's proprietary motherboard that will costs a lot more than the particular machine is worth.
Getting programs onto the machine is usually the biggest hurdle for people utilized to USB sticks. You'll likely become dealing with a good RS-232 serial interface. Once you get a DNC (Direct Numerical Control) software set up on an old laptop or buy one of those neat little bit of "USB to Serial" adapters, functions just fine. It may be old-school, yet it's an established work flow.
The Mechanical Reality: What to Examine
If you're looking at a mori seiki mv junior within the used market, there are some things you have to be aware of. These machines are workhorses, which means they've usually been proved helpful hard.
Initial, listen to the spindle. These generally included a six, 000 or eight, 000 RPM spindle. At high rates of speed, it will hum, not really growl. A growling spindle means the particular bearings are upon their solution, and while a rebuild isn't the finish from the world, it's a substantial expense.
Second, check the tool changer. The Junior typically uses an umbrella-style tool changer (usually 16 or 20 stations). They are mechanically simple, which is usually good, but the particular "fingers" that keep the tools will get worn out or even bent over 30 many years of use. Watch it go through a few process to make certain it's grabbing plus releasing the BT40 (or sometimes CAT40) holders smoothly.
Lastly, consider the method covers. When the way covers are smashed up, it's a sign that the particular previous operator didn't take great care of the device. When chips happen to be getting under the covers and onto these beautiful box methods for years, you're likely to have precision problems that are very expensive to solve.
Will be it Still Appropriate in 2024?
You might question why anyone would bother with the machine from the late 80s whenever there are so many new choices. It really comes down to the "Value in order to Rigidity" ratio.
For the associated with an used mori seiki mv junior , you might be able to purchase a brand-new sophisticated hobby mill or a very cheap, light-duty Chinese import. But none of those will have got the "thunk" of a Mori. In case you are cutting aluminum all day long, speed is ruler, and a newer machine will most likely win. But if you're cutting stainless, titanium, or just want a machine that won't vibrate itself to pieces when you push it, the old Mori benefits every time.
Another factor will be the community. Because these types of machines were therefore popular, there is a substantial amount of information available online. Whether it's a forum article from 2005 or a YouTube video of the guy demonstrating how to bypass the faulty door interlock, you're never truly alone when troubleshooting.
Maintenance is the love Language
If you buy one of these types of, you have to be ready to do a little bit of your own personal wrenching. It's a well used machine; things like O-rings will dry out, and coolant outlines could easily get clogged. You'll make sure the automatic lubrication system is actually moving oil to the ways. If that pump motor fails and also you don't notice, you can eliminate the machine's accuracy in a matter of weeks.
But that's component of the charm for many us. There's a true sense of satisfaction in maintaining a piece of high-quality Japanese design running decades after it was supposed in order to be retired. It's not just the tool; it's a survivor.
Final Thoughts on the particular MV Junior
All in all, the mori seiki mv junior represents a specific era of manufacturing where items were built to last forever, not just until the warranty ended. It's a small powerhouse that can still produce "space-grade" parts if it's been given even a modicum of respect.
If you find one that hasn't been crashed directly into oblivion and the ways still look clean, it's one particular of the most secure bets in the particular used CNC marketplace. It's a device that shows you exactly how to be the real machinist—how to listen to the particular cut, how in order to manage your offsets, as well as how to appreciate the feeling of strong iron. It might not be the fastest thing in the shop, but it'll probably be the a single still running whenever the others are usually in the shop for repairs.