Quote Originally Posted by Nigelo View Post
Have been looking at the Hammer HNC myself and got quoted £3k excluding controller and software but including the basic 1KW spindle that Marius tested.

I already use Hammer's Planer Thicknesser / Felder dust extractor and they are both seriously good kit. The HNC weighs in at 85kgs so is substantial for a desktop.

Having recently converted my Wabeco mill to run on Centroid's Acorn with excellent results, that is my intended direction for the HNC - BUT, the 2.2KW spindle option (Teknomotor with ER25) I want to use comes out at £1,700 from Felder on top of the machine itself which is, ahem, not cheap to say the least.

What surprises me most is the use of small 2.8amp Nema 23 steppers with just 1.08Nm on leadscrews with the X axis using just 1 centrally mounted stepper and connected to a pair of leadscrews using 1 long toothed belt. They do claim a max feed speed of 6m/min (236ipm) however.

It's Austrian not Chinese but I am scratching my head.

Hope this helps and any further thoughts welcome
If I'm honest I think people are being tricked by Felders good rep. The spec says it all to me.

£3k for what is essentially a machine frame using lead screws with Delrin nuts and rails which are fastened to an aluminum profile that is far too narrow. In fact, all the axis are too narrow and the Gantry only uses 3 linear bearings. The Z-axis design and how the spindle mounts look flimsy. I can't imagine that Z-axis handling a large spindle very well if I'm honest.
All the rest of the machine ie: the tin sheet is just camouflage to me which is hiding what.? At best it's just for aesthetics and a dust trapper/collector because it's not done very well and IMO not on the machine to serve a functional purpose but solely to make the machine look better than it is.!

For what will easily turn into £4k by time bought controller and spindle I'd expect and want at least ball-screws on all axis. And even then you are still stuck with poor machine design regards rail spacing and Z-axis.!

Like I said before I'd need to see it naked before I'd go near it and even then at £4k don't think I would.