A new range of four competitively priced vertical machining centres (VMCs) — available with a choice of Heidenhain, Siemens, Fanuc or Fagor CNC systems — is now available from Lymington-based Ajax Machine Tool International Ltd (www.ajax-mach.co.uk).

Costing less than £39,000, the entry-level AJV 550 has a work envelope of 550 x 400 x 500mm, a 7.5kW 9,000rev/min BT40 spindle and a 16-tool ATC.

Completing the package is a comprehensive coolant system, a spiral swarf conveyor, a Heidenhain TNC 320 control and on-site installation that includes Renishaw-based laser and ball-bar calibration.

Across the machine series of AJV 550, 760, 800 and 1000, standard axis strokes are between 550-1,000mm in X, 400-500mm in Y and 500mm in Z.

That said, the AJV 1000 has the option of a riser block to extend the spindle nose to table dimension to as much as 760mm. Rapid-traverse rates are 36m/min in each axis, and the positioning accuracy is ±0.010mm (repeatability of ±0.007mm).

Table sizes range from 700 x 400mm for the smallest machine to 1,200 x 500mm for the AJV 1000. Spindle power is 7.5kW on the smallest machine, 13kW on the AJV 760 and 17kW on the two largest models. The BT40 direct-drive spindle units offer speeds between 8,000 and 12,000rev/min; a 15,000rev/min unit is available on certain machines as an option.

Serving each spindle are magazine options of 16 and 24 tools on the AJV 550 and 24 or 30 pockets on the three larger machines.

Moreover, Ajax will fit the customer’s choice of control system, which can be selected from Fanuc 0i-MD/0i-MD with Manual Guide i, Heidenhain TNC 320, 620 or 640, Fagor 8055M or Siemens 828D.

Options include a fourth axis, through-spindle coolant, high-precision glass scales and Renishaw measuring systems. An HSK 63 spindle upgrade, a flat-style chip conveyor and a starter tooling pack can also be specified.