The Baseline range from Chiron has been designed to offer high levels of performance at a price that brings the benefits of high-end German machines within the budget of the sub-contracting sector.

Available in the UK from the Southam-based Engineering Technology Group (www.engtechgroup.com), the new Baseline range includes three vertical machining centres with fixed specifications and a limited number of options, to offer the productivity and build quality of a Chiron machine but at a lower cost; and whereas Chiron machines are often integrated into a turn-key system, the configuration of the Baseline range makes them suitable for use as general-purpose stand-alone machines.

The Baseline models are standard Chiron machines, produced at the company’s factory in Germany using the same designs and components as its full-price products.

The lower cost is achieved by offering a reduced range of machines and options, which also means that they are available on shorter lead times.

The Baseline range comprises two full five-axis machining centres and a three-axis machine with an integrated workpiece pallet changer.

The smallest of the Baseline machines, the FZ 12 FX is a five-axis vertical machining centre with a work envelope of 550 x 400 x 360mm and a rapid rate of 75m/min.

Also featured are a 40kW 15,000rev/min (45Nm) HSK-A50 spindle and a 48-tool automatic tool changer.

The largest of the machines is the Mill 800 FX. Another full five-axis machine, this has a work envelope of 800 x 630 x 550mm, a 22.5kW 12,000rev/min (140Nm) SK40/HSK-A63 spindle, and a 40-station automatic tool changer.

Meanwhile, the FZ 15 W is a three-axis machine, with an option to integrate a rotary fourth axis. It comes equipped with a twin workpiece pallet changer, has a work envelope of 550 x 400 x 425mm and rapids of 40m/min. It has a 14kW (90Nm) SK40/HSK-A63 spindle and a 20-station tool changer.

All the machines in the Baseline range are available with a Siemens 840D control; the FX machines can be specified with a Heidenhain iTNC 530 control.