Haas Automation Inc (www.haascnc.com) has announced the installation of its 200,000th CNC machine, marking another major milestone in its history as one of the world’s leading machine tool builders.

It was 30 years ago that Haas (from Southern California) introduced its first CNC machine (a vertical machining centre) at IMTS 88 in Chicago; the Haas VF-1 — very first one — quickly became a benchmark for affordable CNC technology.

The company’s 200,000th machine — a UMC-750SS universal machining centre — was installed at Vineburg Machining Inc (VMI) in Carson City, Nevada.

Gerd Poppinga, operations manager at VMI, said: “We are proud to be the recipient of the 200,000th machine and couldn’t be happier.

“This is our seventh Haas five-axis UMC, and they have been a game changer, allowing us to focus on creating high-quality products.”

Scott Gasich, vice-president of sales and marketing at Haas, said: “Installation of the 200,000th machine is a very special occasion for our company.

“The fact that it coincides with the 30th anniversary of the VF-1 shows that the combination of value, performance, reliability and support is just as important today as it was in 1988.”