Escolar Documentos
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1/1997
MACHINING
Cover Story Patrick Racing Features American Performance Gyroplane Precision Industry News New Options
VOLUME1
SPRING1997
In this issue of
CoverStory
NUMBER1
MACHINING
1
Patrick Racing American-Made Speedsters
Patrick Racing
COVER STORY
American-Made Speedsters
by Paul Garson
A.P.E.Motors
RotaryAirforce
TechTopics
NewProducts
14
Machining Center New Features
IndustryNews
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THE MASTHEAD: CNC Machining is published by Haas Automation Inc., 2800 Sturgis Road, Oxnard, CA 93030-8933. (805) 278-2800, Fax (805) 278-2255. Postmaster: Invalid mailing addresses should be returned to Haas Automation, 2800 Sturgis Road, Oxnard, CA 93030-8933 postage guaranteed by Haas Automation. CNC Machining is distributed free of charge by Haas Automation Inc., and its authorized dealerships, agents and distributors. CNC Machining accepts no advertising or reimbursement for this magazine. All contents of CNC Machining are Copyright 1997 and may not be reproduced without written permission from Haas Automation Inc. CNC Machining is distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Automation Distributors, and by individual subscription request. Contact Haas Automation headquarters via mail or fax to be added to subscription list. Published quarterly. Haas Automation, Inc. & CNC Machining Magazine names. Designed and Printed in the U.S.A. www.HaasCNC.com
igel Patrick served a rather speedy apprenticeship in the profession of drag racing. In 1977 he began collecting his first Christmas-tree reaction times, and by 1978 hed made a quantum leap to the top of the Pro Street class, dominating the field three years running. He earned number-one plates from two sanctioning bodies, and quickly upped the ante by entering the rarefied atmosphere of Funny Bike competition, building and racing turbo, nitro-injected, and blown alcohol-injected E.T. eaters.
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His efforts were finally rewarded in 1984 with an MDRA National Championship in Funny Bikes, and the AMA Drag Bike National Championship in Top Fuel, a serious drag race double-header. A year later, Nigel opened the doors of his new high-performance facility, Patrick Racing in Fountain Valley, California. Once operating in earnest, he channeled his considerable talents into research and development, focusing on cylinder heads and normally aspirated engines. Acknowledged worldwide as an expert in high-performance cylinder heads and precision engine building, Nigel utilizes an air flow bench and Superflow engine dynamometer in his workshop. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, Nigel invested in a Haas VF-0 Vertical Machining Center, and TekSoft CAD/CAM design software for his PC. This setup enables Nigel to literally sculpt billet cylinder heads from blocks of raw aluminum stock. His high-performance engines are in use by many street performance riders and race teams, some who are direct competitors. Nigels CNC-machined heads for Harley-Davidson Twins are cut from solid, 8.5 square, 25-pound blocks of aircraft-quality 6061 T6 aluminum. Patricks cylinder heads are more robust and precision cut than their stock counterparts, and much more aesthetically pleasing. Nigels success with these heads is due to his balanced desire for both their looks and the punch that they deliver.
Machining his way down from the 25-pound block to the completed 10-pound unit involves some fairly complicated processes. As it turns out, Nigel says, it actually involves some five different moving axes, something I wouldnt be able to do without the Haas rotary table. Nigel utilizes a fully-integrated Haas TRT-310 tilting rotary table giving him access to various complicated angles on the part, and enabling him to form the many intricate shapes and contours of the heads with a single setup. Actually, Nigel says, its really a high-tech way to manufacture these high-performance heads. Each one is a perfect clone of the original, because of the super-tight tolerances the Haas holds. I can maintain a 0.0001 of an inch accuracy each and every day. When the process is over, each perfect,10.5-pound billet head has been through five different setups on the Haas VMC, and has a machined surface accuracy of 0.0002. All major machine work has been completed, including the finished external
shape, the receptacles for the valve guides and seats, and all the tapping and drilling to hold the rocker boxes, intake manifold and exhaust pipes. Nigel is able to machine 30 heads at a time before moving on to the cutting of valve seats, and the flow-dynamic porting that gives these heads that extra performance boost that Harley riders are after. To date, Patrick Engineerings product line includes billet heads for both Harley-Davidson Big Twins and Sportster models (1984 to present). In response to overwhelming customer demand he offers all cylinder heads in eight different bolt hole patterns, with even more variations on the way. In the past two years, business has been so successful that Nigel needed to purchase another CNC machine just to keep up with the orders. In December 1995, when shopping for a new machine, he only cared to look through one catalog. This time, he purchased a Haas model VF-4 with a larger xyz envelope to accommodate the odd shape of the billet heads. The VF-4 gives him a little more working room, and speeds up
production enough to make the extra cost worth the investment. Although his original Haas VF-0 is still in daily use churning out perfect copies of the Patrick performance heads, it continues to provide closetolerance finishes as good as the first day it was used. Nigel Patricks success has been built on solid design, and the ability to provide that little-bit-extra that customers sometimes dont expect. Im proud of the extra-heavy-duty heads Im able to produce on the Haas machine, says Nigel. Theyre about a pound heavier than the stock units, mostly because of the extra material around the combustion chamber... of course, theyre also much stronger, since theyre made of aircraft 6061 T6. You know, Im also proud of the fact that Im one of the only aftermarket manufacturers of this quality of performance parts using an American-made CNC mill, said Nigel. The Haas machines have served me well, and Im glad the parts I make for American bikes are made in the USA on an Americanmade CNC machine.
A.P.E. Motors
Haas #13 VF-1 Still Runs Like New
by Bob Thomas
It started out as a Japanese-made Kawasaki. But, before long, almost every part had been replaced by a beefed-up custom-made part. Now, its actually an American-made bike. In 1989, APE was a job shop weaning itself off aerospace work by developing a line of high-performance motorcycle parts. Most of these parts are machined out of aluminum, and involve drilling holes or milling pockets and profiles. Since the parts are used as covers and plates, its important they have a smooth finish. In addition, some parts, such as cam sprockets, are milled out of light steel. APE initially farmed out work to local job shops equipped with CNC mills. But as these shops became busy in the late 80s, it became increasingly difficult to get parts made fast enough to satisfy customers, without cost-prohibitive rush charges. So, APE looked into buying its own CNC mill. We had to buy our own CNC mill, says Jay Esbach, president of APE. We didnt have a choice. If we didnt deliver on time and at the right price, our distributors would buy from our competitors and wed be out of business, Esbach said. In 1989, Haas Automation began manufacturing machining centers to compete with the low-cost offshore brands. Back then most people thought the reason not to buy a Haas was, even if they built a machining center that worked, there was no guaranty it would last past the warranty. Of course, they were all wrong, and that attitude has changed now. I never would have bought a firstyear machining center, said Esbach, but I knew Gene Haas. He said hed stand by his machines, so we bought a Haas VF-1, serial number 00013, and a 5C collet indexer. Were still using it, and its still cutting parts just like new, notes Esbach. The Haas VF-1 has travels of 20 x 16 x 20 (xyz), direct drive with a toothed-drivebelt, and 10-hp spindle that delivers up to 7,500 rpm. It has a wide, cast-iron base that provides dependable cutting torque and superior rigidity. to Ben Esbach, who programs the VF-1, the Haas control is easy. The control of the VF-1 is made by Haas. Its a 32-bit Fanuc compatible control that executes 500 blocks per second of programming. (The only difference between old and new VF-1s is
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merican Performance Engineering (APE) of Burbank, California, makes parts for some of the fastest motorcycles in the world, including a 1000-hp bike that does 0-234 mph in just over six seconds.
The VF-1 did two-months-worth of work in two days. So we were able to expand our product line, and offer more parts. Plus, the VF-1 helped us with our corporate identity. We could engrave our trademark monkey on most of our parts. That has helped us in Japan, where they wont buy our parts without our trademark monkey, adds Esbach. One of the biggest differences between machining centers is found in their controls. Some are easy to use and program; some arent. According
that program execution speed is now up to 1,000 blocks per second.) It features a number of Haas OneTouch features, including OneTouch Powerup, which turns the power on, homes all axes, picks the number 1 tool and loads it into the spindle so the machine is ready to make chips. I like the way its easy to set the work coordinate system offsets. You indicate a hold, touch a button and the offsets are loaded automatically. Those are the G50 codes, which are
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Rotary Airforce
Gyroplanes Fly with the Haas VF-3
by Bob Thomas
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otary Air Force, of Saskatchewan, Canada, has manufactured Gyroplanes since 1970. A Gyroplane is an experimental, ultra-light aircraft with its lift and drive provided by a free-wheeling rotor system. Technically, its not a helicopter, as the craft requires a minimum of 50 feet for a runway. Gyroplane kits are sold in the U.S. for use in crop dusting, cattle control and pleasure.
"We build aircraft and, of course, everything we build has got to be right on the money. Its got to be right; somebodys life is depending on it, said Shane Seitz, manufacturing manager of Rotary Air Force. At the beginning of 1994, the company decided to upgrade their manual machining operations to CNC. The objective was to increase productivity and quality, while decreasing cycle times and the time it takes to complete prototypes. A dozen machining centers were evaluated over a four month period. In July 1995, the company purchased a Haas VF-3 machining center. The VF-3 weighs 12,500 lbs. and has travels of 40 x 20 x 25 (xyz). It has a 15-hp motor, gearedhead, heavy-duty water-cooled spindle, speeds up to 10,000 rpm, and a 20-pocket electronic tool changer. The high-speed, dual 32-bit Fanuc compatible control is also built by Haas. We were a manual machine shop transferring all our machining operations to CNC, Seitz said. The VF-3 has a nice control thats really simple to use. You know the control is simple when the guys youre training pick up on it fast, he said. The VF-3 has all the power and spindle rpm we need, and it gives us the most bang for the buck. Advanced OneTouch features on the Haas-built control save training and production time. For example, Haas OneTouch power-up turns the power on, homes all axes, picks up the #1 tool and loads it into the spindle, so the machine is ready to make chips. Tool-length setup stores offsets for 50 different tools (new VF-3s store 100 offsets), and can be programmed with either radius or diameter, whichever the operator is most familiar with. Work coordinate offsets are loaded automatically with one button after touching-off the part. OneTouch tool offset sets toollength offsets with one button, and another button loads the next tool automatically for offset measurement.
We can prove the program in single block mode and edit right on the machines control.
operator-defined parameters an alarm comes on, virtually eliminating damage to the part from a dull tool. Single-block mode allows one line of code to be run at a time. The operator pushes a button to execute each line of code. Formerly, prototyping required drawing a profile and sending it to a vendor. From the drawing the vendor generated a CNC program, then made the cut. If there were additional changes to the prototype part, the whole process had to be repeated until the part was correct. Now, 5,000 lines of code can be generated and machined in just five hours. CNC programs are sent to the Haas for proofing and editing, Seitz said. Short programs and basic editing are done right at the mill. It brought our prototype-to-production time down from months to weeks.
control. Once we get the first part out, we dont have any QC problems with tolerances that dont fit. Theres no deviation from one part to the next, he said. The company has found the toolload monitor, tool-life management and single-block modes critical to proving out parts without crashing tools. The tool-load monitor keeps track of spindle load for each tool, and warns when the load exceeds an operator-defined safety margin. So when the tool load alarms are set to tight tolerances, the machine shuts down before a tool crash occurs. The tool-life management system keeps track of how long a tool is in the feed mode. When tool time exceeds
APEMotors
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RotaryAirforce
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Fixed Focus
TECH TOPICS ECH OPICS
really simple to do. The offsets are really easy to enter on that machine. You touch the tool to the part, press a button and the coordinates are saved, Ben Esbach said. Another feature that saves time is the editor. Its easy to use, and quick. For example, to get to the bottom of a program, push a button and youre there instantly. The Fanuc control on our other machine takes a while to scroll through the program, reports Ben Esbach. The Haas control has a number of features that ease programming
Most of the work we do on the mill is cosmetic making parts that look good on the motorcycle. We put grooves on them, mill out fancy-shaped pockets and inscribe our name. The Haas mill makes a great engraving machine. Our logo, a monkey holding a little APE sign, is programmed on our CAM system, and engraved on the parts, he adds. Hole locations on parts can be pretty important; they often have to line up with fixtures. In the case of APEs parts, the holes often must match holes on a motorcycle engine casting. We drill holes in the parts, then have to fit the parts into another fixture. They fit every time, says Ben Esback. The graphics on the control show the part being cut, and also let you know whether youve got your work zero coordinates set, he said. OneTouch power-up saves us time.On our other CNC you have to load the X and Z coordinates in the morning to let the machine know where it is. The Haas control also has built-in online help, which helps with programming. For example, enter the coordinates to program a circle or radii, and the control will write the Gcode for you. Its almost like having a CAM system in the control. My CPA says he can tell when I bought each CNC machine, adds Esbach, because we increased our sales and profits after every purchase. In fact, we grew 1,000% in seven years. Were finding it difficult to keep up with the orders again, so were going to buy a couple more Haas machines.
determines the rotor-blade angle. This angle is partially determined by machining, then the hub bar is put into a pressure jig and bent to the exact coning angle.These angles must be within 0.001-inch tolerance to clear the rotor head components. The final operation is boring holes in the end of the hub bar, Seitz said. Since a special fixture stands the 2112 bar on end for this operation, we needed the long z travel the Haas VF-3 provides.
Rotor Molds
Rotary Airforce just put its first aluminum mold into production. Its a compression mold for the 163-inchlong fiberglass rotor blade. Machined in sections out of aluminum, it has a tolerance of 0.001-inch This is the first time the companys been able to machine molds out of solid aluminum blocks. The blocks are assembled together to form an aluminum mold that can be heated and cooled. Tolerances are super critical when youre machining a mold in pieces, said Seitz. The tolerance on the rotor mold is 0.001-inch, because once the rotor is made it has to be hand finished. Spindle speed and feed override features on the control allow us to vary the speeds and feeds at any time during machining operations, he said. The VF-3 is very fast. I can feed tools up to 300 inches per minute and rapid at 710 inches per minute, with smooth tool changes. We like the VF-3, Seitz said. It proved to be a profitable investment.
Industry people in-the-know have been aware for years that Haas Automation Inc. puts every machine they build through a rigorous ball-bar test before shipping. Although most machine-tool manufacturers shy away from taking the time to double check their machines with the intensity that Haas does, most will at least check some of the machine's geometry with a laser system. Unfortunately, old-style laser inspection can only check a single axis at a time; and, at that, it can only check the straight-line accuracy of that axis. Haas uses the more stringent ball-bar test, checking not only linear accuracy, but also the overall machine geometry. The ballbar test is a tell-all examination that ultimately insures the three-dimensional squareness and
It is attached to both the spindle and a fixed point on the table. The machine is then put through a series of circular moves in the X/Y plane, and half-circle moves in the X/Z and
Y/Z planes. Encoder data from the bar is fed into a computer, which outputs a chart of the machines accuracy. Any deviations in squareness or length show up as distorted circles and are very easy for a technician to spot. Because of their rigorous attention to detail and insistence on producing only quality machine tools, Haas sends the results of this ball-bar test, as well as numerous other detailed inspection check lists, along with each machine. They see it as assurance to their customers that the machine they receive is accurate, properly aligned and ready to make chips. From Haas' standpoint, it's the only way to do things.
and reduce errors, such as the ability to change between Yaznac and Fanuc settings. And, a built-in safety feature stops the program from running if the wrong tool is called up. This command can be disabled, if you want to take a chance.
CHATSWORTH, CA In past years such complex jobs as performance head-porting required skilled craftsmen to painstakingly sculpt the ports by hand a process that could take days. The new 5-axis horizontal from Haas Automation accomplishes the same job in just a few hours. In todays competitive world, thats the difference between winning and coming in second. Based on Haas shop-proven HS-1R horizontal machining center (24 x 20 x 22 travels), the HS-1R 5AX comes standard with a 15 x 40 extended table, an HRT-210 (8.27 platter) rotary table, and full 5-axis control. Two different A-frame support blocks plain bearing or needle bearing are available as options, as well as a 20 x 20 table for added flexibility. Built of heavily-ribbed, Americanmade iron castings, this machine utilizes Haas exclusive anti-flex, torque-tube design for superior rigidity. A 15-hp motor drives the high-capacity spindle to 7,500 rpm through an oil-cooled, 2-speed gearbox. The 24-pocket tool changer is fully-enclosed to
protect tool tapers from chips and coolant, and an automatic chip auger senses loads to prevent jamming. High-speed, brushless servo motors provide rapids up to 710 ipm to further reduce cycle times, and a 22-hp, 10,000-rpm spindle is available as an option. Driving the HS-1R 5AX is the highly-refined, user-friendly Haas CNC control. The 5-axis software has been fine-tuned for high speed to meet the challenge of processing large, complex files, such as those associated with cylinder-head machining. Memory is expandable to 8 megs, and a highspeed RS-422 port (115,200 bps) may be added for even more speed and versatility. The HS-1R 5AX is a versatile, high-performance machine perfectly suited for cylinder-head porting, manifold work and other compound machining operations. With a starting price less than $149,000, the HS-1R 5AX is less expensive than any competing machine.
Look to future issues of CNC Machining for more tips and tricks to help with your everyday use of the Haas control.
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Tooling Tips
TECH TOPICS ECH OPICS
Tooling Tips and Techniques From the Application Experts at Kennametal Inc.
ndexable-insert milling cutters are mechanically simple toolholders that can be expected to provide
long and reliable service. Problems that arise usually result from a conflict between cutter design and application, or a lack of proper maintenance.
Wear in the chip gullets of the cutter is normal, but one of the most common indicators of milling cutter misapplication is extraordinary wear. A way to combat gullet wear is to switch to a cutter with a coarser pitch that provides a larger chip gullet for easier chip evacuation. An alternate wear-reduction method, if you're unable to reduce pitch, is to lower the cutter feed rate (inch per tooth). A change to a cutter with high-shear angle geometry can also reduce excessive wear, because the highshear inserts will kick chips up and out of the cutting area. If the cutter is worn excessively in areas other than the chip gullet, look
for interference points on the fixture or workpiece, where chips may be building up.
and high-shear geometries lend themselves to lower horsepower machines, while negative geometries require higher horsepower machines.
Left: Examples of course pitch (left) and fine pitch milling cutters. Coarse pitch cutters work well in materials that produce soft, difficult-tocurl chips, like aluminum and low-carbon steel. Fine pitch cutters can be productively applied on workpiece materials that produce a powdery chip, such as grey cast iron.
Right: Ongoing inspection and maintenance of cutter hardware is critical to the productivity, accuracy, and safety of milling operations. Insert-holding nests and wedges are subject to high pressures and continual abrasion, and should be replaced before excessive wear causes problems.
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Two New Precision Lathes, with Programmable Tailstocks, Are Big Hits with Haas Customers
The compact HL-2 and largestance HL-4 slant-bed CNC lathes with programmable tailstocks have gained a serious following among Haas customers. The HL-2 features a 10 x 20 work envelope with 20 swing, and the HL-4 has a 14.25 x 34 work envelope with 25 swing. Both CNC lathes feature simple designs and rugged construction to assure uptime reliability and economical operation for competitive performance. A programmable hydraulic tailstock provides high accuracy positioning by reducing part flexing. The cast-iron, programmable tailstock, with widespaced linear guides, provides a superstable base. Motion is controlled by
bit processors, and is Fanuc compatible. Located for easy part setup and tool loading, the control has unique Haas OneTouch features, such as power-up, which combine to further enhance productivity.
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New Features
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32-Tool Option for VMCs
Set up 32 tools and run multiple jobs, or a family of parts, for just-in-time manufacturing. The all-new Haas 32-pocket tool changer utilizes a 2-pin geneva motion for fast, random tool selection. The tool changer automatically travels the shortest distance to the next selected tool. Built with the same technology as the time-proven 20-pocket tool changer, the new 32-tool option features the unique Haas sinusoidal-motion arm to accelerate and decelerate shuttle movement with only two moving parts. This provides smooth tool changes and reliable, long-life operation. Each of the 32 tool pockets features a sliding cover to prevent chips from entering and sticking on the tool tapers. With this expanded tool option complicated parts and operations, like in-process inspection and lights-out manufacturing, are much easier to program. Haas suggests using the 32-pocket tool changer for back-up tooling, in conjunction with macros to move to the secondary tool, when utilizing tool-life management.
New Automatic Parts Catcher and Tool Presetter for Haas CNC Lathes
The new Haas Automatic Parts Catcher is a labor-saving feature which frees the operator to perform other tasks while the CNC lathe with bar feeder runs unattended. Adjustable for part length and diameter, the pneumatically-powered APC swings into position to catch parts as they are completed. The Haas Tool Presetter is a compact, manually-operated arm which swings into position to set tool offsets. The Tool Presetter is permanently mounted on the spindle housing, with all wiring enclosed to protect against damage from chips and coolant. Haas line of compact, slant-bed CNC lathes features unique torque-tube, cast-iron bases for torsional rigidity. Oversized guides, with an unusually wide stance, enhance rigidity and stability for heavy-duty cutting and competitive performance. The CNC lathes feature a 10" x 20" or 14.25" x 34" work envelope, a 20" or 25" swing, and are available with programmable tailstocks. The HL-1 and 2 feature 15-hp drives with spindle speeds of 50 to 3,750 rpm. The HL-3 and 4 feature 30-hp drives with spindle speeds of 30 to 3,500 rpm. An Automatic Tool Turret is available with 10 or 12 pockets. The Haas-built, Fanuc compatible, dual 32-bit control is located for easy part setup and tool loading. Unique Haas OneTouch features increase productivity, such as OneTouch Tool Offset and OneTouch Power-Up sequences.
Lathe Gearbox
The shop-proven Haas HL-3 and HL-4 CNC lathes are now available with a performance-enhancing 2-speed gearbox. The smooth and powerful transmission provides extra power and smooth finishes for lowspeed, high-torque cutting operations. The gearbox option supplies 750 ft. lbs. of spindle torque at a low 400 rpm this is for serious metal removal. The Haas Lathe gearbox option is designed for applications that require the removal of more material, at higher rates, from largerthan-usual parts.
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Chip Auger
Tried, true and machine-shop proven. Eliminate chip handling chores by utilizing a compact, built-in automatic chip auger. Chips are compressed and wrung of coolant, and discharged at a 24 height. Or, you can employ Haas traditional chip conveyor to discharge chips into a standard 55 gallon drum.
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Industry News
Haas New Home
Haas Sponsors Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Racing Effort
Haas new 415,000 sq. ft. facility in Ventura County, scheduled to open in March, 1997.
By March, 1997, Haas Automation will be fully operational in their new manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California. The new 415,000 sq. ft. facility is located on an 86-acre industrial site south of the 101 Freeway, and a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. This new facility will house one of the largest, most modern machine-tool manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Utilizing flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) for lights out operation, it will be the most automated machining facility in the western United States. The completion of this new facility enables Haas to locate all its manufacturing operations under one roof. Daily operations will be further streamlined through improved organization and a major investment in new equipment. Haas is investing an additional $10 million in new manufacturing equipment on top of the estimated $20 million price tag for the new plant. The major reason Haas in investing as much as we are, said Denis Dupuis, Haas general mangaer, is so we can continue doing what weve always done increase our productivity and efficiency, while manufacturing even better products at even lower prices. As for the decision to move to Oxnard, the major reasons seem to be the overall quality of life, and the cooperation Haas has received from the city. Weve been impressed with the Citys streamlined permit process, said President Gene Haas. Its made the process of moving our operations that much easier. In addition to the 415,000 sq. ft. facility, Haas plans to build an industrial complex on the remaining 40 acres of land. Future expansion is already part of the plan, Haas said. The new facilitys one-year construction period will generate approximately $9 million, and employ more than 100 people. When the move is complete, the expected impact to the community will be over $30 million, and more than 500 people will be employed. Haas non-stop sales increase, which began in 1989, is attributed to its quality products, innovative designs, reliability and fair prices. The company increased its sales 566 percent during the period of 1989 through 1994, when sales reached $89 million. In 1995 sales increased 90 percent to $168 million, and in 1996 sales increased again to $230 million.
Competition is fierce in car racing, and no one wants to come in second. Race teams are forced to find new ways of squeezing out performance to stay on top. Hendrick Motorsports of Harrisburg, North Carolina, is one of the largest, most sophisticated and successful racing operations in the world. Hendrick is a leading force in NASCAR racing, and has been winning races since 1984. During the 96 season, Hendrick drivers Terry Labonte (5) and Jeff Gordon (24) finished first and second place respectively in Winston Cup points. Hendrick needed flexible machine tools for highly specialized work, but wanted affordable, reliable machines with lots of features. To meet these needs they teamed up with Haas Automation for the 1996 and '97 Winston Cup racing seasons. The Haas 5-axis HMC allows Hendrick to perform complex jobs like finish-porting, with high speed and accuracy, while the Haas VF-4 VMC and HL-4 CNC lathe fit the bill for less complex parts. "We are pleased to have Haas as a sponsor, said Randy Dorton, Director of Engine Development for Hendrick Motorsports. After thoroughly researching the machine-tool industry, we found Haas was the numberone choice for the CNC equipment we were looking for. We need to produce more quality, high-tolerance parts, so we can continue winning races and capturing championships. At Hendrick Motorsports, we want to continue as a leading force in NASCAR racing. By teaming up with Haas Automation, we feel we've positioned ourselves with the ability to manufacture super-high-quality parts something that's necessary to build high-speed precision engines and reliable race cars."
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At Haas, we dont think CNC technology thats affordable, well built, precise and operator-friendly is too much to ask for...
Its everything.