Haas has improved the EC-400 from the ground up, with newly designed castings for increased rigidity and better cutting performance, 125 mm of extra Y-axis travel, vastly improved chip evacuation, and an optional 100-pocket tool changer.
At the heart of the EC-400’s improved chip-management system is a wider belt-type chip conveyor positioned at the centre of the machine, directly under the spindle. The steep walls of the interior enclosure easily funnel chips to the conveyor, from where they are discharged at the height of a full-size industrial barrel. Wash-down nozzles mounted in the ceiling are fed by a separate coolant pump, and allow operators to direct coolant flow to areas where chips may gather.
The four-nozzle coolant ring surrounding the spindle nose is positioned so that nozzles can be pointed at the shortest tools, with others positioned for longer tools. Haas has implemented a compact, cylindrical design that prevents chips from collecting on top.
Another design feature of note is the cycloidal rotary drive system, which provides a combination of speed, accuracy and durability to the B axis. The rugged design provides long service life, with little or no maintenance, and is especially durable in a crash, as the drive can be back-driven to absorb the energy from an impact. Accordingly, the shock-load capacity is five times the rated torque of the gearbox, and the entire gearbox is a simple drop-in replacement, should damage occur.
Using a stepped base and column design (where one X-axis linear guide rail is mounted in a different horizontal plane than the other) increases the rigidity and stability of the spindle-head column assembly.
The standard specification includes: an 8,100 rpm spindle; 30+1 side-mount tool changer; chip and coolant management; a belt-type chip conveyor; a 360-litre coolant tank; HaasConnect (remote monitoring); early power-failure detection; Ethernet Interface; Wi-Fi connection for the Haas control; rigid tapping; and 1 GB program memory.
For extended production and lights-out capability, a six-station pallet pool and high-capacity tool changer are available as options.
