Vertical machining centers and horizontal machining centers are the more common CNC lathe equipment in industrial manufacturing. They are mainly distinguished according to the working state of the spindle.

A machining center with a vertical spindle is called a vertical machining center; a machining center with a horizontal spindle is a horizontal machining center. Both have their own uses and advantages in practice.

So do you know the difference between the two? What are their respective uses? As a leading 3 axis vmc manufacturer, we will introduce them to you in this blog.

Vertical Machining Center V.S. Horizontal Machining Center

How does it work?

✔️Vertical machining center

Vertical machining center is suitable for processing disc, sleeve, plate parts and has no indexing and rotating function. Its structure is mostly fixed column, worktable is rectangular. It generally has three linear motion coordinate axes, and a turntable that rotates along the horizontal axis can be installed on the worktable to process helical parts.

Combining the characteristics and functions of a variety of CNC machine tools, the vertical machining center can complete multi-process processing such as milling, boring, drilling, tapping and threading in one clamping of the workpiece. Moreover, the vertical machining center can realize at least three-axis and two-linkage, and the general vertical machining center can realize three-axis and three-axis linkage, and some even can control five-axis and six-axis.

✔️Horizontal machining center

Horizontal machining centers, usually with a square table for indexing rotary motion. It generally has 3 to 5 motion coordinates. The common one is three linear motion coordinates plus one rotary motion coordinate. It can make the workpiece complete the processing of the remaining four surfaces except the mounting surface and the top surface after one clamping, it is suitable for processing box parts.

Generally, it has an indexing worktable or a numerical control conversion worktable, which can process all sides of the workpiece; it can also make joint movements of multiple coordinates to process complex spatial surfaces.

Some horizontal machining centers are equipped with automatic exchange worktables. While processing the workpieces on the worktable located at the working position, the workpieces on the worktable located at the loading and unloading position can be loaded and unloaded, thereby greatly shortening the auxiliary time and improving processing efficiency.

Advantages and disadvantages and applications

✔️Vertical machining center

Vertical machining center is easy to install, easy to operate and easy to observe processing conditions and debugging programs, so it has been widely used. However, due to the limitation of the height of the column and the tool changing device, parts that are too high cannot be machined.

When machining a cavity or a concave profile, the chips are not easily discharged. In severe cases, the tool will be damaged and the machined surface will be damaged, thus affecting the smooth processing. conduct.

✔️Horizontal machining center

The horizontal machining center has a complex structure and a large area, and is generally used to process large parts. The horizontal machining center is inconvenient to observe during machining, such as parts clamping and measurement, but it is easy to remove chips during machining, so the price is higher.

Last few words

If you want to have a deeper understanding of the 3 axis vmc machine or know 3 axis vmc machine price as well as the information about vertical or horizontal machining center, you are welcome to consult us at any time, and we will try our best to help you.