PRECISE, EFFICIENT, VERSATILE
MIGHTY VIPER
HEAVY CUTTING CNC MACHINING CENTERS
--Interview with S & S Precision
By: Kediy
Mighty Viper series of Precision Production Centers and CNC Turning Centers are specifically designed to perform a full range of operations in a single set-up, on a variety of materials well into the 21st century. The slant-bedded, 12-stationed VT Series are widely recognized in the high-tech industries such as aerospace, automobile, heavy-construction, power generation, and computer electronics. Innovative enhancements, maximum aftermarket support, and affordability have propelled Mighty USA to being an industry leader of CNC equipment.
Dave Mosier, President of S & S Precision, Santa Ana, California, has been one of Mighty USA’s loyal customers for years. Established in 1997, S & S has been dedicated in supplying parts for many different production companies in industries such as aerospace. Nowadays, S & S has over 30 employees, 10,000 sq.ft plant space and $2.75 million sales from last year, and so far owns 6 Mighty machines including VT-17L, VT-25BL in Viper lathe series and VMC-950 in Viper mill series.Speaking of Viper products, he briefly summarized into three words: precise, efficient, versatile.
HIGH-END MACHINE WITH AFFORDABLE PRICE
‘I like VIPER’s design. They are space-efficient, functionally efficient and user-friendly.’ Says Dave, ‘When I first started out, I only had limited machine shop space. With Viper’s compact design, I was able to fit in more machines.
‘The complexity and close-tolerance features allow us to cut a wide range of hard materials such as Titanium, Bronze, inconel, hastelloy and stainless steel precisely. ’ Says Dave. Indeed, Viper’s design is well made for heavy-duty cutting. The rigid Meehanite cast-iron bed construction provides ultimate machine tool accuracy and reliability, as the heat treatment provides release of residual stress. The 30° slant-bed design with integrated torque tube structure gives the machine exceptional stability in heavy-cutting operation and optimal chip removal. The cutting forces are increased, resulting a high degree of precision. Both X and Z Axes are supported by oversized, hardened ground box-type ways.
Out of the 3 VT-17L models, most are used in short and long run high-end aerospace production for customers such as B.F.Goodrich and G.E.Engines, who are the suppliers for Boeing airplanes. The machines are also widely used in industries such as commercial assembly, prototype production and engineering. According to Dave, these customers have been purchasing parts from them ever since, and are very satisfied with the parts produced from VIPER machines.
Throughout the years using Viper machines, Dave gladly tells that the machines function very well with just few minor problems, which were solved by Mighty’s engineers quickly.
Viper also makes it simple, easy-to-operate and user-friendly by always adopting the newest technologies. For example, on programming, Fanuc 0iT, 21iT and 18iT controls are utilized for premium performance and accuracy on spindle control and processor for high-speed computation.
‘I find Mighty machines not only functional, but also cost-efficient.’ Says Dave, who also owns lathe machines such as Takasawa, and conventional lathe machines such as Akuma. He admits that when it comes to speed, user-friendliness, capacity and other functions, Viper machines are generally comparable to some high-end manufacturers such as Takasawa, only cost a lot less. ‘For this price, you get more than what you pay for, and have the machine perform just the way you need.’ Quotes Dave.
RELATIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
Obviously, for any parts manufacturer, choosing a reliable machine supplier is more than important. At S & S, people value the work relationship. Facing dozens of quality machine suppliers, only companies that provides good services and dedicates on building business relationships stand out. Introduced by The Machine Group, Ltd (TMG), S & S purchased their first Viper machine—a VMC-950 in 1999, after a disappointing experience with the Famco V-950 machine. Since then, they have been purchasing 5 more Mighty machines in the following years. ‘With Mighty, I have a great experience and great expectations. I can always get the right support when it comes to delivery, installation and technical support.’ Dave beams. ‘Once a Viper machine had some problem, I called Mighty and a service technician showed up 2 hours after, and found out the reason was the filter was covered with dirt. So he cleaned up the filter, and showed our engineer how to fix the same problem next time. We were very happy.’ Speaking of service, Dave also tells he has seen a great improvement from Mighty over the years.
For S & S, another important factor to look at when choosing a supplier is the range of products. Carrying from small to large size CNC milling, turning centers, bridge and 5-Axis CNC machining centers, Mighty USA’s Viper line is definitely a helper in S & S’s expansion plan. According to Dave, he is looking for a machine that combines both milling and turning, which is recently introduced as the YMS series by Mighty. ‘I know Mighty has all these products,’ says Dave, ‘So if I need any machine for any new productions, I can just go back and say, hey I need this kind of machine, and that’ll be available at Mighty. I don’t have to go out and look for another manufacturer.’