Double Tool Magazine VMC: 64 Tools, Fewer Stops

The Downtime Nobody Budgets For

Ask a setter where the shifts go and the answer is rarely cutting. It is stopping the machine to swap tools: walking to the presetter, changing a worn cutter, loading a different diameter for the next feature. The VITOP double tool magazine vertical machining center attacks that problem directly. Two models, the VMC-1268F and VMC-1380F, each carry two magazines, left 32 pockets plus right 32 pockets, for 64 tools ready at any moment.

Envelope and Table

Worktable travel (X-axis) is 1200 to 1300 mm, sliding saddle stroke (Y-axis) 700 to 800 mm, and spindle box travel (Z-axis) 680 to 700 mm. Tables are 700 x 1300 mm or 800 x 1400 mm, carrying 800 to 1300 kg depending on model.

Why Two Magazines Change the Workflow

A 24-tool magazine forces compromise: you pre-select tools, and the moment a job needs one more diameter, someone stands at the machine. With 64 pockets, the arithmetic changes in three ways. First, roughing and finishing tools can live permanently on the machine, so a job never waits on a changeover. Second, you can run sister tooling: an identical spare cutter in the next pocket means a worn tool is replaced by a programmed tool call, not a stop. Third, longer unattended runs become realistic, because the magazine holds everything the program needs from first cut to final pass.

Spindle: 40 to 12000 rpm in One Range

The 40-12000 r/min speed range with an 11 kW motor is wider than it looks. The low end handles large drills, reamers and taps at sensible rpm; the high end covers aluminium finishing, electrode work and small-diameter milling. Shops that cut both steel mould parts and aluminium components rarely need a second machine for the speed extremes, which is where this range earns its place.

Installation and Power Planning

Total electrical capacity is 25 to 45 KVA depending on configuration, and machine weight runs from 6500 to 10000 kg. The heavier end of that range deserves a proper foundation check before delivery, particularly on upper floors or where soil conditions are poor. Confirm your power supply quality too; a stabiliser is inexpensive protection for the spindle and control electronics in areas with voltage fluctuation.

Where This Machine Pays Off

• Mould base and plate machining with many drilling and milling operations.
• Family-batch production where several part numbers run back to back.
• Shops moving toward lights-out or reduced-crew evening shifts.
• Contract machining with mixed jobs that would exhaust a 24-tool ATC.

Is the Second Magazine Worth It?

A useful rule of thumb: if your typical programs use more than 20 tools, or you already lose more than half an hour a shift to tool stops, the dual-magazine layout usually pays for the difference. If your parts need more travel than 1300 mm in X, or heavier cuts than an 11 kW spindle supports, talk to VITOP about the wider ranges instead. Send a drawing and a rough cycle plan and ask them to check the fit.

Talk to VITOP Machinery

Planning a machine purchase or need help matching a model to your parts? Send your drawings or questions to vitopmachinery@163.com, or message us directly on WhatsApp: +86 183 1908 0212. You can also browse all machines at www.vitopmachinery.com. We reply within one business day.