Evolution in Precision: Unveiling the History of Haas CNC Machines
Haas Automation is one of the largest builders of CNC machines in the world. Their state-of-the-art facility is located here in the United States where they manufacture everything from lathes to robot systems. Haas was founded in 1983 and have been producing top of the line machines ever since.
The history of Haas CNC machines started with their founder, Gene Haas, who had a dream to build a Vertical Machining center and then expand into CNC products. In 1988, his dream became a reality when he unveiled the VF-1, (which stands for “Very First one”) at the International Machine Tool Show in Chicago, Illinois. Not only did this machine change the industry, it was manufactured in the USA and sold for under $50,000. That in itself was a great accomplishment and really helped put their name out there.
Haas also produced the first fully automatic and programmable collet indexer for machines. A collet indexer helps position parts for machining with a very precise accuracy. This opened the door to fully programmable rotary indexers, rotary tables and many more tool accessories.
According to their website, Haas Automation’s headquarters in California produces over 1,300 VMC’s, HMC’s, CNC lathes, 5-axis machining centers and specialty machines each month. They have over 170 locally owned and operated Haas Factory Outlets that reside in more than 60 countries!
Haas has proven their success with revenues exceeding $1.2 billion annually and are consistently growing as a company. They went from a small facility in California to purchasing a 279-acre property in Nevada where they will build a manufacturing facility.
An interesting fact about this company is that over 50% of their own machines are used to produce their products. This just proves how much trust they have in the quality of their machines. Haas Automation also manufactures all of the critical components of the machines in their facilities to ensure a streamline production and reduce costs. This helps the company control quality and cost while keeping the reliability of their products at an all-time high. They even have their engineers stationed feet away from the production floor just in case a change must be implemented.
The whole production process is closely monitored and follows a very strict set of guidelines. Any kind of change to the machines on the production line is communicated in the facility through an iPad in real time and all workers involved in the process are always kept in the loop. In addition to all of this, their machines go through a rigorous test before being shipped off. They go through a spindle vibration check, geometry check, tool changer test, leak test, ballbar test and a test cut. This ensures that Haas Automation lives up to the reputation of being one of the top builders of quality CNC machines in the world.
Haas machines are always in high demand in the used machinery industry and we here at Revelation Machinery have a large selection available on our site. Connect with our CNC sales team today to find the right Haas machine for your shop!