ShopOwnerMike
Posted: 2 days ago
Looking at two machines and can’t decide which direction to go.
We’re a job shop doing mixed work – some complex aluminum/steel prismatic parts (medical-ish, fixtures, small molds) and also a fair amount of turned parts that need milling features. Currently running 3-axis VMCs and a couple older lathes.
Option 1: DMG Mori DMU 50 3rd gen (5-axis vertical with swivel table)
Option 2: Mazak Integrex i-200 (or i-200S)
I know they’re completely different animals – one is a pure 5-axis mill, the other is a mill-turn. But both are being pitched as “the machine that will take us to the next level.”
Anyone run both or switched from one to the other? Real talk on:
What work each is actually good at day to day
Reliability / downtime
Programming difficulty
Service experience
Which one pays for itself faster in a mixed shop
Not looking for brochure talk. Thanks.
Mike
ToolRoom_Dan
Posted: 1 day ago
Ran a DMU 50 for 3 years, now we have an Integrex i-200S.
Completely different tools.
DMU 50 is a pure milling machine. Great for prismatic parts, 5-sided work, simultaneous when you need it. Compact, good accuracy, table load is decent. If your bread and butter is complex milling and you still have lathes for the turned stuff, the DMU makes a lot of sense.
The Integrex is a different animal. It’s a lathe first that also mills really well. If you have parts that start as bar stock or chucking work and need a bunch of milling features + back side work, the Integrex destroys the DMU on cycle time because everything stays in one setup. No more lathe → mill → lathe again.
Downside of the Integrex: it’s bigger, heavier, more expensive, and the learning curve is steeper if your guys are mostly milling people. Also the Y-axis stroke is limited compared to a real 5-axis mill so some prismatic parts just don’t fit as nice.
If your mix is heavy on milling → DMU 50.
If you’re doing a lot of “turned parts with milling” → Integrex all day.
We switched because our work shifted more toward complete parts from bar. No regrets, but the DMU was a solid machine too.
5Axis_Guy
Posted: 22 hours ago
I’ve programmed both.
DMU 50 with Siemens or Heidenhain is pretty straightforward if you already do 5-axis. It’s a vertical mill with a tilting table. Post processors are mature, collision checking is manageable.
Integrex (SmoothX) is more involved. You’re dealing with main spindle, sub spindle (if you get the S), B-axis milling head, possible lower turret, tool life management across turning and milling tools, etc. Mazatrol can handle a lot of the simple stuff conversationally which is nice, but for real simultaneous or complex 5-axis milling you’re still going to CAM.
Service-wise I’ve had better luck with Mazak in the Midwest. Parts seem more available and techs show up faster in my experience. DMG can be hit or miss depending on your region and whether you got a good tech or a green one.
One thing nobody talks about enough: the Integrex ties up a lot more floor space and power, and when it goes down you lose both your turning and milling capacity at once. With the DMU you still have your lathes running.
Depends entirely on the parts.
MidwestMachinist
Posted: 9 hours ago
We looked at both hard last year.
Ended up with the DMU 50 because 70% of our work is prismatic. The Integrex would have been underutilized on the turning side and the limited Y travel was a deal breaker for some of our bigger fixture plates.
That said, I know two shops that bought Integrex i-200s and love them. One guy said he cut 3 setups down to 1 on a bunch of hydraulic components and the machine paid for itself faster than anything else he ever bought.
Common complaints I heard on the Integrex:
B-axis can need calibration attention over time
Tool magazine management gets messy with mixed turning/milling tools
More expensive to keep running (tools, inserts, etc.)
DMU 50 complaints are the usual DMG stuff – random alarms, service can be slow, plastic bits break.
Neither is a bad machine. Just don’t buy the Integrex thinking it’s a better 5-axis mill, and don’t buy the DMU thinking it will replace your lathes.
What’s the actual percentage of turned vs pure milled work in your shop? That usually decides it pretty quick.
