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Welcome to VIB GmbH & Co. KG - your specialist for used machining centers!
Buy Used Machining Centers: At VIB, you’ll find vertical, horizontal, and 5-axis CNC machining centers from leading manufacturers. We provide personalized advice, conduct technical evaluations of the machines, and assist with site visits, disassembly, loading, transportation, and targeted machine searches.
You don’t choose a machining center based solely on the number of axes. Even long travel ranges, high spindle speeds, or a large tool magazine don’t automatically make a machine the right choice.
What matters is how all these factors work together.
How large are the workpieces? From how many sides do they need to be machined? What materials will be machined? How many different tools does the process require? Will an operator set up individual workpieces, or is automated batch production with a pallet changer planned?
Anyone looking to buy a used machining center should answer these questions before actually searching for a machine. This significantly narrows down the selection—and helps avoid a supposed bargain that later turns out to be unsuitable for production.
VIB specializes in used machining centers. Depending on availability, our inventory includes compact vertical CNC machining centers as well as horizontal machines, multi-spindle production solutions, and 5-axis machining centers.
The orientation of the work spindle defines the machine’s design.
In a vertical machining center, the spindle is positioned vertically above the workpiece. This design is common in many manufacturing facilities and is suitable for a wide range of milling, drilling, boring, and threading operations.
Vertical machines often offer good accessibility during setup and are available in numerous sizes. They can therefore be used very flexibly for individual parts, varying production runs, and classic milling operations.
In a horizontal machining center, the work spindle is positioned horizontally. This can offer advantages when workpieces need to be machined on multiple sides. Rotary tables, pallets, and automatic pallet changers are frequently used.
In addition, due to their design, chips often fall out of the machining area more easily during horizontal machining.
Which variant is more suitable therefore does not depend on a general difference in quality. A vertical machining center may be the more appropriate machine for a versatile contract manufacturer, while a horizontal center with a pallet changer really comes into its own for recurring production runs.
At first glance, five axes sound like they offer more possibilities—and they do. Nevertheless, not every workpiece requires a 5-axis machine.
For many prismatic components, a classic 3-axis machining center with X, Y, and Z axes is perfectly sufficient.
An additional rotary table or a fourth axis makes it possible to access additional workpiece sides without manually re-clamping. This alone can result in a significant productivity gain.
A 5-axis machine expands these possibilities even further. Complex geometries, inclined surfaces, and multiple sides of a workpiece can be machined in a single setup or significantly fewer setups.
But here, too, a distinction should be made:
Does the workpiece merely require indexed positioning at different angles?
Or is true simultaneous 5-axis machining necessary?
For buyers of used machines, this distinction makes a significant difference. A technically more sophisticated machine offers an economic advantage only if its capabilities are actually utilized in the parts program.
When initially selecting a used machining center, travel ranges are usually the primary consideration.
That’s correct—but not sufficient.
A workpiece that fits geometrically within the X, Y, and Z travel ranges may still be too large for the actual working space.
Other relevant factors include table dimensions, permissible workpiece weight, distance between the spindle nose and the table, tool lengths, and potential interference contours.
For 4- and 5-axis machines, swivel and rotational ranges must also be taken into account. A workpiece may require significantly more space during swiveling than in its initial position.
Anyone looking for a used machining center for a specific component should therefore ideally not only know its external dimensions but also consider clamping devices, tool lengths, and required machining positions.
A particularly high spindle speed is not automatically better.
For aluminum and smaller tool diameters, high spindle speeds can play an important role. For heavy-duty machining of steel or larger tools, however, available torque may be more critical.
Therefore, spindle speed, power, and torque should always be considered together.
The tool holder also plays an important role. For example, used machining centers often feature SK40, SK50, HSK-A63, and other systems.
This can be economically significant for a company with an existing machine fleet.
If a company already has a large number of tool holders for a specific system, a machine with the same interface can save costs and simplify integration.
In contrast, a machine with a different tool holder—which may initially seem more attractive—can require additional investments in tool holders and accessories.
20, 30, 40, 60, or well over 100 tool positions—the used market offers a wide variety of solutions.
The right size depends on the production concept.
Those who primarily machine similar parts may only need a manageable tool inventory. For complex components, many different products, or unmanned production, however, a large magazine can be crucial.
In addition to capacity, the condition of the tool changer should also be considered.
A fast tool change is of little use if the grippers, magazine, or positioning system do not operate reliably.
During a live demonstration, tool changing is therefore one of the functions we believe should be observed whenever possible.
A pallet changer is far more than just a convenient add-on.
While a workpiece is being machined on one pallet, the next workpiece can already be set up outside the work area. This allows for a clearer separation between setup time and machine runtime.
For recurring production runs, this can significantly improve spindle utilization.
Horizontal machining centers are therefore often equipped with two or more pallets. In more extensive automation systems, additional pallet stations and workpiece storage units may be included.
For operations involving single-part production, such automation is not necessarily required.
For series production, however, it can be a key factor in cost-effectiveness.
When comparing used machining centers, one should therefore not only ask whether a pallet changer is available, but also what the overall production setup should look like.
Machining centers also come in configurations with multiple spindles.
Such machines can machine two or more workpieces simultaneously and are particularly useful for recurring parts and series production.
The productivity advantage stems less from a single, particularly fast spindle and more from the fact that multiple workpieces are machined simultaneously.
However, this also requires a suitable parts program.
For highly variable individual parts, a flexible single-spindle machine may be more practical. For stable production runs, a multi-spindle machining center can enable significantly higher output.
Here, too, the following applies: The machine concept must fit the job—not the other way around.
Used CNC machining centers, for example, feature control systems from Siemens, Heidenhain, FANUC, Mitsubishi, and other manufacturers.
Technically, different systems can be very capable. For the buyer, however, the operational environment also plays a role.
Which control systems are the operators familiar with?
Which programs and post-processors are available?
How is internal maintenance organized?
What experience is there with the machine generation in question?
A company that already operates several machines with Heidenhain controls may evaluate another Heidenhain machining center differently than a company that uses only Siemens.
These soft factors do not appear in any technical data sheet, but they can be very relevant to the actual ongoing costs.
When considering used machining centers, it’s worth taking a closer look at the available operating data.
Total operating hours initially only indicate how long the machine was powered on or ready for operation. This does not automatically mean that the work spindle was under load for the entire duration.
If available, spindle hours can therefore provide additional information.
However, even they are no substitute for a technical evaluation.
A machine with higher operating hours may have been regularly maintained and be in good condition. A machine with few hours, for example, may have been idle for a long time or operated under unfavorable conditions.
That is why we consider operating hours to be one factor—not the sole indicator of quality.
If a machining center is still powered on, a walk-through can be particularly informative.
For example, it makes sense to observe the spindle operation and noise levels, move the axes, and watch the tool change.
For machines with a rotary or swivel table, its function should also be taken into account.
For horizontal machining centers with a pallet changer, the pallet change is worth observing.
Existing measurement systems, tool probes, and coolant systems can also be included in the demonstration.
Such an inspection does not replace a comprehensive geometric survey. However, it provides significantly more information about the machine than photos and a list of features alone.
In everyday production, a machining center consists of more than just the machine body and control system.
Chip conveyors, belt or paper filters, high-pressure coolant supply, internal spindle cooling, oil mist separation, measuring probes, and additional tool holders can significantly influence the machine’s practical utility.
Therefore, especially when peripheral equipment is extensive, it is worthwhile to carefully compare the scope of delivery.
A machine that initially appears more expensive may be more economically attractive if essential components are already included.
Missing peripherals, on the other hand, may need to be purchased separately, installed, and integrated into the control system.
A sensible comparison, therefore, is not limited to:
“How much does the machine cost?”
But rather:
“How much does the machine cost once it is fully equipped and ready for production for my process?”
The used machine market features numerous established manufacturers.
At VIB, for example, depending on availability, machines from DMG MORI or Deckel Maho, CHIRON, STAMA and other manufacturers are offered.
The brands differ not only in price and brand recognition but also, in some cases significantly, in their preferred machine designs.
CHIRON and STAMA, for example, are strongly associated with high-productivity manufacturing solutions. DMG MORI and Deckel Maho, on the other hand, cover a very broad spectrum, ranging from vertical and horizontal machines to complex 5-axis machines.
However, when making a purchase decision, the manufacturer should be a secondary consideration after the specific machining task.
A machine from a well-known brand is only a good investment if the working area, spindle, axis configuration, and features match the planned component.
Not every machine type is available for sale used at all times.
Certain combinations of travel ranges, control systems, tool holders, axes, and year of manufacture, in particular, may only appear on the market sporadically.
If you’d like to purchase a specific used CNC machining center and can’t currently find a suitable machine in our inventory, please contact us.
VIB has many years of experience in the trade of used machine tools and can conduct targeted searches for specific machines.
It is helpful to provide requirements that are as precise as possible: desired travel ranges, vertical or horizontal design, number of axes, control system, tool holder, spindle speed, pallet system, and other necessary features.
The more precise the search profile, the more effectively we can monitor the market on your behalf.
Our current inventory of machines is listed directly above this section.
VIB specializes in used machine tools and assists companies in finding machines that meet their technical requirements.
We provide personalized consultation and help assess the technical specifications of the equipment on offer.
Upon request, we also assist with on-site inspections as well as the organization of disassembly, loading, and transport.
Would you like to sell a machining center yourself? Purchasing used machine tools is also part of our business. To provide an initial assessment, please provide us with the manufacturer, model, year of manufacture, control system, technical specifications, features, and current photos.
A CNC machining center is an automated machine tool that combines various machining operations such as milling, drilling, reaming, and thread cutting. It typically features an automatic tool changer and a tool magazine.
The terms overlap to some extent. A machining center typically features automatic tool changing and is designed for multiple automated machining steps within a single CNC program. A milling machine may have a simpler design.
That depends on the workpiece and the production concept. Vertical machines are versatile and often easily accessible. Horizontal machining centers offer advantages for multi-side machining, chip removal, and automated series production.
If complex workpiece surfaces, angled machining operations, or multiple sides need to be machined with as few setups as possible, 5-axis technology can offer significant advantages. For simple parts, however, it is not absolutely necessary.
Important factors include the working area, travel ranges, spindle condition, tool holder, tool changer, axes, control system, rotary or swivel table, and available peripherals. If possible, the machine should be inspected while powered on.
That depends on the machine and the machining task. Common examples include SK40, SK50, and HSK-A63. Your company’s existing tool inventory can influence the decision.
Yes, they provide a point of reference. Spindle hours and the maintenance history can be even more indicative. However, operating hours alone should never be the sole factor in determining a machine’s condition.
That depends heavily on the manufacturer, year of manufacture, size, number of axes, control system, spindle, tool magazine, automation, and condition. Therefore, it is not practical to provide a general price estimate.
Yes. If the desired machine is not currently in stock, VIB can conduct a targeted search for a used machining center with the required specifications.
Yes. VIB purchases used machine tools and markets them nationally and internationally.