Ingersoll Machine Tools is running one of the largest milling machines in the world—the biggest in the country, they claim—as part of an effort to focus on contract manufacturing operations with Ingersoll equipment.
The Ingersoll MasterMill, located in the company’s Rockford, Ill., facility, is comprised of a 16-foot diameter turning and milling table with an adjustable crossrail that stretches to 26 feet wide. The MasterMill is capable of producing parts up to 26 x 100 x 21 feet, such as a recent job that required Ingersoll to work on a 110-ton piece of steel for a P&H Mining electric shovel component, as reported in the Rockford Register Star.
The MasterMill features quick-change functionality, allowing rapid tooling and spindle changes. Managers can remotely monitor the MasterMill’s progress, using real-time software to analyze project progress and safety conditions.
The MasterMill is part of a larger suite of machines and equipment Ingersoll has developed to expand its Contract Machining and Manufacturing business. Ingersoll has accomplished jobs for companies in “the wind energy machinery, transportation systems, mining equipment, nuclear power plant systems and gas turbine” industries, according to American Machinist.
“This is the beginning of what could be a very long and beneficial project for Ingersoll and the community,” President/CEO Tino Oldani told the Star, referring to the MasterMill and other contract projects.
