Making a large capital investment, such as a machining center, can be a daunting task. The number of facts and figures thrown at you by salesmen and advertisements can be confusing and hard to differentiate.

To simplify the decision—or in an attempt to provide some analysis relative to machine selection—many manufacturing engineers put all the spec sheet numbers into a spreadsheet, trying to boil the data down to a logical selection.

"Comparing the straight numbers is not only dangerous, but it can also lead you to a purchase you’ll regret," said Bill Howard, VMC product manager for Makino. "Between non-equivalent standards, different measurement techniques, and factors that are often not even considered on the spreadsheet, such as spindle spool-up time, the best machine is often not the one that looks the best on a spreadsheet."

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Follow the links below to access the chapter transcripts of Makino's inMotion presentation, "Buyer Beware: Are Specifications Really What They Seem? "

1. Buyer Beware: Introduction
2. What is a Specification
3. Accuracy
4. Rapid, Acceleration and Deceleration
5. Tool Change Specs
6. HP and Torque
7. Other Specs
8. Summary

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