Shimada VT4-350 Vertical CNC Chucker

Four-Spindle Vertical Lathe for Near-Zero Load/Unload Time

The Shimada VT4-350 is a four-spindle vertical CNC chucker engineered for high-volume production turning with near-zero load and unload time. Originally developed by Kitako and refined by Shimada after its acquisition in 2011, the VT4-350 remains the only vertical CNC lathe in the world with two spindles dedicated to loading and unloading outside the machining zone and two spindles cutting simultaneously inside the work zone. This architecture eliminates idle spindles and delivers finished parts every cycle.

In roughly the footprint of a single-spindle vertical turning center, the VT4-350 combines the throughput of a multi-spindle CNC lathe, the accuracy and fast setup of CNC control, and the unattended productivity required for just-in-time manufacturing. With more than 60 years of Shimada chucker experience and over 4,000 multi-spindle machines installed worldwide, the VT4-350 offers a more productive and cost-effective alternative to twin-spindle machines that lose time during part loading.

Key Features

• Four-Spindle Indexing Carrier
  Servo-driven spindle carrier indexes 180° in just 1.5 seconds, resulting in an effective load/unload time of 0.75 seconds per part.
• High-Accuracy Curvic Coupling
  Large-diameter curvic coupling ensures precise spindle positioning, rigidity, and repeatability.
• Independent Spindle Drives
  Each machining spindle is powered by its own Fanuc servo motor for independent speed control and optimized cutting performance.
• Heavy-Duty Spindle Design
  • 120 mm (4.72″) spindle bearing I.D. — largest in its class
  • Hardened, precision-ground cartridge spindles
  • Double-row cylindrical roller and angular contact bearings
  • Sealed, grease-lubricated design for long service life
• Rigid Box-Way Construction
  Precision-ground box ways on all axes deliver superior damping, accuracy, and tool life under heavy cutting conditions.
• High-Speed Axis Motion
  Rapid traverse rates of 787 in/min in both X and Z axes reduce cycle time and non-cut motion.
• Dual Drum Turrets
  Available with (2) 8-station or 6-station turrets using a three-piece curvic coupling for fast indexing and rigidity.
• Automation-Ready as Standard
  Designed for immediate or future integration of gantry loaders, robots, and turnkey automation.
• Fanuc Oi-TF Plus CNC Control
  Industry-proven Fanuc drives, motors, and control platform are standard.

Available Model Configuration

• VT4-350 – Four-Spindle Vertical CNC Chucker
  A unique four-spindle vertical CNC lathe with two spindles loading/unloading and two spindles machining simultaneously, delivering near-zero idle time for high-volume production turning.

The Shimada VT4-350 vertical CNC chucker is automation-ready from the factory and can be upgraded with automation at any stage of its service life. Optional configurations include gantry loaders, single or dual robots, part flip stations, stockers, and turnkey material handling. Absolute Machine Tools’ Production Turning Team works directly with Shimada to engineer complete VT4-350 solutions that maximize spindle uptime and minimize cost per part.