Willemin-Macodel 701S

The Willemin-Macodel 701S is a high-speed 5-axis machining center built specifically for the production of small, complex precision parts in the medical, watchmaking, and micro-electronics industries. Manufactured in Delemont, Switzerland, the 701S is a pure milling platform (no turning) with a compact working envelope of 200 x 150 x 250 mm (X x Y x Z) and a 36,000 rpm HSK-E32 motor spindle designed for micro-milling, micro-drilling, and fine finishing operations. This machine is built for parts that fit in your hand but demand tolerances that challenge any machine in the shop.

The 701S uses a parallel kinematic design with a Delta robot-inspired architecture for the X, Y, and Z axes, which is fundamentally different from conventional serial-axis machine tools. This parallel structure places the spindle at the intersection of three linear drives, resulting in extremely low moving mass and exceptional dynamic response. Acceleration rates exceed 5 g, and jerk rates are dramatically higher than conventional machines, enabling high-speed contouring with minimal following error. For complex 3D surfaces like dental prosthetics, turbine blades, and watch components, this translates to better surface finishes at faster feed rates.

The workholding side uses a trunnion-mounted rotary table (A and C axes) with direct-drive torque motors for smooth, backlash-free positioning. The A-axis tilts +/-110 degrees and the C-axis provides continuous 360-degree rotation, giving full hemisphere access for 5-axis simultaneous machining. A pallet changer with up to 10 pallets is available for automated production, and the Fanuc 31i-B5 control with AICC2 nano-smoothing handles the 5-axis interpolation and high-speed contouring algorithms.

New 701S machines price in the $300,000 to $450,000 range. The machine competes with Kern Micro Pro, GF Mikron Mill S, and Datron neo in the high-speed micro-milling segment, though the parallel kinematic architecture gives the 701S a dynamic performance advantage. Shops running the 701S are typically producing watch components, dental implants, hearing aid housings, miniature connectors, or aerospace micro-components.