My friend posted this on LinkedIn. Very similar machine to the solo.
Seems there is a market in Europe and I know these aren’t made down to a cheep price and won’t be available until 2026. They will be quite expensive. Wondering if they were inspired by the Solo.
TP
That’s got considerably more work footprint and power than the Solo. It will be interesting to see what it’s pricepoint is.
I’m guessing 240v because Germany and deeper/taller than the solo. Still goes through a door. I prefer the solo kinematic 4th and 5th axis style.
3-phase power too, I suppose. That’s not as common in the US as it is elsewhere, at least in residential areas. I use VFDs on my 3-phase power tools, but those max out at about 3 HP for 220 single-phase power. Phase converters get expensive in a hurry, I suppose that if you can afford the LBR mill, the converter cost wouldn’t be a deal breaker. The Solo kinematics seem preferable to me as well, but I’m a novice at 5-axis.
If I get more details I’ll keep this thread update. Seems it’s a year away anyway.
Cheers
TP
Yeah I did see that. Looks nice. I’m sure it will be pretty expensive.
I contacted them and they are talking about a target price of 10k$, but they did not say, what would be included: e.g. probing? tool change? Unfort. the working area is limitted to 100mm, which is less than PNC! If I had cloned the PNC, I would have increased the working area to 150mm at least.
Honestly speaking - with all the knowledge and experience - I wonder why PNC did not improve their machine to this level? Was there really a market for the Solo for this price? We users have all these points on the wish list from the beginning: Toolchange, Probing, Housing, ManualControl, larger working area… The current controller software is great, the Userinterface is ok - just a “small” redesign of the machine would be required ![]()
I can guarantee it will be closer to $15k
Could easily be. But even then, the price for such a 5-axis machine with all these features would be more than interesting to me.
To my mind, the problem with pricing a product this complex in the earlier stages of development is that you aren’t yet quite sure what the costs will be, especially for components like the frame and machined elements. Look what has happened to the price of even domestic components after the recent rounds of tariffs have gone into effect. It’s especially tough for a small company that doesn’t have the resources to buy in quantity when prices are lower or the financial clout to negotiate better pricing.
And quality costs money. If it’s too cheap then I would question its quality for sure.