The new VERTIGO series completes FPT's turning portfolio

 by Giorgio Tagliapietra – Mechanical Designer & IP Manager

The story of the Vertigo vertical lathe began in 2010, when FPT accepted a challenge that seemed impossible, based on a request from a long-standing customer. Until that moment, we had never built a dedicated vertical lathe. We were the leaders in hydrostatic boring machines, but this request forced us to change scale: designing machines capable of rotating a 50-ton plate at 60 RPM - one full revolution per second - while maintaining the tolerances of a high-precision milling machine on capacities up to 100 tons.

That first generation of VERTIGO was our “Rolls Royce.” We mastered the technology of that fateful 30-micron oil film, using millimeter-sized capillaries as hydraulic resistors to control pressure and dampen vibrations. Today, that knowledge has become the foundation for a new production rationality, on which we have built the new Vertigo range.

The hybrid logic

When we sat down to design the new range, we set a clear goal: these lathes had to be as efficient as possible, without sacrificing performance. And we achieved this by using our long experience in both hydrostatic and high-speed machining.

The result is a hybrid architecture that represents a significant leap forward in VTL design. We decided to keep hydrostatic technology where it matters most: the RAM and the table support, because these areas require the dampeninig effect of the oil film to handle massive loads and, above all, to eliminate vibrations during 'interrupted cuts', those critical moments where the turning tool repeatedly impacts the workpiece. However, for the X and Y movements (the traverse and the RAM carriage), we moved away from traditional hydrostatics in favor of high-precision roller guideways, which are faster and more dynamic.

Our hydrostatic turning tables are a key part of this system. They were born directly from the success of the original Vertigo project. Customers value them highly because we design and build them entirely in-house, just like our milling heads: this means every part of the machine works perfectly together, and gives the customer a much more reliable system, because it avoids the risks in terms of coupling and tolerances that arise when you rely on different suppliers.

Rational choices pay dividends

Moving to a hybrid architecture brings significant energy savings to your company. We have measured that while a traditional hydrostatic table can waste nearly 100 kW just to overcome oil friction, our patented design requires only 37 kW. This difference is all useful power that you can use for actual chip removal.

Additionally, removing hydrostatics from the X and Y axes allowed us to eliminate large 28 kW chillers that previously had to run constantly to keep the oil at room temperature. Less heat means fewer thermal deformations and a much more reliable machine. Our service data confirms that by simplifying the machine's internal systems and removing the risks of oil leaks or cooling failures, we have more than halved potential service calls.

Closing the circle of FPT’s turning solutions

With the arrival of these three new VERTIGO sizes, FPT officially completes its turning portfolio, offering a full range of solutions that adapt to any production need. Our goal is to provide you with the exact technical answer for your specific workshop requirements. If your priority is pure, high-efficiency vertical turning, the VERTIGO range offers a dedicated and rational platform focused on maximum energy savings and precision.

For those who need more flexibility, we offer our advanced multitasking platforms, such as portal or moving column machines, which combine milling and turning in a single setup. This is a strategic choice when workshop space is a factor: for example, if you have limited footprint or a low ceiling, a multitasking machine saves space by doing the work of two separate units. Because we design and build the tables, heads, and machines entirely in-house, we ensure that every major component works in perfect harmony. This range is the ultimate expression of FPT’s technical authority. We don’t just build lathes; we engineer the most rational and effective way for our customers to transform metal.

Take a closer look at Vertigo

Discover how this engineering approach takes shape in a complete Vertical Turning Lathe platform, designed to deliver power, precision and reliability in real operating conditions.

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