Bridgeport Machines of Bridgeport Connecticut: The basic design of this turreted knee mill dates back to the late 1930s, when it was introduced by the Bridgeport Machines Co. of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Incorporating an innovative turret and swiveling ram, the Series I was quickly recognized as the most versatile milling machine of its day.
Bridgeport so dominated
the milling machine market for such a long time that their machine "The
Bridgeport" is virtually synonymous with "Manual milling machine."
Bridgeport vertical milling machines have been so successful and ubiquitous that, within the machining industries, the Bridgeport is an archetypical example of that class of machine, and the name Bridgeport often functions colloquially as a genericized trademark.
Since the mid-1980s, Bridgeport has been developing its product line to include high-tech machining centers and computer numerically controlled milling machines. While customers in Europe and Asia seem to prefer the new computerized machines, Bridgeport's U.S. customers primarily purchase manual machines.
The bulk of the machines that Bridgeport made from about 1965 onward used
an R8 collet system. Prior to that, most of the machines used a Morse
Taper #2 collet system.Bridgeport is now owned by Hardinge Brothers
(NASDAQ
: HDNG) of Elmira, New York .
Visit Hartdinge's website to find out more information.