Hi all,
I bought my first CNC lathe this year. It's an Emcoturn 240 made in Austria. I don't know the exact date when this machine was made but it's around 1989.
Most of my parts are small and I only make around 10 different parts. Buying a new lathe wasn't the best option and I didn't want to spend more than 15.000 on a used old machine.
So I found an Emco, it seems they are accurate and hold tolerances very well when I did some research about these machines. I bought one in good condition and very cheap. Controls are old of course and when I first started the machine I felt like I entered The Matrix when the green letters showed up. I had no experience with 'real' controls and for a couple of days I played around with the machine. It had a serial interface though. But I wasn't too happy. I'm no real machinist, I just want to draw my part in CAD/CAM and transfer the stuff to the machine and hit the green button. I'm too lazy to program at the machine.
So within a week I started removing all the electronics and started a retrofit.
Pretty easy to convert everything. Most time went into the configuration and fine tuning.
Oh some specifications of the machine:
4.000RPM
53mm spindle bore
Turning Length: 340mm
8 Position turret
5.5kw/7.5hp spindle
Rigid tapping
And I'm thinking about adding a C-axis
Things I don't like about the machine are that when the tailstock is moved forward. The x-axis doesn't have allot of travel before it crashes into the tailstock. It's not an automatic tailstock and it's bloody heavy to pull/push the tailstock each time. I still have to find a solution for it...
So for half a year I did some work with the machine and very happy with it. They indeed hold tolerances well trough the day.
Now at the end of this year I want to make the lathe ready for 2018. I wont sell it because it's such a small and good lathe. And started cleaning everything. The central lubing system was clogged. Allot of brass chips mixed with green old oil that was everywhere! I removed all panels and it seems the box ways and ballscrews are still in good condition. The machine was used on a shool so I think it didn't saw allot of production.
But I have some questions regarding the lubrication of the ballscrews/angular contact bearings and spindle bearings.
* The spindle runs smooth and it doesn't make strange sounds. Should I put new lube in the spindle bearings?
* The ballscrew nuts do have grease nipples. I will put some new grease in it. But what about the angular contact bearing block? Should I remove old grease and apply new grease?
* The machine had 0,04mm backlash on the X and Z axis. I 'solved' it by configuring backlash compensation. I will be replacing all belts (axis motors and ballscrew is connected with pulleys and a belt) and I hope this solves it. The machine still had the original belts.
* the box way wipers where almost all gone. Anyone knows where to get new ons? See picture below
* Anyone knows where the screws in the x-axis (under the turret) are for?
Some pictures:
Old grease behind the covers
Cleaned
X axis cleaned
I bought my first CNC lathe this year. It's an Emcoturn 240 made in Austria. I don't know the exact date when this machine was made but it's around 1989.
Most of my parts are small and I only make around 10 different parts. Buying a new lathe wasn't the best option and I didn't want to spend more than 15.000 on a used old machine.
So I found an Emco, it seems they are accurate and hold tolerances very well when I did some research about these machines. I bought one in good condition and very cheap. Controls are old of course and when I first started the machine I felt like I entered The Matrix when the green letters showed up. I had no experience with 'real' controls and for a couple of days I played around with the machine. It had a serial interface though. But I wasn't too happy. I'm no real machinist, I just want to draw my part in CAD/CAM and transfer the stuff to the machine and hit the green button. I'm too lazy to program at the machine.
So within a week I started removing all the electronics and started a retrofit.
Pretty easy to convert everything. Most time went into the configuration and fine tuning.
Oh some specifications of the machine:
4.000RPM
53mm spindle bore
Turning Length: 340mm
8 Position turret
5.5kw/7.5hp spindle
Rigid tapping
And I'm thinking about adding a C-axis
Things I don't like about the machine are that when the tailstock is moved forward. The x-axis doesn't have allot of travel before it crashes into the tailstock. It's not an automatic tailstock and it's bloody heavy to pull/push the tailstock each time. I still have to find a solution for it...
So for half a year I did some work with the machine and very happy with it. They indeed hold tolerances well trough the day.
Now at the end of this year I want to make the lathe ready for 2018. I wont sell it because it's such a small and good lathe. And started cleaning everything. The central lubing system was clogged. Allot of brass chips mixed with green old oil that was everywhere! I removed all panels and it seems the box ways and ballscrews are still in good condition. The machine was used on a shool so I think it didn't saw allot of production.
But I have some questions regarding the lubrication of the ballscrews/angular contact bearings and spindle bearings.
* The spindle runs smooth and it doesn't make strange sounds. Should I put new lube in the spindle bearings?
* The ballscrew nuts do have grease nipples. I will put some new grease in it. But what about the angular contact bearing block? Should I remove old grease and apply new grease?
* The machine had 0,04mm backlash on the X and Z axis. I 'solved' it by configuring backlash compensation. I will be replacing all belts (axis motors and ballscrew is connected with pulleys and a belt) and I hope this solves it. The machine still had the original belts.
* the box way wipers where almost all gone. Anyone knows where to get new ons? See picture below
* Anyone knows where the screws in the x-axis (under the turret) are for?
Some pictures:
Old grease behind the covers
Cleaned
X axis cleaned