Auction Score!!! 3 Brownies (2 Servocam)

[DanASM]

I just got 3 machines at auction. 2 of them are Servocam Ultramatics (1-5/8" cap.). I also got a Square Base #2 (1.250").

I had anticipated buying a servocam for $5k and hoping I had some extra cash for the square base as I know it will go cheap.

The first Servocam started at $500 with 10 people watching it. No bid, went down to $300. I bid and won it!!! Then I bought the next one for $400 and won the bid!!! Wholly shit I said to myself. I now can get a few more things to add to the truck. The square base went for $300 (as expected).

The Square base has a $5k job going on it that will be done in 3 weeks or less. That was what I really needed for the work I have. The servo cams were more of a "I really should have at least one of these in the shop" kind of buy. I dont have work for it right off the bat, but I will fill them up quick. Especially if I can get setups down to half an hour.

Pics when they get to the shop. Stay Tuned.

-Dan

 

[reggie_obe]

What shop bit the dust? Where was the auction?

 

[DanASM]

PA, they had more Star cnc's that got the big money. I am sure the Brownies have been around a while.

They had a couple Omni Turns, forget what they went for.

 

[DanASM]

So, I just got the machines in today and everything looks great except they broke the plastic on the splash guards and it needs to be replaced.

I have to measure it but the plastic bends about halfway up to cover the top of the machine.

Which kind of plastic should I be looking for? How would I go about bending it? Will a heat gun work? or would I have to use a torch and play with it until I get something I can live with?

Clear Polycarbonate shows up on my searches and is not very expensive.

 

[DavidScott]

UHMW is the most chemicaly stable. Stay away from polycarb as it will self destruct from exposure to cutting fluids.

 

[sfriedberg]

DanASM, do you have a TAP Plastic in your area, or a similar outfit? The backsplash panels on my DSM-59 were pretty much destroyed during transport. I took a couple of templates in to a local TAP shop and they cut and bent the replacements. Price was basically material cost and a small fee.

 

[Limy Sami]

I like it Dan, that's my sort of machinery buying, and you have jobs waiting for them.

I knew a guy - no longer with us unforunately, a one man band and his cat shop who ''collected'' turret lathes so he could leave them set up for repeat jobs.

 

[DanASM]

Here is a vidoe of one of the machines running a sample program that I whipped up. It has software that is essentially a cam layout sheet. Fill it out with tools and feed rates, then save to a 3.5" floppy disk ( I had to buy a drive and disks off Amazon as no store sells them anymore).

Load disk to machine and within 20 seconds I have the machine loaded with a "lead cam" for the job. It took me around 15 min to get the machine turned on and the lead cam loaded and timed. That would normally be about 3-4 hours on a standard job.

Cams cost me about $400 + for this size machine. I wont have to buy them anymore and wait the 2 weeks to get them. If I want to change any feed rates, I only have to change them in the program and save to the disk, then load to the machine.

The software has feed gear combinations with about 3-4 combo's per second. I tested a few different ones and used a stopwatch to test them. They are right on the money. I can save a few seconds here and there, which add up on larege production runs.

Here is a video I took yesterday.

 

[Limy Sami]

Nice!

 

[cyanidekid]

congratulations! that machine looks really clean, did you clean it up, and how long did that take?
for those of us ignorant of the details of screw machines, I presume your comparisons are a ServoCam vs a standard machine that uses actual metal cams to run the machine?

 

[FredC]

Now I know why you have been too busy to invoice us on those last 2 orders that you sent us.
Don't forget, it is hard to stay in business if you forget that stuff!

Oh, that is a nice looking machine.

 

[DanASM]

Now I know why you have been too busy to invoice us on those last 2 orders that you sent us.
Don't forget, it is hard to stay in business if you forget that stuff!

Oh, that is a nice looking machine.

On top of that we got 36" of snow in 24 hours and lost power for a few days.

Now the shop is re-arranged for a better workflow, and the birds are chirping in the mornings. Daylight savings lets us work longer days now too.

I am looking at going to a trade show in Cleveland in a few weeks, PMTS. Anyone else going?

 

[DanASM]

congratulations! that machine looks really clean, did you clean it up, and how long did that take?
for those of us ignorant of the details of screw machines, I presume your comparisons are a ServoCam vs a standard machine that uses actual metal cams to run the machine?

The machines were all cleaned out and the oil drained from it prior to shipping. I put brand new lube oil in the bases and ran them for a few days to get lubed up.

One of the 3 machines is a standard cam automatic screw machine, which require a set of 3 or 4 cams for each job that can cost $400-$450.

The 2 Servocams are cnc retrofits. They took the lead cam off the machine and replaced it with a ballscrew and encoder. The turret, feed out mechanism and clutches are pneumatic now instead of mechanical as they came from the factory.

They say the servocams are documented to give you 40% more production over a non servocam machine. I now have 2 side by side that will run at $80-$100/hr each.

 

[pat pounden]

The machines were all cleaned out and the oil drained from it prior to shipping. I put brand new lube oil in the bases and ran them for a few days to get lubed up.

One of the 3 machines is a standard cam automatic screw machine, which require a set of 3 or 4 cams for each job that can cost $400-$450.

The 2 Servocams are cnc retrofits. They took the lead cam off the machine and replaced it with a ballscrew and encoder. The turret, feed out mechanism and clutches are pneumatic now instead of mechanical as they came from the factory.

They say the servocams are documented to give you 40% more production over a non servocam machine. I now have 2 side by side that will run at $80-$100/hr each.

don't tell californians that shop rate....

 

[Ox]

On top of that we got 36" of snow in 24 hours and lost power for a few days.

Now the shop is re-arranged for a better workflow, and the birds are chirping in the mornings. Daylight savings lets us work longer days now too.

I am looking at going to a trade show in Cleveland in a few weeks, PMTS. Anyone else going?

I am registered to go, but I will be surprised if I have the time to go.


-----------

Think Snow Eh?
Ox

 

[DanASM]

I am registered to go, but I will be surprised if I have the time to go.


-----------

Think Snow Eh?
Ox

It looks like I can fly in and take the subway to downtown easily. $500 and a backpack should get me a flight and hotel room.

 

[Ox]

Here is a vidoe of one of the machines running a sample program that I whipped up. It has software that is essentially a cam layout sheet. Fill it out with tools and feed rates, then save to a 3.5" floppy disk ( I had to buy a drive and disks off Amazon as no store sells them anymore).

Load disk to machine and within 20 seconds I have the machine loaded with a "lead cam" for the job. It took me around 15 min to get the machine turned on and the lead cam loaded and timed. That would normally be about 3-4 hours on a standard job.

Cams cost me about $400 + for this size machine. I wont have to buy them anymore and wait the 2 weeks to get them. If I want to change any feed rates, I only have to change them in the program and save to the disk, then load to the machine.

The software has feed gear combinations with about 3-4 combo's per second. I tested a few different ones and used a stopwatch to test them. They are right on the money. I can save a few seconds here and there, which add up on larege production runs.

Here is a video I took yesterday.

8 pos turret eh?
I'm thinkin' that the 2G had a 6 pos?

I first noticed that it seems to index slower - as a whole cycle, but then I see that you can index multiples once retracted, so I take it that _ that is part of the Servo-Cam retro?

I am sure that retrofit will make an old Brownie much more valuable for short run work!


---------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[DanASM]

8 pos turret eh?
I'm thinkin' that the 2G had a 6 pos?

I first noticed that it seems to index slower - as a whole cycle, but then I see that you can index multiples once retracted, so I take it that _ that is part of the Servo-Cam retro?

I am sure that retrofit will make an old Brownie much more valuable for short run work!


---------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

The 8 pos. turret was installed with the servocam upgrade in 2004. it was $19k at the time. Both machines came with the original 6 position turrets.

The driveshaft is set at 120 rpm, which means it runs "slower" than the 240 rpm driveshaft speed. It indexes a little slower but also allows the machine to feed out 2x as long as if it was running at 240 rpm.

The turret slide is on a ballscrew with .0001" increments. Indexing, Feeding out, and shifting the clutch are all pneumatic as part of the servocam package.

It looks like I can run 3/4" AL at HSS speeds/feeds with the spindle rpms they have. I can push carbide tooling in 41xx steels pretty hard, 303 SS will run great. I am looking at thread rolls for the x-slide, but need to find a vertical cutoff tool plate first.

I cannot utilize the x-slides without a parting blade in one of the vertical slides. They took the vertical slide plates off and sold them in a different lot apparently.

 

[specfab]

So, I just got the machines in today and everything looks great except they broke the plastic on the splash guards and it needs to be replaced.

I have to measure it but the plastic bends about halfway up to cover the top of the machine.

Which kind of plastic should I be looking for? How would I go about bending it? Will a heat gun work? or would I have to use a torch and play with it until I get something I can live with?

Clear Polycarbonate shows up on my searches and is not very expensive.

Polycarbonate may deteriorate with coolant/oil attack, but it is good protection with the impact resistance it has. Polycarbonate can also be cold-bent with a sheet metal brake, depending on thickness and what you need for bend radius. If you need to match a larger radius, thermo-forming (line-bending) is the way to go. You can (of course) do something with a heat gun, or you can take a bar of aluminum of suitable cross-section, heat that up with something, spray it with silicone spray, and contact-heat the bend zone until flexible enough to bend.

 

[DanASM]

Clear Easy-to-Form PETG Sheet​

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

Its from mcmaster under "splash guards". It sounds about right, but I need to find out about the chemical resistance.