Anyone with experience on Emco Maxxturn CNC lathes? Looking for advice!

[50BMG DUDE]

Hi Guys!

Looking for some input on a Emco Maxxturn 65 - 4 Axis CNC turning center w/ live milling, C-axis and Sub spindle (No Y) - Siemens control
Anyone have any experience with one of these machines? A local company to me has a 2008 machine they are looking to sell and I think I can get it for a good (great) price. (Like the rigging will probably cost me more to get it here)

Looking for info on support and parts - machine is supposedly in good condition and is making parts currently, they are going to buy a Y axis Okuma to replace it.

Thinking this could open up some opportunities for me but don't want to buy a turd either. I'm not doing my own machine repair, just no experience with this brand or controller. (I'm mainly Fanuc or Hurco in my shop)

Whadd'ya think?

 

[wmpy]

I buy used machines, but I avoid anything with a Siemens control. They do not have a good reputation for supporting their older controls. I see Emcos out there for sale, and they look interesting, and they have a good price, but then I see the control and lose interest. It's too bad. I have seen some newer Emcos with Fanuc controls, though, so they're not all bad.

 

[50BMG DUDE]

Yeah, not a lot of siemens love in this country. I know they are big in Europe though.

Any idea of the differences in the control from a Fanuc OT?

 

[pcasanova]

have the older version (365) and that has been a solid machine bought in 2003 new and still is a daily driver. I really like the Siemens control. Support from Seimens is spotty, they will send you all the docs they have, but depending on the builder there not going to know how the control was configured.
Chris Pollack (Mr CnC) on youtube is a wealth of info on programming and has always helped. The only question does the machine have a Sauter or Duplomatic turret.
If it has the Sauter I would look into it. If it has Duplotmatic walk away.

 

[50BMG DUDE]

Thanks for the info - I have a 2000 vintage Clausing storm 300 with a Duplomatic, what a S L O W T U R R E T - That one is a VDI static as well.

How different is the Seimens control from a Fanuc? Does it have the G71 G72 G76 Cycles? Is your machine a live tool unit? Do you program Polar or cartesian? I've got 4 straight turning centers, a Hurco TM8 that I love, the Clausing that I don't care for but is setup for one job that earns it it's keep in the shop, a Milltronics toolrom ML15 for quickies and a Daewoo Lynx (pre-doosan) that just runs collet pull work.

I'm dying to get a live tool turning center - I have a 20mm Swiss but the bigger 2nd op work ties up my mills with 4th axis quite a bit.

 

[pcasanova]

Thanks for the info - I have a 2000 vintage Clausing storm 300 with a Duplomatic, what a S L O W T U R R E T - That one is a VDI static as well.

How different is the Seimens control from a Fanuc? Does it have the G71 G72 G76 Cycles? Is your machine a live tool unit? Do you program Polar or cartesian? I've got 4 straight turning centers, a Hurco TM8 that I love, the Clausing that I don't care for but is setup for one job that earns it it's keep in the shop, a Milltronics toolrom ML15 for quickies and a Daewoo Lynx (pre-doosan) that just runs collet pull work.

I'm dying to get a live tool turning center - I have a 20mm Swiss but the bigger 2nd op work ties up my mills with 4th axis quite a bit.

yes live tool with y. It may have those g-codes, but the siemens uses a cycle support that say your od turning you would make a sub routine and use the support to draw your profile, then in the main you would use the turning cycle and name the sub, od or id and longitude or latitude movement, feedrate ect.

Using the live tooling is super simple call
tmcon;main spindle
x y z moves
tmcoff

tmc2on;sub spindle
x y z moves
tmcoff

program like a mill, the only thing you can't transverse thru center. so can't move
go x1 y0
g1 x-1; will alarm out
so do a
g0 x1 y0
x.1 y.1
x-1 y0

pm me an email address and I can send you some programs