Sino scales setup

[Straydog01]

I'm in the process of installing Sino Scales on a mill and its unclear as to the correct clearance between the scale and the reading head.
The manual says it must be between 0.8 and 1.5mm but the plastic guide that is meant to hold it in the correct position when you buy it has a much larger gap. I'm using the optional backing plate with the scales and they have a lip on the bottom which prevents you from having the reading head too close to the scale also.
So I'm unsure how the position of the reader head should be correctly set - has anyone set these up that can give some advice? How critical is the positioning? The manual says the parallel error must be less than 0.1mm ! Thats not a lot of tolerance!

 

[Newman109]

I'm in the process of installing Sino Scales on a mill and its unclear as to the correct clearance between the scale and the reading head.
The manual says it must be between 0.8 and 1.5mm but the plastic guide that is meant to hold it in the correct position when you buy it has a much larger gap. I'm using the optional backing plate with the scales and they have a lip on the bottom which prevents you from having the reading head too close to the scale also.
So I'm unsure how the position of the reader head should be correctly set - has anyone set these up that can give some advice? How critical is the positioning? The manual says the parallel error must be less than 0.1mm ! Thats not a lot of tolerance!

View attachment 327476

G'day from California, Mate!

I have a 2-axis Sino DRO on my lathe. When I installed the scales some 10 years ago, I don't recall any issue with the read head clearance. I was careful to make sure that the scales were set level with the compound and the bed but I just made sure that nothing scraped on the read head.

Best thing to do is trial and error - checking that nothing scrapes, everything is free and that you are getting good, consistent readings on the DRO unit. You should then be good to go.

It's also important to install a ground wire from the threaded ground hole on the rear of the DRO unit to the body of the mill. I had neglected to do that initially and the DRO readings would occasionally lock. Once the ground wire was installed, all was well.

Make sure also that you switch the scales to mill. There is lathe, mill and grinder. It's difficult to understand the manual due to the poor translation, but again, trial and error wins the day.

Good luck on it all!

 

[Straydog01]

G'day from California, Mate!

I have a 2-axis Sino DRO on my lathe. When I installed the scales some 10 years ago, I don't recall any issue with the read head clearance. I was careful to make sure that the scales were set level with the compound and the bed but I just made sure that nothing scraped on the read head.

Best thing to do is trial and error - checking that nothing scrapes, everything is free and that you are getting good, consistent readings on the DRO unit. You should then be good to go.

It's also important to install a ground wire from the threaded ground hole on the rear of the DRO unit to the body of the mill. I had neglected to do that initially and the DRO readings would occasionally lock. Once the ground wire was installed, all was well.

Make sure also that you switch the scales to mill. There is lathe, mill and grinder. It's difficult to understand the manual due to the poor translation, but again, trial and error wins the day.

Good luck on it all!

Thanks Newman
I've since found some other instructions on the internet that specify a 3mm gap which I think is correct. The ones printed by the local supplier must be wrong.
I'm curious though, just how these things look internally and how much tolerance there is between the encoder strip and the reader. I can't really see whats inside or tell how fragile they are.