Chips getting under the Y axis way cover Sharp VMC

gundog · Apr 3, 2020

I pulled my Y axis way cover off to clean and found this. I cleaned this out about 1 year ago when I first got this machine I only run this machine about 40 hours or so a month.

This is what it looks like with the chips cleaned out.

I find this to be a bad design the front and sides of the way cover is open on the bottom allowing chips under the way cover from the sides and front. This is what I made to try and fix this problem. I took some rubber sheet and built a series of dams to try and prevent the chips from getting back under the way cover. Time will tell how it works.

SND · Apr 4, 2020

Where are the chips supposed to go in that machine? where's the auger/conveyor?

gundog · Apr 4, 2020

SND said:
Where are the chips supposed to go in that machine? where's the auger/conveyor?

There are two channels one on each side of the Y axis rails they drain straight back to the rear of the machine where the conveyor is located. This little mod will not affect how the chips flow into those channels. If you look at picture 2 you can see the channels on each side they are about 5"-6" deep and 3"-4" wide the picture shows the front end of the channels.

Garwood · Apr 4, 2020

Maybe it will help, but your best bet is just to pull the covers whenever you think it might need it and check on stuff.

My big 60" VMC was packed solid with steel chips inside the way covers. I would not have believed chips could get into the places where they were if I hadn't seen it.

That said, they probably won't hurt anything provided they don't get packed solid.

gundog · Apr 4, 2020

I was very surprised when I opened it up. I had just made a part for the conveyor with the rubber sheet and that is what got me to think of using it to try and make a barrier I don't think it will keep it all out but it has to be better than what it was.

D.D.Machine · Apr 5, 2020

a lot of times when I see chips up in the Y axis like that it was someone with a air hose that blow them there ,,, Nothing wrong with blowing off the vise jaws between parts but when it comes time to clean out the machine I use coolant only. I have seen to many machines packed up with chips and ball screws screwed up by air hoses

SND · Apr 5, 2020

Looks like their change to a new manufacturer wasn't much of an upgrade.
Never a chip under the Y on my boxway 2412.
Hopefully your rubber seals fix works out.

gundog · Apr 5, 2020

D.D.Machine said:
a lot of times when I see chips up in the Y axis like that it was someone with a air hose that blow them there ,,, Nothing wrong with blowing off the vise jaws between parts but when it comes time to clean out the machine I use coolant only. I have seen to many machines packed up with chips and ball screws screwed up by air hoses

I am guilty of that and it is probably why so many chips were caught in there. I usually use the coolant flush and the air hose at the same time. I will be extra careful to not blow chips in that area again but hopefully the chips will not end up getting past my fix.

D.D.Machine · Apr 5, 2020

SND said:
Looks like their change to a new manufacturer wasn't much of an upgrade.
Never a chip under the Y on my boxway 2412.

First was the name of the company that built the super nice small boxway machines for years sold under the Sharp name ,, they also built the bridgeport copys that were vary nice also ,,, but like 5 years ago sharp stopped selling machines built by First and starting making there own machines and from what I have seen there quality is just not there. the good side is now you can buy First machines from a lot of re branders for under the price Sharp wanted for them.

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