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CNC replacement for a B&S screw machine

Straightedge

Hot Rolled
Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Location
Germany/California
There's an acquaintance here in town who manages the production floor in a company that makes a pet-care product. They've been using B&S screw machines to part off lengths of 304 tubing, roughly 5/16 dia. x 0.050 wall, with typical part lengths of 2-3". They're thinking about replacing one of the Brownies with a more modern CNC alternative. The throughput is something like 15k parts per day.

For a simple, low-tolerance repetitive operation like this, what machine models might be worth looking at?
 
If they're just cutting it to length, why not use a semi-automatic cold saw? Scotchman has a basic one with +- .03" accuracy for IIRC less than $20K.
 
This is a job for a Davenport Multi spindle screw machine. Might have to run a few of them to get your 15k parts a day though. I have a shop full of Brownies and you would have to run about 5-7 of them to get your quantities.

If you want to go the cnc route just run something with a magazine bar feeder so your not always loading bars every 10 min. That is pretty expensive though.

I would stick to automatic screw machines as they are inexpensive and were made to machine the parts you just so happen to need. Brownies are good for 2k-10k part runs for under 5/8" diameter parts. Davenport Multi spindles usually start at 10k part minimums and up to 100k parts monthly.
 
I doubt you'll ever outrun one of those screw machines for that work at those volumes. Shops around here still gobble them up for just that.
 
Thanks for the replies, gents. Turns out the quantities are more like 15,000 parts per week, not per day--sorry about that. Not sure why they want to replace the B&S. Over the years, they've subcontracted more of the manufacturing and focus more on assembly. I know they sold off their maintenance shop equipment a couple years ago, so it could just be that they don't have the ability to keep the B&S running anymore and want a solution with support. Beats me, not my business...just trying to help this guy out.
 
The only real CNC alternative to a Brownie that I know of is the Lico sumpthing that Absolute Machine Toys sells, but if you are just dooing chmfr/cut-off, then I see no reason to get this involved?

I can only imagine that it boils down to a "I don't wunna run that old oilly POS."
But I could git a bit more excited about running a $100,000 CNC thing that will stomp those parts out in 2wice the time!

Chmfr/Cut-off is really where the Brownie competes well at yet.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
The only real CNC alternative to a Brownie that I know of is the Lico sumpthing that Absolute Machine Toys sells, but if you are just dooing chmfr/cut-off, then I see no reason to get this involved?

I can only imagine that it boils down to a "I don't wunna run that old oilly POS."
But I could git a bit more excited about running a $100,000 CNC thing that will stomp those parts out in 2wice the time!

Chmfr/Cut-off is really where the Brownie competes well at yet.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Gotta agree, they are noisy in a very clanky way too. I don't know how many people want to work hard enough to properly maintain these old jewels, and actually repair them if something gets broken.

OP, the only reasonably priced alternate (that would still likely be slower) might be an Omniturn GT-75, similar to the Omniturn Hardinge setup mentioned above. Gang type tooling. They have a slant bed, friendlier than many flat beds for handling chips.
 
I still have a 1943 B&S 2G that I use for just part off jobs and have never seen a new cnc that can even spit out half as many parts per day as they can. I run a lot of parts on a 6 second per part time and that`s with part off and chamfer. even with loading bars I can get 400 parts a hour out of it and yes I don`t care for the oil , but the tools love it .

if they don`t like the old brownies they might look at a Traub A25 or A16 ,, there super simple and just as fast as a brownie on stupid simple parts...

FYI ,,, I have ran the older browies and the newer square head machines and would not take a square head for free,,, its just finding one in good shape that's a chain drive and not the early flat belt that can be a little tricky.
 
yes I don`t care for the oil , but the tools love it .

if they don`t like the old brownies they might look at a Traub A25 or A16 ,, there super simple and just as fast as a brownie on stupid simple parts...

Your right about the Traub, less stuff going on so it would be quieter. A live saw on the rear cross slide for cutting off would make less burrs if they have not already figured that one out.
 








 
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