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SAIMP KS155 12X40 Italian Lathe

FinishCut

Plastic
Joined
May 10, 2008
Location
Tucson, AZ
I have a SAIMP 12 X 40 toolroom quality lathe made in Italy that I purchased from a local dealer over a year ago and have been very pleased with. It is a fairly rigid machine with plenty of capacity for the work that I do (mostly small volume fabricating prototype systems and parts for small optical equipment and lasers).

Seems that the SAIMP lathe is not a very common machine in the US. This lathe appears to have been made for the US market as it has an inch leadscrew and 220V/60Hz motor.

If anyone has a lead on where to get a manual for this lathe please let me know or if anyone knows who the importer was for this machine in the US I would be interested.

Basics Specs:

12 X 40 capacity (have not removed the gap bed insert so not sure of swing over gap)
L00 spindle nose with 1.70 inch thru hole
4 hp, 220V, 60Hz motor
Gearbox with selectable speeds 45 to 1500 rpm (at 60Hz)
Semi-quick change threading gears for a wide range of english and metric threading and feeds (some needing manual gear changes on a banjo gear train set). Has 4 TPI english leadscrew.
Tailstock: #3MT, 5 inch travel
Taper attachment (12 degrees, 13 inch travel)
Date of manufacture: 1962

Had some free time this week and got her all cleaned up for some pictures.


SAIMP_P2C_C0I1256.jpg


SAIMP_P6B_C0I1305.jpg


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I added a DRO and VFD with remote box as shown. Will post a description of the VFD addition in a separate thread in the VFD forum.

Steve
 
Looks like a nice lathe.

My Uncle has a Saimp step pulley head mill. It is a robust mill. I have not seen many other Saimp machine tools.
 
Hello Steve,


Great looking lathe. I am looking at a similar lathe at the moment, could
you please tell me the foot print and the weight if you know it.


best regards


carl
 
Carl,

Just now saw your question so sorry for the lack of a more prompt reply.

The Saimp KS155 is 83" long X 31" deep (including taper attachment and apron handles). The height to the top of the headstock is 51".

I don't know the weight but would estimate between 2500 and 3000 lbs. I am getting a manual for this machine soon that might specify the weight and if so I will let you know.

Steve
 
Thanks for the reply Steve :)

I have purchased said saimp and will pick it up sometime next week.

It looks like there are two holes to facilitate lifting and tie down on each side
(under tailstock section, and under headstock area) of the unit, do you happen to know what the diameters are?

I'll let you know if mine comes with a manual.

It was converted to CNC in the early 80's? (bandit control) so we'll see if I got
an interesting retrofit, or a very large boat anchor.


regards

carl
 
Carl,

The lift holes are cast in the base and vary in size. On mine they will just nicely accept a 1.375 diameter round bar. A couple of the holes are almost 1.5 inch.

Attached is the lift scheme shown in the manual using the holes. The manual does not give a weight but is full of a lot of other good information. If you do not get a manual let me know and I can help you out with that.

Steve
 

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Thanks again Steve,

Im picking it up on Monday, and your information has been most appreciated thank you.

I plan on moving it with some metal skids Im having a friend weld up. Hoping that the adjustable bolts for leveling are removable so I can bolt the skids to them. I am assuming they are metric thread


best regards


Carl
 
Carl,

Definitely metric, mine take a 24mm box end wrench.

You may not need to remove the leveling screws if you have the extra hold down hole next to the leveler like mine. I takes up to a 5/8 inch screw with some clearance.

Steve
 

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Hello Steve,

I see an indentation on the lathe I got where you have a hole, maybe its some sort of plug, will have to suss it out on moving day.

I've put up the images I took during my visit, and have a plan set up. the only thing I haven't been able to figure out is the distance between the holes
on the bases front to back. I think I may be dipping into overkill, but it beats coming up short.

saimp

once again, thank you. I'll have to bring the 15/16" wrench if I can't find my
metric set.


carl
 

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Carl,

You probably have the hole next to the leveling screw as it shows in the manual. See attached scan of the manual for floor mount dimensions. The dims Q, V and M are the locations of the hold down holes. Note the three different sized lathes shown: A,B and C which are the different center lengths specified: 600, 800, 1000 mm.

Good luck on the move and post those pics when you get it.

Steve
 

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Steve,

Owe you big time.

It seems I will drill both sets of holes 285mm and 360mm center just to be

safe.


regards


carl
 

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Carl,

Glad to help with the base plan drawing. That's one fancy skid you built up!

I just now saw the link in your post to the pics of the SAIMP lathe you are getting. Looks like a nice NC conversion, too bad they let it sit outside but it looks like it was not out for too long and the rust is probably surface only. Any idea how long it was out? Should clean up very nicely. Are you going to keep the NC conversion or convert back to manual?

Yours looks like it is the KSS-180 model which is the same as the KSS-155 except the headstock is taller so the swing radius is 180mm instead of 155mm like mine. Let us know the model number when you get it to your shop.

I sent you a private message with some more information on the SAIMP lathe.

Good luck again on the move tomorrow.

Steve
 
Steve,


Its been outside for just about a week, its not too wet in the valley where it is, at least it was under a car cover, better than nothing.
If it was out on my side of town the ocean air would have really not been nice.
Not that I should complain as the price was idiotically cheap.

My only concern with the conversion is that the Z1 axis has a ball screw that just hangs free on the headstock end. I realize that this is commonly done on knee mill conversions with the Y axis, but it seems rather odd on about a 36" travel.

The X seems ok, but obviously I am missing the compound

The steppers and bandit system will probably be replace by servos and a Mach 3 or EMC system.

I had the make the skids at home where I only have 110V currently.
Since I probably went way over spec with 1/4" steel I had to use the flux core wire as it doesn't get hot enough with a gas mix.
But black paint hides many things ;)


Thank you for the information BTW


Carl
 
Carl,

Looks like a good start to a good lathe. I also have a Saimp lathe, a model KS-180,and have been very happy with it. Very tight machine, with hardly any backlash in the headstock. I also noticed the latch arrangement on the drive door (not stock) probably added for extra support for the collet closer.

Steve,

I finally got my air spindle toolpost grinder going, and it made short work of dressing the 5C collet adaptor. When I figure out how to post a picture, I will. Some day I hope to get my machine as good looking as yours.

Russ
 
Hello All

I got the lathe in on Monday, no hassles, the 2 pallet system worked well, though in hindsight I should have made the space between the support beams wider so the pallet jacks had a bit more wiggle room.

Steve, thanks again for all the help, would've been a pain to move without your information.

I took a look inside the pulley/motor/sump area and as you can see there were many chips to remove.
The upper hinge to the door had been broken, as the encoder for the spindle and the collet closer made it not possible to open the door.

I've posted the website of the other images I took today. x axis ways seems ok, z ways looks a bit trashed, the spindle encoder and the encoder for the x axis is off and loose.

chips ahoy...


Russ,
Thanks again to Steve, PM sent ;) the latch looks like something from a boat! but the screws are metric, as opposed to the encoder sleeve which was SAE.


KB,
That's so Incredible! its like seeing something in its past life.
The Cross Slide, Carriage, and some of the collet closer parts have not made it to my era of ownership......
It's interesting to note that the I.D. plate is missing on the lathe even back then, I wonder if I'll ever find out what era it was built?
The blue tarp background, maybe its an early 'reliable tools' (the ebay seller) sale?


Regards all.


Carl
 

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Carl,

I would venture to guess the vintage late sixties, from the appearance of the handles, and controls. As far as the CNC conversion, maybe someone else knows Bandit controls. I also noticed from one of your last pictures, the hinged modification made to the drive door, to clear the collet closer when opening the door. Good luck on you new project. (PM sent on manual)

Russ
 
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We'll see if this works.

A couple of photos of my machine, one of which is the air spindle grinder I recently set up.

Russ
 

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Also I have a saimp KS 155. This lathe have only one problem:
spindle bearings are so expansive!!! I canghed all of the last year, only the spindle bearings cost 700€ !!!
Another problem is that the tap about D speed auto feed is underprovision and is so simple to broke it.
I'm sorry if my english is poor.
 








 
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