When purchasing a CNC lathe, there are several questions to ask yourself before you begin the process. Some of these questions will be quite obvious: how much axis travel do I need? What size chuck should I look for? How many tool stations are on the turret? What is the spindle bore size? Etc.
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However, there are other specifications that are just as important but not always so obvious: what is the maximum swing distance that my work will require? What is the maximum turning diameter necessary for my family of parts? What kind of spindle horsepower and torque will my type of work consume? The first set of questions above is relatively easy to answer, but the second group requires a better understanding of lathes in general.
I am often amazed at the number of highly skilled CNC machinists and operators who can accomplish almost anything on a milling machine, but who are very uneasy and intimidated around a lathe because they don&#;t really understand the meaning of basic lathe terminology. That is the purpose of this article. I will clarify the meaning and benefit of a few of the &#;not-so-obvious&#; features that exist on a typical lathe spec sheet and explain why they might be an important consideration when purchasing a CNC lathe.
A lathe's maximum turning diameter simply indicates the largest size of part that can be turned on the machine &#; standard-length tooling &#; without interference or collision with guarding or other machine components. With the X-axis retracted all the way positive, it's the size of part can be turned safely as it relates to X-axis travels of the machine tool.
For example: if you are looking at a machine with a max turning diameter of 16 inches, and the parts that you run on a regular basis are 15 inches in diameter or larger, then you would probably want to look at a machine with a larger maximum turning diameter. Even though, in our example above, the part would technically fit, you must realize that you are running on the very edge of the envelope, and if you had to hang a tool out of the turret farther than normal, you would likely not have enough X-axis travel to accommodate the part.
A lathe's maximum swing refers to the largest diameter part that can be spun in the chuck without mechanical interference with guarding, cross-slide, or other machine components located near the chucking area. Depending on the style and design of the machine tool in question, this value could be larger than the maximum turning diameter mentioned above. However, this does not mean that you can turn a part larger than that specified in the maximum turning diameter specification.
Horsepower and torque of a lathe are obvious considerations when purchasing a new machine, but their necessity may not be so obvious in all cases. If you are running work such as castings and forgings, drilling large diameter holes in steel, or generally turning features on large diameter parts, then horsepower and torque are going to very important, and you should be certain that the machine in question has enough for your application. However, if you are more focused on high production or general turning of small-to-medium sized parts, then spindle RPM may become more important than power in your case.
Just as we have seen in the milling arena over the past several years, high-speed machining is quickly making its way into turning as well. As the technology of turning tooling is advancing, and though the tool coolant options are more prevalent, the principles of cutting shallower but faster are becoming more common. Spindle speed, rapid traverse, and maximum programmable feedrates become much more important than sheer horsepower and torque.
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Very similar to the maximum turning diameter, this specification indicates the longest part that can be turned based on the mechanical limitations and axis travels of the machine tool. Keep in mind that the effective maximum turning length for a particular part can be less than specified by the use of larger or deeper chucks, or tooling that sticks out from the face of the turret farther than what is considered normal. In both cases, you would be introducing the possibility for mechanical interferences, which would restrict the length of the part that could be machined, even though the physical travels and limits of the machine have not been changed.
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I got to turn on the Rikon 70-500 right after it came out. I was doing a demo at the Woodcraft store in Allentown PA, and several Rikon big shots were there. As they were going to be in attendance, I was asked, to "push it". So I did.Once we got the proper belt placement figured out, the machine had plenty of power. I had a chunk of walnut on it about 18" in diameter and 9" thick, and I laid into it with a big ole gouge. Shavings went everywhere, and the lathe kept up with me. The speed control worked fine, the lathe itself was nice and solid, and the motor had plenty of power. I did not care at all for the placement of the control box. Rikon had (at the time) several points on the lathe where the control box could be "snapped in" and held securely. Unfortunately, they were all places where I could either not see, not reach, or it got in my way. I do not know if that has changed since I used the lathe.I demoed on the same lathe in Baltimore - very same lathe, since the people who own the Allentown store own the Baltimore store too - and it still ran fine after being in service in a classroom shop for some time. I cannot say anything about the service for Rikon, since I do not own any of their tools, nor can I speak to the longevity of the lathe or its electronics. The Woodfast lathe design is proven over time, and is a solid machine. Quality control is an issue of which I have no knowledge either. But for the time I used it, it held its own with other lathes in the same category. If I had to pick between it and the Powermatic, I would probably go with the PM, just because of their customer service record, and the sliding headstock. That is a real plus when hollowing bowls or hollow forms.
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