By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-12-28 09:38:35 | Word Count: 664
If you are looking to save money by purchasing a used milling machine, then there are many options available to you; you just have to be careful about selecting a piece of machinery that still has the features you need, or that has been retrofitted with improvements to function in your environment.
A multitude of older machines still exist on the market because they were built to be very sturdy originally. Because of the fact that the older milling machines are famous for their inherent stability, they have often retrofitted with the newest technology for resale. These include CNC retrofits, or Computer Numerical Control. This highly sophisticated technology allows for the full automation of end- to- end design functions, including automatic tool changers (ATC), computer aided design (CAD), computer aided manufacturing programs (CAM) and even an automatic pallet changer (APC). Thus the refitting process brings together the best of the old and the new: durability meets accuracy, speed and reliability.
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Milling machines are expensive, yet they are indispensable. There are manual mills on the market, and perhaps these suit your production needs better. They are often horizontal versus vertical CNC models. They are typically older machines that feature mechanical automation using CAM technology. CAM transforms cylindrical motion into linear motion through the use of a rotating wheel or shaft that spins to generate movement along an axis.. CAM machines can be either DRO (digital readout display) or non-DRO. It is an important distinction for obvious reasons. A non-DRO requires more from the operator.
If it is a DRO model, then you can expect to have fingertip control of:
• Imperial (inch) and metric interchange
• Scientific calculator.
• The ½ inch function that takes the value of an axis and divides it by two (used to find an accurate center or a hole).
• Preset dimensions / the ability to type in the axis to locate a feature using an edge finder
• Absolute or incremental modes (‘absolute’ meaning the coordinate is relative to the part’s absolute zero, such as its corner or center, versus being relative to the last machined part or some other feature).
• Being able to compute cuts across an incline
• Bolt holes (using a rotary table to do several holes over an arch)
If what you need is a vertical CNC model with all the bells and whistles, then ‘used’ is definitely the cheaper option. Milling machines, or machining centers, as they are mostly called nowadays, often cost thousands of dollars. The computer revolution has resulted in a PC being central to the operations at most industrial part makers. People no longer have to undertake the arduous tasks involved with the calculations of axes, the calculation of equations used to locate specific features on a plane, unit conversions, the switching out of the tools during one full machining of a part, or even the changing of a pallet.
Used milling machines can now be retrofitted so that they come wired enough to make a lot of your tasks less time consuming than you’d expect from an older model. For a great deal on a used model, visit MachineryValues.com.
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