Does anyone know if the HURCO KM3P has ballscrews or just leadscrews,and approx. what year did they start making these machines? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I'm quite confident the KM3-P mills have ballscrews, although the only one I have actually seen is the spindle screw in the head.

The serial number for my KM3-P is KXB-8002106D. It was one of the very first ones and uses the older BX "single-screen" control. Most KM3-P's use the Ultimax control with 2 screens. I believe my mill was manufactured in 1988.

all km3's have ball screws. the bx control was hurco's first conversational control. the dual screen max controls came out in about 1984. they were a major step up from the "b" controls. the idea of the dual screens was adding graphics. kxb-8002106d was manufactured in 1986. the first and last digits of the serial number tell the year of manufacture. the km-3 had manual spindle speed control and a smaller table than the km-3p. the km-3p also had automatic programmable speed control with a manual override. the iron in these machines is manufactured by kondia. many of the mechanical parts are still available from hurco or clausing (who uses the same chassis). ron

Thanks Ron for the info. I was told by Steve Artz that mine was one of between 3 & 10 (he didn't exactly remember) of the KM3-P's to be made with the BX control. If the Ultimax control started in 1984, it must have been an option or something. I have owned a SM1-CNC sn SDX-8003044 and my friend has an SM1 that is sn SDX-8005045B, both of which have the BX control. Was the conversational software the same for both the "B" and the "BX" control? It would seem like they would be, but then you also couldn't read or program fine that .001" could you? Just thinking out loud here.

Speaking of KM3P's, have any of guys "hooked up" a system with Turbo CNC, Autocad, or some kind of CAD software?

Modernprecision

I run my KM3P with a cam system built into Keycreator cad software(use to be Cadkey).
Had to fool with the G code post processor a little as the one provided for the Hurco was for the new controllers. Basically had to delete a few things no big deal. I then download to controller without any problems, also have done a few larger surface type programs that required drip feeding, the controll works fine with this setup. Years ago I first did this with a BX control with the same results.

Rick

HI JIM,
THEY DO HAVE BALLSCREWS,1.25 IN X,Y AND SMALL SECREW IN QUILL.I HAVE A 86 KM3P I RETROFITTED WITH MACH 3,I THINK ULTI CONTROL WAS OPTION MINE WAS 86 BX CONTROL,BX ALLOWED USER TO DRIP FEED AND HAD .0001 RESOLUTION INSTEAD OF .001,DIFFRENT ENCODERS.AND P VERSION HAD DIFFRENT TABLE AND KNEE,AND COOLANT PUMP.I AM PARTING MINE OUT,IF YOU NEED PARTS,patrick71100@hotmail.com
have pictures