Buying CNC MILL

[Allen123]

I am looking at buying a low cost cnc mill. I have thought about some of the knee mills from southwestern industries & the others. I am just not sure if I want to get a new machine used machine.





$17,000





* Factory-integrated package.
* Two-axis CNC, three-axis DRO.
* Easy to use - train in the morning, make parts in the afternoon.
* All the essential CNC functions
* Quality knee mill iron, precision CP 7207 spindle bearings and a chromed hardened and ground quill.
* Precision ballscrews in the table and saddle.



TRAK KE EMX Machine Specifications

* ProtoTRAK Control model -EMX
* Table Size-50" X 10"
* Table Travel -31"
* Saddle Travel-15.5"
* Knee Travel:-13.5"
* Ram Travel-21"
* Maximum Quill Travel-5"
* Quill Diameter-3.375"
* Spindle Taper-R8
* Spindle Speed Range -70-4200 RPM
* Head Tilt-45° forward and back, 90° left and right
* Quill feeds per rev-0.0015”, 0.003”, 0.006”
* Spindle Motor- vari-speed-3 HP
* Power Requirement Control-110V; 1P; 8A
* Power Requirements Machine -220/440V; 3P; 8.5/4.3A
* Maximum Weight on Table-850 lbs
* Machine Weight:-2820 lbs
* Machine dims: l x w x h-71" x 59" x 87"
* Maximum rapid feed-100 IPM
* Way surface type-Dovetail: X, Y, Z
* Precision 7207 CP4 Spindle bearings
* Chrome hardened and ground quill
* Slide ways are Turcite coated
* Wide way surfaces are hardened and ground

Available Options/Accessories

* Remote Stop/Go Switch
* Power drawbar
* Halogen work lamp
* Chip pan
* Knee power feed
* Coolant pump
* Table guard
* Vise
* USB memory stick
* Auto lube pump
* Spray coolant

The Trak machines seem to have good conversational software but I already know CAD CAM and can program with G-code. So really any machine that reads g-code would work for me.


I found some information on a off brand knee mill or bed mill that costs $2000 less than the trak mill but I am not sure if it's worth the money.

Here are some pictures:








Some Specs:

Linear guide ways

Precision ball screws

Work Table: 10” x 42”

Table T-Slots (5)15mm

2HP 6,000 VFD Spindle

ER-32 Collet

Travel X 22” Y10” Z18”

Rapid Traverse

Stepper 250 IPM

Servo 650 IPM*

Machine Foot Print 48”R-L, 34” F-B, 7'Tall

Shipping Weight 2,365 lbs

Power Requirements 220 VAC/3/60

Single phase *

Integrated 17” Touch Scree 150G HDD Dual Core 1.8 CUPs

CD/DVD Player (5) USB Ports Speakers Ball mouse Ethernet Keyboard

Cycle start, Feed hold, Emergency Stop, Reset, System enable Misc, operation

Lubrication system

Customized Mach 3 CNC Controller Interface

EIA ( Standard G-M Code Programming)

Work offsets, Tool length Offsets, Cutter Compensation

G01 G02 G03 Linear interpolation , CW, CCW Helical interpolation

G04 Dwell, 3D Plane Select G17,G18, G19Inch / Millimeter

G28 Reference Home G31 Probing G40-42 Tool Compensation

G54 Height Offsets G50 Scale factor reset G53 Machine Coordinates

G61 High Speed Machining,G64 Exact stop, G68 Coordinate system rotation G90 G91 ABS INC

M98 / M99 Sub Routines


When I looked at the southwestern machines and alike. They seemed to have a little more travel, and "industrial" controls.

This off brand machine has a mach 3 touch screen. Which looks cool but is it practical? Is mach 3 just as good as an acu-right or Trak controller or a like?


The power requirements I can work with, and the fact that is a smaller more compact unit is appealing to me. But how good of a machine is it?

How can you tell by specs or pictures if the machine is worth it's salt?

I keep going back and forth on buying a used machine. But I am worried about buying someone's red headed step child if you know what I mean.

If I do get an older controller / machine the memory and parts? limited or hard to get?

Any recommendations you might have would be very helpful.

[Allen123]

http://www.aceronline.net/videoPlay2.php?id=13

This is a neat little video on a Acer Mill

[dullfig]

What brand is that machine? you gave a lot of info on it, but no brand

Dan

[vigilante212]

Prototrak makes a very nice machine, I used to work on one for about a year. They have a nice simple conversational control. I also worked on a prototrak that looked almost exactly like that lower picture. It was a more rigid machine a bit more robust more accurate, but the interface was a bit more complicated. Out of the 2 i would get a prototrak that looked like the bottom machine.

[tizm]

The picture on bottom of page looks very similar to the tormach machine! ive heard good things about them! but with those types of machines,your always gonna deal with the rigidity!!

[metlcutr55]

bought mine from these folks 12 yr ago, it has been a good machine, full 3 axis z knee driven, close to same money. run nearly daily for 12 yrs. if these interest you, pm me a phone#, or ill pm mine, id be glad to yak a bit.

http://www.cncauto.com/

[DareBee]

Sure you know G-code.
So do I.
The conversational control just completely rocks.
You can program a pocket and be making chips in less than 2 minutes. Can't do that with g-code.
Go for the ProtoTrak
FWIW I love the Fagor 8055 control, just in case you come across a machine with one.