Product category:
Control systems, DROs, etc, for machine tools
News Release from: ACI (UK) | Subject: Acu-Rite MillPwr control systems
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 August 2007
Manual turret miller has powerful CNC
too
Low-cost, high specification turret mills, offering manual and CNC operation, make use of, it is claimed, one of the most user-friendly CNC systems available - with powerful functionality.
New manual/CNC 'combination' or 'half-NC' turret millers are being equipped with Acu-Rite MillPwr control systems from control and measurement specialist ACI (UK) The Braithwaite Mill Power is a low-cost, high specification turret mill that offers an unbeatable cost-to-performance ratio, said the machine tool engineeering company, Braithwaite new machine division
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 30 Sep 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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The Braithwaite Mill Power's turret miller construction uses Meehanite castings for extreme rigidity.
Hardened and ground slideways feature Turcite linings for low wear and friction.
The machines also have handwheels for set-up and teach modes to complement the manual/CNC operation.
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Demonstrations of a two-/three-axis CNC for intuitive knee-type milling operations will highlight the system's cost-effectiveness and user-friendliness.
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As well as demonstrating four-axis DROs, a range of linear scales will also serve to reinforce both the accuracy and performance benefits of its glass linear encoder technology.
"Universally acclaimed as one of the most user-friendly CNC systems available and with powerful functionality, the intuitive two-/three-axis MillPwr is a conversational system that requires no previous CNC experience and it can be used either as a full-function DRO or as a programmable CNC," said company founder, Terry Braithwaite.
"Because the control offers easy-to-understand operator feedback and everything expected in terms of functionality - from bolt hole/PCD cycles, rectangular, circle pocket and irregular pocket milling, to island and boss features, spiral, ellipse, mirror image, rotate, repeat set-up and 2D/2.5D contouring as well as tool library, shrinkage scaling, trig and geometry calculator and power editing tools - it is the perfect choice for a machine that is predominantly used on small batch and one-off applications," explained Braithwaite.
Despite the fact that the price of a Mill Power turret miller compares favourably with a rebuild, Terry Braithwaite is not surprised that: "Rebuilds continue unabated and, sitting side-by-side the two activities give me the best of both worlds, since some people will always want to buy new while others will preferably want machines rebuilt, " he said.
He continued: "Even 40-year-old Bridgeport turret mill carcasses remain sound and, when re-engineered with, for example, reground column, knee and saddle and fitted with new leadscrews, as well as being complemented by the latest control technology - predominantly also the Acu-Rite MillPwr - the machines are returned as good as new and go on for years to consistently produce accurate components".
Braithwaite said: "Another main reason why Bridgeport rebuilds continue to be popular is, he says, because their users trust the machines and are happy and familiar with the control technology.
When you consider that thousands of the 50,000 or so Bridgeports built at Bridlington are still in use today, I don't see any let up in our busy order book".
Originally Braithwaite was a fitter with Bridgeport Machines, but was made redundant when the company closed its turret mill manufacturing facility in Bridlington, UK, in 1992.
He started in his garage and within a few years become renowned throughout the UK as the premier source for rebuilt Bridgeport turret milling machines.
Perhaps not so well known is Braithwaite's new machine division building the Mill Power range.
Four models of Mill Power are offered, and companies of all sizes and across all industry sectors - including specialist machinists supplying parts for motor sport, steam engine and vintage motorcycle enthusiasts - are capitalising on the value-for-money machines.
The models are as follows.
* Models 2VS and 2VS-SQ - 1244mm by 230mm table, axis travels of 750mm and 405mm in X and Z, and 300mm in Y (2VS) and 400mm (2VS-SQ), and 2.25kW spindle speed that produces 50-3,550 rev/min, plus R8 ISO 30 spindle.
* Model 4VS - 1370mm by 254mm table, travels of 900mm, 400mm and 450mm in X, Y and Z, and similar spindle speeds from a 3.75kW motor, plus R8 ISO 30/40 spindle.
* Model 5VS-SQ - 1370mm by 305mm table, travels of 900mm, 370mm and 430mm in X, Y and Z, and 3.75kW spindle producing 50-3,550 rev/min and ISO 40 spindle.
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