The company says its new TL-1 toolroom lathe eases the transition from manual machines to CNC. The lathe combines the full functionality and simplicity of a manual lathe with the power and flexibility of the easy-to-use Haas CNC system, according to the company.
The lathe provides a maximum cutting diameter of 16" and a maximum cutting length of 30". The maximum part swing is 16" over the front apron and 8.5" over the cross slide. The lathe features a powerful 7.5-hp (peak) vector drive spindle that spins to 1,800 rpm, and it comes standard with an A2-5 spindle nose that accepts a number of optional chucks. For additional part support, an optional manual tailstock is available that provides 30" of travel. Brushless servomotors on all axes provide precise positioning, and a one-piece cast-iron base damps vibration and provides rigidity for heavy cuts. The lathe runs on either single- or three-phase power.
The lathe operates in three modes. In manual mode, X and Z axes are moved via handwheels, with the Haas control providing accurate (displayed to 0.0001") digital read-out (DRO) of position, according to the company. In combined manual/CNC mode, the lathe provides jog travel limits, motorized feeds and index jogging, again with accurate, easy-to-read DRO, says the company. In full CNC, all axes are controlled by the Haas control via a G-code program.
The toolroom lathe comes standard with 1 MB of program memory and the company's Visual Quick Code, a proprietary conversational programming system with a graphical interface that the company says makes creating simple part programs nearly effortless. Through an interactive graphical environment, the control software guides the operator through the steps necessary to create a part program. According to the company, operations that would be difficult on a manual machine, such as compound angles, radiuses, tapers, profiles, ID and OD threading and rigid tapping, are all possible on the lathe--without knowledge of G-code programming. Content-sensitive help menus are available directly on-screen, if needed, and dry-run graphics allow the operator to check work before running a part.
With many machine shops anticipating long-term growth in demand from the semiconductor industry, it is worth the time to heed the advice of manufacturers who have already been servicing this end-market for years.
Low RPM lathes can cause tool breakage and prevent you from achieving proper SFM, but live tooling can provide an economical solution for these problems that can accelerate production.
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