Yet another Retrofit. Hardinge HXL-S

[fdos]

Hi all...

Just started to pick up where I left off with the Bigger Hardinge I bought sometime ago.

This machine was really only bought due to it's 16C spindle.   I already have another Hardinge with 5C spindle, and got fed up with having to do certain jobs on the centre lathe.   I really wanted a 16c CHNC but one wasn't available when the money was burning holes in my pocket.  I have kicked my for years for turning down 2 CHNC's about 10 years ago which I could of had for 200 UKP the pair!  At the time I didn't have the room.

Machine had some damage to the original Siemens control, but otherwise was fairly good.

Whats really nice about these machines is they were only ever designed to run with neat cutting oil, therefore the ways are generally in very good order.  Also they are incredibly rigid.

Here's a couple pics of the machine as it is...

Wayne...

[Brian Barker]

NICE LOOKING LATHE!!!!! That is going to be a GREAT lathe!!!!!

[fdos]

NICE LOOKING LATHE!!!!! That is going to be a GREAT lathe!!!!!

Well Brian I've always been a sucker for Hardinge's ;-)   I first used them (chnc's) in the mid 80's, and there was nothing else that could touch them for accuracy.  They really could hold 2 tenths all day as Hardinge claimed.

They were never cheap though!  The machine I have cost around 40k UKP in the mid 80's :-o

So far I've taken out all the Seimens control, including the HUGE cabinet on the back.   Replaced the 4Kw DC spindle drive and motor with a New Seimens 3Kw AC motor and VFD.

Just picked up the new servo motors, the old ones were in bad shape.

I have a CNC Teknix drive here for evaluatiion which we will try on this project.

All the top enclosure is being removed right now, for bead blasting and a new powder coat job.  I learnt a valuable lesson on the repainting of the Leadwell VMC enclosures, that was not to bother wet spray painting, it takes far too long!

Wayne....

[fdos]

Just an update.

New Pulleys and Belts arrived for the servo's today.   Due to the new motors being faster but having less torque than the originals (3300 v's 2000 rpm and 1Nm v's 1.2Nm) I have changed the original reduction of 1.86:1 to 2.5:1. This is theory gives me more torque and speed than the original setup.

One motor plate has already been re-machined to suit the new motors.

Also shown in the pics is the Pneumatics compartment with the 5 port valves etc.  These all have to be replaced, and they all leak, and the seals are no longer available.   I hate these things!  so confusing...  They cost an arm and a leg too!

Wayne...

[fdos]

Another Update..

All the new pulley blanks now machined, and almost ready to go.

Well almost !!   first problem was the X axis belt housing. I didn't measure it up before ordering the pulleys, only the Z axis.   There was zero clearance between the top of this housing and the belt when on the 60T pulley.  So I had to remachine the internal relief to give me the clearance.   Wall thickness at the thinest point is now only 1mm!   But it's a heave cast iron housing so not so bad.

Second problem is the new servo motors spindles are shorter than the originals.  Therefore the 24T pulley is closer to the motors mounting flange.   With the original mounting plates the puleys no-where near line up!   So it was a waste if time remachining the plate earlier, have to make new ones.  These were steel originally, I'll probably use Al-Alloy for the new ones.  Sod the different rates of expansion, I'm not trying to achieve Hardinges original specs, which is the only reason I can think of they used similar materials.

Third problem is I got the quote back for all the new 5 port valves and manifolds etc.   £550   OUCH!  and that was for the cheaper SMC stuff, I'd hate to think what Parker or Norgren stuff would cost...   This machines a bit of a money pit....

Wayne....

[ynneb]

Nice looking project. I will be keeping an eye on this one.
Keep up the good work.

[fdos]

Thanks Benny.

Shame there apparently so few people interested in retrofitting lathes.

Lathes and turning are my primary business, the mills come 2nd.

Wait till you see the two slantbed boxford benchtop lathes I'm in the planning stages for!   The are being retrofitted as bespoke machines to do one job primarily.  The quantities are large 30,000 parts/yr.  The intention is to run the two machines back to back on the same job, lights out if possible.  This job is more suited to sliding head swiss auto's but I'm going to have a good go at competing against their times

The aim is to have these fully automated, with magazine bar feeders, power collet closers, powered tailstocks, and parts catchers. Also I'm trying to think of a way to do a swarf auger for these small machines.  The material for this job is Nylon66 so swarf is a real issue.

Wayne...

[fdos]

Picture time again...

First Picture shows the X axis Slideway and ballscrew.  I was amazed at the perfect condition here!   No backlash at all, and the slide looks like it was ground yesterday!   In fact the machine is 22 years old this year.    That cutting oil did the machines metal some good.  The ballscrew is 1.250" Diameter with .200" Lead.

Second picture shows the new pulleys and belt on the X Axis.  This is the housing I had to remachine to give clearance for the belt at it's highest point.  Also shows the new Alloy Motor mounting plate, which I machined today.  The Z axis one will have to wait, as I didn't have a big enough piece of material available.  It needs a billet of Alloy 6"x6"x 1 1/4"..

Wayne...

[Hood]

Wayne
 what does the air drive? is it the toolpost or tailstock or both?

Hood

[fdos]

Hood.

The air does quite a lot.

Tailstock extend and retract, Collet Open and Close, Spindle lock release, Lube pump inject, and the most complex part the turret locking and indexing.

The only one I wont use very often is the tailstock.

Wayne....