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L280 CNC Lathe Kit

For 280V Style Lathes

 

(See Links page for links to various suppliers)

 

Designed specifically for the 280 style lathes our L280 kit will transform one of these machines into a very accurate and extremely capable system with features similar to units costing many thousands of dollars more. 

Ideal for ...

 

Prototyping

Manufacturing

Education

Farm

Radio Control Hobbies

Custom Repairs

Model Engineering

Hobbyist

Home Workshop

 
...and much more
Here are just some of the benefits of our L280 kits
 

- Low profile - only one visible motor, the other is hidden totally from view
- Easy to install - full instructions included (in English) ... can be installed in just a few hours
- No modifications required - utilise existing mount points for all hardware
- Timing belt drivetrain - zero slip, zero vibration and ease of adjustment
- Retain manual operation - optional manual Z feature to allow the lathe to be hand operated
- Excellent free air transverse - 2500mm/min (~70"/min) conservatively
- Efficient power transmission - smooth precision ball nuts and leadscrews

- Dual ball nut option - for adjustable backlash setting
- Complete end to end solution - no redesigning, modifying or guesswork
- Microprocessor intelligent controller - designed for functionality and safety - ultra reliable
- Loom tubes and fittings included - cables are hidden and protected
- Optical (IR) sensor - for homing and limit operation on the Z axis
- Micro switch - for homing and outward limit detection

- New bearings 

- our kits contain new precision bearings from the USA and Japan

- Neat & tidy - no birds nest of wiring between multiple drivers and break-out boards, self contained
- Australian designed and built

- quality you can see in every part, quality you can trust every day

- One stop shop

- no need to source parts from multiple suppliers and worry if they will work or fit

We offer the kit in 3 Models ...

 

H Basic Hardware Only kits includes all necessary axis hardware  - panels and plates, leadscrews with ball nuts, nuts, bolts and washers, quality ball bearings, timing belts, pulleys and of course full concise instructions.

HM Hardware & Motors kits include all of the hardware only (H) kit PLUS stepper motors, wiring and loom tubes.

HMC Complete kits include all of the above PLUS our Intelligent Controller with axis cards, optical homing sensor and micro switch. 

Looking for product photos - Click here

 

Looking for product videos - Clcik here


Nuts, Bolts Screws


Our kits include all of the nuts, bolts, washers and screws necessary to complete the installation.

Plates and Brackets

Included in each kit are all the plates, bracket and covers necessary to complete the installation. Using our comprehensive and easy to follow step by step instruction manual you'll have your kit installed in no time.

Leadscrews and Ball nuts


On the Z axis use a 16mm (0.6" or 5/8") Thomson 5tpi rolled leadscrew with recirculating ball bearing ball nut for efficient and smooth operation. Leadscrews are turned as necessary on each end to suit the supplied bearings and pulleys.
 
The X axis uses a 9.2mm (0.36" or 23/64") Thompson rolled leadscrew also with recirculating ball bearing ball nut and it too is ready to install.

For those customers that require it we offer a dual ball nut option which can virtually remove backlash. For the vast majority of customers the standard offering is more than sufficient!

 

People often ask us why our leadscrews are a dull black where other kits have a nice chrome finish. The answer is that the high quality Thompson leadscrews have a black  Manganese  Phosphate coating.  This  coating  produces  a dull black  to gray 

finish and  sometimes  appears  to have  a crystal  like structure on  its  surface.  Manganese  Phosphate  is one  of  the  best  wear  enhancing coatings  you can  put on apart.  It traps  oil in  the  coating  and  acts  like an  automatic lubricator. The  coating,  especially  when  oiled,  retards  corrosion. 

Timing Belts and Pulleys


In the L280 kit each axis is driven by a timing belt and pulleys. Of course the appropriate belts and pulleys are supplied ready to install. 
 
Timing belts will last a long time but if you would like to have spares on-hand we can supply a set for a reasonable price. We have machines running in our shop that have hundreds of hours use under their belts (pardon the pun) and show no signs of fatigue or failure.
 
The style of timing belt we've utilised is  very common and you should have no problem ordering them from a local supplier should you ever need to. See below for more information about timing belts. 

Stepper Motors


Exhaustive testing has shown that our motors work exceptionally well when driven by our intelligent controller. These motors are actually capable of achieving much higher RPM than most large motors can because of their lower internal inertia. The higher RPM coupled with our selection of pulleys means that ultimately you get high torque and respectable speed. This is one of the reasons why we say our systems are designed ... we like to think of it as 'performance engineering'.
 

Wiring Looms, Loom Tubes And Clamps


Stepper motor wiring looms are supplied with our HM & HMC kits and are ready to install. HMC kits also include easy fit screw terminals which make removing them a breeze (to allow cable routing). Also included HMC kits are the homing sensor & switch. These are optional to install - but if you do decide to use them all you need to do is attach them to the appropriate mount points and route the provided cables as shown in our instructions.
 
The black plastic rippled loom tube is supplied ready to install. These tubes are split all the way along their length so all you need to do is slip the cables through the slot - you don't even have to remove the plugs. These tubes makes for a very neat & professional finish and also help to protect the wiring. Loom tubes are held firmly in place by special tabs and entry cut-outs in the approriate locations.

Timing Belts


There are several reasons why we employ timing belts and pulleys... 
 
Direct coupling to the end of the leadscrew is far more prone to damage as any pressure applied to the motor will lever against couplings and mounts. Noise transfer is another issue and drive belts prevent resonance being sent through the leadscrews.
 
Another reason for using timing belts is that common stepper motors only have standard roller bearings which are designed for radial loads - not axial ... a misaligned direct coupling could result in power loss and premature bearing/motor failure. 
 
In our application of timing belts the load is entirely radial which means that the bearings are handling the pressure in a manner they are specifically designed for.
 
Timing belts are specifically designed for applications such as this. They have internal radial reinforcing (usually fibreglass or carbon fibre) which are there specifically to eliminate stretch - so contrary to popular belief they will not cause backlash. In fact we feel there's actually more rubber to compress and cause backlash in most direct drive couplings!. Timing belt trapezoid teeth and corresponding pulley grooves provide a very positive and positionally accurate lock. 

Timing belts are cost effective, low noise, easy to fit, non slip and readily available.
 
For more information about timing belts please click here.

Onsite Installation ...

 

We bring the kit to you and install it on your existing machine. The machine may be one you've had for some time and decided to convert or it may be a brand new machine you have recently purchased and had delivered.

 

The service includes:

-Delivery of kit

-Strip down machine and clean components as necessary

-Install kit and make initial adjustments

-Connect controller, test and perform initial calibration

 

This service is only applicable to our HMC kits and is currently only available in these Australian locations:

- Brisbane & Gold Coast

- Melbourne & Geelong

- Regional Victoria up to 300km from the GPO

 

Service available 7 days a week 10:00am -10:00pm

Shipping


For customers within Australia we ship our kits via Australia Post however customers can also arrange their own courier to pick up. Turn-key systems are sent via road transport only due to their size and weight.

 

Customers located in or around Melbourne can also pick up from us however we do request that this is arranged with us in advance.


Kits are shipped internationally by Parcel Post which in most instances takes 5-7 days to arrive. We can also arrange for faster delivery if you require it.

 

For all customers shipping charges will be advised prior to order acceptance.


Bearings


The system runs with high quality bearings and naturally we supply them all with each kit. In total there are 6 precision ball bearings - 3 per axis. Of the three bearings for each axis there are two thrust bearings to ensure that the leadscrew is held where it's supposed to be and a radial bearing allowing for the sideways 'pull' from the timing belts. This means that we have the right bearings in the right place for the job at hand. Bearings ensure smooth operation, accuracy and long life.

Manual Z option

Lathes are a relatively easy machine to drive by hand - especially if you simply need to turn a little off a piece of bar or face the end of one.
 
That is easy enough to do with the PC and controller or a pendant but sometimes you want to just quickly do the task by hand.
 

The best of both worlds is to have a lathe that is NC'd for the bigger more intricate jobs (or repitition work) but can still be used as a manual machine. You can still drive the X by hand with our standard kti installed simply by rotating the compound slide around 90 degrees ... but what about the Z?

 

Our manual Z option allows you to fit the lathes original saddle handwheel to front of the Z motor assembly and easily switch between NC and hand operation.

 

The slide lever is both mechanical and electrical in nature - it physically ensures that the handle stays dissengaged in the NC mode or engaged in the manual mode where it also eStops the controller and disconnects the Z drive motor wiring.

 

The handwheel is not calibrated but for simple facing or turning jobs it is perfect. Although uncalibrated the handwheel will accurately give 5.08mm or 0.2 inches Z movement per turn.

Still to come ...

In order to turn threads on the lathe once NC'd you need to be able to let the driver software (eg Mach3) know the spindle speed. We are developing a optional accessory to go with this kit that will do just that ... it's not too far off!!
 
We are also developing an automatic 'tool tip' finder which will allow you to easily code Mach3 to drive the tool onto a touch pad to set the tools X axis position ... applying an offset will allow you to set X 0 (ie centre) perfectly every time.
 
We may even make these two options the one part ... ie spindle speed and tool tip finder in one option.
 
 
     Stay tuned .....
 
 
(PS - These are add-ons meaning that you can still buy your lathe kit now and add them in once we have them ready .... we'll even supply them at the 'full kit' pricing as opposed to at add-on pricing if you buy your kit now).