Re: Hard decision....4 axis mill for $2500

Dear Doug,

I read this messige after going through a bulk of mail that paild over
last few days while I was away...
So, firs of all, I am located in europe and Siemens type of machine
controls is common here for a newley built machines and retrofits. It
seem to me, that you are nor very happy with what you have been ofered
(the controls, the spindele...) but it seem to be what I have been
looking for recently. If you are not too mch into buying, I might be
interested in the machine. Of course I would cover all your expenses
and some reasonable comission for you if I find the deal atractive.
It would be nice to have some photos (do you have a digital camera at
hand by any chance?) and aditional data regrding machine precission,
state of the machine (excelant, good, averege, poor...), exact controls
type (so I can check about reliability and parts availability..)
Nevertheles, if you decide to buy a machine for you, I can still
provide you with the info regarding controls (if I know the type...)

Please send me your phone number, where I can reach you, most suitable
time of the day (and don't forget the timezone..;-) so we can discuss
this toppic as soon as possible.

I hope to here from you soon,

With best regards,

Matjaz Kos


Jamova 11
SI 4260 Bled
Slovenia
GMT+1 (CET timezone)
tel: + 386 41 322 355
fax: + 386 4 5766 321


Message: 1
Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 00:34:19 -0000
From: dougrasmussen@...
Subject: Hard decision....4 axis mill for $2500.

Group,

Here's a hard one for me to decide on. Maybe some of you know this
machine type and controller.

The machine is a Berney (Swiss?) T38-CNC horizontal mill with a 4th
axis. The control is a Siemens Sinumerik. It's not clear if the
control is an 800, 810 or 820, literature for all those controls is
included. Delivery date of the machine was 1988.

The machine appears to be very high precision (so clean you'd want to
have it in the living room if you didn't have a wife). Travels look
to be about a 6 to 8" cube. Optical scope over the up to 50,000 rpm
spindle to observe the cutting.

The seller has never fired it up, but assures me it was running when
he bought it (and I trust him). It came out of a Siemens Medical
facility where it was used with diamond blades, some as thin a few
thousands to slice various material. Siemens replaced it with a 5
axis machine.

My main concerns are with the control, is it still supported by
Siemens and how expensive to repair, if needed? The seller thinks
it's a color graphic controller and the literature seems to confirm
that.

One downside is the machine's spindle. As it is there's no way to
hold a shank type cutter. The end of the spindle is about 1/2"
diameter with tapped hole in center, it tapers back for about 5/8" to
nearly 3/4" diameter. A number of wheel arbors are included.
Appears like some sort of standard grinding spindle taper. The
spindle is a cartridge unit, so the machine may have been offered
with different spindle types. With this spindle the machine could do
precison form or cutter grinding.

I know I could put the machine to work, I just don't have much time
now for a project and am not particularly interested in retrofitting
unless the controller was very full functioned similiar to what's
there now. Retrofitting with an equivalent controller would involve
more money than I'm willing to invest in this type machine.

Thoughts?

thanks,

Doug