Touchscreen system simplifies electronic lathe use

Touchscreen-programmable machining brings even more user-benefits and upgraded technology to make an electronic lathe the most straightforward and easy-to-use in the world.
Leading British lathe manufacturer, Harrison, has launched the Alpha 350T (Touchscreen) electronic lathe, bringing even more user-benefits and upgraded technology to its highly successful Alpha 'T' range. Hailed as the most straightforward and easy-to-use electronic lathe in the world, the new Alpha 350T has an increased swing of 350mm, compared with the previous entry model (Alpha 330T), and a highly impressive 250 per cent expansion in controller memory. Further advancements include an automatic, three-range, variable-speed headstock, while the 350T's uprated drive train, running on ultra high load-bearing capacity Gamet bearings, substantially increases cutting performance.

The Alpha 350T takes the widely-recognised hallmarks of the popular Alpha T range - affordability, ease of operation and versatility - to a new level of excellence, while retaining its core benefits.

All Harrison Alpha T lathes are designed to appeal to a wide variety of applications and users, for example, sub-contractors, toolrooms, mould and die facilities, Research and Development operations and education/training establishments.

They offer users - especially those wishing to replace traditional centre lathe machinery - the flexibility of both fully automatic cycles and manual operations.

One of the keys to the appeal of the Alpha T range is the menu-driven Fanuc touchscreen control that uses 'shop-floor' symbols and logical step-by-step instructions to access a comprehensive range of functions.

These include: automatic internal and external parallel/taper roughing and finishing box cycles, as well as left- and right-hand single and multistart threads (including Acme, DP and MOD).

Complex contours and repetitive cycles can also be performed, while each tool has its own independent constant surface speed function.

As well as being extremely simple to operate, the new Alpha 350T has another important advantage over its rivals, with all machine controls ergonomically mounted on a single operator's console, so that the operator can see the controls, tools, workpiece and cutting area all in a single line-of- sight.

On-screen self-diagnostic messages in plain language are conveyed instantly to the operator thanks to the Intelligent Help Diagnostic System (IHDS) developed specially by Harrison for lathes such as the Alpha T range.

A separate diagnostic LED array is also incorporated.

With the introduction of the 350T, the full Alpha T model line-up now comprises: Alpha 350T (350mm swing x 650mm bed); Alpha 400T (400mm swing x 1.25m bed); Alpha 460T (460mm swing x 1.5m bed) and Alpha 550T (550mm swing x 2m bed).