Trevor Matthews, applications engineer at 600 UK says: "The Harrison Alpha XC is a new model that is based on the globally recognised Harrison Alpha XS lathe. Our Alpha customers fed back to us that they wanted a full interpolating C-axis on the machine and with the new Harrison Alpha XC, that is exactly what we have provided."
He continues: "The Alpha XC can now conduct off-centre drilling and boring, hexagonal milling and much more. What this lathe gives customers is the facility to perform secondary operations that would be commonly reserved for a full production, slant bed CNC turning centre. The turret has eight stations and all positions can be driven at up to 5,000rpm. The VDI tooling set-up is based upon the size of the machine and has either a 20 or 30 VDI configuration."
The model showed at MACH was the new Alpha 1400XC with a 1,250mm centre distance, swing over bed of 400mm and a 55mm through bore spindle. The larger capacity Alpha 1460XC and Alpha 1550XC are now available from Harrison and 600 UK, with a swing over bed up to 550mm and centre distances up to 3,000mm.
“The control unit on the machine is the Fanuc 0i-TD and as engineers will recognise, Harrison has it’s very own Alpha programming system that is unique to 600 UK and favoured by users worldwide,” Mr Matthews adds. “This is in addition to the Fanuc Mgi (Manual Guide) system that is fully conversational for the end-user, using pictorial guides as well as the full G-Code CNC system, giving the Alpha operator flexible programming options.
"We have always listened to our customers and distributors and they are now requesting a flat-bed machine that can finish the parts in one-hit. By adding the C-axis to the Harrison Alpha we have satisfied this need and the feedback has been superb. There are very few flat-bed machines in the marketplace with a fully functioning C-axis, so believe we’ve filled a gap in the marketplace,” he concludes.
600 UK www.600uk.com