Large Betts Horizontal Lathe Retrofit

This Betts lathe is a large horizontal lathe with a 150HP spindle. The original control system had a GE PLC, GE HYAK DC drives, and a GE spindle drive. The system went down frequently and the customer had no support drawings for the system.

We designed a new control system, replaced all the electrical cabinets, and built/installed a 150HP Bardac regenerative drive enclosure to control the spindle. We also built and installed a main enclosure housing the NUM CNC and digital drives. The new servo system had a unique anti-backlash system where the two Z axis motors maintained zero backlash in both directions of movement. A pedestal with new operator enclosure was also installed. Additional room was left in the main enclosure in case the customer wanted to add a mill head for a mixed machine package in the future.