Acu-Rite Solutions
Acu-Rite Solutions
Acu-Rite Solutions

The easiest way to install a DRO system on a machine

If you’ve ever retrofitted a Bridgeport, with a new digital readout (DRO) system, you know the care it requires. But, you probably also realize the value a DRO paired with a capable encoder can add to a manual or legacy mill, lathe or grinder; adding a precision encoder and readout dramatically increases the speed of processes and improves the chances of getting parts done right the first time. However, an issue often arises when it comes to installation. While nearly every machine ever built could benefit from a DRO, nearly every machine also has different bolt hole patters, coolant drains, travels, the list goes on and on. In most cases, this means the addition of a DRO will require careful measuring and the tapping and/or drilling of some sort of universal, generic bracket. This can be painstaking—and again, if you have different brands or types of machines, you’ll have to modify brackets for each. The easiest way to install a DRO system on a machine is to use custom brackets. This can save upwards of an hour for each machine being upgraded or retrofitted. We pride ourselves on not only setting the standard for DRO system quality and performance, but also our bracketing. We make custom DRO and encoder bracketing kits for more than 100 different machine makes and models, from manual mills to lathes. No measuring. No drilling. Everything lines up flush and fast. Step-by-step instructions guide you through the process of installation using hand-picked components for your specific machine. It’s easier than putting a piece of furniture together from the department store. Here is a sample instruction page for installing an encoder on a Bridgeport Series 1: This simple custom process makes realizing ROI faster and easier. How fast, you ask? Use our simple ROI calculator tool to find out in just a few clicks. Or, if you’re still a little unsure about how to find more efficiency with a DRO, check out our Ultimate Guide to DROs.

2024-07-15T21:56:43+00:00

Why choose an Acu-Rite Solutions DRO system?

A digital readout (DRO) provides a simplified method of measuring and machining for operators while optimizing the accuracy and profitability of the piece of equipment. Understanding the very latest DRO options can help you enhance traditional machining operations and then some. Newer DRO platforms make it easier to accurately machine complex shapes that, at one time, were next to impossible on manual machines. DROs are also effective efficiency boosters in more applications than ever before–now they can even go mobile. How does a DRO system work A DRO system consists of a readout display unit and linear encoder feedback for all axes, depending on the machine tool and the length of travel. The readout continuously displays the actual location of all connected axes. With a simple keypad and software-specific functions, the operator can perform many different operations. Linear encoders mounted on the machine contain a measurement standard and a movable scanning device or reader head. The linear encoder is installed along the full travel of the machine’s axes and the reader moves along the full length of each; electronics read the position, interpret the information and send it to the digital readout to display the precise machine movement. Features and benefits of Acu-Rite Solutions DRO systems Fundamentally, Acu-Rite Solutions DROs make manually operated machines more profitable, improve productivity and raise the quality of the machined workpiece. Together with the linear scales from Acu-Rite Solutions, these DROs form an economic and effective package solution for initial setup, retrofitting machine tools and more. If you’re curious how quickly one or more DROs will pay for themselves, our ROI calculator makes the math easy, using your own shop’s numbers. In a manual machine application, complicated shapes and patterns can be machined, but it can be a tedious and error-prone process. If a machinist wants to manually move to a location several inches or mm away, he would have to start with a known location and very carefully count the number of turns made with the hand crank handle, then stop at the correct division on the machine dial. The machine operator must be [...]

2024-07-15T15:59:14+00:00

The economics of readouts

SCHAUMBURG, IL (November 2015) — When it comes to seeing the actual benefits of adding a readout to a manual machine tool, often the most convincing argument is the rise in productivity due to increased utilization, output and accuracy. Jobs that might have been vended out due to a lack of time and capability can be kept in-house with a readout system. Similarly, jobs that were turned down or quoted too high in the past can be handled due to the increased capability of the shop. Profit centers are what some shop managers call machines retrofitted with readouts. Others say their DROs “paid for themselves in just 90 days in reduced scrap alone. Everything saved now is pure additional profit!” It is easy to spout praises once a readout system is working for you, but how do you help the potential buyer justify the need to make that first purchase? There are at least two methods you can use to figure out the potential gains. One annual dollar savings method; the other is the purchase payback method. Both can be represented by mathematical formulas. Let’s assume that your machine operator works 2000 hours a year (H) and makes an average of six moves each hour (N).You pay the operator an hourly wage of $10.00 (C). He “eyeballs” his moves at an average of 2.75 minutes per move (Td), or uses a DRO, averaging 1 minute each move (Tr). When these values are inserted into the formula, the result is persuasive: As you can see, the reduced time (or increased speed) for the job with a DRO-equipped machine is enough by itself to warrant the purchase (averaging $1500). A shop working two or three shifts will increase its relative number of moves proportionately, and yield savings significantly above our $3,500 example. When you install a digital measuring system on most machine tools, you can expect an annual return of at least 500% on your investment. The exact return in both dollars and [...]

2024-07-03T12:51:15+00:00

Absolute vs. incremental positioning on a DRO

SCHAUMBURG, IL (December 2014) — Absolute and incremental positioning are used interchangeably when discussing the position values of the DRO. Both absolute and incremental position methods give the operator greater flexibility when machining a part. Absolute coordinates are defined as each position on the work piece is unique. Using Figure 1, the absolute coordinates for position 1 are X = 20 mm, Y= 10 mm and Z = 15 mm. With incremental coordinates, the last point traveled to becomes the new reference point on which the operator bases his next move. In Figure 2, the operator wants to move from position 2 to position 3. The operator would input the following values to move to position 3 incrementally. XI = 10 mm YI = 5 mm ZI = 20 mm Incremental coordinate positioning is very useful tool when the operator doesn’t want to do addition or subtraction to figure out the absolute coordinates. Figure 3 shows how the operator can put in XI = 30 and YI = 30 instead of doing the addition to find out what the absolute coordinate of position 2 is when moving from position 1. Also, incremental coordinates are used with bolt-hole patterns so the operator doesn’t have to know the exact coordinates of each bolt hole but rather move until each axis display is zero before drilling a hole. In conclusion, each coordinate system has its benefits and it is truly up to the operator to take advantage of the benefits of each coordinate measurement system.

2024-07-01T19:16:23+00:00

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