Why an Additional Chip Conveyor

Several years ago I sold a "teachable", flat-bed lathe without a chip conveyor. After installation, it was painful to see the machinist manually clean out the chips. The customer said he would never buy another machine without a chip conveyor. When I ran across this optional second-chip conveyor and again I asked myself why.

I went back to the power, the main reason for a lathe - removing material. FAT HACO builds their machines in Europe without cutting corners. The spindle is driven by an automatic, two-speed gearbox with 56 horsepower (S1). This means you don't have to stop and allow the machine to cool, only allowing it to run 36 minutes per hour. 56 HP (S1) means you can pull full cuts for 60 minutes an hour - that is a lot of chips! Do the math, if you only want to run your machine for 36 minutes an hour, it can be rated S6. A 2-range gearbox allows you to run various materials (from soft aluminum to exotic hard-to-run steel and everything in between). An automatic gear shifter is not a new invention, when was the last time you had a clutch on your car?

If a machine can produce more chips per hour, a second chip conveyor helps remove the remnants and allows you to focus on running 60 minutes an hour (continuously) while pulling full power. The old saying of "chips in the bucket at the end of the day" really holds water.