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IndustryArena Forum > Other Machines > PCB milling > LPFK S63 is not worth the money or effort
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    94

    LPFK S63 is not worth the money or effort

    We bought an LPKF S63 a few months ago, Support has been crap. LPKF have ditched me, after i've invested hundreds of hours getting to to run.

    * Camera system does not deal to track width correctly
    * Proconduct system is very hit and miss
    * Software still has multiple bugs

    For suppoably the worlds best system its a dog. I'd avoid it like the plauge.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    94
    Just as an update. The machine has been sent back to the supplier after 10 months. It never worked reliably and the software continued to have bugs.. Tryed and Tryed and Tryed with LPKF support.

    Maybe we just were unlucky..

  3. #3
    Yes, we've had very similar results with the S63 with one big difference -our support has not been crap. LPKF has worked very hard to try to make the system work. However, it has been very difficult to keep running. Our first S63 never produced a good board in the four months we had it - milling width was completely random - and its replacement has destroyed many bits and tool holders with collisions. My opinion is that the open-loop design of the S63 is simply doomed. The Z axis has no idea where the surface of the material is, beyond what the user tells it. The tool holder design is fragile and not-ready-for-prime-time. The S63 has no way to sense if a tool is in the collet or any tool holder position and relies on the user to tell it these things. If a tool pickup or replacement fails, it doesn't know - not good!

    I have had the opportunity to use an AccurateCNC A406 system for a couple of months, and am very impressed. Its design is very robust and closed-loop. It senses the presence of tools in each tool position, and also senses the presence and depth of a tool in the collet - so as far as I can tell, there's no way it can crash a tool into another or wreck a tool holder. It's milling depth control is incredible. It constantly measures the tool penetration into the material, so it cuts perfectly (as long as the bit is sharp). The Gerber importer is fast and accurate, the insulation setup is intuitive, and the user has complete control over tool penetration. Tool magazine setup is easy and intuitive. Registration, while partially manual, is very straightforward and fast. After doing hundreds of boards on the S63 and dozens on the A406, I can say that the average job setup time (Gerbers->start cutting) on the A406 is much shorter - probably an average of half the time - and there are far fewer ways for the user to fail with the A406. The pneumatic collet is also *much* faster than the motor-driven one in the S63, and much less prone to failure. The software has been very stable and I've not experienced a single crash. And on top of all this, it costs much less than the S63.

    LPKF has made some fine products over the years (I have almost 20 years of experience with their mills), but they've clearly missed with the S-series machines. Fortunately, AccurateCNC is a more-than-capable alternative.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    94
    Just for clarity, the support i talk about was what i was getting from teh Australian based distributor Embedded Logic. The times i bypassed them, LPKF tryed really hard.

    But as you say, this system just is'nt up to the job.

    I'm looking at a Burgund system, whcih direct laser images and drills teh boards at the moment. A lot lot cheaper than LPKF although you do need to do some etching, but i dont' think thats a huge issue.

    What are you using for through hole plating. That seems to be the real sticking point. Unless i end up spending a lot of money.

  5. #5
    Both of the labs I work at these days are 'dry', so electroplating is not an option. I have developed a method over many years of trial and error which yields excellent, small conductive vias. It is reasonably (for me, anyway) fast, very cheap, and predictable. Its primary limitation compared to electroplating is that it only does vias - it does not provide a solution for through-hole component leads. But knowing that ahead of time, I can design around it and only route to the solderable side of those pins. Anyway, here is a link to an article about my method:

    https://github.com/psu-epl/psu-epl.g...i/nystrom-vias

    All of the materials and tools are inexpensive (the arbor press is the most expensive thing, and a cheap Harbor Freight model works fine.)

    I looked up Burgund but didn't immediately find the system you're talking about. Do you have a link you could share?

    Thanks!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    6
    Great to know! I am looking at getting a A637! The only thing I do not like the looks of is the belt driven spindle. Does your model have this? I would think the belt might be prone to fail compared to a direct spindle.

    Edit:

    Actually I noticed the new models are using an AlfredJaeger 33mm direct spindle which means we wont have to pay an outrageous price for lpfk un-branded Chinese spindles!

  7. #7

    Re: LPFK S63 is not worth the money or effort

    I am writing to update the information contained in this post. Since then, LPKF has updated the hardware, firmware, and host software. The S63 has produced many good boards now. While the information in the original post is accurate, I felt I should remark that LPKF has gone to heroic lengths to support their design, and in fact the S63 turns out to be a usable machine.

    The A406 has not been perfect either - a motor controller failed and had to be replaced, and software problems have made it less than 100% reliable. However, AccurateCNC has also stood by their machine and improved the system so that we are no longer having any issues with it either. All parts and service have been offered without charge, even though we have no service contract with AccurateCNC.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    0

    Re: LPFK S63 is not worth the money or effort

    Hi. Who can help me with ProtoMat S63?

    Sent from my SM-T231 using Tapatalk

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