[whitefox]

Gentlemen,

I realize this may not be the best place to post this, but I figured it was a start. I am going to look at two benchtop mills this week. I don't have a good feel for the condition of either as they are being sold by a machine moving company. The one is a DM2400 and the other is a Emco Concept Mill 55. I really don't know the history of either, but at least one, I believe the Emco came out of a high school.

From what I have read, while the travel is slightly smaller on the DM2400, it seems to be viewed as being very well built, albeit under powered. I haven't found many opinions on the Emco.

They both have aging electronics, but the DM2400 much more so. I know both are often retrofitted with newer control boards.

I like that the DM2400 is built more for coolant but it is so limited on drill size and endmill size.

What are your thoughts? I am not a great programmer, but I have a fair amount of experience with the siemens 840d for machine control rather than machining so I can handle programming and learning the quirks of either.

Thanks,
Dustin

[Fastest1]

I have a 2400. Great little machine, keyword being little. The work envelope is small but the machine is capable. It wont be a production machine but repeatability shouldnt be a concern.
Regarding the software, I doubt you will get all of the pieces you will need.
Most likely just the electronics.
There are some who have interfaced with it with minimal issues.



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[whitefox]

The larger travel of the Concept Mill 55 is a definite appeal. It's travel is still small, but it is 7.5in x 5.5in x 10in, but I do wonder about the reliability and durability of it. I know that the dm2400 was over built and under powered, so as long as it was oiled well, I am not assuming there is severe hidden damage beyond the typical screw and way wear. I am assuming that the 2400 will probably need a retrofit to a newer controller sooner or later.

[seanano]

I've looked at both in person but haven't actually ran either as I ended up getting an Emco PC Mill 50 at the same auction last year. For pricing reference, the 2400 sold for around $600 with a few collets, cutters, and a Bijur auto-luber. The 55 sold for $1900 with a few tool holders and no PC or software. Both were in unknown running condition. First impression: the Concept Mill 55 is bigger and with the enclosure just looks cooler. Which one to get though really depends upon their condition, included accessories, and what you want to do with it.

The Dyna 2400 should have a 10K spindle which will be nice if you are using small diameter cutters in Aluminum or other softer materials. I believe it has a built in ER16 taper in the spindle which makes tool changes take a little longer and not as repeatable using just collets. There were some quick change endmill holders for it but these may be hard to find if not included and require a specific collet nut. I liked the T-slot layout on the 2400 (3 evenly spaced) better than the Emco (2 out wide) for general clamping. I thought the round column for the head adjustment seemed a little cheesy.

The Concept Mill 55 has a 1 HP 3500 RPM spindle with a 30 taper so it is beefier there. One thing to note is that the spindle isn't compatible with the tool holders for the F1 CNC or PC Mill 50/55 but rather is a slightly shortened version which may be specific to this model. I believe I have one ER25 collet chuck that is compatible as it came with my PC Mill 50 but does not fit it. If you end up getting the 55 and want it let me know. Mechanically, the Concept Mill 55 appeared fairly similar to the F1 and PC Mill 50/55 just with larger Y and Z travels. I have no idea about the electronics, but Emco doesn't seem to be known for their easy to interface electronics so you might go into this assuming it would also need a retrofit unless they can show you it working. There were a number of interesting options for the Concept Mill including an 8 tool ATC, pneumatic vise, 4th axis, engraver, and others. These will likely be very difficult to find if not included.

Sean

[whitefox]

I ended up buying the DM2400 today. I seems like the controls could be functional as I can jog all the axes in emergency mode and start the spindle locally. I can't seem to get it to do anything else as I get a "Stuck Key" error. I am guessing it may be a membrane key issue. Can anyone shed any light on this?

While running the spindle, I also noticed that the endmill appeared to have run out. I am going to bring my indicator home from work tomorrow and check it out.