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hacklordsniper

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Hello,

im in search for a small CNC mill. I found something quite small that i like Sieg KX1S - SIEG. The ammount of travel is quite small, but would fit my needs. I like the cabinet and it will help me to keep my workshop clean as until now.

KX3S looks nicer, but there is no way to bring this into my shop trough normal door unless i dissasemble it in pieces.

Im searching for some first hand experience with KX1S? I have really searched alot and not managed to find anything from its users. How is the software and electronics, are they reliable?

Im still waiting for pricing from Sieg for KX1S and KX3S, i dont know do they sell directly. Im also looking at their small CNC lathe KC4S-SIEG and would like to get KX1S mill and KC4S lathe together.

I will appriciate any comments. Im interested in their version of controller, not MACH parallel interface machines. I would also like to know are this machines built with imperial or metric system.
 
KX3S looks nicer, but there is no way to bring this into my shop trough normal door unless i disassemble it in pieces.

The shop or the machine. You know you should have left that garage door operational LOL.

Seriously though from what I have heard and seen the KX1 is a well built little machine.
It retails for just under 5K USD here in the states and LMS only ships to USA and Canada.


I would also like to know are this machines built with imperial or metric system.

With cnc it does not matter a whole lot as you can run either in metric or imperial units just plug in the correct modal g code.

g20 sets units to inches and g21 sets units to mm. and the program needs to reflect this or errors even crashes can occur.
Tin
 
Tin is right that imperial or metric does not matter, although the support web site for these machines insists they should be setup as metric. This is nonsense, since all that matters is that the software is given the correct value for steps per unit- and if you use the Mach software its going to keep the number to 17 decimal places, so it does not matter if its a bit of an irrational number. Setup the machine to use which ever unit is most comfortable to you.

I have had a bit of experience with the US versions of these machines- I owned a KX1 for a while but sold it just because I had a bigger machine and needed the space taken by the KX1.

I have also done some support work for a commercial shop that runs one of each of these machines in production, 8 hours per day. Both do work over a very small area- the jobs fit in a 5C collet. After about 3 years of use they found the KX1 was loosing steps. I went over the machine carefully and found nothing wrong, and in my shop it ran for hours never missing a step.

I think they are good machines, I would recommend them.
 
I`m now having a good experience with Sieg, but it was not like that.
Last year o purchased a bench top CNC slant bed lathe from Sieg iKC4 8 tools turret.
http://www.siegind.com/products_detail/&productId=533824ec-97c6-4efe-90a4-4fd084bc62c4.html

I could not be able to make the machine running, something was wrong with the machine. It was not responding the commands properly. Sieg tried to fix it changing some files on the program. No results!
After 2 months of hard tentatives, they decided to take the machine back to the local dealer (I live in Brazil). The dealer also took 2 more months trying to make the machine to work. No results!
To make the story short, Sieg sent me a new machine. I just received it 3 weeks ago.
I can tell you the machine is running/working! I`m very happy with it. Please watch the video of it machining a test piece.

http://youtu.be/3kMRtjMks9o

I recommend Sieg machines based on the experience I had with the assistance I got from them.

Thanks,

Edi
 
Can someone comment their ethernet controller? How it works, how is the software?
 
The software for the lathe is very simple and easy to use. It has a simulator where you can test your G codes before putting the machine on real work mode. It also have a device called Handwheel that allows you to control the X and Z axis manually on a knob wheel (vary useful).
It is very very easy to zero the X and Z axis. If you want I can make some pictures of some details (hardware and software) and post here or you may tell me what would you like to know in specific.

Edi
 
Hello,

thank you for your kindness. Do you have the KX1 or KX3? Do they also deliver a software that generates G code? Do they deliver maybe any kind of CAD program? I have been until recently quite software dummy, because i never needed it and was mostly working on hardware. As i got a 3D printer i needed to teach myself drawing objects i need, and now with Design spark mechanical i can almost make any object for 3 D printing i need.

I have no experience with CNC mill or lathe (except small CNC router for pcb fabrication i have). I would like to know anything you consider relevant for me at this moment, also i would like to see any pictures you are willing to share. Also i would like to know what software you use for designing your parts?
 
I have some additional question. The machine can be bought with Sieg control system or Siemens 808 Sinumerik control system. Can anyone comment what are the differences? I also see most of smaller CNC-s from China have Siemens 808 Sinumerik installed.
 
Wondering if the controller supports the G7x codes for turning and facing. Can you post the g-code file for the part in the video?
 
HLS here is the states small cnc machines often use a smooth stepper. it is a Ethernet based independent motion controller. It does motion control . it takes the function of motion control away from the main computer. In windows systems multitasking the CPU can get distracted with other tasks that can briefly interrupt motion control.
Software is a plug in and it is transparent during use.

Seimens is an international Engineering company well known for industrial controls as well as many other things.

I would expect the seimens name brand controller to be better engineered better QC, better documentation and better support if you have problems or need replacement parts. Likely still made in china but se la vi.

Tin
 
I've got a KX1, which I got without controller, so may not be of interest to you.

I put in a G540, run it with LinuxCNC, and the thing just flies, and works, and works... but, I do have spindle bearing issues (see below)

Have a peek at the (now dormant) http://cnc-for-model-engineers.blogspot.com for comments and work produced in the KX1.

I've been in touch with Sieg, and actually have a new spindle cartridge on the way from China at this moment; they were very efficient to deal with. So, short term pain, long term gain - cheaper to get a new spindle cartridge than source replacement bearings locally.

Sometimes I wish I had a KX3, or Syil X4, or Tormach 770, but the KX1 really does a lot of what I want a mill to do. (It's always easy to wish for something bigger, until you realize that you can't lift the chuck, or the vice, or ... you know what I mean)

There's always the G0704 style of mills for conversion, which people seem to do a lot of, but, what's your hobby - converting machines, or building models?

I expect to use my KX1 as my main mill once the spindle is replaced; you can run GCode programs, conversational programs, or just manual with an MPG.

Good luck;
JohnS.
 
...it is a Ethernet based independent motion controller. It does motion control . it takes the function of motion control away from the main computer. In windows systems multitasking the CPU can get distracted with other tasks that can briefly interrupt motion control.
Software is a plug in and it is transparent during use.
Tin

Tin;

I know Mach3 does interesting things to try to ensure pseudo-realtime timing.

However, LinuxCNC does a really good job of this in a number of different ways; e.g., I push one core aside for the real-time side of things, AFAIK the Beagle Bone LinuxCNC people use the Beagle Bone PRU chip for real-time, and you can even just do a "real time loop" in software, giving it ample time to complete.

LinuxCNC will flag a possible real-time exception, if the real-time side of things finds that it has not been serviced properly.

I also have a couple of Mesa 5i25 cards that do step generation; my little KX1 can fly on rapids, step along at an incredibly slow rate, and it never brings up a "realtime exception" message.

I think that the Mesa 5i25 + LinuxCNC comes out cheaper than the Smoothsteppers, and may be more functional, but I don't really know for sure.

I'm not sure how the soon to be released(?) Mach4 does for parallel port stepping, now that Art's inventive little shim for parallel ports most likely will not run on newer versions of Windows - I'd be interested to see.

Fun stuff- all good stuff - JohnS.
 
Mach4 will be mostly using external motion controllers- the Ethernet smoothstepper first, plus several others. Steve Stallings, PMDX, showed a new one at Cabin Fever. There is a parallel port driver, offering much better control than under mach3, but last I heard Brian was not sure he would take the trouble to release it since its now nearly impossible to buy a new computer with a parallel port.

Mach4 has been released for test, without motion control, for a month or so now. I think full release will be very soon now.
 
HLS here is the states small cnc machines often use a smooth stepper. it is a Ethernet based independent motion controller. It does motion control . it takes the function of motion control away from the main computer. In windows systems multitasking the CPU can get distracted with other tasks that can briefly interrupt motion control.
Software is a plug in and it is transparent during use.

Seimens is an international Engineering company well known for industrial controls as well as many other things.

I would expect the seimens name brand controller to be better engineered better QC, better documentation and better support if you have problems or need replacement parts. Likely still made in china but se la vi.

Tin

Thats what i was thinking too. Just few moments of time was needed to find Siemens tutorials, help and quite alot of documentation. Im still waiting to hear from someone experience from any of this controllers. The useful thing about Siemens is that they use an integrated part creator, and simple parts can be designed on it completly.

Can someone further comment any experiens with this controllers, i want to get it right, first time
 

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