Vibration Switches

cdhknives

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I work in industrial controls, and one thing I see a lot are vibration switches on large rotating equipment...though usually for equipment protection. Do modern CNC lathes include this as a safety feature? Anyone ever tried to retrofit such to a manual lathe? For a couple of hundred dollars it would shut down your machine a LOT faster than an operator can hit an e-stop.

Worthy addition or is an off balance situation not common or dangerous enough to warrant such?
 
I think in over 50 years of making chips, I have never had an uncontrolled out of balance condition. Probably not worth it on a manual lathe.
 
I was just reading through some other safety articles and the ones about unsupported stock length accidents...several would be ideal cases where a vibration monitor would hit the e-stop+brake very quickly.
 
By Gosh, a serious thing to consider; let's consider this only as a machine / work saver . A simple vibration detector, adjustable set, instant push-button reset.
Simple elctronics , and an old- fashioned latching relay- electronic brake if
Convenient- my circuit design is long- out of date.........BLJHB
 
I am working on an alternative solution. I am tying my machines into Google Voice Recognition (and Siri for Apple). If either program senses the word "holy","shxt" or "fuxk" it will immediately cut power to the machine. Way faster than e-stop! Restart is as simple as saying "OK Google.."
R
 
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Use to see it all the time on the first and second op lathes making aluminum (cast) road wheels. (Think 1980's)
Operator though was typically unskilled and having to rush to make quota.
They were manual/auto tracer lathes. Chuck, hit buttons, watch, release.
The lathes were all equipped with air chucks. All h*ll would break loose when the air supply
failed because the safeties weren't maintained.
An airborne 16" wheel is not a pretty sight.
 
Years ago I saw a fnewgy in our heavy industry shop chuck up a 100+ lb piece,way off center to face an eccentric flange. He had the lathe in top speed because it was just right to hold the offset balance and yet he could rotate the piece by hand with a long chuck wrench while he dialed in the hole. Without thinking he started the 18" swing Colchester Clausing lathe at 1500RPM. It immediately stripped threads on the lathes hold down jacks and started dancing in a Northwesterly direction, traveling almost 3 feet before ripping out it's flexible conduit and coasting to a noisy stop. His face was very white.
 
Most of the time manual lathes have operator/machinists standing near them. If a part or bar stock starts shaking if possible they hit the stop or power button. Granted sometimes it would helpful to have a panic switch mounted near the rear of the bed in case it is unsafe to be near the head. Same for the knee mills i used to run.

I saw one CNC operator who forgot to close the collect or chuck before hitting the cycle start in one shop I worked in. Their CNC lathe had a homemade safety grid on the viewing window. That was scary to watch since it was the first time I had seen one. He was one of the Boss's kids.

Even if all the machines had all the latest safety devises there would still be accidents. There will be a human involved somewhere in the process.
 
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