The Lucas Horizontal Boring, Drilling and Milling Machine Tool was manufactured to an extremely high level of precision with close fits and tolerances.
These tolerances were verified with the latest in inspection devices to insure the optimum in machine quality.
To achieve the ultimate from this highly accurate machine tool system, the following factors must be recognized as affecting overall accuracy:
- The foundation upon which the machine is erected.
- Uniform temperature in the working area.
- The accuracy limits of the measuring instruments used for checking plus normal human errors in reading and interpreting results.
- The accuracy of the machine tool and the ability to maintain temperature stability in the spindle head under varying spindle speed operations.
- Inaccuracies caused by tooling, spindle runout and release of stresses set up by cutting operations or clamping.
- The method used to inspect the completed work-piece, such as 'on the machine' or 'off the machine', how the work is handled and located off the machine, and the soundness of the method, plus the adequacy of the devices, atmosphere, and other factors.
The following minimum testing equipment is necessary to inspect and adjust the Lucas Machine for alignment accuracy and to verify squareness, level, flatness of table, etc:
- 15" Precision Level (10 Sec. resolution).
- 48" to 60" Precision Parallel bar.
- Matched set of approximately 3" X 3" Precision Parallel Blocks.
- 0.0001" Dial Indicator with magnetic base.
- 30" to 40" Precision Master Cylinder Square.
The following OPTIONAL equipment may also be useful, but is generally NOT required:
- Taylor-Hobson Precision electronic level (Taly-Vel).
- Hilger & Watts Optical Collimator complete with 5" base mirror optical square.
- Laser straightness gauge.
Please Note:
It will be necessary to check the machine alignment and re-level if necessary at six-week intervals for a period of three months, again at six months and again at the end of the first year. Thereafter, periodic checks at six-month intervals should be made. More frequent checks should be made if the weight of the work pieces is heavy.
