DRO PROS Digital Readout beats Heidenhain Newall Acurite ...

Electronica Magnetic Scale

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Mill kits

$88000 Click HERE

Electronica Magnetic Scale

Lathe kits

$98500 Click HERE

 

Welcome to DRO PROS, the Digital Readout Experts.

If you're looking for a digital readout system (DRO) for your lathe or milling machine, you've come to the right place. The longer you look around the internet, you'll soon find that we provide the best customer service, the best product, and the best value for your money. We specialize in producing videos for our products that show you step by step how to choose, install, and operate them. We have hundreds of photos showing our customers' installations, located HERE. But best of all, we actually talk and spend time with our customers. Confused or don't know what to buy? Call us now at (707) 452-8434 and talk to any of our knowledgeable sales staff and get the right machine or digital readout today!

 

Lifetime Warranty on Magnetic DRO Kits

For over a decade, DRO PROS has been proud to sell the Electronica brand Digital Readout kits for lathes and milling machines. In over 10 years, we've never had a magnetic scale malfunction. Therefore, it just seems right to offer the most incredible never-seen-before warranty on the best DRO kit on the planet. Buy a magnetic DRO kit from us and you'll never have to worry about buying a replacement anything, ever.

 

What Size Kit should I Buy?

Simply purchase a kit that travels longer than the travel of your machine. For a mill, purchase a kit that travels longer than your machine's travel. As an example, a Bridgeport milling machine with a 9" x 42" table typically has 12" travel in the Y-axis and 30" travel in the X-axis. Therefore, you would need a 12" x 30" mill kit for this machine. For a lathe, all you need is a kit that has enough travel for the X (cross slide) and the Z (carriage) axis travel. Don't be confused by the swing, which is the theoretically largest diameter object that can pass over the bed rails. The swing dimension has nothing to do with what you need for your DRO kit. As a general rule, the cross slide travel is roughly half of the swing plus a little more to cut over the center. For example, a 1340 lathe (13" swing, 40" between centers) will typically have 13/2 = 6.5 + 1 = 7.5 inches of travel on the cross slide. Therefore you would need an 8" x 40" lathe kit for this machine. However, it's always best to measure the travel of your machine. Look to the left margin for videos on how to do this.

 

Magnetic Scale Physical Sizes

Magnetic scales are named according to the amount of travel the scales are built to accommodate. Maximum travel will be approximately 5/8" longer, and overall length will be 5-1/2" longer than stated scale size. Using a 12" scale as an example, it is designed to fully accommodate 12" of travel, its maximum travel will be 12-5/8", and its overall length will be 17-1/2".

 

MagnaSlim Readheads...

Electronica has released their new line of MagnaSlim magnetic scales. With the readhead measuring less than 1/2" x 1/2", this is the smallest readhead on the market, designed to fit where others can't! Of course, it's IP-67 rated, meaning it's coolant and dust proof. Available in both 1 micron (0.00005") and 5 micron (0.0002") resolutions. These amazing readheads are perfect for mounting on the cross slide of lathes or on benchtop mills or lathes.

 

Things to consider when buying a DRO:

In general, there are two main factors to consider when buying a DRO. First is scale type, and second, is display type. DRO PROS sells both glass and magnetic scales. Glass is popular because it's the least expensive, but it can (and frequently does) get contaminated by oil and debris. Magnetic scales are superior because they are coolant and dust proof. Further, they are slimmer, and can be cut to any length you want, making installation much easier.

 

Glass Scales - Inexpensive, but not coolant or dust proof. Cannot be cut to length. Only available as "Incremental" style.

 

Magnetic Scales - Coolant and dust proof, they can't be contaminated. Can be cut to length. Available in "Incremental" or "Absolute" style scales. Absolute scales are the best because they never lose position, even if power is lost or the machine is moved with the power to the display turned off.

   

Capacitive Scales - You may see inexpensive digital scales being sold and/or marketed as magnetic when in fact, they are not. For example, most digital calipers use capacitive linear encoders. The downside to capacitive technology is that it's susceptible to error when exposed to oils, dirt, or low temperatures. Unfortunately, unscrupulous resellers often refer to their scales as magnetic when in fact, they are not. More information can be found on Wikipedia HERE.

 

DRO Display Types:

DRO displays are available in 2, 3, and 4-axis kits. The screen is either an LED or LCD type. LED displays can only show numbers (like a calculator) and are therefore less expensive. LCD displays are much like a computer screen and can graphically draw functions in color, allowing you to see what you programmed before you cut it. Our EL700 display interfaces extremely well with our touch probe, making it our best DRO display ever!

 

Electronica Magnetic Digital Readout Kits

Our Electronica kits come with magnetic scales, which are coolant and dust proof. Easy to use, with the clearest display we've ever seen! So what does Magnetic Scale technology mean to you? Unlike glass scales, magnetic scales can be cut to any length you need, they can't be contaminated, and they're the easiest, thinnest scale to mount on the planet - only .4" thick!

 

Magnetic scale technology combines the best of optical and inductive technology. Just like inductive or "ball scales", magnetic scales are impervious to coolant or liquid, yet are slimmer, and cost half as much! They're easier to mount, more durable, and on par pricewise with optical scales. In summary, magnetic scales combine all the advantages of the other technologies, without retaining the negative qualities of being higher priced or difficult to install, which inductive or "ball scales" suffer from.

 

If that wasn't enough, the Electronica bracket kits are the best we've ever seen. Unlike the competitor's bracket kits, Electronica brackets are individually machined for accuracy, not cast. Our Library page includes a complete parts list and exploded assembly diagram - in short, no more missing parts or time-consuming "how does this bracket fit together" sessions!

 

 

Electronica Magnetic Scale 2 Axis Mill Kits:

 

Electronica Magnetic Scale 2 Axis Mill Kits

Magnetic scales are the best - cut to length and can't be contaminated!

EL300

Universal Display

EL400

Machine Specific Display

Need help choosing between the EL300 & EL400 2 axis mill displays?Click HERE

Scales up to 20 FEET LONG now available - Call for details

Universal Display

Mill & Lathe Functions

Mill Specific

Touch Probe Port

Determining Magnetic Scale Length.

Magnetic scales are named according to the amount of travel the scales are built to accommodate. This is the value you should use to match the travel of your machine. As a side note, maximum travel will be ~ 5/8" longer, and overall length will be 5-1/2" longer than the stated scale size. Using a 12" scale as an example, it is designed to fully accommodate 12" of travel, its maximum travel will be 12-5/8", and its overall length will be 17-1/2".

Magnetic Scales

$880

10" x 20"

$940

10" x 20"

$915

12" x 30"

$979

12" x 30"

$945

12" x 36"

$1,019

12" x 36"

$970

16" x 40"

$1,045

16" x 40"

$980

18" x 40"

$1,055

18" x 40"

Display Arm Bracket:

X Axis (longitudinal) Bracket:

Y Axis (in and out) Bracket:

 

Electronica Magnetic Scale 3 Axis Mill Kits:

 

Electronica Magnetic Scale 3 Axis Mill Kits

Magnetic scales are the best - cut to length and can't be contaminated!

EL300

Universal Display

EL400

Machine Specific Display

EL700

Color LCD

Graphic Display

Need help choosing between the EL300 & EL400 3 axis mill displays?Click HERE

Scales up to 20 FEET LONG now available - Call for details

Universal Display

Mill & Lathe Functions

Mill Specific

Touch Probe Port

Color LCD 

Touch Screen

Graphic Display

Touch Probe Port

Determining Magnetic Scale Length.

Magnetic scales are named according to the amount of travel the scales are built to accommodate. This is the value you should use to match the travel of your machine. As a side note, maximum travel will be ~ 5/8" longer, and overall length will be 5-1/2" longer than the stated scale size. Using a 12" scale as an example, it is designed to fully accommodate 12" of travel, its maximum travel will be 12-5/8", and its overall length will be 17-1/2".

Magnetic Scales

n/a

$1,330

12" x 30" x 6"

$1,770

12" x 30" x 6"

$1,255

12" x 30" x 16"

$1,335

12" x 30" x 16"

$1,785

12" x 30" x 16"

$1,300

12" x 36" x 16"

$1,385

12" x 36" x 16"

$1,825

12" x 36" x 16"

$1,330

18" x 40" x 18"

$1,425

18" x 40" x 18"

$1,865

18" x