Harrison Alpha System

Manual Guide i

In automatic mode, the full strength of Fanuc’s latest technology is brought into play with the Manual Guide i programming system.

This conversational system has been completely revamped from previous generations to become an outstandingly powerful and comprehensive conversational programming system.  

The combination of these two systems on one machine means that the Alpha X is the most versatile and capable lathe ever produced.  

It will do virtually anything you ask of it!

Latest Control Features

• Ultra high speed 21i TB CNC

• 10.4” color touch screen

• 2 Software systems

  • Harrison “Alpha System”

  • Fanuc Manual Guide i

• Industry standard ISO programming

• High speed fibre optic data transfer

• PCMCIA (flash card) and RS232 communication ports

• Twin MPG handwheels and rapid traverse joystick

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Alpha System is a unique control software developed by Harrison to enable you to double, treble or even quadruple your productivity compared with other turning methods. The reason our Alpha System is so simple, practical and shop floor friendly is that our engineers are lathe specialists.

Alpha System uses easily recognizable screen graphics along with simple question and answer prompts to guide you. It is also the reason that the Alpha System uses a touch screen, so you can work directly on screen rather than hunt for the right button to press.

Manual Turning

Turn the key and you are turning manually.  It’s as simple as that! The manual screen display shows X and Z positions just like a DRO plus spindle speed, tool number and feed rate.

Even if you haven’t used a lathe since your schooldays 
you could walk up to an Alpha X now and cut metal.

Tool Setting

On many lathes tool setting can 
be a difficult and tedious process. 

With the Alpha things are 
different and there is no 
lathe control on earth that 
has a simpler tool setting 
procedure.  

Just follow the instructions on three 
screens and the job is done, with the 
machine automatically calculating 
offsets and workshifts for you.

Semi-Automatic Turning

With the Harrison Alpha System, a wealth of semi automatic machining operations can be performed.  These include parallel turning to stop positions, chamfers and radii, tapers, threads, grooves, box cycles and even contour shapes.  These can be linked together to produce even the most complex of components quickly and efficiently.

What’s more, the easy to understand shop floor language coupled with touch screen simplicity means that a turner can learn to machine parts quickly.

One of the beauties of the Alpha System is that you are always in control of the machine and you can manually override machining at any time to gain confidence or to hit the sweet spot for optimum performance.

Most turners will learn to use the 
Alpha System in less than half a day!

CAD/CAM Machining (AlphaLink Software)

Each Alpha X series lathe is supplied with an AlphaLink offline programming CD as standard.  This software can be installed onto your own computer for working in the office or at home, or linking directly to the machine.

Primarily intended to increase the flexibility of the Alpha lathe, AlphaLink provides a simple yet powerful CAD/CAM system for off-line programming, G code outputting and mass storage backup of programs.

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Manual Guide i

Automatic Turning

Manual Guide i is the latest and most powerful conversational programming system from Fanuc. It offers the most comprehensive and feature laden aid that any lathe programmer could want and becomes available on the Alpha X Series when the keyswitch on the control panel is turned to the automatic position.

Customized Pages

Despite the enormous strength of the Manual Guide i system, Harrison ’s engineers have been able to bring their turning experience into play to develop customized cycles especially for the needs of a manual/CNC type of lathe.  These Harrison developed cycles will save you a considerable amount of time and button pushing.

Simulation and Animation

Manual Guide i has a more powerful graphics package than many commercial CAD/CAM systems.  After a program has been created, a simulated component can be viewed in any direction, or as a 3D model that can be cut or sectioned or magnified to see detail.

This simulated component can then be animated to show the cutting process, the toolpath, metal removal and the finished component to ensure that what you get is what you have programmed and exactly what you want.

CNC Turning

The real strength of Manual Guide i is that it is effectively a CNC interface.  All the time you are working in Manual   Guide i, the 21i TBC is creating a CNC program in the background.  This means that conversion from conversational mode to CNC mode is instant.  It also means that you can work in either CNC or conversational mode or even both at the same time. Furthermore it means that industry standard CNC programs can be loaded into and out of the control at any time.

The Alpha X Series is a powerful conversational lathe that can also run CNC programs developed elsewhere or to create CNC programs for use on other machines.

Creating a Program

1. Select a tool

2. Use Harrison ’s TOOL CALL AND START page

3. Call up roughing cycle

4. You will be prompted to enter roughing cutting information, speeds, feeds etc.

5. Follow the on screen instructions to draw your part

6. Store this shape as a part program

7. Use Harrison ’s toolchange cycle page for finishing tool

8. Call up finishing cycle

9. Enter finish cutting information

10. Call up saved shape (there is no need to re enter shape information for finishing cut)

11. Finally use Harrison ’s customized cycle to end machining

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