I'm going to try and get right to the point; We have a 1999 B&S Global, and the Z-axis scale is broken. In the last year we've replaced several aged air lines and JUST replaced the CPU and monitors with new units. Then, while programming a HOT part last month, the machine stopped working, and the tech told us that the Z-axis scale is broken, and HE can't fix it. He claims that it would "probably cost about $40K to fix". Not sure if that's true or not. The machine's was more-or-less handed down to us when the corporate manufacturing building in Mississauga closed down, and god only knows who they hired to move it (I wasn't at the company then), but I do know that they moved it to it's current position with our own forklifts (which likely caused some damage).
So now, we have a hot job that NEEDS a CMM, and my boss wants to scrap this thing completely, and he's looking at a Zeiss. For $180k.. Machine will run on Calypso, doesn't have a mobile joystick, and will come with a whole new CPU, but with only 1 monitor. Head only indexes in 5° increments, only has 180° motion, probe rack is smaller, all in all, it's LESS of a machine than we have now, plus all the PC-DMIS programs I've made will just be useless. I REALLY don't like it, and I'm the one who will be doing 90% of the programming on it. Also, it will take 10 weeks for delivery!!
I really need to get a WORKING CMM in a month or so. XYZCMM/CMM America has no fewer than SIX used Globals of roughly the same size (and 10 to 15 years newer), but he'd rather get the shiny new KIA rather than repair the old Mercedes. I'm desperate; I NEED to convince him to NOT buy the Zeiss! Firstly, he's looking ONLY at a Zeiss because that's what the local retailer has. If he'd just drive another 50 miles to Buffalo, he could talk with CMM America and see what kind of a deal we could get there...
Frankly, I think that even at $40k, fixing the CMM we currently have would make better sense. We have it just sitting on the floor, exposed to all the dust, oil and vibration as it is, and I can't imagine putting a new $180k machine into THAT environment. Problem is, or usual tech doesn't want the repair job, so I would need to find somebody here in western/central New York who can do the repair. So, if anybody knows somebody, please, PLEASE give me a lead here..
