Digital readout — Ditron D80 and DMA/DMS scales
The ZX45 mill and the EMCO Maximat Super 11 lathe both have a Ditron D80 digital readout (DRO) with Ditron magnetic scales.
Ditron D80 readout head
Location | ZX45 mill and EMCO lathe, Metal room |
Display | Ditron D80 |
Scales | Ditron DMA (normal, > 400 mm) and DMS (slim, ≤ 400 mm), 5 µm resolution |
Help / faults | Slack #metallrummet |
Installed scales
Lengths are scale lengths, not machine travel.
ZX45 mill
Axis | Scale | Status |
|---|---|---|
X — table, longitudinal | 600 mm DMA | Fitted 2023 |
Y — table, transverse | 250 mm DMS | Fitted 2023 |
Quill | 150 mm DMS | Fitted 2023 |
Column / head height | 600 mm DMA | Not fitted — scale is at Makerspace |
Scales ordered April 2022, display installed 2025.
EMCO Maximat Super 11 lathe
Axis | Scale | Status |
|---|---|---|
Bed — carriage | 700 mm DMA | Fitted 2022 |
Cross slide | 150 mm DMS | Fitted 2022 |
Top slide | 150 mm DMS | Never fitted |
Scales ordered April 2022, display installed 2022. The top slide is often replaced by a riser block for rigidity, so top-slide movement is not measured.
Using the readout
Check mm / inch before reading or entering values.
ABS / INC have separate zero points. Zeroing INC doesn't change the ABS datum.
Zeroing or presetting an axis changes the display only — the machine doesn't move.
Lathe: check X-R / X-D. Radius mode shows slide movement; diameter mode shows twice that.
If an axis moved while the display was off, re-establish the datum.
Project: column scale on the ZX45
The 600 mm DMA column scale is available for any member who wants to make brackets and fit it. The D80 can sum two scales into one Z axis, so column and quill movement can be combined.
When fitting:
Check clearance over the full travel, scale alignment and cable routing.
Account for end blocks and readhead — the overall housing is longer than the measuring length L₀ (see drawings below).
Set resolution and count direction for both inputs, then verify the combined Z against a known movement.
Scales and mounting drawings
Ditron DMA normal magnetic scale
DMA — normal magnetic scale.
Ditron DMS slim magnetic scale
DMS — slim magnetic scale.
DMA mounting dimensions | DMS mounting dimensions |
|---|---|
DMA mounting dimensions | DMS mounting dimensions |
Click a drawing to enlarge.
Documents and links
Ditron D80 operation manual V2.0, English (PDF, 51 pages) — axis combination pp. 6–7, units/zero/presets pp. 9–10, lathe radius/diameter p. 36.
Ditron DRO and linear scale catalogue (PDF, 24 pages) — D80 p. 6, readheads p. 19, DMA/DMS drawings p. 21.
Installation history: ZX45 log · EMCO Super 11 log