SCM Nova S 520 20.5 inch Thickness Planer (Xylent or Tersa Head)

SCM Nova S 520 Thickness Planer

This is the thicknessing half of SCM’s Nova pairing: where the F 520 jointer flattens a face, the S 520 takes stock down to a dimension across 520 mm of width. It runs on 11 HP, lifts its table under power, and feeds on three interchangeable rollers rather than two. The head is yours to choose — TERSA knives or the XYLENT spiral — and nothing else about the two builds changes. The sections below cover that choice, the feed system, the table, and the full specifications.

TERSA or XYLENT

Both heads are 120 mm across, and both turn at 4,500 rpm. What differs is how the cutting edges are carried.

For the XYLENT head, SCM claims an exceptional finish, quieter running, and better extraction because it makes very small chips. Its inserts carry four tips each, so a dull edge gets turned rather than replaced, which extends the head’s working life.

Three Interchangeable Rollers, and Two That Are Not

The feed is where this machine differs most from a basic thicknesser. All three feed rollers sit on connecting rods, so a workpiece does not stall or come out marked, because each roller can move vertically as the stock passes. The rollers are also interchangeable: SCM offers the changeover so the drive can be reconfigured for awkward work, naming two cases in particular — taking a minimum amount off fine timber, and running batches where the pieces are not all the same thickness.

Beneath the stock, the configuration we quote adds two idle bed rollers to the worktable.

• Infeed roller: helicoidal steel, driven
• Outfeed roller: rubber-coated steel, driven
• Bed rollers: two idle rollers, included in this configuration
• Feed speeds: four — 5, 8, 12 and 18 m/min

The Table and Its Lift

Table height is powered, with two speeds and micrometric adjustment for the final position. Underneath, four large-diameter screws and a pair of side linear guides carry the table — an arrangement SCM says is steady enough that the table needs no locking.

Specifications

Contact 360 Degree Machinery

360 Degree Machinery is an authorized SCM dealer. Call 630-229-6705 or request a quote online. Tell us which head you want, and ask about the sectioned steel infeed roller, a third powered feed roller, steel outfeed rollers, or the table extensions if your work calls for them, since none of those is part of the configuration we quote. If you are pairing this with a jointer, then the Nova F 520 matches it at the same 520 mm width. Installation fees may apply.