The Operation of these machines is pretty much the same with some slight differences.
It should be noted that Nebiolo made many updates to the functionality of the Nebitype machines and so some of the features of newer models were incorporated into the later versions of the previous model.
Nebitype NTC61 in Australia's Powerhouse Collection
The NTC was the early model of Nebitype's line caster. The earliest versions
of the NTC came with a mechanical metal feeder which was actuated by a lever
inside the metal feeder's column. At some point in the NTC's production the
mechanical feeder was changed for an electric one.
The Ultra came after the NTC and before the Ultra-E, as the name might suggest.
The Ultra had a slightly different base to the NTC, as the electronics door
on the right hand side of the base was now a separate casting which appears
to fit over the original base casting. The mouthpiece temperature controller
was also slightly changed.
Some Ultra models looked like the one above, and some had a different casting configuration on the right base of the machine,
as this one appears to have a trimmings box on it, although no trimmings chute.
The Ultra-E was the last of the Nebitypes. It had some fairly obvious changes.
The Electronic box moved from the right hand side of the base of the machine
to the left hand side of the machine.
A Trimming Chute (#D-2005 Plate 2) and Trimmings Box
(D-1560 Plate 2) were added, which collected the material trimmed
from the back of the slug. The NTC and Ultra models collected the trimmings
in a tray which ran along the front of the base of the machine, which was
prone to overflow onto the floor.
The "mouthpiece temperature control panel" changed as well. The Start and Stop buttons remained in this panel, but the mouthpiece temperature control moved to the Electronics box. The Panel now had two lamps, the upper lamp (E-100242) being the ON lamp (formerly on the door on the right hand base of the machine) and the lower lamp (E-100243 being the temperature control lamp.
The Pot heater elements changed from a "Plate" with the heating element encased internally - as used in the NTC and Ultra - to an exposed element.
The knife/mouthpiece wiper/slug gripper slide changed as well. In the NTC and Ultra machines, the slide ran inside a slot on SKF EL5-2Z bearings, whereas the Ultra-E model changed this to a bevelled slide and gib strip, similar to the slides used in lathes. This is most likely due to the extra precision and wear resistance of slides over bearings. (So long as the slides are proactively lubricated).