Fujitsu retrofit help/suggestions needed

[Bugster]

Hi.
First post on this forum.
I bought a cnc machine some moths ago.
The main reason was that I am interested in learnin cnc and I altso have plans for som products to make.
Lately I have playing with the idea of retrofitting this machine with mach software.
Have been looking at other retrofitters, but considering the price/product issue it seems that mach is the way to go to get the most for the money.
This is of course a small budget build. Not free, of corse, but spending 15.000$ on this old thing is out of the question.
If I get a production with this machine I will later invest in newer epquipment.
The machine is as a Fujitsu Tape center model d. with a Fanuc 6m-a control.
X/Y/Z: 500x380x380
Max table load 150kg
Is there anyone here that have retrofitted anything simmilar?
What will I need to do this? Can I use existing servos and spindle drive?
The machine altso have a 10 tool turret ATC. How will this work?
Here is a link to a picture of the machine: *********tstykket.com/blinkskudd/albums/userpics/Fujitsu_fanuc_6Ma.jpg
I have all the specs on the machine down at my workshop if some other data conserning the servos and such is needed.

Thank you.

[Bugster]

I see the link doesent work.
Posted a tread on cnczone, it has the link

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46234

[Hood]

You may be able to use your servos and drives. I would presume they are analogue servo drives which need a +-10v for movement, if so then there are step/dir to analogue converters available. If your drives can take Step/dir directly then you will definately be able to use them although the chances of them being able to do so are slim as I tink it is a fairly old mill you have.
 For your toolchange you will need a PLC that can talk to Mach via ModBUS. I am almost finished retrofitting a lathe which has  a six position rear turret and 4 position front post, I have this controlled with a DL06 PLC from Automation Direct.
Hood

[Bugster]

Thanks for your reply.
I will have a look at the servos to find out what cind they are.
I see some talk about closed loop around, is this possible to achieve with the original servos?
Have been looking around the web a bit about this retrofit subject, and must say that I am a bit worried that this is pretty difficult stuff.
Is there a detailed guide to how all this works, thinking all the hardware and what parts work together.
Or perhaps som web pages that can inform me to better understand the whole thing better.
My brother in law is very famillar with PLC, so that part is possible to do.
Annyone that hav an opinion on what the costs will be?

[Hood]

Depends on the definition of closed loop. If your drives are analogue drives then at the moment your encoders will go to your control, to use Mach you will need the pixies or similar boards so thet the step/dir commands from Mach get converted to analogue for the drives. The pixies take the encoder input and as such keep an eye on where the axis is and if it cant keep it in position it will fault.
 Cost is a hard one to say as it will vary from machine to machine and country to country. My Mill cost me about £1500 ($3000) all together including the machine itself, my lathe is going to work out about the same or maybe slightly more. I now have another mill which I am thinking will end up around that kind of cost as well.

Hood