Waynes Leadwell VMC Retrofit

[fdos]

Here's a serious one!

This machine I purchased last year with a few faults.   In other words Cheap as chips;)

1992 Leadwell GMC350 VMC, with 8 station BT30 toolchanger, 6k spindle.  Nice small machine.

After a while the Spindle drive totally failed, so it was time to rip out it's heart and give it a new life.

Spindle drive was very proprietry to the Meldas control and was not simply a case of putting in any old VFD.   The meldas control is totally digital ie no 0-10v analogue signals, even for the servo drives.

After struggling to find suitable drives for the Servo's I gave in and fitted Steppers, at least for the time being. minimising downtime was critical as I use my machines for my business.

This has been fairly successful so far. although the rapids are about half what they used to be.  I can just get 200"min the original servos did a fair bit more.

At present all the main enclosures are off and being repainted.

When refitted I can run the machine again, although until I've developed my ATC controller it will be manual toolchanges for a short time.

If there's any interest I'll post a few more pics as I go through it all..

Wayne...

[fdos]

Operator Panel...

A lot of this will be removed.  I intend to use a screenset with heavy use of softkeys.

[fdos]

And this could encourage some of you screen guys to look atr how simple a CNC screen ought to be

This is the Mitsubishi meldas main screen!    Not much more than DRO's,feedrate and spindle and tool information!!

Theres really not much point in anything else being there.

[ART]

Hi:

Nice machine. But I bet if I add up all those buttons and switches and dials, you got two Mach3 screens there. (The panel counts as screen space..    )

Nice machine, be nice to have..

Art

[sshneider]

 

[fdos]

I knew someone was going to say that, BUT in each screen on the original control only a few of the buttons/knobs etc even worked.    But they are all there arranged in a more or less logical layout.

As I said a fair bit will be removed and a new panel made.  I'll have no need for things like TAPE mode!   Not that I ever got it to work successfully!

I shall attempt to have control function "lockout" under Mach probably with a new screenset.

Wayne...

Art

[fdos]

Well. Got the 1st bit of painted sheetmetal back on the machine today.   Damn the colours look so different, although they are so close on an uncontaminated part of the original enclosure.   Thats years in a dirty workshop for you!

It'll all weather down

Go the rest to paint and the telescopic box covers to refit on the ways, after I get the new wipers for them.

[method13]

Hi,
Nice machine, how much do you know about the Meldas controler and what do you think is the main problem with the toolchanger?
Regards,
Greg

[fdos]

Here's an update with some entainment in the form of a short video.

Most of the machine is finished. but sadly real work has got in the way a bit.   I have actually had to use the machine for paying work, even though only half the enclosures are back on and the pc is sat on the floor next to the machine instead of being built in.

Video can be found at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/fdosdesign/temp/leadwell3.wmv

This is one off a 100 pieces I did this weekend.  1st op is not shown.   Total time to machine is 7mins each complete.

The coolant is not really yellow!!   I think this effect may be caused by the flourescent lights directly above the machine.

Have fun

Wayne....

[clachan]

 Hi Wayne
Looks very good.
What about tool changer, any progress?