The holder drops into the QCTP, and I've added a support (pic here)for the far edge to rest against. It's only intended for drilling/reaming, so it shouldn't see any up/down forces, just end on forces, unless I somehow manage to issue an X move with a drill in hole.

To mark the original holes in the bar (the Z-axis didn't have enough power to sink the centre drill into the steel), I used G52 offsets as per this thread. I still need to get stub drills in the required sizes to try things properly, and figure out how I'm going to code the gang tooling. Actually, I'll go and update that thread!

Thanks for the great info mc; that's really given me some hope & ideas for the future of my ORAC!

What was the limitation drilling steel, spindle power or Z-axis power?

ps: Sorry for the thread drift Hood.

It was probably a combination of the Z-axis lacking power, and a not very sharp centre drill, but it wouldn't do any more than mark the steel.

Hi Hood,

Have a question for you. I know you usually use PLCs on your machines. So it made me wonder why were you after a controller with lots of I/O and being 24V? Wouldn't an ESS/PLC combination make up a much cheaper solution? And possibly lots more I/O?

Dan

PLC is relatively expensive

PLC = £255.07 thats 20ins 16 outs

and each extra I or O or analogue module adds much more to the cost and then there is a limit of 4 extra modules.

Analogue module = £77.43
Extra 10 In module = £57.87
Extra 8 relay outs =  £59.87

So not that cheap and add on a breakout board or two for the ESS as well


ESS gets almost unused as its 5v I/O is not any interest to me except for MPG and Step/Dir, thats why I was thinking of making up the 24v breakout board.

Step/Dir is single ended, I want differential so I have to make up a line driver.

Making things how I want means lots of add on boards where the CSMIO is all integrated.

Thing I like about using a PLC however is it is easy to do all sorts of fancy things in the ladder and fairly easy to do it where doing things in a macropump or brains gets a bit messy.
I keep hinting to Brian that Mach4 should have ladder logic but whether it will or not only time will tell.

Hood

OK, I see now. Thanks. Although I would have to check to be sure, but I think I could get here a Delta PLC for at least half that price.

Dan

Even at £200 for a PLC plus ESS of £120 and a BOB of say £120 (for 2 port one) then another single BOB maybe £50 then that would be almost £500 and no 24v or diff on the ESS and no real integration between the lot.
For a machine that you are happy with 5v I/O no differential I/O etc then the ESS is an excellent route. If only the  Step/Dir spindle was sorted as the rest of the niggles that the USB SS suffers from have been cured with the ESS.

Hood

Little bit of progress, got the lower half of the housing made up, had some 3mm steel left over from a job so tigged up the part where the keyboard sits out of it. I dont normally have steel as most of my sheet work is either 316 stainless or 5083 Alu.
I extended the front of it out to the edge of the coolant tray, that allowed me to put a better slope on the keyboard, previously I felt it was too steep. Have given it a coat of primer and hope to get some paint to match the original green but if I cant I may just paint it grey or white. Should manage to paint it in place so I can now get on wiring things up.
Anyway a couple of pics of progress.
Hood

Coming along quite nicely Hood, looks great !
I'm anxious to get a performance report on the spindle servo arrangement.
I have an identical set-up waiting on the shelf for a retro here.
First inclination is that the 3016 is borderline but hoping for better.
Nice work .... as usual.
Russ

Very nice, Hood! Do you cut your sheet metal parts yourself?

Dan